bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Case Study: A Useful Research Method for Information Management
Authors: Smith N. Craig
Published: December 2018

This paper urges greater recognition of the case study as a research method for information management. It acknowledges concern about the representatives of case studies but by specifying the relationships between epistemology and research methods shows that this concern is misplaced. Representatives is irrelevant for many research purposes, particularly when the distinction is made between logical and statistical inference. The validity of explanations or theory derived from case studies depends on the logic of the analysis and acknowledgement of ceteris paribus conditions, not on how typical the cases may be. Typologies of case studies have been proposed and these are considered, together with recommendations for the conduct of systematic and rigorous case study research. It is stressed that research problems should be addressed using appropriate research methods. Research of the important problems within the management area frequently demands a qualitative research approach, though it would seem that such an approach is often ignored because of a positivist research orientation. An assessment of the strengths and weakness of the case study method, which highlights its potential in the vital role of theory-building, leads to the conclusions that this method has much to commend it to information management researchers (1).
Themes and Issues in An Information Polity
Authors: Taylor John , Williams Howard
Published: December 2018

This paper examines the use and significance of information and communications technologies in government. The notion of ‘Information Polity’ is unpacked. Five main related themes are addressed. These are: the adaption, diffusion and application of ICT's in government; information as a factor of production; government as an information services provider; information and the labour process in government; and information as a strategic resource.
Managing is Benefits for the 1990s
Authors: Silk David J.
Published: December 2018

This paper analyses the situation and suggests a way ahead. It is in three parts. The first part reviews the situation at the start of the 1990s. It identifies the growing concern of managers about justifying IT investment, and the methods which they currently use in their organizations to do so. The second part discusses the challenge facing managers, at the general level and in the field of Information Management. A major challenge is for IT/IS to be viewed within the context of strategic business thinking, the principles of which are described in this section. The third part of the paper outlines the response of managers and IT professionals in this area in the 1990s. A benefit-level matrix is described which can be used as a tool for both analysis and synthesis within the business context. Finally, there is some practical guidance about managing benefits alongside other aspects of IT projects.
Evaluating IT Investments — Matching Techniques to Projects
Authors: Hochstrasser Beat
Published: December 2018

This paper presents part of a three-year Kobler Unit study into current practices of managing IT investments involving 60 managers from 34 British companies. Guidelines were collected to assess the true costs of deploying IT, taking into account technological costs, human costs and organizational costs. By identifying examples of best practice, an evaluation methodology was then developed which concentrates on both the primary objectives of systems and on the inevitable second-order effects resulting from the broader human and organizational impact. The methodology is eclectic in that it matches specific evaluation techniques to distinct classes of IT projects.
Software for Concise and Informative Project Management
Authors: Rhodes P C
Published: December 2018

Managing a project is an involved and many faceted job requiring a combination of management, organization and technical skills. Current methods tend to be based on lifecycle principles and so are project management tools. Additionally, project management is learnt by a process of ‘coming up through the ranks’. Modern methods of structured analysis and design, computer aided coding and the move towards prototyping cause one to question whether or not the current management style, the support tools and training methods are going to be appropriate for tomorrow's technology. This paper proposes an alternative model of management and examines it to see whether or not it is better suited to modern methods, to being computer aided and to training the next generation of project managers.
Developing a Management Culture in Which Information Technology will Flourish: How the UK Can Benefit
Authors: Tomlin Roger
Published: December 2018

This paper first reviews the potential strategic impact of information technology. Particularly important is the use of IT for competitive positions and the enabling role of an appropriate corporate culture for the delivery of effective IT. The need to move towards responsive holistic management approaches is discussed, together with the networked apportunities opened by IT. The paper highlights the strategic factors demanding positive attitudes to IT and shows how the UK is, so far, falling behind in the international IT competitive race. The paper concludes with an agenda for management action. Its arguments are based on the findings of several research surveys conducted by the author.
Parallels between Object-Oriented Software Development and Total Quality Management
Authors: Henderson-Sellers B.
Published: December 2018

The object-oriented (OO) approach to building information systems, if applied correctly, can greatly enhance the quality of the finished software product. This emphasis on greater quality is paralleled by the management philosophy known as Total Quality Management (TQM). Based on the common theme of ‘quality’, parallels are drawn between the OO and TQM philosophies in order to optimize on the benefits to quality software engineering offered by the object-oriented approach.
A Survey of Requirements Verification Techniques
Authors: Sakthivel Sachidanandam
Published: December 2018

