bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
E-Business Adoption in SMEs
Authors: Xu Mark , Rohatgi Ravni , Duan Yanqing
Published: February 2011

The lack of anticipated engagement in e-business by Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) is a rising concern to the UK government and service providers alike. This article is based on the e-adoption model to examine the current practice of e-business technology adoption in SMEs and the driving forces for and against the adoption. Through interviews with 40 owner managers in the electronic components industry, the article reveals that most of the small firms in this industry are at the lower level of the “e-adoption ladder”—predominantly using the Internet and e-mail. SMEs in this industry have not yet widely engaged in online transactions. The current level of adoption is driven by both internal and external factors, including operational benefits, industry common practice, and peer pressure. External forces such as a lack of push from suppliers and customers and a lack of strategic vision of using advanced e-business technology for competitive advantages have determinant effects on the level and scale of e-adoption in SME sector. The e-adoption ladder model is modified by incorporating the influential factors identified within this study. The findings have many implications for researchers, service providers, and policy makers.
E-Business in Developing Countries
Authors: Raven Peter V. , Huang Xiaoqing , Kim Ben B.
Published: February 2011

The Internet has changed the way many companies do business, but has also tended to increase the disparity between firms in developed countries and those in developing countries. As the digital divide seems to grow, the question becomes how will developing countries catch up? We examine two large developing countries, China and India, in an attempt to understand their approaches to developing e-business. While both countries had access to the technology at about the same time, each has taken a different path to utilizing it. These approaches are based on a number of factors, including government initiatives and focus, infrastructure building, experience and understanding of business operations, and culture, among others. China appears to be ahead of India in the mechanics and infrastructure, but India is ahead in e-readiness. Both countries are poised for rapidly increasing e-business, however, they have huge problems of poverty and inequality between urban and rural connectivity must be resolved to really take advantage of e-business.
Do Mobile CRM Services Appeal to Loyalty Program Customers?
Authors: Liljander Veronica , Polsa Pia , Forsberg Kim
Published: February 2011

Not until very recently has mobile phone technology become sophisticated enough to allow more complex customized programs, which enable companies to offer new services to customers as part of customer relationship management (CRM) programs. In order to enhance customer rela-tionships and to be adopted by customers, new mobile services need to be perceived as valuable additions to existing services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the appeal of new mobile CRM services to airline customers. An empirical study was conducted among loyalty program customers (frequent flyers) of an airline that was considering using MIDlet applica-tions in order to add new mobile services to enhance customer relationships. The results show that customers do not yet seem to be ready to fully embrace new mobile applications. Although the services appeared to slightly improve customers’ image of the airline, the services did not seem to enhance their loyalty towards it. However, customers who already used sophisticated mobile services, such as the Mobile Internet, had a significantly more positive attitude towards the proposed services. Thus the success of mobile CRM seems closely linked with customers’ readiness to use existing mobile services. Before engaging in costly new investments, companies need to take this factor into serious consideration.
Multi-Channel Retailing and Customer Satisfaction
Authors: Warrington Patricia T. , Gangstad Elizabeth , Feinberg Richard , de Ruyter Ko
Published: February 2011

Multi-channel retailers that utilize an e-CRM approach stand to benefit in multiple arenas by providing targeted customer service as well as gaining operational and competitive advantages. To that end, it is inherent that multi-channel retailers better understand how satisfaction—a necessary condition for building customer loyalty—influences consumers’ decisions to shop in one retail channel or another. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of shopping experience on customers’ future purchase intentions, both for the retailer and for the channel. Using a controlled experimental design, U.S. and European subjects responded to a series of questions regarding the likelihood making a future purchase following either a positive or nega-tive shopping encounter. Results suggest that shopping intentions vary based on the shopping channel as well as cultural differences.
Strategic Positioning and Resource-Based Thinking
Authors: Gallaugher John
Published: February 2011

This article synthesizes and leverages two strategic frameworks when analyzing the true nature of strategy and the Internet: (1) the concept of strategic positioning, and (2) the resource-based view of the firm. When considered together, these approaches create a powerful tool for understanding the factors determining the winners and losers among Internet businesses. Several examples of the applied framework are demonstrated. These frameworks also help challenge broken thought around many of the postbubble assertions regarding strategy and the Internet. This analysis is based on a series of case studies, with information drawn both from secondary sources as well as over 60 field visits with senior managers at technology firms in Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Tokyo conducted from 2005-2006.
Reverse Auctions in the Service Sector
Authors: Kollmann Tobias , Häsel Matthias
Published: February 2011

