bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How an organization changes in ERP implementation: a Taiwan semiconductor case study
Authors: Yin Yeh Jen , OuYang Yen‐Ching
Published: April 2010

Purpose

Enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems often produce intangible benefits and implementation problems related to social and human factors. Implementing an enterprise system in an organization is a complex process. ERP evaluation should treat the human and social effects and the broader organizational consequences. The interpretive approach adopted here by virtue of an in depth case study aims to provide an understanding of the context of ERP‐system implementation, the process over time of mutual influence between the system and its context, how political action takes place, and how cultural attitudes and values changed during the ERP implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The collection of data rested on both interviews with staff at various levels of the subject organization and careful examination of available archived records.

Findings

The paper finds that ERP implementation improved business processes, communication, and the interaction between users and customers. Power issues are problematic to the success of the implementation. Understanding the values of individuals and groups, and managing the power balances, are requisite in the ERP implementation. This paper suggests that human‐resource management requires deep consideration in the implementation processes.

Originality/value

The paper makes a contribution by enhancing the understanding of ERP‐implementation context and the context's interaction with the implementation. This paper provides additional lessons that could be useful to organizations in evaluating ERP implementation.
Impact of information sharing on competitive strength of Indian manufacturing enterprises
Authors: Pandey V.C. , Garg S.K. , Shankar Ravi
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find the effect of different types of information sharing on the competitive strengths of the Indian manufacturing enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the responses received from the Indian manufacturers to a questionnaire based survey. Statistical analysis has been done to identify the relationship with the type of information sharing and the competitive strengths of the manufacturing enterprises.

Findings

It is observed that information sharing has significant impact on the competitive strengths of the manufacturer in order winning parameters like cost effectiveness and service level.

Research limitations/implications

The paper reflects Indian manufacturing perspective and only positive impacts of the information sharing has been discussed in the paper.

Originality/value

The paper verifies that the various types of information sharing can lead firms to acquire different competitive strengths. Managers should focus on right information sharing in their way to enhance particular competitive strength.
Service process analysis using process engineering and the theory of constraints thinking process
Authors: Pacheco Lacerda Daniel , Augusto Cassel Ricardo , Henrique Rodrigues Luis
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The paper aims to present a case of integration between process engineering and the thinking process of the theory of constraints (TP‐TOC) through the analysis of an organization's processes, pointing out the complementary aspects between the two theories and their benefits for the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper has used an Institution of Higher Education as its case study. The research has started by identifying the processes of the institution and choosing one to model according to the process engineering approach. The process was then analyzed through the elaboration of the current reality tree technique. After the analysis, the evaporating clouds technique was applied in order to breach the assumptions that were avoiding the problems to be solved. Finally, the process has been redesigned based on the results of the previous steps.

Findings

The analysis of this case contributes towards understanding and identifying the causes of the current problems in the studied processes, providing a systemic and systematic view through the proposed approach.

Originality/value

The paper proposes an approach that enables a systematic and systemic analysis of organizations' processes through the use of process engineering and the TP‐TOC.
Managing enterprise resource planning projects
Authors: Dey Prasanta Kumar , Clegg Benjamin Thomas , Bennett David J.
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to help managers to successfully plan, implement, and operate enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects using a risk management framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopted a combined literature review and case study method. Using literature review, the paper first identified major issues of managing ERP projects and develops a risk management framework for managing those issues. The proposed risk management framework was then applied to a ERP implementation project of a UK‐based energy services group and its effectiveness for managing ERP projects implementation had been demonstrated. Additionally, the risk factors as identified from the case application are compared with the risk factors from the previous researches so as to suggest mitigating measures.

Findings

All the risk factors are categorized into planning, implementation and operations phases along with project processes, organizational transformation and information technology (IT) perspectives. Project implementation phase is the most vulnerable to failure. The case study results reveal that the effect of other projects on on‐going ERP project, management of overall IT architecture and non‐availability of resources for organizational transformation are most critical from likelihood and impact perspectives. Managing risk across various phases of project and equal emphasize to effective project management, organizational transformation and IT adoption are the key to success in ERP implementation.