Requirements verification is a set of procedures used to detect errors in requirement specifications. This paper discusses various types of requirement errors and illustrates each error with an example. It also examines several techniques used for requirements verification and the capability of each technique to identify various requirement errors. In addition, it reviews the use of each technique in various requirements analysis approaches and indicates the drawbacks of these techniques. This paper can help systems analysts to be aware of possible errors in requirement specifications and the limitations in requirements verification while using a requirements analysis approach.
Global Information Systems: A Joint Venture between Business and Education
Authors: Yasin Mahmoud M. , Green Ronald F.
Published: December 2018

The expanding role of computers and information processing in today's global business environment makes it imperative that business students receive the appropriate computer education. This article evaluates the role of business schools in preparing students to meet the challenges of the global information age. Business and academic perspectives on computers and information processing and their influence on computer education in the business school are presented. The authors conclude that the general lack of enforceable standards in computer business education is a global concern, affecting businesses, educational institutions, and computer hardware and software vendors alike. Recommendations for the globalization of computer education in business schools are provided.
The Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Information Officer: The Strategic Partnership
Authors: Gupta Yash P.
Published: December 2018

Information technology (IT) has become a strategic resource for many firms today. Coordination of this resource requires strong leadership and cooperation within the firm. The relationship of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is crucial for the effective, successful utilization of IT for competitive advantage.

This paper first explores the CIO position, giving reasons for its development, tracing its evolution, and pinpointing certain responsibilities associated with the position. The paper then highlights the CIO's concerns and identifies the future implications for the CIO. The second portion of the paper takes the CEO's perspective towards IT and the CIO's position. Special attention is directed towards describing the CEO's perspective on the CIO's qualifications, addressing the problem of overblown CEO expectations for the CIO position, and discussing ‘old-line’ CEOs’ attitudes towards IT and the CIO position. Also addressed is the exploration of the common CEO perception of the CIO as an ‘empire builder’ and an analysis of the CEO's perspective on the future need for a CIO position.

Finally the paper focuses on developing this ‘strategic partnership’ between the CIO and the CEO. Suggestions are provided for the CIO and the CEO to help achieve this ideal partnership. Although these suggestions are not all conclusive, they are critical to the ‘partnership’.
Catalyst: A Programme for Change within British Airways
Authors: Windeatt Janet , Knox Isobel
Published: December 2018

It is perhaps a truism to state in today's information age that an organization's ability to exploit IT is dependent on the extent to which its managers understand how to apply IT to business advantage. But the biggest challenges are often simple to state and this is one of them. The question is ‘how’ do you get managers to understand? And how do you know when they understand well enough? These were questions within British Airways which needed to be answered in order to develop an IT education programme for senior management in 1987.
Using an Information Systems Strategic Model to Give a Strategy for Teaching Information Systems
Authors: Tagg Clare , Oram Ian
Published: December 2018

A classification of information systems is used to show that the nature of systems affects the manner of system development and the style of development. This is extended to suggest the technical and business skills required by the developers and their personality attributes. The implications for teaching are examined in terms of courses and style. The contrast between the life of a system and the career paths of the developers is commented on.
Computer-based Information Systems for Decentralized Rural Development Administration: A Case Study in India
Authors: Madon Shirin
Published: December 2018

Administrative reform currently being undertaken in a number of developing countries is focusing on the introduction of microcomputers as a tool for the decentralization of rural development administration. Experience to date concerning these efforts reveals that the key determinants of successful implementation of the technology are associated with organizational factors rather than hardware and software. However, these factors have been inadequately addressed in the literature on information technology in developing countries and empirical research drawing on experience of individual projects in developing countries is needed.