LetsWorkIt.de is a German B2C platform for different kinds of service and handcraft orders. Based on the concept of reverse auctions, demanders compose descriptions of the required services to place orders on the platform. The supplier bidding lowest at the end of the auction obtains the right to carry out the order. Drawing upon and widely confirming existing theories on e-marketplaces, this article examines the underlying electronic business model and the competitive strategy of LetsWorkIt. The case provides evidence that the reverse auction-based intermediation of handcraft and service orders is suitable to form the basis of an e-marketplace and points out that for such ventures a combination of public relations, performance marketing and cooperation represents an ideal strategy to increase the number of demanders and suppliers. Moreover, the case suggests that, depending on the business model, it may be feasible to concentrate marketing activities on one of these two customer groups, since LetsWorkIt has managed to achieve a significant number of successful, high-quality auctions by primarily aligning its competitive strategy with the demand side.
IPR Protection for Digital Media Distribution
Authors: Vassiliadis Bill , Fotopoulos Vassilis
Published: February 2011

Copyright protection is becoming an important issue for organizations that create, use, and distribute digital content through e-commerce channels. As online corruption increases, new technical and business requirements are posed for protecting intellectual property rights such as watermarking, use of metadata, self-protection, and self-authentication. This work is a review of the most important of these methods and analyzes their potential use in digital rights management systems. We focus especially on watermarking and argue that it has a true potential in e-business because it is possible to embed and detect multiple watermarks to a single digital artifact without decreasing its quality. In conjunction with parallel linking of content to metadata, there is true potential for real life copyright-protection systems.
Product Choice Strategy for Online Retailers
Authors: Yan Ruiliang , Bhatnagar Amit
Published: February 2011

An important strategic issue for managers planning to set up online stores is the choice of product categories to retail. While the “right” product category would depend on a number of factors, here we focus on the following two factors: compatibility of the product with the online channel, and the competition between the traditional brick and mortar channel and the online channel. This is to acknowledge two well-known facts: Certain products are more suitable for selling through the Web than through other channels; and an online retailer competes with not only other online retailers, but also traditional brick and mortar retailers. To determine the right product category, we develop a game theoretical model that allows for competition between the retailers. We study both Stackelberg and Bertrand competition models, as these two models capture the essence of different types of competition on the Web. Based on our results, we propose that, under all types of competition, the optimal product is one that is only moderately compatible with the Internet.
Pricing Strategy of Online Knowledge Market
Authors: Zhang Zuopeng ("Justin") , Jasimuddin Sajjad M.
Published: February 2011

This article addresses the different levels of pricing strategies for an online knowledge market. Based on the best practice from Google Answers, an online knowledge market is modeled as a marketplace where consumers ask and researchers answer questions to make knowledge transactions. Consumers optimally price their questions to obtain answers, and a firm maintains the online knowledge market by determining the optimal price allocation to researchers. Our study identifies two types of consumers, spin-off and mainstream, based on whether additional utilities will be derived from the market. In addition, we investigate how the firm can use minimal and maximal posting prices to regulate the knowledge market.
How Can Internet Service Providers Tap into the Potentially-Lucrative Small Business Market?
Authors: Waikar Avinash , Huynh Minh Q.
Published: February 2011

Small businesses need Internet service to be competitive, and their spending on IT activities continues to grow. How can Internet Service Providers tap into this potentially lucrative market? This study attempts to identify Internet service features that are important to small businesses. Specifically, it used a survey method to explore the relationships between the importance of various features and organizational characteristics of small businesses, for example, size and type of business. The results show that the size of business affects the perceived importance placed on certain features, while the type of business does not. Implication of this finding for packaging Internet service is discussed.
Can Web Seals Work Wonders for Small E-Vendors in the Online Trading Environment? A Theoretical Approach
Authors: Hu Xiaorui , Wu Yuhong
Published: February 2011

Trust is a major issue in e-markets. It is an even more prominent issue when online shoppers trade with small, less-established e-vendors. Empirical studies on Web seals show that small e-vendors could promote consumers’ trust and increase Web sales by displaying Web seals of approval. This article takes a theoretical approach to examine online trading when seals are used in e-markets. We establish an online shopper’s decision-making model to reveal the online shopper’s decision-making criteria. Criteria include when to trade with a well-established e-vendor and when to trade with a small, less-established e-vendor, with or without a Web seal. Based on our analysis of the research results, we reveal the price effect, the seal effect, the reputation effect, and their impact on a shopper’s decision-making process. Meanwhile, a social welfare analysis is conducted to further demonstrate the positive impact of Web seals on small, less-established e-vendors.
The Value of Information Systems to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Winter Susan J. , Gaglio Connie Marie , Rajagopalan Hari K.
Published: February 2011

