Information systems researchers have a long tradition of drawing on theories from disciplines such as economics, computer science, psychology, and general management and using them in their own research. Because of this, the information systems field has become a rich tapestry of theoretical and conceptual foundations. As new theories are brought into the field, particularly theories that have become dominant in other areas, there may be a benefit in pausing to assess their use and contribution in an IS context. The purpose of this paper is to explore and critically evaluate use of the resource-based view of the firm (RBV) by IS researchers.

The paper provides a brief review of resource-based theory and then suggests extensions to make the RBV more useful for empirical IS research. First, a typology of key IS resources is presented, and these are then described using six traditional resource attributes. Second, we emphasize the particular importance of looking at both resource complementarity and moderating factors when studying IS resource effects on firm performance. Finally, we discuss three considerations that IS researchers need to address when using the RBV empirically. Eight sets of propositions are advanced to help guide future research.

Review: the resource-based view and information systems research: review, extension, and suggestions for future research

The concept of IT as a powerful competitive weapon has been strongly emphasized in the literature, yet the sustainability of the competitive advantage provided by IT applications is not well-explained. This work discusses the resource-based theory as a means of analyzing sustainability and develops a model founded on this resource-based view of the firm. This model is then applied to four attributes of IT -- capital requirements, proprietary technology, technical IT skills, and managerial IT skills -- which might be sources of sustained competitive advantage. From this resource-based analysis, we conclude that managerial IT skills is the only one of these attributes that can provide sustainability.

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Information technology and sustained competitive advantage: a resource-based analysis

Online shopping provides convenience to Web shoppers, yet its electronic format changes information-gathering methods traditionally used by customers. This change raises questions concerning customer satisfaction with the online purchasing process. Web shopping involves a number of phases, including the information phase, in which customers search for information regarding their intended purchases. The purpose of this paper is to develop theoretically justifiable constructs for measuring Web-customer satisfaction during the information phase.By synthesizing the expectation-disconfirmation paradigm with empirical theories in user satisfaction, we separate Web site quality into information quality (IQ) and system quality (SQ), and propose nine key constructs for Web-customer satisfaction. The measurements for these constructs are developed and tested in a two-phase study. In the first phase, the IQ and SQ dimensions are identified, and instruments for measuring them are developed and tested. In the second phase, using the salient dimensions of Web-IQ and Web-SQ as the basis for formulating first-order factors, we develop and empirically test instruments for measuring IQ and SQ-satisfaction. Moreover, this phase involves the design and test of second-order factors for measuring Web-customer expectations, disconfirmation, and perceived performance regarding IQ and SQ. The analysis of the measurement model indicates that the proposed metrics have a relatively high degree of validity and reliability. The results of the study provide reliable instruments for operationalizing the key constructs in the analysis of Web-customer satisfaction within the expectation-disconfirmation paradigm.

The Measurement of Web-Customer Satisfaction: An Expectation and Disconfirmation Approach

Extant literature has increased our understanding of specific aspects of digital transformation, however we lack a comprehensive portrait of its nature and implications. Through a review of 282 works, we inductively build a framework of digital transformation articulated across eight building blocks. Our framework foregrounds digital transformation as a process where digital technologies create disruptions triggering strategic responses from organizations that seek to alter their value creation paths while managing the structural changes and organizational barriers that affect the positive and negative outcomes of this process. Building on this framework, we elaborate a research agenda that proposes [1] examining the role of dynamic capabilities, and [2] accounting for ethical issues as important avenues for future strategic IS research on digital transformation.

Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda

The business value of information technology (IT) has been debated for a number of years. While some authors have attributed large productivity improvements and substantial consumer benefits to IT, others report that IT has not had any bottom line impact on business profitability. This paper focuses on the fact that while productivity, consumer value, and bush ness profitability are related, they are ultimate1 Allen Lee was the accepting senior editor for this paper. 2 An earlier version of this paper appears in the

Productivity, business profitability, and consumer surplus: three different measures of information technology value

The financial services industry has been experiencing the recent emergence of new technology innovations and process disruptions. The industry overall, and many fintech start-ups are looking for ne...

https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5277&context=sis_research

On the Fintech Revolution: Interpreting the Forces of Innovation, Disruption, and Transformation in Financial Services

Information technology has arguably been one of the most important drivers of economic and social value in the last 50 years, enabling transformational change in virtually every aspect of society. Although the Information Systems community is engaged in significant research on IT, the reach of our findings may be limited. In this commentary, our objective is to focus the IS community's attention on the striking transformations in economic and social systems spawned by IT and to encourage more research that offers useful implications for policy. We present examples of transformations occurring in four distinct sectors of the economy and propose policy-relevant questions that need to be addressed. We urge researchers to write papers based on their findings that inform policy makers, managers, and decision makers about the issues that transformational technologies raise. Finally, we suggest a new outlet to publish these essays on the implications of transformational informational technology.

Impactful research on transformational information technology: an opportunity to inform new audiences

:As the strategic importance of information technology (it) has increased, the decision of where and when to allocate resources to it programs has become more risky and more difficult Executives are tempted by the opportunities for strategic impact, but struggle with the massive expenditures and uncertainties involved Evaluating the opportunity afforded by a system and judging its strategic impact in advance have proven difficult, and even when analyses are performed well, they are frequently done on an ad hoc basis IT can confer advantage under appropriate conditions, and equally important, even when it fails to confer advantage, it may still prove crucial Both concepts—competitive advantage and strategic necessity—confound traditional financial analysis We offer seven principles on which to base an evaluation of a strategic it venture Although we have not performed a statistically validating study, these principles are expressed as guidelines we believe to be true, based on experience The

Strategic information technology investments: guidelines for decision making

Clear and precise metrics are essential for evaluating phenomena such as e-commerce (?Net?-enablement) and the organizational use of networks and the Internet for commercial activities. Researchers require them for theory building and testing; practitioners require them for improving organizational processes. But for IS professionals to engage in the serious creation of metrics, it is critical to recognize:(1) that the phenomenon of net-enablement is an enduring change, probably led in the future by 'brick-cum-click'firms, (2) that some new and old measures need to be differentially applied, and (3) that the papers in this special issue are not the end of metrics creation, but just the beginning.

Measuring e-Commerce in Net-Enabled Organizations: An Introduction to the Special Issue

:The London Stock Exchange’s Big Bang on October 27, 1986, marked the arrival of sweeping and long-awaited deregulation. Numerous changes occurred simultaneously, including elimination of fixed brokerage commissions, a marked increase in the number of market participants, changes in the structure and ownership of trading firms, and, perhaps most importantly, swift movement of securities trading away from the floor of the Exchange. This remains the most rapid and complete regulatory reform of any market, and the most striking example to date of a regulatory event engineered to benefit the local financial industry. The transformation was accomplished in large part through the Exchange’s implementation of a screen-based dealing system. Since the overhaul of its established securities trading practices, London’s financial markets have undergone profound change while continuing to operate smoothly; a number of benefits have been realized.

Bruce W. Weber

Papers

On the Fintech Revolution: Interpreting the Forces of Innovation, Disruption, and Transformation in Financial Services

Impactful research on transformational information technology: an opportunity to inform new audiences

Strategic information technology investments: guidelines for decision making

Measuring e-Commerce in Net-Enabled Organizations: An Introduction to the Special Issue

London's big bang: a case study of information technology, competitive impact, and organizational change