To this end, this paper describes the case of the Computerized Rural Information Systems Project (CRISP) which is a government initiative to promote decentralization of rural development management in India. The interaction between formal, government-approved guidelines for rural development management and informal practice at the local level is examined. The findings reveal that the diffusion of technology has not been accompanied with changes to local work, decision and administrative processes.
Towards a Taxonomy of Information Systems: Or Does Anyone Need a Taxi?
Authors: Grimshaw David J.
Published: December 2018

Many academic and practical traditions have been brought to bear upon the field of business information systems in an attempt to understand a rapidly changing subject. The insights provided by traditional disciplines to an essentially multi-disciplinary subject is essential and very healthy. However, there is a danger of proliferating many different, overlapping frameworks of information systems. There is a need to review the frameworks and suggest a way of integrating several approaches. The future research effort depends upon a consistent set of data being available and discussed. This paper reviews previous frameworks used to promote the understanding and discussion of information systems. The one-dimensional approach is rejected in favour of a three-dimensional approach built around three basic questions characterized as the three Ts. What tasks does the information system have to perform? What technology can best deliver the systems? In what timeframe are we operating? The paper concludes by suggesting an integrated taxonomy, based on the three Ts as the basis for future research and discussion.
Putting it in its Place: A Polemic for the Nineties
Authors: Earl Michael J.
Published: December 2018

The 1980s were characterized by rapid developments in information technologies, continuously rising IT expenditures in firms and high hopes about the pay-off of IT investments. In many ways., the great expectations of IT seemed to encourage organizations to manage IT as a special case, somehow above the norms of conventional policy and practice. The 1990s look different- IT expenditures are no longer rising, value for money questions are being asked about IT, changes are being made to IT organization structures and IS Directors are losing their jobs. Michael Earl argues for a more realistic approach to managing IT. He calls it “putting the business back into IT”.
Applying Methodologies for Information Systems Development
Authors: Avison D.E. , Shah H.U. , Powell R.S. , Uppal P.S.
Published: December 2018

Many organizations develop their information systems without the use of any information systems development methodology. However, even when organizations identify the need for the use of such methodologies, it is not always obvious which to use, or whether a blended combination might be appropriate. Further, in using either stand-alone or blended information systems development methodologies in practice, a number of difficulties are encountered. This paper discusses the use of an information systems development methodology which consisted of a blend of other methodologies in a real-world situation (a large telecommunications company) where no formal methodology had been used previously. A number of difficulties arose in practice, some of which were not anticipated. Examples are given of the types of difficulty encountered, and these fell into three broad categories: those related to the deficiencies in the design techniques and tools themselves; those related to implementing the system from the design; and those related to the particular environment.
Methodological Requirements for Information Systems Development
Authors: Sakthivel Sachidanandam
Published: December 2018

A systems development methodology is a collection of procedures, tools, and techniques to develop computer based information systems. To develop better information systems, research studies have suggested several requirements for these methodologies. These requirements may not be equally important for practitioners. Identification of their importance for practitioners can guide researchers to solve practical issues in systems development. It will also be useful to evaluate and compare various methodologies. A study in which theoretical requirements were presented to practitioners for evaluation is presented and its findings described.
MIS Success: Why Does it Vary among Users?
Authors: Allingham Patricia , O'Connor Marcus
Published: December 2018

Organizations have been developing and implementing computer-based management information systems (MIS) at an increasing rate for the last 35 years. However, evidence indicates that many computer-based MIS are not as successful as they should be and many may be considered failures.

There has been much research to investigate organizational factors, individual differences, user involvement and their relationship to MIS success, and in particular, one indicator of MIS success, user information satisfaction (UIS). Little attention, however, has been paid to whether UIS for any particular MIS varies for users from different organization functions and different management levels within an organization.

This paper reports the results of a field study of MIS in different organizations in Australia which investigates the relationship between type of user, user involvement and user information satisfaction. The results show that MIS success (UIS) varies between users of the same MIS based on their organizational function and that user involvement in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) has a significant positive effect on UIS. The significance of the effect of user involvement varies for users based on their organizational function. Technical users are less satisfied with MIS than administrative users. The relationship between user involvement and user control of the systems development process and UIS is significantly different for administrative and technical users.
Customer Service and Information Technology
Authors: Domegan Christine T. , Donaldson Bill
Published: December 2018

Many companies are cultivating Customer Service (CS), through the use of Information Technology (IT), as a valuable asset to achieve strategic superiority over competition. This paper, based on research across three European countries, assesses how leading or pioneering companies are utilising IT, as an enabling tool in CS, for competitive purposes. It is clear from the findings that while IT is being used in marketing and CS, such application of IT is still in its infancy. It is equally clear that there is great potential for using IT in marketing and CS, at both operational and strategic levels. Organisations that fail to recognize the strategic value of IT in marketing and CS run the risk of being at a considerable disadvantage.
Expert Systems in International Marketing
Authors: Kaynak E. , Venkataraman K.
Published: December 2018

