bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a model of adaptation of Taiwanese expatriates’ Spouses in multinational corporations
Authors: Chwo‐ming Yu Joseph , Yi Chin‐Hua , Chiao Yu‐Ching , Wei Yu‐Chen
Published: June 2010

An investigation into the factors affecting the adaptation of spouses of Taiwan expatriates allowed for their modes of adaptation to be classified into ‘adjustment’, ‘reaction’ and ‘withdrawal’. Albeit a sample of 15 spouses were interviewed using a semi‐structured questionnaire, the research findings indicate that if an expatriate’s spouse is characterized as having high cultural flexibility, high social orientation, a high degree of willingness to communicate, a high conflict resolution orientation, low ethnocentricity and a high orientation towards knowledge, the overseas adaptation tends to be of the ‘adjustment’ mode. Research propositions based on case findings and relevant literature are derived here for future more in‐depth study.
A study of Russian, Polish, and U.S. self and peer raters: Moderators of rating agreement
Authors: Costigan Robert D. , Insinga Richard C. , Kranas Grazyna , Ilter Selim S. , Kureshov Vladimir A. , Jason Berman J.
Published: June 2010

This study investigates one aspect of the multi‐source feedback process: the agreement between self‐ratings and coworker ratings of workplace behavior. Moderators of rating agreement (i.e., number of years that the coworker had known the employee, trustworthiness of the employee, and country status) are carefully examined. Eighty‐six Russian employee‐coworker dyads, 99 Polish dyads, and 95 U.S. dyads from more than 225 organizations participated. Regression results indicate that rating agreement was higher when the Polish and U.S. coworker knew the target employee a shorter period of time and when the Polish, Russian, and U.S. target employee was considered trustworthy.
The Strategy‐performance relationship revisited: The blessing and curse of the combination strategy
Authors: Parnell John A. , Hershey Lewis
Published: June 2010

This study considers the viability of the combination strategy with regard to the Porter and Miles & Snow generic strategy typologies. Within each framework, it is possible to pursue a “combination strategy,” whereby dimensions of two or more pure strategies are incorporated simultaneously. The present study presents findings from a recent assessment of perceptions of 415 American and Mexican managers regarding their firms’ strategies and levels of performance. Data suggests that combination strategies can be associated with either inferior or superior performance. This paper also suggests that additional research should considerre‐visit the I/O versus resource‐based schism and seek to integrate the two schools of thought into a broader consensus.
The measurement of strategic thinking type for top managers in Iraqi public organizations‐cognitive approach
Authors: Daghir Munqith M. , Al Zaydi Kais I. H.
Published: June 2010

This research suggests that strategic thinking can be measured depending on cognitive logic. By developing Jung’s model, we can reach a new model, which consists of five thinking types of human beings. The strategic thinking type stands at the central part of this model. This is due to the fact that this type of thinking, which has become essential to every modern manager, is the function of all other types of thinking. A strategic thinker is the main changing agent in every organization. The cognitive approach applied refers to thinking as a bridge between the environment and observed behavior. Behavior is a direct reflection of thinking. It is not just a reflection of environment and its stimulus, as behaviorists believe. Strategic process matches
cognitive logic much more than behavior logic does. Depending on (Z) test, we can statistically define the area of the type of strategic thinking. This area shows that strategic thinking is a unique type of thinking which can be measured through a combination of attitudes measurement and thinking process measurement. The validity of this model is checked by the strategic change attitudes of the respondents. The result shows that the measurement of strategic thinking suggested by our model is valid. Nevertheless, the researchers believe that this result can not be fullproof unless more research tests their claims.
Age‐related differences in work attitudes and behavior among Kuwaiti women employees in the public sector
Authors: Metle Mesh’al Kh.
Published: June 2010

This study explores the relationship between age and job satisfaction among Kuwaiti women employees in the Kuwaiti public government sector. The analysis is focused on the responses of the female employees to their own jobs as indicated by their level of job satisfaction. This study differs from previous investigations of job satisfaction in two principle ways: in dealing with the public sector (rather than the more common private in studies of the Middle East), in taking into account demographic variable such as age. The major findings of this research indicate that a much broader approach towards increasing satisfaction than focusing on the job itself is required.
Relationships between subsidiary strategic roles and organizational configuration: The case of Taiwanese multinational companies
Authors: Tsai Ming‐Ten , Yu Ming‐Chu , Lee Kuo‐Wei
Published: June 2010

