Start Date
16-8-2018 12:00 AM
Description
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are perceived as major enablers of digital transformation, as such they have attracted the attention of both practitioners and researchers. This notwithstanding, past research on APIs have focused largely on the technical dimensions, neglecting the social and cultural contexts. The purpose of this study is therefore to understand how regulative, normative and cognitive institutions affect the development and integration of APIs in Ghana. Drawing on the new institutional theory as a lens and an interpretive case study methodology, our findings show that normative institutions such as business strategy, customers need, relationships, and experience of vendors enabled the development and integration of APIs. However, regulative institutions in the form of regulations and laws (unwillingness of some institutions to integrate with other applications), security concerns, were regarded as constraining factors to API integration. Also, Cognitive forces in the form of non-disclosure issues and carelessness constrained the integration of APIs
Recommended Citation
Ofoeda, Joshua and Boateng, Richard, "Institutional Effects on API Development and Integration in Developing Countries: Evidence from Ghana" (2018). AMCIS 2018 Proceedings. 2.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2018/DigitalAgility/Presentations/2
Institutional Effects on API Development and Integration in Developing Countries: Evidence from Ghana
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are perceived as major enablers of digital transformation, as such they have attracted the attention of both practitioners and researchers. This notwithstanding, past research on APIs have focused largely on the technical dimensions, neglecting the social and cultural contexts. The purpose of this study is therefore to understand how regulative, normative and cognitive institutions affect the development and integration of APIs in Ghana. Drawing on the new institutional theory as a lens and an interpretive case study methodology, our findings show that normative institutions such as business strategy, customers need, relationships, and experience of vendors enabled the development and integration of APIs. However, regulative institutions in the form of regulations and laws (unwillingness of some institutions to integrate with other applications), security concerns, were regarded as constraining factors to API integration. Also, Cognitive forces in the form of non-disclosure issues and carelessness constrained the integration of APIs