This case examines the failed implementation of an electronic workflow system at a very successful, medium-sized company in South Korea. The CEO of the company approved and supported the system, invested substantial resources in its development and implementation, and mandated that the entire organization adopt and use the system. However, the importance of status, position and the importance of the tojang stamp were factors that the workflow system did not account for and were "lost" when the workflow system was introduced. As a result, the employees of the company were steadfast in their refusal to use the system as designed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate several explanatory frameworks that may shed light on the reasons for the failure of this implementation. After a review of the relevant literature and the presentation of the case, we discuss how culture has a persistent impact on information technology (IT) implementation, and how this may impede organizational change. This research will add to a small but growing body of literature on the importance of national culture in IT implementation decisions.