bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Profiles of Strategic Information Systems Planning
Authors: Segars Albert H. , Grover Varun
Published: October 2008

Improving strategic planning within the realm of information technology management is consistently identified by top corporate executives as a critical competitive issue. While relevant literature in the area is replete with descriptions of planning tools and methodologies, investigations that examine this activity from the perspective of process-based characteristics, or “profiles,” are still in the formative stages. Through multivariate analysis of data gathered from 253 organizations, the findings of this study suggest that five distinct profiles of strategic planning can be identified based on dimensions of comprehensiveness (extent of solution search), formalization (existence of rules and procedures), focus (extent of innovation versus integration), flow (top-down, bottom-up), participation (number and variety of planners), and consistency (frequency of planning). While each profile exhibits strength across particular measures of planning effectiveness, the profile associated with all measures of planning effectiveness seems to incorporate elements of rationality (high comprehensiveness, high formalization, control focus, top-down flow) and adaptation (high participation, high consistency). Postsurvey field study of selected firms suggests that the five approaches may represent distinct “schools” of thought that are reflective of deep-seated beliefs and attitudes about strategic planning. These schools (design, planning, positioning, learning, and political) are founded on very different assumptions and provide substantive interpretation for the empirical findings.
The Illusory Diffusion of Innovation: An Examination of Assimilation Gaps
Authors: Fichman Robert G. , Kemerer Chris F.
Published: October 2008

Innovation researchers have known for sometime that a new information technology may be widely acquired, but then only sparsely deployed among acquiring firms. When this happens, the observed pattern of cumulative adoptions will vary depending on which event in the assimilation process (i.e., acquisition or deployment) is treated as the adoption event. Instead of mirroring one another, a widening gap—termed here an assimilation gap—will exist between the cumulative adoption curves associated with the alternatively conceived adoption events. When a pronounced assimilation gap exists, the common practice of using cumulative purchases or acquisitions as the basis for diffusion modeling can present an illusory picture of the diffusion process—leading to potentially erroneous judgments about the robustness of the diffusion process already observed, and of the technology's future prospects. Researchers may draw inappropriate theoretical inferences about the forces driving diffusion. Practitioners may commit to a technology based on a belief that pervasive adoption is inevitable, when it is not.

This study introduces the assimilation gap concept, and develops a general operational measure derived from the difference between the cumulative acquisition and deployment patterns. It describes how two characteristics—increasing returns to adoption and knowledge barriers impeding adoption—separately and in combination may serve to predispose a technology to exhibit a pronounced gap. It develops techniques for measuring assimilation gaps, for establishing whether two gaps are significantly different from each other, and for establishing whether a particular gap is absolutely large enough to be of substantive interest. Finally, it demonstrates these techniques in an analysis of adoption data for three prominent innovations in software process technology—relational database management systems (RDBs), general purpose fourth generation languages (4GLs), and computer aided software engineering tools (CASE). The analysis confirmed that assimilation gaps can be sensibly measured, and that their measured size is largely consistent with a priori expectations and recent research results. A very pronounced gap was found for CASE, while more moderate—though still significant—gaps were found for RDBs and 4GLs.

These results have the immediate implication that, where the possibility of a substantial assimilation gap exists, the time of deployment should be captured instead of, or in addition to, time of acquisition as the basis for diffusion modeling. More generally, the results suggest that observers be guarded about concluding, based on sales data, that an innovation is destined to become widely used. In addition, by providing the ability to analyze and compare assimilation gaps, this study provides an analytic foundation for future research on why assimilation gaps occur, and what might be done to reduce them.
Dimensionality of the Strategic Grid Framework: The Construct and Its Measurement
Authors: Raghunathan Bhanu , Raghunathan T. S. , Tu Qiang
Published: October 2008

The recent dramatic impact of information technology (IT) on organizational performance has necessitated appropriate strategies for managing this organizational resource. IT impacts firms in different ways, and management needs a clear and systematic understanding of both the current and future relevance and impact of its IT before selecting management tools and approaches. The strategic grid framework, developed for the purpose of helping management gain this understanding, is one of the most highly recognized and quoted conceptual frameworks in information systems literature. Despite such recognition, valid operational measures of this construct are not available for use in empirical research studies. The research reported in this paper is an attempt to develop and validate operational measures for the dimensions of the strategic grid, with the understanding that the availability of such measures will promote future empirical studies. Data for this study consist of the responses of 231 IS executives to a survey instrument. Operational models of the grid dimensions are specified and the measurement properties of the models are assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) within the LISREL framework. Measures resulting from the analysis are shown to meet the requirements of rigorous tests of measurement properties. The CFA results also show that the current portfolio dimension of the strategic grid is unidimensional, while the future portfolio dimension has three factors: management support, differentiation, and enhancement.
Evaluating the Impact of DSS, Cognitive Effort, and Incentives on Strategy Selection
Authors: Todd Peter , Benbasat Izak
Published: October 2008

