"They Do Not Get Along without Us and We Do Not Get Along without Them...": Uncertainty in Information System Development

This paper discusses about issues related to un-certainties when developing information system in inter-organizational relationships (IORs). The study is a part of longitudinal grounded theory study where a business critical information system development (ISD) project is retrospectively followed over a time period of a one and half year. The main actors are two private sector organizations that share a long common ISD history and mutual trust. In the course of the project, prevailing optimism among actors generated uncertainties about the outcome and over-all success of the project. The paper presents sources and consequences of those uncertainties from the IOR viewpoint. The findings provide new insights on the earlier studies of a dynamic nature of trust and uncertainties in ISD cooperation.