Showing papers in "Communications of The Ais in 1999"
TL;DR: The findings suggest that interest in KMS across a variety of industries is very high, the technological foundations are varied, and the major
Abstract: The knowledge-based theory of the firm suggests that knowledge is the organizational asset that enables sustainable competitive advantage in hypercompetitive environments. The emphasis on knowledge in today’s organizations is based on the assumption that barriers to the transfer and replication of knowledge endow it with strategic importance. Many organizations are developing information systems designed specifically to facilitate the sharing and integration of knowledge. Such systems are referred to as Knowledge Management System (KMS). Because KMS are just beginning to appear in organizations, little research and field data exists to guide the development and implementation of such systems or to guide expectations of the potential benefits of such systems. This study provides an analysis of current practices and outcomes of KMS and the nature of KMS as they are evolving in fifty organizations. The findings suggest that interest in KMS across a variety of industries is very high, the technological foundations are varied, and the major
1,571 citations
TL;DR: Action research is an established research method in use in the social and medical sciences since the mid-twentieth century, and has increased in importance for information systems toward the end of the 1990s.
Abstract: Action research is an established research method in use in the social and medical sciences since the mid-twentieth century, and has increased in importance for information systems toward the end of the 1990s. Its particular philosophic context is couched in strongly post-positivist assumptions such as idiographic and interpretive research ideals. Action research has developed a history within information systems that can be explicitly linked to early work by Lewin and the Tavistock Institute. Action research varies in form, and responds to particular problem domains. The most typical form is a participatory method based on a five-step model, which is exemplified by published IS research.
1,257 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that certain activities can assist in the achievement of this state of alignment while others are clearly barriers.
Abstract: This paper provides insight into identifying areas that help or hinder business-IT alignment. Alignment focuses on the activities that management performs to achieve cohesive goals across the organization. The aim of this paper is to determine the most important enablers and inhibitors to alignment. The paper presents and analyzes the results of a multi-year study of strategic alignment. Data were obtained from business and information technology executives from over 500 firms representing 15 industries who attended classes addressing alignment at IBM’s Advanced Business Institute. The executives were asked to describe those activities that assist in achieving alignment and those which seem to hinder it. These enablers and inhibitors to alignment were then analyzed with respect to industry, to time, and executive position. The results indicate that certain activities can assist in the achievement of this state of alignment while others are clearly barriers. Achieving alignment is evolutionary and dynamic. It requires strong support from senior management, good working relationships, strong leadership, appropriate prioritization, trust, and effective communication, as well as a thorough understanding of the
606 citations
TL;DR: The potential of ethnographic research for IS researchers is discussed, and the most important issues that need to be considered in selecting this method are outlined.
Abstract: Ethnographic research is one of the most in-depth research methods possible Because the researcher is at a research site for a long time and sees what people are doing as well as what they say they are doing – an ethnographer obtains a deep understanding of the people, the organization, and the broader context within which they work Ethnographic research is thus well suited to providing information systems researchers with rich insights into the human, social, and organizational aspects of information systems This article discusses the potential of ethnographic research for IS researchers, and outlines the most important issues that need to be considered in selecting this method
554 citations
TL;DR: The IS Effectiveness Matrix provides a useful guide for conceptualizing effectiveness measurement in IS research, and for choosing appropriate measures, both for research and practice.
Abstract: The value added by an organization’s IT assets is a critical concern to both research and practice. Not surprisingly, a large number of IS effectiveness measures can be found in the IS literature. What is not clear in the literature is what measures are appropriate in a particular context. In this paper we propose a two-dimensional matrix for classifying IS Effectiveness measures. The first dimension is the type of system studied. The second dimension is the stakeholder in whose interests the system is being evaluated. The matrix was tested by using it to classify IS effectiveness measures from 186 empirical papers in three major IS journals for the last nine years. The results indicate that the classifications are meaningful. Hence, the IS Effectiveness Matrix provides a useful guide for conceptualizing effectiveness measurement in IS research, and for choosing appropriate measures, both for research and practice.
530 citations
TL;DR: While hundreds of articles identify problems with Internet computing or conducting eCommerce, no unified framework of technological impediments specific to eCommerce yet exists.
Abstract: Internet and World Wide Web technologies provide the infrastructure for the Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce) revolution now taking place. As a result of these technologies, even the smallest organization can afford to market its wares to hundreds of millions of potential e-Consumers. However, these technologies also pose threats to the very electronic commerce which they enable. For managers to strategize and implement e-Commerce effectively in their organizations, these impediments need to be recognized and understood. While hundreds of articles identify problems with Internet computing or conducting eCommerce, no unified framework of technological impediments specific to eCommerce yet exists.