Decision support system (DSS) researchers have long debated whether or not the provision of a DSS would lead to greater decision-making effectiveness, efficiency, or both. The work described in this paper examines how DSS designers can guide users towards employing more normative decision strategies. Working from notions of restrictiveness and decisional guidance (Silver 1990) supplemented by the cost-benefit framework of cognition, we explain how DSS capabilities influence decision behavior and performance through the manipulation of effort. The results of this work should assist DSS developers to devise directed or nondirected approaches to effect desired behaviors.
Research Note. Electronic Brainstorming: Illusions and Patterns of Productivity
Authors: Dennis Alan R. , Valacich Joseph S.
Published: October 2008

We believe that the theoretical arguments and the pattern of empirical data present a rather clear and succinct message, first made in 1994, for managers and researchers (J. S. Valacich, A. R. Dennis, T. Connolly. Idea generation in computer-based groups: A new ending to an old story. Organ. Behavior and Human Decision Processes Vol. 57, pp. 448–467, 1994). For small groups, any benefits for electronic brainstorming (EBS) are indeed an illusion; groups would be no worse and possibly better off to work as nominal groups. For large groups, however, EBS offers clear performance benefits over nominal group brainstorming, as well as verbal brainstorming (R. B. Gallupe, A. R. Dennis, W. H. Cooper, J. S. Valacich, L. Bastianutti, J. F. Nunamaker. Electronic brainstorming and group size. Acad. Management J. Vol. 35, pp. 350–369, 1992).
Studying Information Technology in Organizations: Research Approaches and Assumptions
Authors: Orlikowski Wanda J. , Baroudi Jack J.
Published: October 2008

We examined 155 information systems research articles published from 1983 to 1988 and found that although this research is not rooted in a single over-arching theoretical perspective, it does exhibit a single set of philosophical assumptions regarding the nature of the phenomena studied by information systems researchers, and what constitutes valid knowledge about those phenomena. We believe that a single research perspective for studying information systems phenomena is unnecessarily restrictive, and argue that there exist other philosophical assumptions that can inform studies of the relationships between information technology, people, and organizations. In this paper, we present two additional research philosophies for consideration-the interpretive and the critical-and for each we provide empirical examples to illustrate how they are used. We conclude by suggesting that much can be gained if a plurality of research perspectives is effectively employed to investigate information systems phenomena.
Information Technology and the Structuring of Organizations
Authors: Orlikowski Wanda J. , Robey Daniel
Published: October 2008

Recent work in social theory departs from prior traditions in proposing that social phenomena can be understood as comprising both subjective and objective elements. We apply this premise of duality to understanding the relationship between information technology and organizations. We construct a theoretical framework in which the development and deployment of information technology in organizations is a social phenomenon, and in which the organizational consequences of technology are products of both material and social dimensions. The framework is based on Giddens' theory of structuration, and it allows us to progress beyond several of the false dichotomies (subjective vs objective, socially constructed vs material, macro vs micro, and qualitative vs quantitative) that persist in investigations of the interaction between organizations and information technology. The framework can be used to guide studies in two main areas of information systems research—systems development and the organizational consequences of using information technology.
An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Computer Based Decision Aids on Decision Making Strategies
Authors: Todd Peter , Benbasat Izak
Published: October 2008