This article examines the use of expert systems in international marketing. In view of the increasing importance of internationalization of business around the world, a new generation of computer information systems known as Expert Systems offer a unique potential in international market entry and constantly changing global market conditions. The specific purposes of this paper are to develop a set of evaluative criteria for the use of expert systems, examine the nature of decisions in major international marketing decision areas, and evaluate each decision area against the set of criteria to determine if expert systems are suitable for that decision area.
ITs and Structural Change: The Case of Local Area Network Implementation
Authors: Shani A.B. (Rami) , Sena James A.
Published: December 2018

New ITs are having a widespread impact on information flow within and between firms, on management practices and, on the basic processes and the structural configurations of the organization. This paper investigates a specific information system – Local Area Network – and its impact on the structural configuration of the firm. An initial discussion about a proposed framework for analysis is followed by an examination of the implementation of a local area network in a software development organization.
Reaping the Benefits of a Responsive IT Department
Authors: Russell Nick , Muskett Siobhan
Published: December 2018

In many companies, the IT department fails to enjoy the recognition and cooperation its members feel it deserves. The authors contend that the root of this problem is organizational, citing evidence from a large scale international survey of IT professionals. They describe a number of specific organizational problems that contribute to the lack of understanding and impede the creation of a flexible and responsive IT department. They then outline a number of potential remedies for those organizational problems and discuss practical ways in which necessary changes might be made, based on the experience of companies which have already addressed the problem.
Promise and Problems: Case Usage in the US
Authors: Howard Geoffry S. , Rai Arun
Published: December 2018

A mailing to 2740 information system departments (ISDs) in the United States revealed that Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) technology has been very widely purchased but has not yet been placed into everyday use except in rare instances. Four distinctive categories of organizational usage of CASE are proposed, and the count of responding companies in each of these categories is given. Diagramming aids were found to be the most used CASE tools, with reverse engineering tools least used. The authors model innovation as a two-phase process and present factors from the study that are most often found in systems departments that are successful in each of these innovation phases. CASE implementation advice is offered.
Planning for Information Systems Resources?
Authors: Finnegan Pat , Fahy Martin J.
Published: December 2018

Increasingly, organizations are looking towards IS planning in an effort to force information technology to live up to its heralded promise. Many of these are finding that their efforts are resulting more in disappointment than in organizational advantage. This article reviews the principles of information systems planning and reports the practices found in organizations. The authors argue that these practices lack the high level direction required to achieve mastery in the area. To rectify this, they propose a four-tier planning framework for information technology, information systems, and information management. This framework provides guidance for an integrated approach to the management of an organization's information and technology resources by promoting the development of a planning platform from which consolidated planning can take place at operational, tactical, and strategic levels.
Stages of Growth in End-User Computing: Applications in the Health Sector of Developing Countries in Asia-Pacific
Authors: Jayasuriya Rohan
Published: December 2018

Information technology is being adopted in the health sector of developing countries at a rapid rate to enhance management of health services. Lessons from the experiences of the business sector of developed countries are useful if adapted to the situation. End-User Computing (EUC) has been recognized to have potentially the greatest impact on productivity and on the efficient use of resources in developed countries. The experience of developing countries in introducing IT is reviewed. Based on the stage hypothesis model of growth in computing, a framework to analyse and predict EUC growth in the health sector of developing countries is described. Using the structure, people and technology parameters of the framework, benchmarks applicable to the health sector in developing countries for each stage are applied to case studies from the Asia-Pacific region. The utility of the framework in identifying key issues that need to be addressed in planning information systems in developing countries is presented.
Teleworking: An Information Technology Tool for Integrated Broadband Communication Development in Rural Areas of Europe
Authors: Tsiligirides T.
Published: December 2018