Practical implications

The risk factors, which were identified using literature review and the case study, have great significance as mitigating measures of those risks may result successful implementation of ERP projects in the industry. Additionally, proposed risk management framework could be customized to implement ERP projects elsewhere.

Originality/value

ERP projects are risky as they are capital intensive, technically complex, and call for organizational transformation. There are both success and failure stories. However, both researchers and practitioners agree, that if it can be implemented and operated successfully and benefits should be achievable. Although there are many studies on ERP implementation, little has been discussed on managing risks of ERP projects. Therefore, this paper bridges the gap.
Optimizing competence management processes: a case study in the aerospace industry
Authors: Corallo Angelo , Lazoi Mariangela , Margherita Alessandro , Scalvenzi Massimo
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the case of a leading Italian aerospace company which developed an integrated system aimed to optimize the management of engineering competencies within the Chief Technical Office function.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper was based on a set of interviews to company referents and a one‐year period of researcher's observation at the company site to analyze competence management processes and the application on the field of the methodology and the tool. The approach adopted is to present a real practice following a pragmatic and illustrative approach.

Findings

The integrated system provides an objective method to support critical evaluations related to the management of competencies and actors. The benefits achieved derive from a more effective and efficient monitoring of competencies available to perform given activities, and from the analysis of gaps, actor allocation, and job‐rotation issues.

Research limitations/implications

The application of the method and the tool is still quite “dependent” from the skills of their developers. Besides, the activities and competencies of those units which support new product development processes should be also integrated in the system.

Practical implications

The case described can be a useful benchmark for organizations working in complex industries in the effort of improving the performance of engineering activities through an enhanced management of knowledge about people potential and expertise.

Originality/value

The value of the paper may stay in a twofold process/project and people management perspective in the monitoring, development, and scouting of technical competencies.
Unleashing process orientation
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Movahedi Bahar , Miri Lavassani Kayvan , Kumar Uma
Published: April 2010

Purpose

In the past few years, process orientation (PO) as an integral part of enterprise system (ES) implementation has been the center of attention among practitioners and academics. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the role of PO in ES implementation through an empirical study of Canadian and US firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative analysis of ES implementation was performed based on the data collected from a sample of large Canadian and US firms. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with constructs of the research model. Moreover, path analysis approach was employed to conduct comparative analysis across the two samples.

Findings

The findings indicate that PO significantly reduces the challenges of ES implementation. Moreover, PO has been shown to have a positive effect on the successful implementation and utilization of ES under certain conditions. However, the level of PO at different phases is observed to have diverse effects on different aspects of ES implementation as a result of opposite forces of change. In addition, the path analysis confirms the validity of measurement of PO at three phases of ES implementation.

Research limitations/implications

No database of managers who have been involved in all three phases of ES implementation exists; hence, the respondents are asked to answer the questionnaire only if they are involved in all three phases of ES implementation. This places a limitation on the respond rate.

Originality/value

This paper is the first paper that measures PO at three phases of ES implementation and explores the effect of PO on different dimensions of ES implementation. This approach provides a novel insight into understanding of the role of PO in ES implementation. This paper offers two major contributions toward a further understanding of the business processes in organizations. The first contribution of this paper is the development of measurement systems for assessing the level of PO and various dimensions of ES implementation. The second major contribution of this paper is unveiling the role of PO in ES implementation through the comparative analysis across Canadian and US firms.
Value‐oriented process modeling: integrating financial perspectives into business process re‐design
Authors: vom Brocke Jan , Recker Jan , Mendling Jan
Published: April 2010

Purpose

Financial information about costs and return on investments are of key importance to strategic decision making but also in the context of process improvement or business engineering. The purpose of this paper is to propose a value‐oriented approach to business process modeling based on key concepts and metrics from operations and financial management, to aid decision making in process re‐design projects on the basis of process models.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper suggests a theoretically founded extension to current process modeling approaches, and delineates a framework as well as methodical support to incorporate financial information into process re‐design. The paper uses two case studies to evaluate the suggested approach.

Findings

Based on two case studies, the paper shows that the value‐oriented process modeling approach facilitates and improves managerial decision making in the context of process re‐design.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents design work and two case studies. More research is needed to more thoroughly evaluate the presented approach in a variety of real‐life process modeling settings.