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face more serious challenges to their survival than do larger firms. To succeed, SMEs must establish and maintain credibility in the marketplace to attract the resources required for survival. Most co-opt legitimacy by mimicking the cues that signal credibility to convince potential stakeholders that something stands behind their promises. This research examines the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in legitimacy-building from the perspective of both SME founders and customers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in a variety of industries to determine whether the ICT-related legitimacy schema from the customers’ perspective differs substantially from that of firm founders. Results indicate that customers compare the ICT information provided in SME’s sales pitches to pre-existing ICT expectations about the nature of desirable sales transactions. We describe the relationship between violations of ICT expectations, legitimacy, and purchase decisions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Training, Competence, and Business Performance
Authors: Olsen Dag H. , Eikebrokk Tom R.
Published: February 2011

This article examines the relationship between training, competence and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of e-business. Literature review combined with a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods were used to investigate these relationships. Data about e-business competences and performance in 339 SMEs in three European countries was combined with data about training supply from 116 providers of e-business related training. The empirical findings document a positive relationship between training, competence and performance and show that training explains variances in e-business competences and performance in terms of efficiency, complementarities, lock-in and novelty. The research has both theoretical and practical implications. It contributes to theoretical development by lending support to the idea that methodological issues are an important reason behind the lack of empirical support frequently reported in the literature. The study has practical implications for public policy makers, training suppliers and SME managers.
Privacy Factors for Successful Ubiquitous Computing
Authors: Little Linda , Briggs Pam
Published: February 2011

Certain privacy principles have been established by industry, (e.g. USCAM, 2006). Over the past two years, we have been trying to understand whether such principles reflect the concerns of the ordinary citizen. We have developed a method of enquiry which displays a rich context to the user in order to elicit more detailed information about those privacy factors that underpin our acceptance of ubiquitous computing. To investigate use and acceptance Videotaped Activity Scenarios specifically related to the exchange of health, financial, shopping and e-voting information and a large scale survey were used. We present a detailed analysis of user concerns firstly in terms of a set of constructs that might reflect user-generated privacy principles; secondly those factors likely to play a key role in an individuals cost-benefit analysis and thirdly, longer-term concerns of the citizen in terms of the impact of new technologies on social engagement and human values.
Study on E-Business Adoption from Stakeholders' Perspectives in Indian Firms
Authors: Goswami Ranjit , De S K , Datta B.
Published: February 2011

E-business adoption towards creating better stakeholders’ values in any business organization should begin with corporate home pages, which is equivalent of the online identity of the physical firm. This article, by taking two snapshot pictures of corporate homepages, one in 2005 and another in 2007, analyses e-business adoption levels in fifteen publicly-listed Indian firms of three different sizes and five sectors from four external stakeholders (Customers, Suppliers/Alliances, Shareholders and Society/Community) perspectives. We also measure overall e-business readiness levels from four stakeholders’ perspectives in 2005 and 2007, and analyze the adoption as per Stages of Growth model. The measurement is based on presence of various categories of interactions, as commonly perceived, between the firm and respective stakeholder group.
Product Choice and Channel Strategy for Multi-Channel Retailers
Authors: Yan Ruiliang , Wang John
Published: February 2011

With the explosive growth of online sales, multi-channel retailers are increasingly focused on finding ways of integrating the online channel with traditional retail stores. The need for the development of effective multi-channel strategies is strongly felt by the retailers. The present research normatively addresses this issue and using a game theoretic approach, derives optimal strategies that maximize profits under different competitive market structures. Managerial implications are discussed and probable paths of future research are identified.
Effects of Website Interactivity on e-Loyalty
Authors: Jih Wen-Jang , Lee Su-Fang , Tsai Yuan-Cheng
Published: February 2011

This study examines the impact of major considerations of commercial website design and management, website interactivity, the important performance factor, and customer loyalty. Meaningful interactions with existing and potential customers allow e-commerce firms to enhance customer loyalty by providing satisfactory customer experience. Customer loyalty is a composite construct, yet consists of multiple dimensions that do not necessarily contribute to repeat purchase in the same manner. Guided by the concept of social exchange in social psychology, this study investigates the causal effect of website interactivity on two conceptually distinctive types of website loyalty—transactional loyalty and relational loyalty. This paper finds positive effects of website loyalty on both types of loyalty, while revealing positive effects of transactional loyalty on relational loyalty and overall loyalty. Furthermore, relational loyalty is found to contribute more to overall loyalty than transactional loyalty. E-commerce firms are advised to offer attractive incentives in a systematical manner to gradually convert more temporary transactional loyalty to more long-term relational loyalty. Finally, firms must devise a portfolio of different marketing strategies to cater to the customers located on different points on transactional loyalty.
Taking a Strategic Alliance Approach to Enhance M-Commerce Development
Authors: Zhao Fang
Published: February 2011

