Low UA cultures will consider it less important to plan for IT-enabled changes than their high UA counterparts. Universal rules and programmed algorithms are also perceived to be overly rigid and insensitive to changing circumstances, and so flexible rules and commitments are favoured. As a result, Proposition 11a. Low UA cultures will make less use of IT to program decisions or actions than their high UA counterparts. Low UA cultures will make less use of IT for accounting and control than their high UA counterparts.
Societal culture can have a substantial impact on IS planning and implementation.
Behaviours during the IT-enabled change process may also be expected to preserve and venerate the existing culture. Thus, the potential rewards from successful IT-enabled change need to be weighed against the risks, including those stemming from the need to challenge and disturb existing norms. IS managers must take account of the prevailing culture. Many IT-enabled changes that are otherwise feasible may be impeded by cultural factors. Changes which promote information sharing or delegate authority will be inappropriate where information is the dominant source of power while revolutionary changes will not fit cultures which value stability and harmony.