Practical implications

The paper shows how the approach enables decision makers to make investment decisions in process re‐design projects, and also how other decisions, for instance in the context of enterprise architecture design, can be facilitated.

Originality/value

This paper reports on an attempt to integrate financial considerations into the act of process modeling, in order to provide more comprehensive decision‐making support in process re‐design projects.
Intellectual capital and non‐profit organizations in the knowledge economy
Authors: Kong Eric
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this editorial is to introduce the background and rationale to the special issue, “Intellectual capital and non‐profit organizations in the knowledge economy”. It aims at helping in communicating and disseminating relevant recent intellectual capital research studies within the non‐profit context.

Design/methodology/approach

The call for papers for the special issue was made publicly available in the journal web site. Authors from Australia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the UK and the USA were attracted, submitting their manuscripts for the consideration of publication in the special issue. All submissions underwent a double‐blind refereed selection process. Following a brief discussion of the contemporary non‐profit challenge, the main ideas of the eight papers selected are then presented.

Findings

The selected papers summarize the state‐of‐the‐art in the research of intellectual capital in the non‐profit sector in the knowledge economy. The papers embrace an eclectic mix of topics and methodologies.

Research limitations/implications

As a collection, the special issue sets the groundwork for many years of future hypothesis development and testing in intellectual capital research studies within the non‐profit context.

Originality/value

The special issue is the first to bring together theoretical pieces that link context to theory, empirical works, and case studies that address the application of IC in non‐profit organizations.
The role of intellectual capital in non‐profit elderly care organizations
Authors: Sillanpää Virpi , Lönnqvist Antti , Koskela Niina , Koivula Ulla‐Maija , Koivuaho Matti , Laihonen Harri
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The starting‐point of this paper is the observation that, while intellectual capital (IC) management seems to be a potential approach for non‐profit elderly care organizations, there is a lack of empirical evidence on how it could actually be applied. This paper aims to add to knowledge of this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an exploratory, qualitative case study including three case organizations. The case descriptions and analysis are based on interviews with managers of the case organizations.

Findings

The study describes which intangible resources are highlighted in the operations of non‐profit elderly care organizations, the existing practices regarding the management of IC factors and the IC needs of management in these organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on Finnish non‐profits. The operations of the third sector may vary across countries.

Practical implications

The elderly care sector is facing big challenges due to the changing age structure in many Western countries and due to the pressure to produce cost‐effective but still high‐quality services. The IC approach seems well‐suited as a managerial framework that can capture the intangible aspects of operations. However, more research and practical application experience are needed at this stage.

Originality/value

IC research on non‐profit organizations is rare and has so far been rather generic and conceptual. The paper makes a contribution by presenting empirical and industry‐specific findings.
Interaction between structural capital and human capital in Italian NPOs
Authors: Benevene Paula , Cortini Michela
Published: April 2010

Purpose

This explorative research aims at examining the relationship between human capital and structural capital in Italian NPOs, focusing on senior managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Administration of a semi‐structured interview to 122 senior managers of the same number of Italian NPOs. Interviews have been analyzed using different techniques: content analysis, run through the software T‐Lab (analysis of word occurrence and co‐word mapping, analysis of Markovian sequences), as well as discourse analysis carried out by two independent judges.

Findings

Italian NPOs' organizational culture is action‐oriented and self‐referral, not knowledge‐oriented. Training is not considered as a tool for strategic management of HR. Senior managers are mainly self‐taught and lack adequate competence on HR management. Organizational culture does not help the development of human capital as it neither uses structured procedures to select the best candidates, nor develops a training programme based on the organizational specific needs.

Research limitations/implications

The group approached is a convenience sample, not a statistical representative sample.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that intellectual capital can be an effective tool to address Italian NPOs' self‐referential knowledge and overcome their gaps in strategic management of human resources.

Originality/value

NPOs' senior manager training has rarely been addressed; in addition, the adopted methodology triangulates different qualitative techniques of analysis.
Intangible assets in higher education and research: mission, performance or both?
Authors: Secundo Giustina , Margherita Alessandro , Elia Gianluca , Passiante Giuseppina
Published: April 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the role of intangible assets in higher education and research institutions and to present a measurement framework, along with an illustrative application.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of existing theories and practical experiences is undertaken to build the core conceptual model and a dashboard of indicators. The model is then applied to investigate the mission and performance angles of intellectual capital with reference to an Italian higher education and research institution.