The primary goal of this study is to examine the relationships among Taiwan’s overseas subsidiaries based on their strategic roles, organizational configurations and business performance. However, their relationships also depend on the subsidiaries’ cultural differences between parent company and its subsidiary. Using regression analysis, we show that different types of industries, stages of internationalization, degrees of integration, degrees of localization, and degrees of resource dependence are the most important factors on the subsidiaries’ perceived activity satisfaction.
The results indicate that the sample of Taiwanese MNC affiliates falls into three subgroups depending on their global strategies. Active Subsidiaries are highly integrated and have high local responsiveness, Autonomous Subsidiaries have high local responsiveness but low integration,while Respective Subsidiaries have low local responsiveness, but are highly integrated.
Transaction governance structure: Theories, empirical studies, and instrument design
Authors: Zhang Aimao
Published: June 2010

Transaction cost economics is an important anchor for analyzing a wide range of economic and organizational issues and is complemented by various theories, resulting in a perception shift of transaction governance structure from a polar classification toward a continuum (John & Reve,
1982; Heide & Miner, 1992; Hennart, 1993). Despite conceptual framework developments, empirical studies based on the continuum are scarce. This research is an initial effort toward TGS dimensionalization and operationalization and reviews theoretical developments since 1930, surveys empirical studies from 1982 to 2004, presents Williamson’s framework (1991), and proposes a set of items for instrument design.
Managerial ownership, risk, and corporate performance
Authors: Jahmani Yousef , Ansari Mohammed
Published: June 2010

This study examines the impact of managerial ownership on risk‐taking and firm performance. The study utilizes data for thirty randomly selected companies from four industries in four different sectors. Industries are oil & gas and field services from energy sector; insurance, property, and casualty from the financial sector, drugs from the health sector; and computer and data processing from the technology sector. This yielded a total of 120 observations. Accounting measures and correlation analysis are used to determine the relationship between managerial ownership, risk‐taking, and firm performance in each industry and for the whole sample. We found no significant relationship between these variables in different industries and for the whole sample. Managerial ownership seems to be merely a reflection of the way in which managers receive their benefits. Managerial ownership does not seem to provide any incentive to work harder for improving the company’s performance in the accounting sense.
The determinants of customer loyalty: An analysis of intangible factors in three service industries
Authors: Bei Lien‐Ti , Chiao Yu‐Ching
Published: June 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate how customers’ perceptions of service quality, product quality, and price fairness influence their loyalty to a particular service provider. Based on the results of a pilot study, we have elected to study banks, auto repair and maintenance shops, and
(gasoline) filling stations, each of which are characterized by differing degrees of intangible service provision. Our results show that customer satisfaction either fully or partially mediates the relationship between consumers’ perceptions and their loyalty. The direct or indirect effects
on customer loyalty of the perception of product and service quality, as well as of perceived price fairness, are related to the differing levels of intangible service associated with each of the three different service industries.
HRM systems architecture and firm performance: Evidence from SMEs in a developing country
Authors: Kasturi Prahlad , Orlov Alexei G. , Roufagalas John
Published: June 2010

Human Resource Management (HRM) effects on firm performance can be examined at the systems architecture (i.e., guiding principles or philosophy), the policy, or practices levels. This paper suggests that, at least for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, it is the guiding principles that affect a firm’s performance. Using a unique dataset of 44 SMEs in Tamil‐Nadu, India, this paper presents a regression analysis of the relationship between HRM philosophies and measures of firm performance. It is shown that the attitude of the firm’s owner(s) towards its employees is a major determinant of the firm’s profitability. The effect of HRM philosophy on productivity is smaller, albeit still highly significant.
The impact of NAFTA on the Mexican‐American trade
Authors: Nica Mihai , Swaidan Ziad , Grayson Michael M.
Published: June 2010

This study analyzes the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the trade between Mexico and the U.S. NAFTA was signed by the U.S., Canada and Mexico on 17 December 1992 and took effect on 1 January 1994. This research found that NAFTA led to a significant increase in U.S.
imports from Mexico, did not affect U.S. exports to Mexico, and led to a negative U.S. trade balance in the short term with Mexico. From a policy point of view, the results suggest that further expansion of NAFTA will probably lead to even larger trade deficits, at least in the short term, for the U.S. In order to prepare for the political and economic implications of NAFTA and FTAA the U.S. needs to encourage further research that leads to a quantification of the short‐term benefits and losses, even if most economists, business leaders, and government officials agree that in the long term the countries and populations involved will all benefit.
Regional trade pacts and the competitiveness of the US textile industry
Authors: Datta Anusua , Malhotra D.K. , Russel Philip S.
Published: June 2010

