Showing papers by "Chris W. Clegg published in 2009"

Opening the black box: A multi-method analysis of an enterprise resource planning implementation

Abstract: This paper presents a multi-method analysis of the implementation of an enterprise resource planning system. It argues the majority of research treats these systems as having essential technical properties that enable them to bring about positive organisational effects. In contrast, we adopt a post-essentialist perspective that understands discourse as constructing ERP systems, rather than reflecting their essential properties. Discourse analysis of interviews and focus groups was used to compare justifications for the implementation produced by members of the ERP project team with end users' reactions to the system. In contrast to previous studies, this opens the ERP black box by illustrating how the capabilities of these systems, and their organisational effects, are constructed through language. Moreover, it demonstrates the important function these constructions perform in legitimising or undermining ERP implementation. Statistical analysis of post-implementation questionnaires identified the predictors of established measures of users' reactions to IT systems. By comparing these data with end users' discursive reactions to the project, we identify several constructs for inclusion in future studies of users' reactions to ERP systems. The paper concludes by summarising the contributions and limitations of the study and its implications for future research and practice.

Modelling and simulating retail management practices: a first approach

Abstract: Multi-agent systems offer a new and exciting way of understanding the world of work. We apply agent-based modeling and simulation to investigate a set of problems in a retail context. Specifically, we are working to understand the relationship between people management practices on the shop-floor and retail performance. Despite the fact we are working within a relatively novel and complex domain, it is clear that using an agent-based approach offers great potential for improving organizational capabilities in the future. Our multi-disciplinary research team has worked closely with one of the UK’s top ten retailers to collect data and build an understanding of shop-floor operations and the key actors in a department (customers, staff, and managers). Based on this case study we have built and tested our first version of a retail branch agent-based simulation model where we have focused on how we can simulate the effects of people management practices on customer satisfaction and sales. In our experiments we have looked at employee development and cashier empowerment as two examples of shop floor management practices. In this paper we describe the underlying conceptual ideas and the features of our simulation model. We present a selection of experiments we have conducted in order to validate our simulation model and to show its potential for answering “what-if” questions in a retail context. We also introduce a novel performance measure which we have created to quantify customers’ satisfaction with service, based on their individual shopping experiences.

Modelling and Simulating Retail Management Practices: A First Approach

Abstract: Multi-agent systems offer a new and exciting way of understanding the world of work. We apply agent-based modeling and simulation to investigate a set of problems in a retail context. Specifically, we are working to understand the relationship between people management practices on the shop-floor and retail performance. Despite the fact we are working within a relatively novel and complex domain, it is clear that using an agent-based approach offers great potential for improving organizational capabilities in the future.Our multi-disciplinary research team has worked closely with one of the UK’s top ten retailers to collect data and build an understanding of shop-floor operations and the key actors in a department (customers, staff, and managers). Based on this case study we have built and tested our first version of a retail branch agent-based simulation model where we have focused on how we can simulate the effects of people management practices on customer satisfaction and sales. In our experiments we have looked at employee development and cashier empowerment as two examples of shopfloor management practices.In this paper we describe the underlying conceptual ideas and the features of our simulation model. We present a selection of experiments we have conducted in order to validate our simulation model and to show its potential for answering “what-if” questions in a retail context. We also introduce a novel performance measure which we have created to quantify customers’ satisfaction with service, based on their individual shopping experiences.