Findings

Creating intangible assets is at the core of the mission of education and research organizations. The identification and measurement of intellectual capital are thus an operational priority to evaluate the alignment between strategic orientation and performance within such institutions.

Research limitations/implications

The research has to be considered as exploratory and presents a single case, resulting in the need for further applications. However, the dashboard of metrics proposed is comprehensive and can thus represent a useful ground for refinements, mostly related to the links between indicators and management/strategy issues.

Practical implications

The dashboard can be used as a stakeholder communication tool and atableau de bordto support the strategic decisions related to the human, social and structural capital of education and research organizations.

Originality/value

The paper presents a first discussion on the systematic identification, classification and reporting of intellectual capital indicators in higher education and research.
Innovation processes in social enterprises: an IC perspective
Authors: Kong Eric
Published: April 2010

Purpose

Social enterprises are not purely commercial and philanthropic. They represent a hybrid form of organizations that involve taking business‐like, innovative approaches to deliver public services. Very little research has investigated the role of intellectual capital (IC) in innovation processes in social enterprises. This paper aims to address this.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a critical analysis of current literature in relation to the IC concept within the social enterprise context.

Findings

The paper argues that the IC concept can be utilized as a strategic management framework that assists social enterprises to harness knowledge for the pursuit of innovative social and commercial activities.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to the literature by theoretically arguing that IC can be utilized in innovation processes in social enterprises. It also informs social entrepreneurs that the IC concept is a valid strategic management framework that assists facilitating innovation in social enterprises. An IC conceptual framework is proposed using theoretical arguments from the literature. The framework helps social entrepreneurs to visualize IC and its components in their organizations for the development of effective innovation‐based strategies in social enterprises. The increased awareness of the IC concept in social enterprises, as a result of this paper, is likely to generate further research from both non‐profit practitioners and scholars.

Originality/value

The paper is considered as a starting‐point and serves as a milestone in examining the role of IC in innovation processes in social enterprises.
Intellectual capital reporting at UK universities
Authors: Bezhani Ivoni
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the amount and the nature of the voluntary intellectual capital (IC) disclosure of UK universities, the relation between performance and amount of IC disclosed; and the opinion of UK universities on a mandatory disclosure of IC.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis was used to examine the amount and nature of IC disclosure of the annual reports of 30 UK universities. Directors of Finance were chosen as representatives to submit an online questionnaire about IC statements and the mandatory reporting of IC for universities.

Findings

Findings suggest that the amount of IC information disclosed by UK universities in their annual reports is low. UK universities were identified as being over‐regulated and having low awareness of IC.

Research limitations/implications

IC framework used for the content analysis was specific to Austrian universities and the online questionnaire responses were limited. Few adaptations were made but it is necessary to perform a preliminary study to better understand the characteristics and functioning of UK universities.

Practical implications

Further research and recommendations are provided. Introduction of mandatory disclosure of IC reports would contribute further to the increase of the burden. Therefore at the present time voluntary IC disclosure is the best option.

Originality/value

No previous research was conducted for UK universities. This brings new expertise regarding IC disclosure in higher education and forms a sound basis for future research. Universities could benefit in improving assessment of their intangible assets, performance measurements, allocation of resources and benchmarking exercise.
The composition of intellectual capital in non‐profit orchestras
Authors: Mesa William
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain how intellectual capital (IC) is enacted and used in non‐profit symphony orchestras from an organisational behaviour perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a nine‐month case study on two community‐based non‐profit orchestras. The method uses field observations, interviews, factor analysis, and visual models in explaining how IC is connected to organisational practices.

Findings

IC is perhaps best understood in its context to specific organisations rather than as discrete items that are allocated.

Research limitations/implications

The case study is limited to non‐profit orchestras based on an organisational behaviour perspective. The results, however, invite further research into how IC is used as a resource towards strategic planning.

Practical implications

The study results point towards managing IC resources, given that they are grounded in actions and practices of the organisation. Questions of “how” (how is IC used?) drive the study versus questions of “what” (identification of IC).