The U.S. textile industry has gone through much upheaval in the past two decades. As protective barriers are gradually phased out the industry is faced with stiff foreign competition. Regional trade pacts, such as NAFTA and CBI, on the other hand help to improve the competitiveness of the domestic textile industry. This paper looks at the trends in U.S. textile trade with the various trading zones and the various factors influencing textile imports and exports. We examine the impact of the new global environment, the regional trade pacts, NAFTA and CBI on the changing nature and pattern of trade. The overall trends indicate a significant decline in imports from the EU countries, Asia remains significant, but NAFTA and CBI countries are quickly gaining ground over the old trading partners. The OECD remains the most significant destination for U.S. textile exports followed by NAFTA and Latin American countries.
Releasing open source at the Library of Congress
Authors: Johnston Leslie
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The Library of Congress supports the use of open source software in its initiatives, from software development tools to technologies used in its web sites. From late 2008 through spring 2009, the Library of Congress for the first time released its own open source software. This article aims to provide an overview of the issues involved in developing, releasing, building a community around, and supporting open source software, based on the experiences of this project.

Design/methodology/approach

Three utilities and a Java Library – the Parallel Retriever, the Bag Validator, VerifyIt, and the BagIt Library – were released on SourceForge, the technology community's hub for open source software distribution and services, under the “Library of Congress Transfer Tools” project.

Findings

The tools support validation and transfer of data that conforms to the BagIt specification. The Library plans to release additional tools as part of a suite of solutions and software development resources as they are completed over time.

Originality/value

The article gives an overview of open source software use and development at the Library of Congress.
Kete and Koha: integration built on open standards
Authors: McGinnis Walter , Ransom Joann
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the benefits of using open standards to support the gathering of relevant data from a variety of sources from across an organization's software applications and also from completely external information providers.

Design/methodology/approach

The article looks at the history of Koha and Kete projects and their interactions. It features particular concentration on Kete's development.

Findings

A focus on supporting open standards and general interoperability not only makes it simple to integrate instances of the two software projects, but also creates larger possibilities for data sharing with a number of web sites and services.

Originality/value

The article examines how a piece of software can act as a productive part of a larger information ecosystem and will be of interest to those in the field.
Economy of post‐Communist capitalism under the financial crisis
Authors: Papava Vladimer
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to distinguish the economic foundations of post‐Communist capitalism and to examine the key economic problems of this type of society in the context of the modern financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This question is approached by studying the “necroeconomy” as a phenomenon of post‐Communist capitalism and the international experience of the dead firms, so‐called “zombie‐firms”, which do exist and “successfully” function in the most developed of economies as well with Japan being the most obvious example. Unlike developed economies, which are exposed to the threat of the zombie‐ing of the economy under the conditions of a financial crisis, this threat is even greater for the countries of post‐Communist capitalism owing also to their exposure to necroeconomy.

Findings

It is found that the financial crisis creates the favourable conditions for the zombie‐ing of a necroeconomy. If in Japan, for example, the zombie‐economy never touched the processing industries, then one of the qualities of the necroeconomy is to concentrate exactly upon this sector of the economy. The zombie‐ing of a necroeconomy inevitably amounts to the zombie‐ing of this already‐dead sector as well.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is to determine the carriers of the necroeconomic and zombie‐economic routines –Homo TransformaticusandZombie Economicus, respectively. The contemporary financial crisis creates the danger of the transformation ofHomo Transformaticusinto aZombie Economicus.
The 2007 crisis and countercyclical policy
Authors: O'Connell Joan
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to outline the global financial and economic crisis that began in 2007, together with the macroeconomic policy changes that were put in place as a result.

Design/methodology/approach

The content is partly descriptive and partly analytical.

Findings

The paper sets out the history of the financial and economic crisis to date.

Originality/value

This is determined by the subject matter, and consists mainly in the manner in which the material is presented.
Credit rating agencies and global financial crisis
Authors: Papaikonomou Vassiliki L.
Published: June 2010

Purpose

This paper attempts to identify the areas for further research related to regulating credit‐rating agencies (CRAs), in order to assess whether the prerequisite for a “complete change” is present so to achieve a genuine paradigm shift on the matter.

Design/methodology/approach

An overview of the unregulated background of CRAs is presented followed by the European Union's and USA's regulatory initiatives together with a critical assessment of the former and an identification of the substantive areas for further thinking.

Findings

The adequacy of the recent CRAs regulation is questioned in the light of the need to take account of crucial elements such as scope, use of methodologies, due diligence and the regulatory reliance on ratings. A definition of competition is also warranted as well as a questioning of the “issuer pays” model and an assessment of the impact of ratings on systemic risk. An alternative regulatory response could take a more general view of regulating the credit‐rating activity as a whole and on a world wide scale.