258 citations
TL;DR: A general, yet useful theory of information systems that tries to be equally applicable to all information systems, and not just to a particular type of application such as TPS, MIS, DSS, EIS, GSS, or ERP.
Abstract: This paper proposes a general, yet useful theory of information systems. It is a response to repeated lamentations and debates about whether it is possible to find a set of core concepts for the IS field. Business and IT professionals can apply this theory for understanding and analyzing information systems. Academic researchers can apply it for gaining a deeper appreciation of past research and for developing future research projects. This theory tries to be equally applicable to all information systems, and not just to a particular type of application such as TPS, MIS, DSS, EIS, GSS, or ERP. It also tries to be equally applicable to information systems of today, of 20 years ago, and of the near term
198 citations
TL;DR: This paper identifies opportunities for incorporating the ERP body of knowledge into an IS program and focuses on curriculum that is enriched through the hands-on experience gained by students working on a real ERP system.
Abstract: Enterprise Resource Planning systems are the new solution to business systems. These systems provide comprehensive business functionality in an integrated fashion using a state-of-the-art IT architecture. This trend towards enterprise systems in large and mid-sized organizations has a significant impact on IS careers paths. Enterprise systems essentially change fundamental business work processes thus implying that the system that supports these processes, and the design and development of these systems, also changed. Yet, most IS curricula do not provide significant coverage of ERP concepts, nor do they graduate students who are knowledgeable about these systems and the impact that these systems have on industry. This paper identifies opportunities for incorporating the ERP body of knowledge into an IS program. The general spirit of the paper is that of experiential learning. That is, this paper focuses on curriculum that is enriched through the hands-on experience gained by students working on a real ERP system. The paper also discusses related topics such as costs and critical success factors.
186 citations
TL;DR: This tutorial surveys the issues related to applying visualization technologies to business problem solving and suggests it may be possible to use innate spatial/visual abilities to allow the business decision-maker to separate the “wheat from the chaff.”
Abstract: With the flood of data produced by today’s information systems, something must be done to allow business decision-makers to extract the information the data contains. The recent advances in visualization technologies provide the capability to begin to use human visual/spatial abilities to solve the abstract problems found in business. If business problems can be visualized with an appropriate representation, then it may be possible to use innate spatial/visual abilities to allow the business decision-maker to separate the “wheat from the chaff.” This tutorial surveys the issues related to applying visualization technologies to business problem solving.
185 citations
TL;DR: The purpose of this tutorial is to present the fundamental concepts of modern project management and show how these concepts can be applied to software development projects.
Abstract: As businesses become more dependent on information technology for their operations, IS managers are under increasing pressure to deliver quality applications software on time and within budget Thus, in addition to their technical skills, they must master the necessary management skills to lead and control software development projects The purpose of this tutorial is to present the fundamental concepts of modern project management and show how these concepts can be applied to software development projects The tutorial presents a broad overview of current software project management practices that evolved over the years from a variety of complex projects The subject is presented from the manager's rather than from the developer's perspective The focus is on large and complex projects because these projects are the most challenging and in need of an effective project management discipline
183 citations
TL;DR: The results of this study show that significant changes occurred in research strategies and themes employed by IS researchers, and calls for collective efforts to unify knowledge necessary for progress of IS as a scientific field of inquiry.
Abstract: As the Information Systems (IS) field enters its fourth decade of evolution, the time is right to provide a historiographical examination of this discipline. Methodological and thematic trends are gauged through a quarterly analysis of 2098 IS articles published in eight leading journals and the ICIS Proceedings in the 12-year period between 1985-1996. The results of this study show that significant changes occurred in research strategies and themes employed by IS researchers. Even though a large proportion of IS studies are still non-empirical, we see significant upward trend in the proportion of empirical studies. The reliance on reference disciplines increased significantly over the years. Similarly, we see significantly increasing trends in organizational, environmental and educational themes. In contrast, technical issues show decreasing trends. The paper calls for collective efforts to unify knowledge necessary for progress of IS as a scientific field of inquiry.
TL;DR: This tutorial identifies and classify eight types of information delivery systems (IDS) that are referred to as alpha, beta, gamma and delta and push technologies, and examines the managerial and social implications of higher-level IDS.
