A cross-cultural study of executive information systems

The study presented examines cultural differences that influence the use and impact of executive information systems (EIS). The research surveys the users of EIS in Sweden and the United States to examine the following research questions: do cultural differences account for differences in why EIS are used, in how EIS are used, and in the perceived impact of EIS use? The findings suggest that US executives use EIS primarily for monitoring and to achieve benefits of problem identification speed and decision making speed, whereas Swedish executives use EIS primarily for analysis and evaluation and to achieve benefits of a more thorough, analytic decision process. The findings confirm the notion that IT is used by executives to reinforce the decision making behaviors valued in their culture.