Originality/value

This paper identifies areas for further research needed for an assessment of the most suitable regulation for the credit‐rating activity. Also, the paper focuses on the need to better understand the complicated nature, functioning and impact of CRAs in the financial system in order to map the different challenges for regulators, politicians, practitioners and academics.
Methodology and technology for learning programming
Authors: Deek Fadi P. , McHugh James A. , Roxanne Hiltz Starr
Published: June 2010

This paper discusses methodology and technology to aid students learning programming. We have identified and integrated the problem solving and program development skills and knowledge students need to apply when programming with the cognitive activities required to accomplish these tasks. We then developed a composite methodological/software environment that supports the overall process of programming in a manner that gives appropriate weight to both language issues and problem solving. The results of a classroom evaluation of the method and the tool are then presented.
Developing a relevant research agenda in knowledge management ‐ bridging the gap between knowing and doing
Authors: Truch Edward , Ezingeard Jean‐Noel , Birchall David W.
Published: June 2010

The diversity and sometimes‐sporadic nature of research in the area of knowledge management (KM) points towards the need for a better understanding of the underlying framework of issues and potential research topics. This paper describes the search for a research agenda in this fast developing area. Important issues were identified through a general review of the KM literature followed by a survey of business practitioners, consultants and academics at a one‐day conference dedicated to the subject. The investigation was carried out in the context of a feasibility study for a proposed KM Centre at Henley Management College in the UK. The survey followed an interpretivist approach employing open‐ended questions that sought to establish important issues in KM and to examine the benefits that participants would seek from a such a forum of practitioners and academics. A conceptual framework of disciplines and key topics was developed from the literature review and applied to the issues identified in the survey. The results point towards three areas of significant interest, namely: (i) implementation issues, (ii) best practice, and (iii) measurement. Additionally, the nature of the fast evolving field of knowledge management points to the need for more interactive research that brings together the different players in the field into a tighter and faster learning cycle.
Linking key figures and internet business news for personalized management information
Authors: Meier Marco , Mertens Peter
Published: June 2010

In order to improve decision support through knowledge management it is becoming increasingly important to combine internal and external as well as quantitative and qualitative management information. The Internet is already one of the most important media for accessing external data and it might continue to grow in significance. The article describes the concept and prototype of an “Editorial Workbench” that helps to manage knowledge spread in internal and external sources in order to distribute the right information to the responsible decision maker in time. SAP decided to use parts of the prototype for the development of their new product SAP Strategic Enterprise Management (SAP SEM)TM.
Combining data mining and human expertise for making decisions, sense and policies
Authors: Viktor Herna L , Arndt Heidi
Published: June 2010

A major challenge facing management in developed countries is improving the performance of knowledge and service workers, i.e. the decision and policy makers. In a developing country such as South Africa, with a well‐developed business sector, this need, especially in government, is even more crucial. South Africa has to face many new challenges in the 21st century ‐ growing environmental concerns, massive social and economic inequalities, high occurrences of HIV, low productivity, massive unemployment and the nation’s evolving role in Africa, amongst others. The importance of a sound science and technology policy framework to address these pressing issues cannot be overemphasised This paper discusses the construction of a knowledge‐base from a data repository concerning a South African National Research and Technology (NRT) Audit. This knowledge‐base is to be used as an aid when developing a science and technology policy framework for South Africa. The knowledge‐base is constructed using the cooperative inductive learning team (CILT) approach, which combines diverse data mining tools and human expertise into a cooperative learning system. In this approach, each data mining tool constructs a model of the knowledge as contained in the data repository, thus providing an automated tool to make sense of the knowledge embedded therein. That is, the data mining tools learn from the data in order to obtain new insights. The system also incorporates human domain expertise through the computational modelling of the human subject knowledge. The knowledge, as obtained during team learning, is stored in a team knowledge‐base. Results indicate that the CILT learning team approach can be successfully used to make sense of the vast amounts of data collected and provide a knowledge repository for further decision making and policy formulation.
Data mining using client/server systems
Authors: Pendharkar Parag C. , Rodger James A.
Published: June 2010

client/server(C/S) systems have revolutionized the systems development approach. Among the drivers of the C/S systems is the lower price/performance ratio compared to the mainframe‐based transaction processing systems. Data mining is a process of identifying patterns in corporate transactional and operational databases (also called data warehouses). As most Fortune 500 companies are moving quickly towards the client server systems, it is increasingly becoming important that a data mining approaches should be adapted for C/S systems. In the current paper, we describe different data mining approaches that are used in the C/S systems.
E‐collaboration tool for technology foresight exercise
Authors: Vranes Sanja , Opacic Branislav , Pizzio Francesco
Published: June 2010

