A Multilevel Analysis of eHub Adoption and Consequences

Although there has been a significant amount of research on the adoption of IS standards and consequences, most has tended to focus on traditional EDI standards, paying special attention to factors of individual adopters. However, the current proliferation of new IS standards, based on open technologies, increases the potential for interorganizational collaboration. Research, therefore, needs to raise the level of analysis to that of the constellations of organizations that are part of the industry network. This contribution examines how the structural properties of the network impact on the adoption decision and how the adoption in turn produces changes in the structure of the network. Furthermore, we advocate a multilevel analysis of the consequences of using IS standards and eHubs. We explore and illustrate our theoretical arguments with a case study on the adoption and use of an IS standard and eHub in the chemical industry.