Although Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been in use since the early seventies, there is as yet no strong theoretical base for predicting how a DSS will influence decision making. Furthermore, the findings of various empirical studies on the outcomes of DSS use are often contradictory. Consequently, there is a need in the Decision Support Systems field for theories or explanatory models to formulate hypotheses, to conduct research in a directed, parsimonious manner and to interpret findings in a coherent way. This will assist both academics and practitioners interested in the use of information systems to support managerial workers. This paper proposes the use of a cognitive effort model of decision making to explain decision maker behavior when assisted by a DSS. The central proposition is that specific features can be incorporated within a DSS that will alter the effort required to implement a particular strategy, and thus influence strategy selection by the decision maker. This was investigated in a series of three experimental studies which examined the influence of computer based decision aids on decision making strategies. In the three experiments, subjects were given different degrees of support to deal with various components of cognitive effort (processing effort, memory effort and information tracking effort) associated with the strategies applicable to preferential choice problems. The results show that decision makers tend to adapt their strategy selection to the type of decision aids available in such a way as to reduce effort. These results suggest that the assumption that decision makers use a DSS exclusively to maximize decision quality is open to question. DSS studies which consider the joint effects of effort and quality, or control one while manipulating the other, are more likely to provide consistent and interpretable results.
Predicting User Intentions: Comparing the Technology Acceptance Model with the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Mathieson Kieran
Published: October 2008

Information systems (IS) cannot be effective unless they are used. However, people sometimes do not use systems that could potentially increase their performance. This study compares two models that predict an individual's intention to use an IS: the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The comparison was designed to be as fair as possible, not favoring one model over the other. Both TAM and TPB predicted intention to use an IS quite well, with TAM having a slight empirical advantage. TAM is easier to apply, but only supplies very general information on users' opinions about a system. TPB provides more specific information that can better guide development.
Development of an Instrument to Measure the Perceptions of Adopting an Information Technology Innovation
Authors: Moore Gary C. , Benbasat Izak
Published: October 2008

This paper reports on the development of an instrument designed to measure the various perceptions that an individual may have of adopting an information technology (IT) innovation. This instrument is intended to be a tool for the study of the initial adoption and eventual diffusion of IT innovations within organizations. While the adoption of information technologies by individuals and organizations has been an area of substantial research interest since the early days of computerization, research efforts to date have led to mixed and inconclusive outcomes. The lack of a theoretical foundation for such research and inadequate definition and measurement of constructs have been identified as major causes for such outcomes. In a recent study examining the diffusion of new end-user IT, we decided to focus on measuring the potential adopters' perceptions of the technology. Measuring such perceptions has been termed a “classic issue” in the innovation diffusion literature, and a key to integrating the various findings of diffusion research. The perceptions of adopting were initially based on the five characteristics of innovations derived by Rogers (1983) from the diffusion of innovations literature, plus two developed specifically within this study. Of the existing scales for measuring these characteristics, very few had the requisite levels of validity and reliability. For this study, both newly created and existing items were placed in a common pool and subjected to four rounds of sorting by judges to establish which items should be in the various scales. The objective was to verify the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales by examining how the items were sorted into various construct categories. Analysis of inter-judge agreement about item placement identified both bad items as well as weaknesses in some of the constructs' original definitions. These were subsequently redefined. Scales for the resulting constructs were subjected to three separate field tests. Following the final test, the scales all demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability. Their validity was further checked using factor analysis, as well as conducting discriminant analysis comparing responses between adopters and nonadopters of the innovation. The result is a parsimonious, 38-item instrument comprising eight scales which provides a useful tool for the study of the initial adoption and diffusion of innovations. A short, 25 item, version of the instrument is also suggested.
Model Integration and Modeling Languages: A Process Perspective
Authors: Kottemann Jeffrey E. , Dolk Daniel R.
Published: October 2008

Development of large-scale models often involves—or, certainly could benefit from—linking existing models. This process is termed model integration and involves two related aspects: (1) the coupling of model representations, and (2) the coupling of the processes for evaluating, or executing, instances of these representations. Given this distinction, we overview model integration capabilities in existing executable modeling languages, discuss current theoretical approaches to model integration, and identify the limiting assumptions implicitly made in both cases. In particular, current approaches assume away issues of dynamic variable correspondence and synchronization in composite model execution. We then propose a process-oriented conceptualization and associated constructs that overcome these limiting assumptions. The constructs allow model components to be used as building blocks for more elaborate composite models in ways unforeseen when the components were originally developed. While we do not prove the sufficiency of the constructs over the set of all model types and integration configurations, we present several examples of model integration from various domains to demonstrate the utility of the approach.
Building an Information System Design Theory for Vigilant EIS
Authors: Walls Joseph G. , Widmeyer George R. , El Sawy Omar A.
Published: October 2008