Our multiparadigm software toolset (consisting of BATEV, DEBATER and CyberDELPHI software tools) enables a holistic forecasting exercise, combining some good aspects of various foresight paradigms, based on both panel activities (scenarios, recommendations, policy proposals, etc.) and a large scale e‐collaboration among wide expert base. The e‐collaboration encompasses “via‐net” Delphi survey and software mediation and facilitation, based upon intelligent group decision support paradigm. The combination of multiple paradigms supplies a firm foundation for addressing complex technology foresight problems more objectively. Following a brain‐storming process (assisted by BATEV technology repository, and DEBATER intelligent decision support system for technology assessment) in which potential future opportunities for scientific and technological advances are identified, panels engage in an extensive and collaborative consultation process, using the CyberDELPHI e‐collaboration software. The CyberDELPHI implementation is very useful in reducing the time required to evaluate the experts’ responses and also helps to encourage experts to give as much detail as possible. It has been used succesfully in the preliminary phase of a Regional Programme on Technology Foresight for Latin America, launchad by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) and ICS (International Centre for Science and High Technology).
Do media really affect perceptions and procedural structuring among partially‐distributed groups?
Authors: Burke Kelly , Aytes Kregg
Published: June 2010

Organization efforts in groups generate interaction and procedural structures, or “rules of behavior”. The type and extent of structuring are affected by preexisting preferences among group members for a desired degree of procedural order, as well as by the communication media available in the meeting environment. Analysis of thirty partially‐distributed groups that met over a series of four sessions was conducted by using two methods. Questionnaires were administered to ascertain perceptions of satisfaction and procedural practices. Content analysis was used to determine actual procedural behavioral patterns. It appears that preferences for procedural order does affect structuring behaviors, but do not affect their satisfaction with the group process. Interestingly, and counter to the expectations elicited from a history of media richness theory and studies, results here indicate that interaction media (video conferencing vs. audio conferencing) have no affect on either members’ perceptions of procedural structuring, their satisfaction, or their actual procedural structuring practices. Implications of these results are discussed.
The emergence of a theoretical framework for gss facilitation: The dualities of e‐facilitation
Authors: Yoong Pak , Gallupe Brent
Published: June 2010

Electronic meeting facilitation (e‐facilitation) continues to be a critical success factor in the use of information technology to support face‐to‐face collaborative work. Yet researchers and practitioners continue to struggle to understand the subtleties and difficulties in the application of meeting facilitation techniques in the ‘electronic’ context. To clarify that understanding, this paper develops a new theoretical framework that examines how technology interacts with human facilitator behavior in an electronic group meeting. This framework, The Dualities of E‐Facilitation, is composed of two dualities: the Duality of Computer and Human Interaction, and the Duality of Routine and Intuitive Actions. The framework emerged from an analysis of the e‐facilitation behaviors of newly trained face‐to‐face electronic meeting facilitators.
Facilitating perception on virtual learningware based environments
Authors: Fuks Hugo , Lemos de Assis Rodrigo
Published: June 2010

Questions related to perception in groupware systems have received a lot of attention in recent Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) studies. This paper presents a model of support of perception for a groupware approach based upon communication, coordination and cooperation. The suggested model is applied through learningware technology. The AulaNet learning environment was used as a source of experiences for development of the proposed model. The conception of a new service, implemented on AulaNet to illustrate the utilization of perception information, also is presented. Some of the problems that have been encountered, questions of implementation and difficulties derived from the addition of new functionalities, are highlighted throughout the paper.
What enables and what prevents knowledge sharing via computer‐mediated communications?
Authors: Cecez‐Kecmanovic Dubravka
Published: June 2010

The paper investigates knowledge sharing and co‐creation in an organisation‐wide discussion supported by Computer‐Mediated Communication (CMC). The paper draws on the empirical evidence from a field study of a consultative process as part of a University strategic decision‐making. Informed by Habermas’s theory of communicative action, the investigation focuses on communicative practices in the CMC discussion and the ways participants interact, share knowledge and co‐create meanings in a particular situation. Communicative analysis of organisational discourse via CMC reveals hidden structures and mechanisms that impede knowledge sharing and inhibit cooperative meaning making. The issue here is whether CMC enables or disables some of these structures and mechanisms. By interpreting the CMC discussion as an argumentation process the paper aims to provide deeper insights into this issue. Among the lessons learned are requirements for new technologies to support knowledge sharing and meaning co‐creation.
Exploring the cultural and social impacts on the requirements engineering processes ‐ highlighting some problems challenging virtual team relationships with clients
Authors: Hanisch Jo , Thanasankit Theerasak , Corbitt Brian
Published: June 2010

