What is Interpretations of Stakeholders

The objective of this article is to show by means of a case study how attempts to develop and implement inter-organizational systems (IOS) can be perceived as power battles, reflections of interests of stakeholders and struggles for domination. The paper shows that IOS is not simply a technical and rational solution but that it involves political processes of articulating interests, building alliances and struggling over outcomes. These issues will be examined through an empirical study of a project to introduce an electronic patient file (EPF) system in The Netherlands. We will seek to expand our knowledge of how inter-organizational systems impact relations among organizations and individuals who use these systems and how such systems affect the division of power inside and between organizations. Such knowledge can be useful when applying an analysis of power during the process of the design and implementation of IOS, which can help managers to implement IOS more effectively.