Information technology has an increasing impact in the development of rural areas but the development and implementation of telematic services in these areas present special problems such as the appropriate mix of communication technologies, the commercial prospects of recovering the cost of investment, the social problems etc., which currently limit their effective use. With the recent introduction of narrowband ISDN (Integrated Services Data Networks) in Europe it is now possible to offer various services on a single subscriber line. In addition, with the development of both high reliable fibre-optic transmission and very fast switching systems, the introduction of broadband ISDN can also be considered. Unfortunately, the less favoured regions of EC (European Community) lack infrastructure. The development in these areas will be a gradual process. Large investments will be required, and the systems installed will have a lifetime of some decades. Therefore the right decisions on the chosen technologies and on the appropriate system configurations have to be taken to ensure success. In this work, the teleworking prospects as an IT tool for rural development are studied in detail. The motivation, the technology and the prosperity of teleworking in the less favoured regions of the EC are analysed and discussed. The analysis considers the existing telecommunication infrastructure in each one of the six peripheral member states in relation with the development and implementation of some important telematic systems in these areas. The main features of the proposed technologies as well as the establishment of the possible cost effective strategies for IBC (Integrated Broadband Communication) implementation in rural areas is also provided. It appears that teleworking is a key element for rural development and can be implemented through the realization of the IBCNs (IBC Networks). By taking lessons from some of the most important experimental initiatives which have already been introduced in some countries, useful recommendations in the policy to be adopted by the EC are drawn and presented.
An Approach to Development of Decision Support Systems for a Public Sector Administration
Authors: Yusoff Mohammed Bin , Jenkins John
Published: December 2018

The decision making process in complex domains involves inconsistent, incomplete and uncertain information and a lack of established models or theories. These characteristics influence the nature of approach to be used in the development of any decision aids to support the process. This paper presents an approach adopted in the development of a DSS to support complex decision making in a Public Sector body. The approach incorporates the use of Soft System Methodology (SSM). The role of SSM in Information Systems in general and in the development of DSS in particular is not well understood. This paper attempts to enhance this understanding by presenting the role of SSM in the development life cycle. SSM was found to be useful especially at the initial stage of DSS development, namely in understanding the problem area, as well as in identifying models and information to be used as inputs to the DSS design.
Introducing it into a Mature Production Related Work Environment: The Human Resource Factor
Authors: Helliwell Jonathan , Fowler Alan
Published: December 2018

The paper addresses the human resource issues associated with the implementation of IT into the Production facilities of a company operating in the process industry. The primary focus of the research is a field study based on a questionnaire issued to the process workers who would be most affected by the changes. Management was initially concerned that resistance to change could pose a significant problem. In this respect there was particular concern that the age and background profile of the workforce could exacerbate any underlying tendency to change resistance. This paper evaluates the background to these concerns and illustrates how this particular organization dealt with them. The questionnaire results indicated a very low level of initial familiarity with any form of computer based technology. Nonetheless the results indicated a very positive response to the IT implementation proposals with virtually no evidence of attitudinal rigidity. In this sense, the results broadly support many of the observations revealed in the literature.
A Study of User Participation in Information Systems Development
Authors: Wong Eva Y.W. , Tate Graham
Published: December 2018

User participation in information system development is considered to be an important factor influencing implementation success or failure. The ETHICS (Effective Technical and Human Implementation of Computer-based Systems) method was developed as a guide to user involvement in system design. A case study of successful implementation which did not use the ETHICS method explicitly is described. The case study and the ETHICS methodology are then compared and contrasted in an attempt to gain greater insight into user participation and to understand why the implementation was successful. Furthermore, techniques of software process modelling are applied to both ETHICS and the case study with the intention of more closely defining the user participation process and potentially also guiding it in future developments. The case study is used as a vehicle both to examine user participation and also to investigate the modelling of user participation.
The Organization of Organizations: Issues for Next-Generation Office IT
Authors: Hutchison Chris , Rosenberg Duska
Published: December 2018

The emerging new breed of IS (group decision support systems and decision simulation, multimedia, next-generation knowledge-based systems, deductive databases and DBMSs, and such like, together with the evolving networking capabilities) will have a more significant impact on the way people work than have ‘conventional’ IT products. This will have implications for what one might call the ‘cognitive style’ of the user interaction. This paper describes further a view of the organization of organizations that has already been sketched briefly elsewhere (Hutchison & Rosenberg, 1993; Hutchison, 1994), and proposes a strategy for the formal modelling of cooperative group work.
Distributed Cognition: An Alternative Framework for Analysing and Explaining Collaborative Working
Authors: Rogers Yvonne , Ellis Judi
Published: December 2018