Requirements engineering is a crucial phase in software development. Software development in a virtual domain adds another dimension to the process of requirements engineering. There has been growing interest in virtual teams, and more specifically in virtual software development. While structured software development methods are the obvious first choice for project managers to ensure a virtual software development team remains on track, the social and cultural aspects of requirements engineering cannot be ignored. These social aspects are especially important across different cultures, and have been shown to affect the success of an information system. The discussion in this paper is centred around the requirements engineering processes of a virtual team in a Thai Software House. This paper explains the issues and challenges of requirements engineering in a virtual domain from a social and cultural perspective. Project managers need to encourage a balance between structured methods and social aspects in requirements engineering for virtual team members. Cultural and social aspects influence the relationship between the virtual team and the client.
Barriers to effective knowledge management: Action research meets grounded theory
Authors: Wastell David G.
Published: June 2010

Although many knowledge management (KM) initiatives are known to miscarry, there has been relative little critical, in‐depth research into the causes of failure. In this paper, an action research (AR) project is described in a major motor manufacturer (WWM) focusing on one of their key knowledge processes (Design for Manufacturabilty) which was regarded as dysfunctional. The paper has two aims: to explore the substantive factors underlying this malaise, and to demonstrate how the rigour and respectability of AR as a research tool can be strengthened by the use of grounded theory (GT) methodology. Using the latter, a model was produced relating the effectiveness of the DFM process to a set of success factors. These factors resonate with key issues described in previous KM research, namely the need for a shared knowledge repository, a formal KM process, and a culture disposed towards knowledge sharing and re‐use. The model provided a rigorous platform for designing interventions to improve the DFM process. Whilst technical changes (creating infrastructure, defining process) are readily feasible, bringing about cultural change is less tractable and process improvements in WWM have tended to focus more on the former than the latter. As well as providing generalisable insights into KM success and failure, the paper also demonstrates the valuable role that GT can make in informing the design of organisational interventions, in evaluating their impact, and in adding rigour to the theory generation dimension of AR.
Managing knowledge in enterprise systems
Authors: Chan Roy , Rosemann Michael
Published: June 2010

Enterprise Systems are comprehensive and complex applications that form the core business operating system for many companies worldwide and throughout most industries. The selection, implementation, use and continuous change of Enterprise Systems (ES) (e.g. mySAP.com) require a great amount of knowledge and experience. Due to the lack of in‐house ES knowledge and the high costs of engaging experienced implementation consultants, organizations realize the need to better leverage their knowledge resources. Managing this knowledge is increasingly important with the second wave of ES projects focusing E‐Business applications like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM). These new applications embrace an open‐integration strategy that will incorporate and support other vendors’ applications as part of its Internet‐based enterprise computing platform. This paper proposes a framework for managing knowledge in Enterprise Systems. The framework draws its strength from meta‐case studies and comprehensive literature analyses, which is consolidated into a three‐dimensional framework. The preliminary results show that the importance of value‐adding activities and innovation are elemental to knowledge management in the aspect of ES.
The significance of the context for managing organisational knowledge
Authors: Standing Craig , Benson Steve
Published: June 2010

The traditional realm of information systems has been the management of data and information. For the past few years information systems researchers and practitioners have been increasingly concerned with the management of knowledge. Knowledge management, however is not the sole concern of the information systems community but is also the concern of management and accounting researchers. According to much of the literature on knowledge management a conducive organisational culture is a prerequisite for the effective management of knowledge. In particular, organisations which emphasise the role and importance of the individual, often in a competitive arena, are less likely to foster sharing of knowledge. Much attention in the information systems community has been focused on the types of organisational knowledge and the usefulness of information technology in managing it. This paper rather than addressing these themes examines the context for knowledge management. The issue of appropriate organisational cultures for effective knowledge management is the main theme. A study of a university is used to examine the influence of organisational culture and climate on proposed knowledge management initiatives. The University in the study is operating in a climate of rationalisation, corporatisation and marketisation; these characteristics having a profound influence on the organisational culture. The staff felt that the competitive environment, the lack of trust and the formality of many business practices would work against knowledge sharing. It is argued that in the future that most corporate cultures will transform to better accommodate a number of features that combine to form a view of the “new organisation”. The effective management of knowledge is just one of the requirements of this new organisational form. Unfortunately, until organisations as a whole begin to transform many IT driven knowledge management practices will flounder on the rocks of outdated management practices and organisational culture.
A case study in e‐business process reengineering readiness
Authors: Eljabiri Osama , Crowell Davis , Deek Fadi P.
Published: June 2010