Originality/value

Understanding IC as context‐dependent provides management guidance to NPO orchestras for improving volunteer participation, motivation, and meeting personal goals. It also informs boards of possible outcomes in implementing organisational change.
Trust: an antecedent to employee extra‐role behaviour
Authors: Reychav Iris , Sharkie Rob
Published: April 2010

Purpose

This study seeks to examine antecedents of perception of trust as a foundation for extra‐role behaviour in the public sector non‐profit organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 1,600 questionnaires were distributed and 329 questionnaires were returned from five different non‐profit local government authorities in Australia.

Findings

It was found that perceptions of trust in management, psychological support, management values and rewards were strong antecedents of employee perceptions, which in turn were positively correlated with employee extra‐role behaviour. Employee participation in decision making and contributions from autonomous employees were strong indicators of extra‐role behaviour, whereas intrinsic job motivation and the sharing of knowledge were found to be weaker indicators of discretionary extra‐role behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

The study was based on the voluntary response of employees of five independent local government authorities in Australia. Thus findings in other geographical or cultural locations may be significantly different. Beyond the questionnaire findings, the relevance to private non‐profit organisations needs to be studied empirically.

Practical implications

The research makes a significant contribution to management of governmental public sector non‐profit organisations which face continuous pressure to develop strategies and embrace management practices that ensure organisational effectiveness.

Originality value

The findings highlight the important factors that lead to employee perceptions about trust which can lead to discretionary employee efforts in public sector organisations that have great similarity to non‐profit organisations.
Intellectual capital models in Spanish public sector
Authors: Ramírez Yolanda
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide assistance to public organizations in the process of developing their ability to identify, measure and manage their intangible assets.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the most important intellectual capital management initiatives at Spanish public organizations is realized.

Findings

The paper shows the importance of intellectual capital approaches as instruments to face the new challenges in public sector. The experience gained from the case studies provides a practical help to public organizations to develop means to identify, measure and manage their intangible assets.

Practical implications

The study provides a basis to understand how Spanish public organizations are measuring and managing their intellectual capital. In this sense, the first step would be the definition and diffusion of the organization's strategic objectives. Then, critical intangibles related to these objectives should be identified. Afterwards, a set of indicators is defined and developed for each intangible.

Originality/value

Public managers work with intangible concepts, although there is not always a methodology available that systematizes their identification, measurement and presentation. To deal with this problem, it is considered fundamental to know which initiatives have been carried out in Spain in relation to models of intellectual capital management for public organizations.
A hybrid approach to workflow modelling
Authors: Cull Richard , Eldabi Tillal
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The increase in business process management projects in the past decade has seen an increase in demand for business process modelling (BPM) techniques. A rapidly growing aspect of BPM is the use of workflow management systems to automate routine and sequential processes. Workflows tend to move away from traditional definitions of business processes that can often be forced to fit a model that does not suit its nature. Existing process modelling tools tend to be biased to either the informational, behavioural or object‐oriented aspect of the workflow. Because of this, models can often miss important aspects of a workflow. As well as managing the relationship between the types of model it is important to consider who will be using it, as process models are useful in various ways. The paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on a case study in a manufacturing company, where users were surveyed to see which are the notations that are most common in modelling based on two main categories (i.e. behavioural and informational).

Findings

The research outcomes showed that there is no prevailing set of standards used for either of these categories, while most users feel the need to use more than one approach to model their system at any given time. Many companies face problems when trying to model the behaviour of human workers in the business processes. Existing techniques are mostly designed at modelling information systems or business processes, and rarely attempt to integrate the two.

Originality/value

This paper proposes the use of a new hybrid modelling methodology, which is an original idea, on existing tools and methodologies. Key authors in the literature recommend against the trend of developing a brand new methodology, so existing tools from each end of the scale were combined to provide a solution which is capable of modelling IS and BP.
Knowledge management, strategy, and technology: a global snapshot
Authors: Coakes Elayne , Amar A.D. , Luisa Granados Maria
Published: April 2010

Purpose

This paper presents results from a large comprehensive global survey of knowledge management (KM). The question that this paper looks to answer is how a KM strategy can be developed that will enable its successful management in organisations of many sectors and sizes. In light of the observed developments since the previous knowledge management surveys, the purpose of this paper is to redefine the KM function, and how it should be performed.