This paper defines an information system design theory (ISDT) to be a prescriptive theory which integrates normative and descriptive theories into design paths intended to produce more effective information systems. The nature of ISDTs is articulated using Dubin's concept of theory building and Simon's idea of a science of the artificial. An example of an ISDT is presented in the context of Executive Information Systems (EIS). Despite the increasing awareness of the potential of EIS for enhancing executive strategic decision-making effectiveness, there exists little theoretical work which directly guides EIS design. We contend that the underlying theoretical basis of EIS can be addressed through a design theory of vigilant information systems. Vigilance denotes the ability of an information system to help an executive remain alertly watchful for weak signals and discontinuities in the organizational environment relevant to emerging strategic threats and opportunities. Research on managerial information scanning and emerging issue tracking as well as theories of open loop control are synthesized to generate vigilant information system design theory propositions. Transformation of the propositions into testable empirical hypotheses is discussed.
A Comparative Study of How Experts and Novices Use a Decision Aid to Solve Problems in Complex Knowledge Domains
Authors: Mackay Jane M. , Elam Joyce J.
Published: October 2008

This paper reports the results of a study that examined the way that professionals used a particular decision aid, spreadsheet software, to address a business-oriented task. The professionals were divided into four groups, depending on whether they were experts or novices in the functional area of business represented by the task and on whether they were experts or novices in the use of spreadsheet software. The physical interactions as well as the thought processes underlying these interactions were captured. Results of the study indicated that a lack of expertise in spreadsheet software usage inhibited the application of functional area knowledge. The behavior and outcomes of the functional area expert/spreadsheet novice group did not match those of the functional area expert/spreadsheet expert group. In fact, they paralleled more closely those of the other two groups that did not possess functional area knowledge. Results of the study also indicated that individuals need to obtain a level of expertise in using a decision aid before they are able to apply their functional area knowledge to the problem at hand.
Electronic Meeting Systems: Evidence from a Low Structure Environment
Authors: McLeod Poppy Lauretta , Liker Jeffrey K.
Published: October 2008

The research literature to date on electronic meeting systems (EMS) has been dominated by studies of high structure systems. High and low structure are defined here in terms of the preponderance of influence that technology and groups exert on each other. High structure EMS attempt to directly influence group structure and processes through explicit rules and procedures embedded in the software. Low structure EMS do not explicitly build in rules or procedures that govern group interaction. Low structure EMS are hypothesized to increase task focus through the use of shared flexible software tools and shared views of joint work. Results of two experiments, that compare low structure EMS-supported groups to manually-supported groups on equality of participation, degree of task focus, task performance and member satisfaction, for two different tasks, are reported. The experiments found that this low structure EMS had no effect on participation equality or member satisfaction. Contrary to the hypotheses, the EMS was found to decrease task focus. The EMS led to marginally better task performance on a simple evaluative task, and to worse performance on a complex generative task. A revision of the study's theoretical model is developed which takes into account the nature of the task.
A Comparison of Linear Keyword and Restricted Natural Language Data Base Interfaces for Novice Users
Authors: Suh Kil Soo , Milton Jenkins A.
Published: October 2008

This study compares a linear keyword language interface and a restricted natural language interface for data retrieval by a novice user. The comparison focuses on the effect of different data base interfaces on user performance (as measured by query correctness and query writing time) in a query writing task across varying query types and training levels. To accomplish this objective, a laboratory experiment was conducted using a split-plot factorial design using two between-subjects factors and one within-subjects factor. The results indicate that the restricted natural language subjects performed significantly better than the linear keyword language subjects in terms of both query correctness and query writing time.
Determinants of Turnover Intentions: Comparing IC and IS Personnel
Authors: Guimaraes Tor , Igbaria Magid
Published: October 2008

Personnel is one of the most important resources for the performance of Information Systems (IS) and Information Center (IC) organizations. The scarcity of new employees, the difficulty of training and a high turnover make personnel management in these areas a difficult problem. For IS employees, the relationships between job satisfaction, organizational commitment and intention to leave the organization have been established. Because the size of the investment and the number of organizations establishing IC organizations are growing dramatically, it has become important to understand the determinants of turnover intentions for IC as well as IS employees. Are IC employees similar to their IS counterparts? Or, is their nature basically different, as some studies have suggested? This study examines the differences between IS and IC employees in terms of demographic characteristics, participation on boundary spanning activities, role stressors, overall job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intentions. The differences are found to be significant and call for special attention from IC managers to manage more properly their personnel resources. IC employees were found to participate more extensively in boundary spanning activities, experienced more role stressors (role ambiguity and role conflict), were less satisfied with their jobs and less committed to their organization. The findings also demonstrate the importance of organizational commitment as an intervening variable in models of turnover. While overall job satisfaction had both direct and indirect effects on turnover intentions among IC employees, for IS personnel it had only indirect effects through organizational commitment. The effects of role stressors and boundary spanning activities were found to be indirect via overall job satisfaction and organizational commitment for both IC and IS employees. The implications of these findings for practicing managers and for future research are discussed.
The Relationship Between Investment in Information Technology and Firm Performance: A Study of the Valve Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Weill Peter
Published: October 2008