A field study was conducted to determine organizational readiness for implementing E‐business solutions by utilizing drivers suggested in the business process reengineering literature. Based on a literature review, we theorized a schematic framework to reflect the anticipated relationships between the independent variables of technology team capabilities, nature and scope of legacy business applications, high‐tech resources, value‐chain, management expertise, supply chain management and enterprise resource management, and the dependant variable of E‐Business readiness. A survey collection method comprised of a 29‐item questionnaire was used. The study was carried out with a sample population from employees in various departments of a large, multinational pharmaceutical company. Data analysis of project hypotheses showed that 47.7% of the variance of E‐Business readiness was explained by the five independent variables, and that management expertise had the most significant influence. Recommendations directed at the senior management and E‐Business Teams include the importance of having an E‐Business team to manage new technology, and the need to create synergy between the organizational functions and departments. Though this analytical field study was conducted in a framework of one case study, results can be used to establish a foundation for a comprehensive study across business firms.
Adoption drivers and intents in the mobile electronic marketplace: Survey findings
Authors: Anckar Bill
Published: June 2010

Although little is known about consumers’ attitudes towards wireless marketing channels and how customer value is generated in mobile commerce, many organizations are today making considerable investments to take advantage of the new business possibilities offered by wireless technologies ‐ encouraged by optimistic, yet contradictory forecasts on the future volume of mobile commerce. This paper reports on a national consumer survey conducted to investigate (i) the Finnish consumers’ willingness to use a number of initial mobile service, (ii) the common supposition that m‐commerce will be able to increase the overall market for e‐commerce by penetrating into untapped markets, and particularly (iii) if early and intended adoption of m‐commerce by consumers can be attributed to certain types of mobile services.
A foresight framework for understanding the future of mobile commerce
Authors: Han Shengnan , Harkke Ville , Landor Ruggero Par , de Mio Rossi
Published: June 2010

The advent of the 3G world of mobile commerce has suffered from the wait‐and‐see mode over the last years. Existing barriers pose a challenge to all actors in the mobile commerce industry (MCI). Learning from the future and discovering a route to a desired future are keys to successful mobile commerce business. In this paper we argue that it is very important that all actors in the MCI use an industry foresight approach in order to discover a successful route to future markets. We present a framework for creating industry foresights and for understanding the future of mobile commerce. We focus on the mobile commerce industry as a whole and introduce two broad variables; (1) adoption and diffusion of mobile commerce products and services; and (2) the macro‐economic development trend. Based on these variables we build four foresight scenarios: Rapid‐Up, Rapid‐Down, Slow‐Down and Slow‐Up. On the basis of these four different scenarios we suggest some features of promising mobile commerce products and services. We are using information‐gathering agents in order to collect information for our analysis. The foresight framework will help all actors understand the future for m‐commerce.
Ebusiness barriers to growth within the SME sector
Authors: Jones Paul , Beynon‐Davies Paul , Muir Elizabeth
Published: June 2010

The development of Ecommerce within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales is restricted by a number of barriers. Various projects initiated by government and academic bodies exist to assist SMEs overcome these barriers. However, whether these projects represent the needs of SMEs is debatable. The opportunity for SMEs to exploit information communication technology has increased due to the improved affordability and sophistication of computing equipment, along with the development and utilisation of the Internet. This progress has seen the emergence of Ebusiness and Ecommerce, whereby SMEs can operate, communicate and trade in global markets. Recent surveys by academia, government and trade bodies have identified Wales as the worst performing region for Ebusiness in the UK with sceptical attitudes towards its increased adoption. This paper reports on a quantitative study investigating Ebusiness utilisation within SMEs in Wales. Specifically this paper focuses on the key barriers influencing the adoption of Ebusiness within SMEs in Wales. The survey of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce (CCC) membership was undertaken in 2001. The CCC is a trade body of approximately 1000 SMEs encompassing a geographical area covering Cardiff, Bridgend, Newport and the Valleys areas. The postal survey and telephone follow up achieved a response rate of 100 SME classified enterprises, a response rate of approximately 10%. Academic research has identified these barriers as deficiencies in financial resources, time, information and skills; concerns over security, legal issues and competition and doubts over the applicability of Ebusiness to their business practices and cultural and infrastructure issues. These barriers are a major influence as to how Ebusiness will develop within SMEs and this paper identifies the significance of each factor in constraining growth. The paper concludes by investigating the assistance for SMEs from academia, government and trade to develop Ebusiness activities and questioning whether these are representative and effective mechanisms for this sector. This paper contributes to knowledge by appraising and contrasting existing barriers to Ebusiness literature and comparing it with the relevant SOGM literature. Secondly it classifies barriers in two ways by type and time of occurrence. Finally the paper recognises that the support mechanisms for Ebusiness within SMEs remain unproven and require further investigation to verify their effectiveness.
The use of E‐commerce amongst thirty‐four Australian SMEs: An experiment or a strategic business tool?
Authors: Chau Stephen
Published: June 2010