Current m-commerce business models show that m-commerce depends on complex networks of business relationships, which often comprise telecommunications service providers, mobile device makers, banking industry, Internet search engine providers, and various third-party value-adding companies. Due to the nature of m-commerce, the key to success in m-commerce lies predominantly in managing a network of alliances. This paper answers research questions, such as why do companies team up for m-commerce? What are the key challenges facing the alliances? How can companies address the challenges? What does the future hold for the study of strategic alliances including m-commerce alliances? This paper extends strategic alliance theories to the study of m-commerce alliances that are formulated in various cultural and national backgrounds. The authors examine both strategic and operational strategies for m-commerce alliances and discuss a wide range of issues in the formulation and implementation of m-commerce alliance strategy.
The Impact of the Internet on Marketing Strategy
Authors: Varnali Kaan
Published: February 2011

This conceptual paper revisits and reviews early milestone literature of influential authors, who discuss the impact of the Internet on major forces that shape a company’s marketing strategy to assess whether their futurist predictions and conceptual claims turned out to be true or were later falsified by empirical research or market experience. In particular, the impact of the Internet on customers, design of products/services, pricing, marketing communications, intermediaries, publics, and social/cultural environment is explored. Throughout the paper, related under-researched and unsettled areas are discussed and future research avenues are suggested.
Social Cognitive Theory in Mobile Banking Innovations
Authors: Ratten Vanessa
Published: February 2011

This paper examines the behavior Australian youths have toward mobile banking. Social cognitive theory is the theoretical framework in which a conceptual model is empirically tested. The conceptual model includes five constructs (media, modeling, outcome expectancy, learning orientation and entrepreneurial orientation), which are proposed to influence an individual’s intention to adopt mobile banking. The conceptual model is tested in a sample of Australian youths and the analysis supports a portion of the proposed conceptual model. The findings support the link between the media and an individual’s entrepreneurial orientation with their intention to adopt mobile banking. The paper demonstrates how social cognitive theory is a useful foundation to understand the external and internal stimuli that influence an individual’s desire to adopt mobile banking.
Collaborative Sensemaking Support
Authors: Nosek John T.
Published: February 2011

Sensemaking involves incomplete discovery, inaccurate interpretation, and imperfect action that will fail in someway and likely alter the situation in some unknowable way. Sensemaking demands intense, deep collaboration with participating agents, who many times are physically distributed and come from different groups and organizations. Incorporating collaboration functionality in a piecemeal approach in different ways as add-ons within a portal-based architecture can place heavy demands on users to learn, organizations to train, and ultimately limit the potential of collaboration technology to achieve organizational goals. It is proposed that individual and group sensemaking is a better starting point from which to build architectures to mitigate socio-cognitive limitations of participating agents collaborating to make sense of things. Three levels of Collaboration Envelopes™ are presented and architectural considerations presented to guide development of technology to better support collaborative sensemaking.
e-Collaboration in Distributed Requirements Determination
Authors: Evaristo Roberto , Watson-Manheim Mary Beth , Audy Jorge
Published: February 2011

It is widely agreed that the trend toward distributed software development is growing. Although there are difficulties involved, this trend is here to stay, as organizations will continue to search for ways to develop software at lower cost but with same quality. Current research has focused primarily on the later stages of the software development life cycle, especially coding of software requirements. However, as organizations become more virtual, distributed development will become more apparent throughout the entire life cycle. In this study, we investigate distributed e-collaboration in requirements determination in software development. We report on results from a field experiment with two graduate level Information Systems classes, one located in Porto Alegre, Brazil and one in Chicago, Ilinois, USA. The students in Brazil played the role of users whereas the students in Chicago role-played analysts. The Chicago-based students developed a requirements document for an information system by interviewing the Brazil students using an electronic discussion board. Our findings provide insight into the distributed analysis process and identify sources of potential problems.
Deception
Authors: George Joey F. , Marett Kent
Published: February 2011