Large amounts of resources have been and continue to be invested in information technology (IT). Much of this investment is made on the basis of faith that returns will occur. This study presents the results of an empirical test of the performance effects of IT investment in the manufacturing sector. Six years of historical data on IT investment and performance were collected for 33 valve manufacturing firms from the CEO, the controller and the production manager in each firm. Investment was perceptually categorized by management objective (i.e., strategic, informational and transactional) and tested against four measures of performance (sales growth, return on assets, and two measures of labor productivity). Heavy use of transactional IT investment was found to be significantly and consistently associated with strong firm performance over the six years studied. Heavy use of strategic IT was found to be neutral in the long term and associated only with relatively poorly performing firms in the short term. This study suggests that early adopters of strategic IT could have spectacular success but once the technology becomes common, the competitive advantage is lost. In addition, the context of the firm was included in the analysis. Conversion effectiveness, which measures the quality of the firm-wide management and commitment to IT, was found to be a significant moderator between strategic IT investment and firm performance.
Diffusion of Information Technology Outsourcing: Influence Sources and the Kodak Effect
Authors: Loh Lawrence , Venkatraman N.
Published: October 2008

The governance of an organizational information technology (IT) infrastructure is steadily shifting away from pure hierarchical and market mechanisms toward hybrid and partnership modes that involve external vendors. In particular, IT outsourcing has recently emerged as a significant administrative innovation in an organization's IT strategy. This paper seeks to explore the sources of influence in the adoption of this innovation. For this purpose, we generated a comprehensive sample of outsourcing contracts in the US using an electronic bibliometric search process. Using diffusion modeling, our empirical analysis shows that the adoption of IT outsourcing is motivated more by internal influence (or imitative behavior) than by external influence amongst the user organizations. Subsequently, we considered the widely-publicized Eastman Kodak's outsourcing decision as a critical event to assess whether this internal influence is more pronounced in the post-Kodak regime than in the pre-Kodak regime. Our results show that internal influence is dominant in the post-Kodak regime but not in the pre-Kodak regime. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
The Impact of Information Technology Investment Announcements on the Market Value of the Firm
Authors: Dos Santos Brian L. , Peffers Ken , Mauer David C.
Published: October 2008

Determining whether investments in information technology (IT) have an impact on firm performance has been and continues to be a major problem for information systems researchers and practitioners. Financial theory suggests that managers should make investment decisions that maximize the value of the firm. Using event-study methodology, we provide empirical evidence on the effect of announcements of IT investments on the market value of the firm for a sample of 97 IT investments from the finance and manufacturing industries from 1981 to 1988. Over the announcement period, we find no excess returns for either the full sample or for any one of the industry subsamples. However, cross-sectional analysis reveals that the market reacts differently to announcements of innovative IT investments than to followup, or noninnovative investments in IT. Innovative IT investments increase firm value, while noninnovative investments do not. Furthermore, the market's reaction to announcements of innovative and noninnovative IT investments is independent of industry classification. These results indicate that, on average, IT investments are zero net present value (NPV) investments; they are worth as much as they cost. Innovative IT investments, however, increase the value of the firm.
The Information Age Confronts Education: Case Studies on Electronic Classrooms
Authors: Leidner Dorothy E. , Jarvenpaa Sirkka L.
Published: October 2008

Information technology is slowly becoming a part of educational classrooms and corporate training facilities. The current study examines the use and outcomes of computer-based instructional technology in the context of graduate business education. Case study data is gathered to explore how computer technology is used in the university classroom, and how computer-based teaching methods differ from traditional teaching methods in terms of class interaction and in-class learning. The study found that there are many potential computer-based teaching methods and that the methods can have different outcomes. The use of computer-based teaching methods requiring hands-on student use appear to offer an advantage over traditional methods and over computer-based methods not requiring hands-on student use in providing a forum for exploratory analysis during class and for acquiring technical procedural knowledge. A model of in-class learning is developed for future research.
Organizational Adoption of Microcomputer Technology: The Role of Sector
Authors: Bretschneider Stuart , Wittmer Dennis
Published: October 2008