This paper examines the theoretical and practical problems that arise from attempts to develop formal characterizations and explanations of many work activities, in particular, collaborative activities. We argue that even seemingly discrete individual activities occur in, and frequently draw upon a complex network of factors: individual, social and organizational. Similarly, organizational and social constraints and practices impact upon individual cognitive processes and the realization of these in specific tasks. Any adequate characterization of work activities therefore requires the analysis and synthesis of information from these traditionally separate sources. We argue that existing frameworks, emanating separately from the respective disciplines (cognitive, social and organizational) do not present an adequate means of studying the dynamics of collaborative activity in situ. An alternative framework, advocated in this paper, is distributed cognition. Its theoretical basis is outlined together with examples of applied studies of computer-mediated work activities in different organizational settings.
Post(-)Modern Organizations: Understanding how Cscw Affects Organizations
Authors: Blackler Frank
Published: December 2018

The paper reviews the ways organizations are thought to be changing as a result of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). While claims which exaggerate the impact of technological changes should not be taken seriously, within the context of current developments in world capitalism CSCW assumes particular importance raising cultural and organizational problems at least as much as economic and technological ones. The flexibility, variety and disorder associated with ‘post-modern’ organizations (i.e. organizations characteristic of the epoch after modernism) necessitate the adoption of ‘postmodern’ approaches to understanding (i.e. approaches to the theory of knowledge developed in linguistics and philosophy) which emphasise the significance of communication, interpretation, improvization, negotiation and learning processes. The suggestion is that, for the impact of CSCW to be understood, conventional theories of organization should be replaced by theories of collective activity.
The Stages Model and the Phases of the IS Field
Authors: Friedman Andrew
Published: December 2018

We argue that the organization's internal time-path of computer usage should be located in a context of changes in the IS field as a whole. A model of the history of information systems management within user organizations is presented here, which specifies a series of phases the IS field has gone through. Each phase is defined by a critical problem or set of constraints. The phases model can be used to predict new pressures on IS executives and new directions for focusing research and education resources as well as supplementing Nolan's stages model of computer usage within organizations.
Information Technology-Enabled Change: The Risks and Rewards of Business Process Redesign and Automation
Authors: Fiedler Kirk D. , Grover Varun , Teng James T.C.
Published: December 2018

Information technology-enabled business process redesign is a means of levering the power of information technology to change organizational processes radically resulting in substantial improvements in corporate effectiveness and efficiency. Some of the greatest opportunities for organizational improvement using IT are associated with the support of processes that cross functional boundaries. In this search for improvement, it is important to recognize that there are both process risks associated with business process redesign and structural risks associated with crossing functional boundaries. This paper proposes a model that relates the risks and rewards of IT-enabled change and reports on the experience of 59 organizations. The study found that organizations tend to emphasize either cross-functional business process redesign or intrafunctional automation projects. The results suggest that corporations that wish to take advantage of the rewards available from information technology-enabled change should recognize the risks associated with cross-functional change and process redesign.
Learning from Abandoned Information Systems Development Projects
Authors: Ewusi-Mensah K. , Przasnyski Z.H.
Published: December 2018

Survey research is used to determine what kind of post-mortem appraisals companies undertake concerning their abandoned IS development projects. The data suggest that most organizations do not keep records of their failed projects and do not make any formal effort to understand what went wrong or attempt to learn from their failed projects. A learning paradigm is suggested which companies could use as a guide to undertake post-mortem analysis of their abandoned IS development projects.
Predicting Bankruptcy via Induction
Authors: Mckee Thomas E.
Published: December 2018

Research has consistently shown that auditors disclose going-concern problems for less than 50% of all business failures. As evidenced by widespread litigation, investors and creditors believe that this performance needs to be improved. This paper reports on research which analysed financial data for 60 public companies via an inductive inferencing algorithm. The end result was a simple and theoretically consistent model that was 97% accurate in predicting bankruptcy. Auditors, investors and creditors may find the model useful in improving their bankruptcy prediction capability.
Linking Information Technology to Global Business Strategy to Gain Competitive Advantage: An Integrative Model
Authors: Ramarapu Narender K. , Lado Augustine A.
Published: December 2018