Much research within the field of MIS has been devoted to the use of collaborative technology by decision makers and the impact computer-mediated communication (CMC) has on collaborative work. Yet, there may be some unintended consequences for users of CMC, if someone involved in the joint effort decides to take the opportunity to deceive the others involved. In this paper, we posit that CMC offers would-be deceivers advantages that otherwise do not exist with more traditional, richer media, using past research and established theories to help explain why. We review some of the findings from our ongoing research effort in this area and explain how difficult it is for computer users to detect deception, when it occurs. Finally, we discuss how the art of deception in computer-mediated collaboration potentially can affect both the current effort and future efforts of those involved, and we offer our thoughts on some of the factors CMC practitioners should consider when trying to combat computer-mediated deception.
Theatres, Metaphors, and E-Collaboration
Authors: Kendall Julie E.
Published: February 2011

A metaphor methodology was used to understand and interpret the Web presences of 15 nonprofit theatres that comprise the regional theatre of Southern New Jersey that is present on the Web. In addition, findings from our earlier studies of off-Broadway and regional theatre festivals were extended to analyze the Web presence of the theatres in Southern New Jersey. The contribution of the work resides in its systematic and intense consideration of the strategic importance of the Web for nonprofit theatre arts groups in the Southern New Jersey region and in its use of the metaphor methodology in order to facilitate a fully developed picture of the Web and nonprofit organizations. This is intended to help administrators become aware of the need for strategic use of e-collaboration via creation of a regional theatre Web presence for South Jersey that enacts a more evolutionary metaphor, perhaps that of the organism. Theatres are encouraged to practice collaborating on the Web by creating reciprocal links and thus cooperating as a region.
Patterns for Effective Management of Virtual Projects
Authors: Khazanchi Deepak , Zigurs Ilze
Published: February 2011

The management of virtual projects is fundamentally different from that of traditional projects. Furthermore, the research in this area comes from different reference disciplines and perspectives, and a unified view or theory of best practices does not yet exist. Being able to combine perspectives in a seamless way with skills and technology could provide integrative blueprints for best practices in virtual projects. We use the theoretical frame of patterns to propose such a view. We focus on three concepts as the underlying theoretical elements for identifying patterns of effectiveness in virtual project management: (1) coordination, (2) communication, and (3) control. As a first step in the identification of specific patterns, we conducted a series of virtual focus groups with participants from industry who had real experience with virtual projects. The brainstorming data from the focus groups was analyzed to develop an initial set of patterns. The study represents a first step in an iterative and evolutionary process.
Agile Outsourcing Projects
Authors: Roussev Boris , Akella Ram
Published: February 2011

Agile methods are lightweight, iterative software development frameworks used predominantly on small- and mid-sized software development projects. This article introduces a project structure and management practices creating Agile conditions for large software projects outsourced either offshore or onshore. Agility is achieved by slicing a large project into a number of small-sized projects working in Agile settings. Development is divided into R&D activities, located onsite, and production activities, located offsite. The proposed approach makes Agile applicable to the stressed conditions of outsourcing without compromising the quality or pace of the software development effort. Creating an Agile environment in an outsourcing project relies on maintaining a balance between the functions and sizes of onsite and offsite teams, on redefining the developers’ roles, and on reorganizing the information flow between the different development activities to compensate for the lack of customer onsite, team co-location, and tacit project knowledge.
Leadership Challenges in Communities of Practice
Authors: Tarmizi Halbana , de Vreede Gert-Jan , Zigurs Ilze
Published: February 2011

Organizations have the potential to achieve advantage through communities of practice (COPs) initiatives. However, establishing and sustaining COPs is a challenging task. Facilitation is needed to help COPs overcome difficulties throughout their life stages. Facilitators take on leadership roles within these virtual communities, yet little is known about the challenges related to their roles. This paper contributes in helping to improve leadership in COP by highlighting challenges in facilitating COP and by providing potential solutions addressing those challenges. A recent survey of facilitators reveals challenges faced by facilitators in performing their tasks within COPs. The issue of participation was identified as the main concern in COP facilitation. Several design and technology initiatives are discussed for their potential to help facilitators in coping with the participation issue and providing essential leadership roles within communities of practice.
Web-Based Template-Driven Communication Support Systems
Authors: Remidez Jr. Herbert , Stam Antonie , Laffey James M.
Published: February 2011