Microcomputer and work-station technology is the latest wave in computing technology to influence day-to-day operations in business and government organization. Does sector affect adoption of this new information technology? If so, how? Utilizing the data from a large comparative national survey of data processing organizations, this proposition was examined. The results confirm that after controlling for other factors such as organizational size, experience with computer technology, current investment in computer technology, procurement practices, and the task environment of the organization, the sector an organization operates within has a major differential effect on adoption of microcomputer technology. Public organizations have more microcomputers per employee, a result that is potentially due to a more information intensive task environment and the potential use of microcomputer technology as a side payment in lieu of salary. The latter factor derives from lower wage rates faced by public employees.
Heuristics for Reconciling Independent Knowledge Bases
Authors: Trice Andrew , Davis Randall
Published: October 2008

One of the major unsolved problems in knowledge acquisition is reconciling knowledge originating from different sources. This paper proposes a technique for reconciling knowledge in two independent knowledge bases, describes a working program built to implement that technique, and discusses an exploratory study for validating the technique. The technique is based on the use of heuristics for identifying and resolving discrepancies between the knowledge bases. Each heuristic developed provides detection and resolution procedures for a distinct variety of discrepancy in the knowledge bases. Sample discrepancies include using synonyms for the same term, conflicting rules, and extra reasoning steps. Discrepancies are detected and resolved through the use of circumstantial evidence available from the knowledge bases themselves and by asking sharply focussed questions to the experts responsible for the knowledge bases. The technique was tested on two independently developed knowledge bases designed to aid novice statisticians in diagnosing problems in linear regression models. The heuristics located a significant number of the discrepancies between the knowledge bases and assisted the experts in creating a consensus knowledge base for diagnosing multicollinearity problems. We argue that the task of identifying discrepancies between independent bodies of knowledge is an inevitable part of any large knowledge acquisition effort. Hence the heuristics developed in this work are applicable even when knowledge acquisition is not done by reconciling two complete knowledge bases. We also suggest that our approach can be extended to other knowledge representations such as frames and database schemas, and speculate about its potential application to other domains involving the reconciliation of knowledge, such as requirements determination, negotiation, and design.
Information Systems Research Thematics: Submissions to a New Journal, 1987–1992
Authors: Burton Swanson E. , Ramiller Neil C.
Published: October 2008

The flow of manuscripts through the editorial offices of an academic journal can provide valuable information both about the performance of the journal as an instrument of its field and about the structure and evolution of the field itself. We undertook an analysis of the manuscripts submitted to the journal Information Systems Research (ISR) during its start-up years, 1987 through 1992, in an effort to provide a foundation for examining the performance of the journal, and to open a window on to the information systems (IS) field during that period. We identified the primary research question for each of 397 submissions to ISR, and then categorized the research questions using an iterative classification procedure. Ambiguities in classification were exploited to identify relationships among the categories, and some overarching themes were exposed in order to reveal levels of structure in the journal's submissions stream. We also examined the distribution of submissions across categories and over the years of the study period, and compared the structures of the submissions stream and the publication stream. We present the results with the goal of broadening the perspectives which individual members of the IS research community have of ISR and to help fuel community discourse about the nature and proper direction of the field. We provide some guidelines to assist readers in this interpretive task, and offer some observations and speculations to help launch the discussion.
Free-Access Policy for Internal Networks
Authors: Giridharan P. S. , Mendelson Haim
Published: October 2008

This paper evaluates the free-access policy as a control mechanism for internal networks. We derive the optimal message pricing scheme, compare it to the free-access policy, and study the associated net-value loss. We derive uniform upper bounds on this value loss, and apply our results to the polar implementations of ethernet and token ring networks. The results show that the free-access policy is often attractive.
The Effect of Culture on IT Diffusion: E-Mail and FAX in Japan and the U.S.
Authors: Straub Detmar W.
Published: October 2008

