How the Snowball Implementation Strategy Influences on the Individual Level ERP Assimilation: Based on Cognitive Load Theory

ERP systems have been widely adopted by most of the companies in the world. Most companies adopt a step-by-step approach to implement ERP which is known as the snowball ERP implementation strategy. By now, most studies on the snowball ERP implementation strategy focuses on the organizational level. Few studies focus on how this implementation strategy influences ERP users´ ERP assimilation from the perspective of individual level. Involving cognitive load theory as a theoretical foundation, this paper studies how the snowball ERP implementation strategy influences ERP users´ assimilation towards the ERP systems through an exploratory case study. Interviews with the IT manager in a frozen food company in China revealed that the snowball ERP implementation strategy can largely reduce the cognitive load of ERP users, thus contributing to the assimilation level of ERP users. Based on the interview evidence, we build a theoretical model on how the snowball ERP implementation strategy influencing ERP user´ assimilation towards ERP systems. Further theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.