Teams whose interactions might be mediated entirely via Internet-based communication, virtual teams, are emerging as commonplace in business settings. Researchers have identified trust as a key ingredient for virtual teams to work effectively (Aubrey & Kelsey, 2003; Beranek, 2000; David & McDaniel, 2004; Iacono & Weisband, 1997; Jarvenpaa, Knoll, & Leidner, 1998; Jarvenpaa, Shadow, & Staples; 2004). However, researchers have not identified scalable methods that consistently promote trust within virtual teams. Improved interface design for communication support systems used by virtual teams may contribute to solving this problem. Interface cannot solve the problem of members trusting each other, but it can support the type of activities that do. This paper describes the development and some initial experiences with a Web-based, template-driven, asynchronous communication support tool and how this system can be used to support trust development in virtual teams and performance goals of virtual teams. This article presents the capabilities and features of the communication support system. More detailed findings from an experimental study of this system’s use can be found in another publication (Remidez, 2003).
Beyond Intelligent Agents
Authors: Rodriguez Walter , Zalewski Janusz , Kirche Elias
Published: February 2011

This article presents a new concept for supporting electronic collaboration, operations, and relationships among trading partners in the value chain without hindering human autonomy. Although autonomous intelligent agents, or electronic robots (e-bots), can be used to inform this endeavor, the article advocates the development of e-sensors, i.e., software based units with capabilities beyond intelligent agent’s functionality. E-sensors are hardware-software capable of perceiving, reacting and learning from its interactive experience through the supply chain, rather than just searching for data and information through the network and reacting to it. E-sensors can help avoid the “bullwhip” effect. The article briefly reviews the related intelligent agent and supply chain literature and the technological gap between fields. It articulates a demand-driven, sense-and-response system for sustaining e-collaboration and e-business operations as well as monitoring products and processes. As a proof of concept, this research aimed a test solution at a single supply chain partner within one stage of the process.
A Work Roles and Leadership Functions of Managers in Virtual Teams
Authors: Konradt Udo , Hoch Julia E.
Published: February 2011

This study examined the perceived importance of line managers and middle managers in virtual teams of what work roles and leadership functions are necessary to promote virtual team success and performance. Using Quinn’s (1988) competing values frame-work it was found that control-related roles of directors and producers were perceived to be most important. With years in a leading position, the repertoire of leadership roles needed to successfully lead virtual teams declined. Additionally, middle managers compared to line managers perceived people oriented leadership functions (i.e., mentor and facilitator roles) and flexibility-related work roles (i.e., innovator and mentor roles) as more important whereas line managers compared to middle managers perceived stability leadership functions (i.e., monitor and coordinator roles) as more important. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.
Supporting Synchronous Collaboration with Heterogeneous Devices
Authors: Guicking Axel , Tandler Peter , Grasse Thomas
Published: February 2011

The increasing availability of mobile devices in today’s business contexts raises the demand to shift the focus of groupware framework design. Instead of solely focusing on functional requirements of specific application domains or device characteristics, nonfunctional requirements need to be taken into account as well. Flexibility concerning the integration of devices and tailorability of the framework according to different usage contexts is essential for addressing device heterogeneity. Besides flexibility, in order to support the development of real-world applications involving heterogeneous devices, robustness and scalability concerns have to be addressed explicitly by the framework. This article presents Agilo, a groupware framework for synchronous collaboration. The framework incorporates approaches addressing flexibility, robustness, and scalability issues. The combination of these concerns makes it suitable for development of collaborative applications involving up to hundreds of users. As an example application, a commercial electronic meeting system is presented by illustrating typical usage scenarios, explaining applicationspecific requirements and describing the system design.
Technology Adaptation
Authors: Nikas Athanasios , Poulymenakou Angeliki
Published: February 2011

This research applies contributions from the social sciences to examine how organizations adapt information systems in a project team setting. Its main concern is to study the set of events and actions implicated in the institutionalization of an information system. The motivation for this research has been to address the following questions: why are well designed information systems so often not successfully adapted or used by organizations? How does the adaptation process affect and how is it affected by work context characteristics? In our research we are focusing on analyzing the adaptation process of a collaborative platform in a project team, in the context of the construction industry by applying adaptive structuration theory.
Distributed Deception
Authors: Boyle Randall J. , Kacmar Charles J. , George Joey F.
Published: February 2011

This research examines the impact of computer-mediated communication, distributed communication, and knowledge of prior baseline behavior on an individual’s propensity to make veracity judgments. This study found that more detection confidence can come from knowledge of a person’s prior baseline behavior, being proximally located, the type of communication media used, and perceived relational closeness. These factors indirectly lead to less deception detection through more detection confidence and reliance on the truth bias, a fundamental belief in the truthfulness of others, even in a compute- mediated environment.
Creativity, Innovation, and E-Collaboration
Authors: Fedorowicz Jane , Laso-Ballesteros Isidro , Padilla-Meléndez Antonio
Published: February 2011