Few cross-cultural studies have investigated how firms diffuse new information technologies (IT). Still fewer have advanced a theoretical perspective on possible cultural effects. In a world moving rapidly toward corporate multinationalism, this oversight seems notable. As foreign managers locate plants and offices in the U.S. and as American managers establish foreign subsidiaries and offices abroad, it is important for these managers to know in advance as much as possible about the impact of culture on technological innovation. Japan and the U.S. are cases in point. Both have subsidiaries and actively market goods and services in the other country, far flung enterprises for which IT seems to be a natural coordinating mechanism. Yet while U.S. companies exploit the advantages of IT such as E-mail, Japanese firms do not. The Japanese, however, do utilize FAX extensively. Culture is one fruitful explanation for these differences. To examine these two markedly different cultures and the effect of these differences on technological innovation, a large Japanese airline and financial institution were chosen as representative Asian sites. The IT experiences of 209 Japanese knowledge workers are contrasted with those of 711 knowledge workers in comparable firms in the United States on certain dimensions. Using Hofstede's work on culture and social presence/information richness theory as grounding, it was hypothesized that high uncertainty avoidance in Japan and structural features of the Japanese written language could explain Japanese perceptions about new work technologies such as E-Mail and FAX. Furthermore, the theoretical conceptualization in the paper attempts to account for Japanese departures from the U.S. experience. Results from empirical tests verified many, but not all of the predicted differences between Japanese and American knowledge workers. In general, cultural effects seem to play an important role in the predisposition toward and selection of electronic communications media. Surprisingly, responses to traditional media such as face-to-face and telephone were remarkably similar between cultures.
User Response Data: The Potential for Errors and Biases
Authors: Hufnagel Ellen M. , Conca Christopher
Published: October 2008

Surveys that require users to evaluate or make judgments about information systems and their effect on specific work activities can produce misleading results if respondents do not interpret or answer questions in the ways intended by the researcher. This paper provides a framework for understanding both the cognitive activities and the errors and biases in judgment that can result when users are asked to categorize a system, explain its effects, or predict their own future actions and preferences with respect to use of a system. Specific suggestions are offered for wording survey questions and response categories so as to elicit more precise and reliable responses. In addition, possible sources of systematic bias are discussed, using examples drawn from published IS research. Recommendations are made for further research aimed at better understanding how and to what extent judgment biases could affect the results of IS surveys.
Computer-Mediated Communication for Intellectual Teamwork: An Experiment in Group Writing
Authors: Galegher Jolene , Kraut Robert E.
Published: October 2008

Contingency theory predicts that using computer-mediated communication to accomplish complex collaborative work will be difficult, especially for tasks that require interactive, expressive communication. This proposition was examined in an experiment in which 67 three-person groups of MBA students completed two collaborative writing projects under either Computer Only, Computer + Phone or Face-to-Face communication conditions. The effects of these manipulations on group processes and performance were examined using data obtained from questionnaires and scores on the projects themselves. Although communication modality did not affect project performance, being restricted to computer-mediated communication made completing the work more difficult and diminished the participants' satisfaction with their work and with the other members of their work groups. The results also provide partial support for the idea that tasks that require more intensive communication, such as project planning, were more difficult than those that can be completed more independently, but this premise was not consistently confirmed. Taken together, these findings tend to confirm the contingency hypothesis regarding the difficulty of accomplishing work that involves ambiguous goals, multiple perspectives, and information that is susceptible to multiple interpretations without an interactive multiperson communication medium, such as face-to-face meetings. However, the results also suggest that modifications of contingency theory are required to incorporate the evidence that individuals can, to some extent, adapt to restricted communication channels. Further research designed to examine patterns of adaptation under various task/technology combinations is recommended.
Institutional Factors in Information Technology Innovation
Authors: King John Leslie , Gurbaxani Vijay , Kraemer Kenneth L. , McFarlan F. Warren , Raman K. S. , Yap C. S.
Published: October 2008

Innovation in information technology is well established in developed nations; newly industrializing and developing nations have been creating governmental interventions to accelerate IT innovation within their borders. The lack of coherent policy advice for creating government policy for IT innovation signals a shortfall in research understanding of the role of government institutions, and institutions more broadly, in IT innovation. This paper makes three points. First, long-established intellectual perspectives on innovation from neoclassical economics and organization theory are inadequate to explain the dynamics of actual innovative change in the IT domain. A broader view adopted from economic history and the new institutionalism in sociology provides a stronger base for understanding the role of institutions in IT innovation. Second, institutional intervention in IT innovation can be constructed at the intersection of the influence and regulatory powers of institutions and the ideologies of supply-push and demand-pull models of innovation. Examples of such analysis are provided. Third, institutional policy formation regarding IT innovation is facilitated by an understanding of the multifaceted role of institutions in the innovative process, and on the contingencies governing any given institution/innovation mix.
Research Report—Principles for Examining Predictive Validity: The Case of Information Systems Spending Forecasts
Authors: Collopy Fred , Adya Monica , Armstrong J. Scott
Published: October 2008