Design/methodology/approach

The research instrument was a global online hosted survey answered by nearly 700 participants. Hypotheses on the KM management process in contemporary organisations, emphasising the importance of strategy, cover this work. These hypotheses are tested by a set of questions and supported by the survey responses.

Findings

It is demonstrated that in many organisations technology has failed to have much impact on the way knowledge is transferred and shared.

Research limitations/implications

It should be noted that no control was made over the participants to the survey and no stratification of sampling was made. This means that the results are based on breadth as opposed to depth.

Originality/value

Due to the breadth and depth of this survey, the results reported here provide a global snapshot of how knowledge is currently being managed across nations, organisations and various forms of KM function. The findings should be of great use to both practitioners and academics.
Facilitating the adoption of e‐payment systems: theoretical constructs and empirical analysis
Authors: Özkan Sevgi , Bindusara Gayani , Hackney Ray
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The emergence of online transactions, enabled through internet media, has led to an increase in the availability of electronic payment (e‐payment) systems. This research aims to investigate, through theoretical constructs (technology acceptance model, theory of reasoned action) and an empirical analysis, the critical factors that may ensure consumer adoption of these facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This research study mainly uses the deductive approach to consider secondary sources and primary data, where hypotheses have been developed in order to demonstrate the findings. An initial literature review revealed six issues that are considered critical for e‐payment considerations. An anonymous and self‐administered survey based on the research model was developed and e‐mailed to the respondents. A total of 155 questionnaires were coded and analysed using SPSS to analyse the hypotheses.

Findings

The research proved that the perceived importance of the critical factors was correlated through security, trust, perceived advantage, assurance seals, perceived risk and usability. The results demonstrate that three of the critical factors were necessary (security, advantage, web assurance seals) and three were relatively sufficient (perceived risk, trust and usability) through customer intentions to adopt an e‐payment system.

Originality/value

It is believed that the findings represent an important contribution to the further adoption of e‐payment facilities and indeed the design of general e‐commerce systems.
Action readiness and mindset for IT offshoring
Authors: Aydin Mehmet N. , de Groot Jeroen , van Hillegersberg Jos
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The paper aims to examine the degree of changes in action readiness and mindset for the IT offshore outsourcing (offshoring) practice of a number of leading finance and insurance organisations. In particular, the article investigates the action readiness (the state, condition or quality of being ready) and mindset (habits, opinions or perceptions which affect a person's attitudes) of organisations for IT offshoring.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method applied has explorative research characteristics and consisted of two phases. The first phase included conducting interviews with project managers of 12 organisations in home and offshore countries and the second phase was concerned with an in‐depth analysis of projects in three organisations. By adopting a process research approach, the research takes into account the dynamics of IT offshoring projects in terms of five essential aspects, i.e. the way of working culture, method use, IT activities, IT governance, and knowledge sharing.

Findings

The findings indicate that to a greater extent organisations have realised readiness for method use and the mindset for IT activities, and that the overall improvements regarding these aspects have been modest in the last two years. On the other hand, the mindset for dealing with cultural difference has increased while readiness for flexible working, tracking of requirements change, efficient division of work, and systematic communication is still inadequate.

Research limitations/implications

As the findings are concerned with a small sample and particular industries, they are limited in nature. More research is needed to update the findings in other industries with a larger sample. This would help in achieving stronger external validity.

Practical implications

The model used in this research can help organisations in identifying how well they are prepared for or have improved IT offshoring practice in terms of five essential aspects. Based on the degree of readiness and mindset at hand, they can make use of the findings related to particular aspects. In this respect, the findings may provide valuable insights for practitioners.