IT–endowed collaboration within and between groups will catalyze creativity, which in turn will facilitate multidisciplinary innovation and reduce barriers and inefficiencies among people working together. This article describes the challenges of supporting creativity and innovation through e-collaboration, and summarizes the papers that were accepted for a special issue of the International Journal of e-Collaboration. Three papers were selected from among 31 manuscripts that had been received; these manuscripts were reviewed with the assistance of 46 independent reviewers. The authors of the selected papers cover three important aspects of IT-endowed collaboration: the impact of collaboration tools on process, product, and relational innovation; the impact of e-information, e-communication, and e-workflow on innovation; and design requirements for collaboration tools aimed at creativity assistance. The article ends with a call for further research on the design and evaluation of collaboration environments tailored for use by virtual teams.
The Role of Collaboration on Process, Relational, and Product Innovations in a Supply Chain
Authors: Cassivi Luc , Hadaya Pierre , Lefebvre Elisabeth , Lefebvre Louis A.
Published: February 2011

This article focuses on the impact of strategic and tactical collaborative actions as well as e-collaboration tools efficiency on process and relational innovations, which in turn should influence product innovations. The results of this study show that tactical collaborative actions, rather than strategic actions, are more geared towards leading firms to innovate. Findings also suggest that relational innovation has an effect on product innovation for the upstream perspective, while process innovation influences product innovation for the downstream perspective.
How do Collaborative Technologies Affect Innovation in SMEs?
Authors: Meroño-Cerdán Angel Luis , Soto-Acosta Pedro , López-Nicolás Carolina
Published: February 2011

This study seeks to assess the impact of collaborative technologies on innovation at the firm level. Collaborative technologies’ influence on innovation is considered here as a multistage process that starts at adoption and extends to use. Thus, the effect of collaborative technologies on innovation is examined not only directly, the simple presence of collaborative technologies, but also based on actual collaborative technologies’ use. Given the fact that firms can use this technology for different purposes, collaborative technologies’ use is measured according to three orientations: e-information, e-communication, and e-workflow. To achieve these objectives, a research model is developed for assessing, on the one hand, the impact of the adoption and use of collaborative technologies on innovation and, on the other hand, the relationship between adoption and use of collaborative technologies. The research model is tested using a dataset of 310 Spanish SMEs.
Designing for Creativity in Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
Authors: Farooq Umer , Carroll John M. , Canoe Craig H.
Published: February 2011

We are investigating the design of tools to support everyday scientific creativity in distributed collaboration. Based on an exegesis of theoretical and empirical literature on creativity and group dynamics, we present and justify three requirements for supporting creativity: support for divergent and convergent thinking, development of shared objectives, and reflexivity. We elaborate on these requirements by describing three implications for design to support creativity in context of computer supported cooperative work (CSCW): integrate support for individual, dyadic, and group brainstorming; leverage cognitive conflict by preserving and reflecting on minority dissent; and support flexibility in granularity of planning. We conclude by outlining a future research trajectory for designing and evaluating creativity support tools in the context of collaboratories.
Synthesizing the Research Advances in Electronic Collaboration
Authors: Pick James B. , Romano Jr. Nicholas C. , Roztocki Narcyz
Published: February 2011

This article has the objectives to discuss the background for the two special issues of International Journal of e-Collaboration on electronic collaboration in organizations, examine four theoretical frameworks with particular regard to their relevance to the content in the articles in the special issues, and summarize each of the nine articles in these issues. The articles in the special issues are diverse in conceptual theory, units of analysis, research methods, and levels of collaboration. Units of analysis span from the individual, virtual team, company to the dyadic relationship between firms. Electronic collaboration is studied in locales including Austria, Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. The diversity extends knowledge within varied realms of the electronic collaboration field. This introductory article offers an overall framework for these two special issues to help readers and potential authors see how the studies relate to one another and to the overall body of knowledge.
A Reference Model for E-Collaboration within the Dispersed Sales Force Training Process in Multinational Companies
Authors: Heidecke Florian , Back Andrea
Published: February 2011

Multinational pharmaceutical companies are facing the challenge of finding the right balance between local responsiveness and global integration. A cross-case study analysis of the sales force training process at the Swiss company Roche Pharmaceuticals identified four areas of collaboration, each of which comprises a certain number of collaborative tasks. The equivocality and complexity of these tasks should, however, be taken into account when considering information and communication technology (ICT) support. The authors developed a task-media fit matrix and used it to choose and justify the usage of certain information and communication technologies. The end result of this article is a reference model for the three layers of strategy, process, and ICT for e-collaboration within the dispersed sales force training process in multinational pharmaceutical companies. The authors also maintain that the task-media fit matrix can help both practitioners and researchers to either justify investments in e-collaboration tools or to evaluate ICT architectures in the field of e-collaboration.
Information Technology and Diversification
Authors: Shin Namchul
Published: February 2011