Abstract: The Web is alive with news stories, pictures, music, and videos. How will organizations, managers, and other users find out what content is available, then locate it, analyze it, and make it meaningful? In this tutorial, we identify and classify eight types of information delivery systems (IDS) that we refer to as alpha, beta, gamma and delta and push technologies. For pull technologies we explain “surfing the Web”, search engines, spiders and bots, personal agents, and finally evolutionary agents. For push technologies we explain Webcasting, channels and subscriptions, and data mining methods for determining preferences and filtering topics. We also examine the role of the evolutionary agents in push technologies. Throughout the paper, we provide examples of current pull and push technologies in each of the categories for pull and push. We include both personal and corporate applications. We then examine the managerial and social implications of higher-level IDS and suggest what is in store for users of information delivery systems in the future.
TL;DR: In many areas the leaders agree on the issues, but most of the differences of opinion are research related, such as the core identity of the field for research purposes, how to best achieve relevance in the authors' research, and the number of journals in the field.
Abstract: Telephone interviews were conducted with 17 leaders in the IS academic field. The leaders shared their views on the current status of the IS field in terms of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the discipline. The insights of the leaders are organized into 10 categories, including the core identity of IS, the legitimacy of the IS field, competitors to what we teach and research, research rigor versus relevance, the pervasiveness of information technology, the impacts of changing technology, the quantity and quality of journals, the demand for IS services, and ICIS and AIS. In many areas the leaders agree on the issues. Most of the differences of opinion are research related, such as the core identity of the field for research purposes, how to best achieve relevance in our research, and the number of journals in our field.
TL;DR: This tutorial describes one solution: the IS’97.2 course on Personal Productivity with Information Technology, the missing link in the curriculum for university students to improve their productivity.
Abstract: It is common for university students either to have introductory skills in the basic desktop software packages or to obtain these skills by self-study modules or short courses. What students lack is an understanding of how to use desktop packages effectively to improve their productivity. This is the missing link in the curriculum. This tutorial describes one solution: the IS’97.2 course on Personal Productivity with Information Technology. An appendix presents a sample lesson used with this course.
TL;DR: This tutorial outlines a set of one-to-one marketing practices on the Web and explains how advances in information technology made these practices possible.
Abstract: Until recently, one-to-one marketing, the ability to sell targeted goods to an individual based on their known or perceived needs, was not possible for most product types on a mass basis. Indeed, marketing practice in recent years centered around segmented marketing, in which people are treated as members of groups with similar interests and marketing is done at the group level. However, recent advances in information technology, including the Internet and its World Wide Web, database management systems, computer graphics, and electronic mail, as well as increased processor speeds, now permit one-to-one marketing on a mass basis over the Web. This tutorial explains the concept of one-to-one marketing, including how companies can aspire to move in this direction. It outlines a set of one-to-one marketing practices on the Web and explains how advances in information technology made these practices possible.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a method, the stakeholder web, that identifies appropriate stakeholders and their viewpoints and illustrates the concepts with a large-scale university information systems project.
Abstract: To manage organisational change in the context of legacy information systems, which may need replacement or revision, the strategy process should respond to corporate opportunity rather than past internal difficulties. Steering groups are often used to guide the strategy process. An important problem is the identification of appropriate stakeholders that need to be represented on the steering group. A related problem is to establish the boundary of the new information system. Computer Information Systems development often focuses on direct users and affected internal departments as the exclusive stakeholders. However these groups may present too narrow a perspective. To improve the effectiveness of the development process, a wider constituency should be considered that includes organisational partners in the wider business environment. This paper presents a method, the stakeholder web, that identifies appropriate stakeholders and their viewpoints. It illustrates the concepts with a large-scale university information systems project. The stakeholder web is used to analyse the relationships between the activities and membership of a university information systems steering group over a five-year period. The results
TL;DR: This paper argues that academic IS research needs to be more relevant to meet the increasing needs of students, the organizations that hire them, and the larger society, and develops three different scenarios of where the field could be 10 years from now.
Abstract: Many practitioners believe academic IS research is not relevant. I argue that our research, and the underlying rewards system that drives it, needs to respond to these concerns. We need to be more relevant to meet the increasing needs of our students, the organizations that hire them, and the larger society. To analyze the issues, I develop three different scenarios of where the IS field could be 10 years from now. The following visions of the future identify the implications of different levels of adaptation to relevance-related environmental pressures. Scenario 1: Minimal Adaptation. The IS field is shrinking, largely due to competition from newly established schools of information technology. The traditional paper-based journals continue to dominate. Their slow publication cycles, in contrast to the rapid rate of change in the IT industries, mean that most technical topics and many current managerial issues are excluded from the research that generates the greatest institutional rewards. However a market analysis indicates that we can still do relevant research in categories such as: 1) issues contrary to commercial interests; 2) unsolved problems; 3) issues economically unattractive to commercial researchers; 4) issues where 1 With apologies to James Martin for the similarity to the title of one [Martin, 1984] of his many books.
