Tennessee Technological University

About: Tennessee Technological University is a education organization based out in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Electric power system & Smart grid. The organization has 2960 authors who have published 5381 publications receiving 89365 citations. The organization is also known as: Tennessee Tech University & Tennessee Tech.

Information Technology Assimilation in Firms: the Influence of Senior Leadership and it Infrastructures

Abstract: assimilation is regarded as an important outcome in the efforts of firms to leverage the potential of information technologies in their business activities and strategies. Despite significant investments in information technology, considerable diversity exists in how well firms have been able to assimilate IT and leverage the business value of IT. This research draws upon the emerging knowledge-based and resource-based views of the firm to examine the influence of three factors on IT assimilation: (i) quality of senior leadership, (ii) sophisti- cation of IT infrastructures, and (iii) organizational size. Drawing upon a large-scale sample survey where responses were obtained from CIOs and senior business executives who were members of the firms' top management teams, the study examines a variety of mostly nor- mative prescriptions. The findings provide robust evidence about the impacts of CIOs' busi- ness and IT knowledge on IT assimilation. Further, we find that CIOs' membership in top management teams and their informal interactions with TMT members enhance their knowl- edge, particularly their business knowledge. We find that the intensity of the relationship between CIO's interactions with the top management team and their level of IT and business knowledge is much stronger in firms that articulate a transformational IT vision. The sophis- tication of IT infrastructures was also found to significantly impact IT assimilation. Surpris- ingly, the IT knowledge of senior business executives was not found to be a significant influ- ence on IT assimilation. The implications of these findings for evolving a deeper understanding of the dynamics underlying IT assimilation are presented.

Land use/land cover changes and climate: modeling analysis and observational evidence

Abstract: This article summarizes the changes in landscape structure because of human land managementoverthelastseveralcenturies,andusingobservedandmodeleddata, documents how these changes have altered biogeophysical and biogeochemical surface fluxes on the local, mesoscale, and regional scales. Remaining research issues are presented including whether these landscape changes alter large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns far from where the land use and land cover changes occur. We conclude that existing climate assessments have not yet adequately factored in this climate forcing. For those regions that have undergone intensive human landscape change, or would undergo intensive change in the future, we conclude that the failure to factor in this forcing risks a misalignment of investment in climate mitigation and adaptation.  2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.