While information technology has been recognized as critically important for supporting global business strategy, the contingent relationships between salient dimensions of an information technology and key sources of competitive advantage have not been systematically explicated and discussed in the literature. Instead, a universal view of the role of information technology in developing competitive advantage for a firm is often adopted. Taking a contingency perspective, this paper more systematically examines the links among global business strategies, global information technologies (GIT) and competitive advantage within an integrative framework. Additionally, the issue of sustainability of GIT-based competitive advantages is addressed using the conceptual tool kits of the I/O (industrial organization)-based and resource-based theories of strategic management. The proposed conceptual model provides an encompassing framework for future research on the increasingly important topic of global information technology and its potential to generate competitive advantage for firms.
Strategic Information Systems Planning: Deriving Comparative Advantage from EDI
Authors: Galliers R.D. , Swatman P.M.C. , Swatman P.A.
Published: December 2018

In this paper we argue that electronic data interchange (EDI) should not be viewed simply as a technological infrastructure, but as a technology which may enable an organization taking a strategic view to derive comparative advantage from utilizing it as part of a process of business re-engineering – in other words, as a sociotechnical entity. We suggest that strategic information systems planning (SISP) is a suitable superstructure within which EDI implementation may be considered from an appropriate strategic, as opposed to tactical, perspective. Finally we describe the theory and current practice of SISP and present guidelines for its application in relation to EDI.
Anticipating the Benefits of Proposed Information Systems
Authors: Lederer Albert L. , Mirani Rajesh
Published: December 2018

The assessment of the anticipated benefits of new information systems (IS) is important to IS planning. A study of the anticipated benefits of 178 projects as seen by IS managers and analysts revealed nine benefit factors. Business redesign emerged as the most important benefit. Some benefits are much more highly quantified than others. Organizations planned to spend more on projects whose top benefit was workforce reduction. Researchers can use these findings to study why and how organizations achieve the benefits of some proposals. Chief information officers can use them to help deliver new systems that better meet top management's expectations.
Theoretical Perspectives on the Outsourcing of Information Systems
Authors: Cheon Myun J. , Grover Varun , Teng James T.C.
Published: December 2018

Critics have argued that the field of information systems (IS) lacks a coherent theoretical framework. This paper attempts to further the theoretical development of a critical and pervasive contemporary phenomenon, outsourcing of IS functions, by synthesizing four theoretical models (resource-based theory, resource-dependence theory, transaction cost theory and agency theory) that are useful for understanding determinants of a firm's outsourcing strategy. From these theoretical models, a contingency model of outsourcing is developed which can be used to direct empirical research.
The Outsourcing of Information Services: Transforming the Nature of Business in the Information Industry
Authors: Clark Thomas D. , Zmud Robert W. , Mccray Gordon E.
Published: December 2018

The structure of the decision faced by a firm to outsource or to retain information services is developed in this paper. Theory regarding the decision structure is discussed and the results of in-depth interviews with a variety of chief information officers presented. Specifically, the forces that drive the outsourcing decision are identified, the incentives and disincentives of outsourcing relationships being addressed in detail. A framework for contemplating the outsourcing option is presented, followed by recommendations on managing relationships with outsourcing vendors.
Information Systems Outsourcing Decision Making: A Framework, Organizational Theories and Case Studies
Authors: Delooff Leon A.
Published: December 2018

This paper reports on research into information systems (IS) outsourcing decisions and their consequences. A descriptional framework was used to describe systematically different types of outsourcing. A theoretical foundation for the IS outsourcing decision was derived from established organizational theories. These findings were investigated by retrospective and longitudinal in-depth case study research into 23 IS outsourcing arrangements in six organizations. The case studies were performed in the Netherlands, and comprised systematic analysis of actual short and long term effects of IS outsourcing.
Organizing for Crisis Response
Authors: Calloway Linda Jo , Keen Peter G.W.
Published: December 2018

Crises are turning points in organizations. When crisis strikes, fast-response management depends on quickly configuring and deploying information and communications. This paper brings together research and practice in crisis response management, information technology and news media fast-response methods to derive principles for using information technology as an organizational resource. Firms increasingly recognize the need to view their information technology (IT) platform as a key business resource for just-in-time scheduling, distribution, coordination, service and logistics. If they see it as an equally key resource for just-in-time crisis response, it then creates a powerful base for crisis response management. Exxon Valdez and the Gulf War illustrate these requirements. They provide a stage model of crisis response. The model is not intended as a general description of crisis, but as a more specific modelling of organizational response capability. This stage model is illustrated by Dow Coming's recent silicon-gel implant crisis.
Information Architectural Design in Business Process Reengineering
Authors: Kettinger William J. , Teng James T.C. , Guha Subashish
Published: December 2018