While the importance of IT coupled with organizational changes for business performance has been widely discussed in the information systems (IS) literature, there has been little empirical research on the issue. This research examines empirically the relationship between IT and diversification by employing multiple diversification measures. It also examines empirically the relative impact on performance of IT and diversification. Results show that diversification coupled with increased IT spending improves firm performance when its strategic emphasis is on related diversification. The results also show that firms place strategic focus on related diversification when they increase IT spending, and that they require more IT when their strategic emphasis is tilted toward related diversification. The findings imply that by providing a better means of coordination, IT enables scope economies, efficient utilization of business resources and collaboration across individual business units, eventually leveraging the benefits of diversification.
What Drives Firms to Engage in Interorganizational Information Sharing in Supply Chain Management?
Authors: Madlberger Maria
Published: February 2011

With growing use of interorganizational systems, the scope of interfirm collaboration has increased considerably, particularly in the supply chain context. An important prerequisite of interfirm collaboration is information sharing. Extant research suggests clear advantages of information sharing. The research at hand addresses antecedents of interorganizational information sharing. Based on findings from interorganizational systems adoption and interfirm collaboration research, a structural model is developed and validated by a quantitative survey among Austrian retailers and manufacturers in the fast-moving consumer-goods sector. The proposed model analyzes the effect of internal factors (commitment, information policy, and technical readiness), interorganizational factors (relationship, trust, power, and trading partners’ technical readiness), and economic factors (perceived benefits and costs) on information-sharing behavior. The results show the relevance of internal factors and perceived benefits. The study reveals particularities of information-sharing behavior and can help practitioners to understand what motivates their trading partners to share information.
Enhancing E-Collaboration Effectiveness through the Use of Wikis
Authors: Simha Anand , Kishore Rajiv
Published: February 2011

This article focuses on communication challenges in requirements elicitation (RE) for systems development, and how wikis can enhance the communication process and outcomes in the context of this collaborative task. We focus upon only one specific collaborative task in this article – Requirements Elicitation – and upon one particular e-collaboration aspect of that task – communication among various stakeholders – to narrow the domain of inquiry and bring sufficient depth to our theoretical analysis. The specific variables we focus upon in this article are communications quality and requirements quality. We discuss specific wiki features and provide a brief comparison of wikis with other communication technologies. We then provide a detailed theoretical analysis of how specific wiki features enhance media richness, contextual richness, and organizational memory, and through them, communication quality as well as requirements quality in terms of clarity, completeness, and consistency of requirements specifications. We also discuss some implications and future research directions.
A Semantic e-Collaboration Approach to Enable Awareness in Globally Distributed Organizations
Authors: Sultanow Eldar , Weber Edzard , Cox Sean
Published: February 2011

Collaboration in temporal and spatially distributed environments has consistently faced the challenge of intense awareness extensively more than locally concentrated team play. Awareness means being informed, in conjunction with an understanding of activities, states and relationships of each individual within a given group as a whole. In multifarious offices, where social interaction is necessary to share and locate essential information, awareness becomes a concurrent process that amplifies the exigency for easy routes where personnel can navigate and access pertinent information, deferred or decentralized, in a formalized and context-sensitive way. Even as awareness has become a more pressing topic, extensive disagreement still remains concerning how any type of transparency can be conceptually and technically implemented. This paper introduces an awareness model to visualize and navigate such information in multi-tiers using semantic networks, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Web3D. Ultimately, the model presented is used for an evaluation from a business organization’s perspective.
An Exploratory Study of How Technology Supports Communication in Multilingual Groups
Authors: Aiken Milam , Wang Jianfeng , Gu Linwu , Paolillo Joseph
Published: February 2011

In this paper, the authors study how new technology can support multilingual groups. Their results show that no significant difference was found between group members’ comprehension of contributed comments and their stated minimum acceptable understanding. However, comprehension of relevant comments was higher than that for off-topic text, indicating that the sharing of important information was achieved. Further, reading comprehension tests of translations from Chinese, German, Hindi, Korean, Malay, and Spanish to English show that, except for Hindi, the automatic translations achieve accuracies that are acceptable for graduate studies at a university in the United States.