Research over two decades has advanced the knowledge of how to assess predictive validity. We believe this has value to information systems (IS) researchers. To demonstrate, we used a widely cited study of IS spending. In that study, price-adjusted diffusion models were proposed to explain and to forecast aggregate U.S. information systems spending. That study concluded that such models would produce more accurate forecasts than would simple linear trend extrapolation. However, one can argue that the validation procedure provided an advantage to the diffusion models. We reexamined the results using an alternative validation procedure based on three principles extracted from forecasting research: (1) use ex ante (out-of-sample) performance rather than the fit to the historical data, (2) use well-accepted models as a basis for comparison, and (3) use an adequate sample of forecasts. Validation using this alternative procedure did confirm the importance of the price-adjustment, but simple trend extrapolations were found to be more accurate than the price-adjusted diffusion models.
The Contradictory Structure of Systems Development Methodologies: Deconstructing the IS-User Relationship in Information Engineering
Authors: Beath Cynthia Mathis , Orlikowski Wanda J.
Published: October 2008

In this paper we show that systems development methodologies may contain incompatible assumptions about the role of users and information systems (IS) personnel during systems development. Using deconstruction, we analyze and interpret a systems development methodology currently receiving considerable attention—Information Engineering. We find that this methodology's characterization of IS-user relations and, in particular, its recommended partitioning of responsibility between IS and users is inconsistent and contradictory. Despite a heavy emphasis on user involvement, users are given a relatively passive role to play during development. At the same time, users are expected to sign off on projects and take responsibility for project outcomes. We suggest that such prescriptions, when put into action during systems development, make the relationship between users and IS personnel problematic. Further, we argue that the contradictions we surface in the methodology reflect contradictions and ideologies in the context within which systems development occurs. Our analysis raises important questions about the relationship between the production and consumption of information technology in organizations.
Controlling Information System Departments in the Presence of Cost Information Asymmetry
Authors: Wang Eric T. G. , Barron Terry
Published: October 2008

The control of an information systems (IS) department is studied when its manager has private information about the department's cost and has objectives which may differ from those of the organization. The computing resource is represented by a queueing model, and it is assumed there is no access to external information processing markets by either users or the IS department. A mechanism design approach is used. We derive conditions that the optimal mechanism must satisfy; the first-order conditions of the full-information problem generalize in a clear way with the virtual marginal cost replacing the full information marginal capacity cost. The consequences of the information asymmetry include reduced capacity, arrival rate and utilization rate, and higher prices and mean waiting time compared to the full-information solution. Thus the organization suffers losses due not only to the IS manager's informational rent, but also to the opportunity cost of jobs not served. The revelation principle guarantees that the resulting mechanism is at least as good as a profit center, as well as outperforming any other centralized method of control. The mechanism design approach is also shown to be robust with respect to uncertainty on the part of the central management about the degree of incentive conflict with the IS manager. An example and numerical results give some feeling for the magnitudes of the effects, and managerial implications are also discussed. The paper also serves to illustrate the application of mechanism design to an IS problem; we briefly discuss other promising IS applications of this important methodology.
Information Technologies and Business Value: An Analytic and Empirical Investigation
Authors: Barua Anitesh , Kriebel Charles H. , Mukhopadhyay Tridas
Published: October 2008

An important management question today is whether the anticipated economic benefits of Information Technology (IT) are being realized. In this paper, we consider this problem to be measurement related, and propose and test a new process-oriented methodology for ex post measurement to audit IT impacts on a strategic business unit (SBU) or profit center's performance. The IT impacts on a given SBU are measured relative to a group of SBUs in the industry. The methodology involves a two-stage analysis of intermediate and higher level output variables that also accounts for industry and economy wide exogenous variables for tracing and measuring IT contributions. The data for testing the proposed model were obtained from SBUs in the manufacturing sector. Our results show significant positive impacts of IT at the intermediate level. The theoretical contribution of the study is a methodology that attempts to circumvent some of the measurement problems in this domain. It also provides a practical management tool to address the question of why (or why not) certain IT impacts occur. Additionally, through its process orientation, the suggested approach highlights key variables that may require managerial attention and subsequent action.