Business process reengineering and information architecture share a common strategic and business process focus. Both can be mutually supportive of each other's objectives. Information architecture design can produce a stable IA capable of supporting existing as well as improved business processes. Reciprocally, business process redesign (BPR) provides a high profile business justification for the IA endeavour. Given proper collaboration between corporate and IT strategic planners, both BPR and IA efforts should produce a number of valuable common outputs. These include the identification of business processes within an organization, the prioritization of these processes based on their strategic relevance, the establishment of process performance measures, and the modelling of these processes and their supporting information resources. A synergistic model of IA and BPR is presented and selected IA techniques and modelling methods are recommended. Future research is suggested concerning the need to test the relationship between BPR and IA.
Organizational Politics, Strategic Change and the Evaluation of CAD
Authors: Harris Martin
Published: December 2018

This paper uses a ‘case in sector’ analysis to investigate the extent to which the success criteria imposed by cost accounting constrains the ability of engineers to acquire and make effective use of computer aided design (CAD). The paper examines two periods of CAD investment in a sample of UK manufacturers. In the first ‘early adoption’ period CAD proposals were made by junior engineers on a locally initiated ‘bottom up’ basis. Proposals were made according to the dictates of conventional cost benefit analysis, engineering and accounting priorities were separate, and senior management were not involved. In the second ‘general adoption’ period there was a general uptake of CAD throughout the sector. The paper demonstrates that the evaluation of CAD was influenced not just by the rival claims of accountants and engineers, but also by long run changes in the operating environment, and by the control devices employed by senior management. The findings bear out the view of technological change as a socially negotiated process. However, it would appear that the oranizational practices associated with CAD evaluation are continually re-negotiated in the light of dynamic organizational interests and changes in the broader sectoral context.
Information Systems Chargeout: A Review of Current Approaches and Future Challenges
Authors: Verner J.M. , Toraskar K. , Brown R.
Published: December 2018

Based on over 20 years of information systems (IS) and management accounting literature, we present a critical review of IS chargeout research. The need for such a review derives from the conceptual difficulties and empirical limitations observed in past research, and from the management challenge of rapidly growing new information technologies (ITs). Our review systematizes the objectives and cost accounting methods underlying past developments in this area. We describe the features of successful chargeout systems, recognizing the current neglect of organizational-level objectives and follow this with a discussion of the advantages of chargeout systems, and the problems involved in their use. An investigation into the context of new ITs reveals a new surge of chargeout software products that require more organizationally oriented chargeout research. Finally, we present a model of chargeout systems evolution within a wider managerial and business context.
Computer Decision Support for Capital Budgeting: Some Empirical Findings of Practice
Authors: Ho Simon , Pike Richard
Published: December 2018

While recent surveys suggest that capital budgeting systems in business organizations continue to become more formalized and sophisticated, a constraint on the use of sophisticated capital budgeting techniques seems to be the degree of support provided by firms’ capital budgeting information systems (CABIS). This paper, based on a survey of 146 large firms, outlines the current status of CABIS and their usage pattern. It was found that although two-thirds of sample firms have specific computer application systems for capital budgeting, most CABIS are relatively unsophisticated and less than adequate in providing the information and decision support capabilities required to use sophisticated capital budgeting techniques effectively. In particular, the barrier and problems encountered in the use of probabilistic risk analysis were explored. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Information Systems/Technology Evaluation Practices: Evidence from UK Organizations
Authors: Ballantine J.A. , Galliers R.D. , Stray S J.
Published: December 2018

The evaluation of information systems technology (IS/IT) investments has been a much debated issue in the IS literature. This paper adds to that debate by discussing the IS/IT project evaluation practices of a sample of the top 1000 UK companies. The study sheds light on a number of evaluation issues, including the extent to which formal procedures of evaluation exist within organizations, and the extent to which consultation with stakeholders takes place, in addition to identifying the problems inherent in evaluating IS/IT investments. The implications of the findings are discussed, where possible in the light of previous research, in addition to identifying a number of key issues where further research is needed.