The use of e‐commerce and the Internet is increasing in acceptance for a wide range of businesses from large enterprises to small and micro businesses. While the literature on e‐business and e‐commerce is evolving, there is limited substantive research focused on the theory and practice of e‐business systems amongst small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper provides an insight into thirty‐four SMEs actively utilising e‐commerce. The paper also provides a theoretical contribution by developing a conceptual model of e‐commerce utilisation for SMEs within the Australian context, which depicts the relationship between the use of e‐commerce by SMEs, the degree of business transformation and the strategic significance of e‐commerce. Keywords: Case Study, Small Business, Electronic Commerce, Business Transformation
Small software firms in India: A descriptive analysis
Authors: Vigneswara Ilavarasan P.
Published: June 2010

Despite extensive investigation of the Indian software industry, knowledge about small software firms is inadequate. This knowledge is important as many developing countries are contemplating the software industry as a means of national growth along the lines that India has taken. This paper provides a descriptive analysis of small software firms in India. It shows that small software firms that are located in software clusters; quality certified; low product oriented; and slightly larger tend to be more productive than others. Small software firms are defined as firms that have fewer software employees than the national median size. The paper used firm level data available in the Indian IT Software and Services Directory 2003, whose members contribute 95% of the industry revenue.
Distinguishing action research from participative case studies
Authors: Baskerville Richard L.
Published: June 2010

Action researchers contend that a complex social process can be studied best by introducing changes into that process and observing the effects of these changes. The approach used by organizational consultants must also introduce change, but in this case, the theoretical development and the rigorous empirical foundation are prerequisite elements of the activity. Participative case studies are a common scientific report proceeding from consulting projects. This paper discusses the contrasts between the action research method, consulting, and participative case studies. Ethical problems arise when action research is knowingly or unknowingly conflated with consultation practices, since this combination makes the usual set of action research dilemmas even more problematic. An improved understanding of the action research‐consulting contrasts aids in distinguishing the contributions of participative case studies to the information systems literature.
Application of a scoring method for measuring the value of knowledge‐based systems to key employees
Authors: Clark Jeffrey , Soliman Fawzy
Published: June 2010

This paper presents a method designed to measure the value of Knowledge Based Systems (KBSs) to the employees involved in their development, implementation and use at an organisation. The method is based upon the scoring approach to valuation. The major advantage of using this approach stems from the fact that many KBSs are typified by numerous intangible benefits and costs. Traditional cost benefit models are unable to account for the contribution of intangible benefits to the value of an evolving KBS project. The method presented here overcomes this difficulty by using managers, users, and experts involved in a KBS project to measure its perceived value from both tangible and intangible sources. It produces an overall measure of value which is separated into three critical categories ‐ time, finances, and quality. Time and finances are tangible, while quality is intangible. These categories are meaningful to decision makers at all organisational levels and are critical in making an informed investment decision. The paper applies the method to two KBS projects from a large manufacturing and sales organisation. Suggestions are made for practical uses to which the method can be applied.
Using a multi‐disciplinary research team to carry out research in IS
Authors: Cavaye Angele L. M.
Published: June 2010

The use of a multi‐disciplinary research team can often enhance the investigation of IS phenomena ‐ particularly when the construct under study is multi‐dimensional. This paper explores the challenges and benefits of carrying out IS research with a multi‐disciplinary team. By way of illustration a study is described which purposefully pulled together researchers from different (but related) disciplines to carry out an IS research project. The challenges confronting the team included miscommunication, initial disagreement concerning research constructs, and the amount of time required for meetings. The benefits far outweighed the difficulties. Benefits accrued to the study itself and to the research participants. The study was more holistic and included better construct definition. The participating researchers benefited from critically examining their own views and outlooks whilst being exposed to viewpoints from other disciplines.