Originality/value

Most IT offshoring studies employ a variance research strategy, by which cause‐effect relationships among dependent, independent, and mediating factors essential to the subject matter are studied. As an alternative to this strategy, this research adopts a process research approach, which is concerned with the dynamics of IT offshoring practice, which takes into account the emergent and on‐the‐fly nature of IT projects. Such dynamics are examined in terms of two conceptual levels, i.e. action readiness (ability, condition of being readiness) and mindset (opinions, perceptions). These levels, which are often employed as a separate focus in existing studies, are found to be useful in closing the gap between action readiness and mindset for IT offshoring.
Analysis of risk dynamics in information technology service delivery
Authors: Nazımoğlu Özge , Özsen Yasemine
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define and analyse risks within information technologies (IT) in service delivery. Some specific risks that appear in IT service delivery and the relationships between risks will be defined. The objective of the study is to advance understanding of risks and their effects on specific processes within the delivery of IT services.

Design/methodology/approach

Risks were determined by reviewing processes in International Business Machines (IBM), by taking the Information Technologies Infrastructure Library (ITIL) as a basis, which is a standard in IT, and with the help of the Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) Metrics Model. The ITSM Metrics Model is actually used for finding delay times for specific processes and determining specific risks. ITIL is used to decide on the most risky processes for IT delivery. According to observations and some interviews with employees at IBM Service Delivery, the risk level is defined by the percentage of impact of specific risks. Following observations, the effects of these risks on the most risky process is discussed.

Findings

The risk with the most impact on all processes is “dissatisfied customers”. The second most impacting risk is “delayed solutions”, and the third is “low employee morale”.

Research limitations/implications

The risks found in the paper can be reduced by conducting more research. In further studies, hypothesis tests could be done over this study to make it more sensitive.

Originality/value

In this paper, the risks at the IT service delivery are identified, and thus uncertainty can be reduced for firms that are outsourcing their IT departments.
Web‐based information systems development and dynamic organisational change
Authors: Ramrattan Mark , Patel Nandish V.
Published: April 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the contextual issues relating to the problem of developing web‐based information systems for emergent organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs an action research approach to understand and develop an analytical development tool for web developers. It postulates that existing methods are inadequate in coping with sudden and unexpected changing characteristics within the organisation. The theory of deferred action is used as the basis for the development of an emergent analytical development tool. Many tools for managing change in a continuously changing organisation are susceptible to inadequacy.

Findings

The insights proposed are believed to assist designers in developing functional and relevant approaches within dynamic organisational contexts.

Originality/value

The analytical development matrix assists web developers in emergent organisations to develop web‐based information systems.
Critical success factors for ERP implementations in Belgian SMEs
Authors: Doom Claude , Milis Koen , Poelmans Stephan , Bloemen Eric
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical success factors of ERP implementations in Belgian SMEs and to identify those success factors that are specific to a SME environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors survey the literature to discover and classify critical success factors that are potentially applicable to small and medium‐sized enterprises. Through a survey and a multiple case study within four Belgian companies, the authors investigate which of these critical success factors apply to SMEs.

Findings

The results show that most of the success factors found in the literature apply to SMEs. Nevertheless, distinct differences were found as well. Some factors, such as a clear scope definition and a standardised infrastructure, are not regarded as critical success factors for SMEs. Moreover, SMEs tend to rely relatively heavily on the input of consultants, who they use as a source of knowledge and experience. Moreover, SMEs need to be able to adjust their businesses quickly to be able to exploit their niche to the fullest extent.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to Belgian enterprises.

Originality/value

For SMEs, it is particularly important to recognise the elements for a successful ERP implementation. This paper examines the critical success factors of ERP implementations in small and medium‐sized enterprises, while the existing literature on critical success factors of ERP implementations focuses on large enterprises.
Commodity trading advisors (CTAs) for the Indian commodity market
Authors: Kapil Sheeba , Nayan Kapil Kanwal
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The Indian commodity market requires large investments and enhanced trading activity both in the national as well as the regional commodity markets. The participation of non‐professional people trading commodity markets makes the market a risky venture. Non‐professional participants simply add to the volatility factor of the market. There is a dire need for professional experts who are able to provide advice on commodity trading and build commodity inclusive portfolios. Such professional awareness, expertise, and guidance in commodity trading can come from professional commodity traders called commodity trading advisors (CTAs). The purpose of this paper is to offer arguments and insights as to why the Indian commodity market needs the participation of the CTAs. The money brought in by CTA advised clients will add to the depth, liquidity, and trade which in turn will make commodity prices more efficient. As a regulatory measure, the Indian market too can adopt guidelines structured for CTAs by Commodity Future Trading Commission and National Futures Association. The CTAs can bring the Indian commodity market at par with developed commodity markets like Chicago Board of Trade.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews and discusses the various issues related to CTAs applicability in India. The goal of the paper is to outline the need for allowing CTAs activity in Indian commodity market and discuses the key operational and policy considerations in developing the commodity market for CTAs in India.

Findings

The recent expansion of Indian commodity market has not been very structured. The market has expanded with the expansion in demand for commodities both in spot and derivative market. There have been constraints through policy restrictions and at the same time there has been an effort for liberalization of the commodity market to bring them at par with international commodity market. Of late, the Indian equity market has been very volatile. Participation of CTAs will provide much required downside protection to traditional portfolios and they will also provide the expertise in commodity derivative trading to participants and help build the commodity inclusive portfolios with better return and lesser risk.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that initiates thoughts on allowing CTAs to participate in the Indian commodity market. The paper builds on the concept that CTAs would add the desired price discovery, volume, and depth to the Indian commodity market. The Indian commodity market, despite being quite old, has recently broken free from the restrictive policies and has ushered into an era of initiates supporting commodity derivative market development. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there exists no literature on CTAs participation in India.
Issues faced by SMEs in the internationalization process: results from Fiji and Samoa
Authors: Singh Gurmeet , Pathak R.D. , Naz Rafia
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize the issues, challenges, and impediments coming in the way of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) internationalization in small developing nations of South Pacific like Fiji and Samoa.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper encompasses both quantitative and qualitative data. Analyses of antecedents are descriptive in nature, while establishing the relationship between intervening variables and outcomes are quantitative. For quantitative data, structured questionnaires are used, while for the collection of qualitative data, archival and library research methods are employed. Structured questionnaire is used to collect data from 118 and 78 sampled respondents in Fiji and Samoa, respectively, and statistical analysis is performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences package.

Findings

These research findings pinpoint that the problem lies in evaluating the nature of issues affecting internationalization of SMEs. The results also show that the performance of Fijian and Samoan SMEs is same across different business sectors and those SMEs in these two countries exhibit different change patterns in their export growth.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of the paper is limited only to the SMEs in Fiji and Samoa and cannot in any way be generalized to large firms.

Practical implications

SMEs seeking to internationalize will need to learn a lot about the internal and external factors impacting their organizations. Many a times entrepreneurs believe that through sustained planning, they can reduce the shocks resulting from environmental uncertainty, however, in reality some of them may be able to benefit while others despite planning may not be able to overcome growth‐related problems, as they may require reactive action. Therefore, learning is essential in international expansion and so is having a clear understanding of the environment that entrepreneurs operate in. Future research should seek to highlight documented cases of SME internationalization.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the important studies taken in the context of Pacific SMEs. The research that has been conducted in the past are mostly confined to Asian countries, with very little in the area of SME internationalization. The findings of this paper will have relevance for policy making and supportive measures at government levels for SME internationalization.
An investigation of perceptions of company annual report users in Sri Lanka
Authors: De Zoysa Anura , Rudkin Kathy
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of how users of company annual reports in the emerging market of Sri Lanka view those reports. Since limited studies exist that examine financial reporting practices in emerging markets, little is known about the user perceptions of company annual reports in these markets. This paper contributes to filling this gap by examining the views of a wide spectrum of users on the usefulness of corporate annual reports in Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

The data reported in this study were collected through a questionnaire survey, covering seven user groups – accountants, executives, bankers, tax officers, academics, financial analysts, and investors. The 264 responses received were analysed using the Kruskal‐Wallis one‐way ANOVA test.

Findings

The results reveal that most use annual reports for obtaining information for share transactions. Despite the long delay in publishing many annual reports and lack of availability of these reports to the general public, the majority of users view annual reports as the most important source of company information. The paper also reveals that, in comparison with developed markets, Sri Lankan users depend more on annual report information than on information provided by stockbrokers, newspapers, and other media reviews.

Originality/value

This paper provides information about the usefulness of annual reports in an emerging market, Sri Lanka. No prior research on this aspect of Sri Lankan companies is reported in the literature.