TL;DR: A group of industry experts was assembled as a Delphi panel and asked to predict the effect that EC would have on the major channel players in each of five major market segments and forecast that major disintermediation and reintermediate will occur and that there will be a sharp reduction in the number of traditional travel agents five and ten years in the future.
Abstract: Observers of the Electronic Commerce (EC) landscape often comment on the prospects for disintermediation. Other observers note that the nature of EC will create new kinds of intermediaries, termed “cybermediaries”, who would occupy positions in Internet channels between producers and consumers. The word coined to describe this is “reintermediation”. In either case, traditional retailers would be threatened by new EC-enabled competition. This investigation was launched to predict the occurrence and impact of disintermediation and reintermediation in the US air travel distribution industry. A group of industry experts was assembled as a Delphi panel and asked to predict the effect that EC would have on the major channel players in each of five major market segments. The panel forecast that major disintermediation and reintermediation will occur and that there will be a sharp reduction in the number of traditional travel agents five and ten years in the future. The panel also identified a number of strategic threats and opportunities for the channel players.
TL;DR: The risks, cost, size, implications, and likely outcomes of the Year 2000 or "Y2K" Problem, as well as the lessons learned, opportunities, and silver linings of Y2K projects are examined.
Abstract: This paper examines the risks, cost, size, implications, and likely outcomes of the Year 2000 or "Y2K" Problem, as well as the lessons learned, opportunities, and silver linings of Y2K projects The MIS academic community has largely missed a unique opportunity to be relevant to practitioners as well as our communities Fortunately, it is not too late since knowledgeable and rational voices are needed to help communities, and the people and enterprises in them, intelligently deal with the challenges of Y2K Strangely, in spite of billions of bytes of data about year 2000 problem appearing each week, we still know surprisingly little about the reality of the Y2K risks we face And there is little chance that a complete assessment of even the greatest risks faced by our enterprises and communities can be made, let alone repairs completed Then there are the global risks of Y2K, and the thorny fact that most Y2K risks are beyond our direct control anyway So what can ethical, conscientious, and concerned MIS professionals do about this situation? How can we help our communities reduce risks, appropriately plan for contingencies, and quickly manage failures? With only a few months to go, this may be the last chance we have to be relevant, enhance our collective credibility, and genuinely help improve IS practices
TL;DR: A mobile computing environment raises such issues as how to route packets as the mobile user (hosts) moves from one place to the other and how to overcome limitations including limited bandwidth and storage.
Abstract: With increasing use of small portable computers, wireless networks and satellites, a trend to support "computing on the move" has emerged. This trend is known as mobile computing or “anytime” and “anywhere” computing. Some people refer it as “Nomadic” computing. No matter which name is applied, all these terms really imply that a user may not maintain a fixed position in the network. The user is free to roam from one place to another. However the mobile user still expects uninterrupted network access and the ability to run some networked applications. To support such mobility, the user is typically provided a wireless interface to communicate with other fixed and mobile users. The mobile computing environment can be described by the following attributes (a) mobile users, (b) mobile support stations or base stations serving an area, (c) wireless interface, (d) wireless medium with varying channel characteristics (due to fading, noise, interference, etc.) and (e) various applications requiring specific support. A mobile computing environment raises such issues as how to route packets as the mobile user (hosts) moves from one place to the other and how to overcome limitations including limited bandwidth and storage.
TL;DR: A case study of Compaq Computer Corporation, one of the most successful PC manufacturers, and how it uses information technology insightfully to redesign business processes, improve supply chain management and increase the value provided to the customer is presented.
Abstract: The personal computer industry is characterized by fierce competition for market share. The pace of technological change results in ever-shorter product lives and a continuous search for enhanced efficiency. To achieve these goals, firms must use information technology insightfully to redesign business processes, improve supply chain management and increase the value provided to the customer. This competitive environment in the personal computer (PC) industry provides an exceptional laboratory for evaluating how companies use information technology to create business value. Compaq Computer Corporation is one of the most successful PC manufacturers. This case study, based on publicly
TL;DR: This paper presents a manifesto for changing and hopefully improving the journal review process, and has four major recommendations: remove the blind review process and make the names of authors, reviewers, and associate editors public.
Abstract: For many academics within the information systems discipline, the merits of the current processes we use to review papers to evaluate whether they should be published in journals is a contentious issue. Allegations are often made that reviews are not timely, that their quality is low, that they are not supportive and affirming of authors, and that they reflect the prejudices of an “elite” who control the journals. Whether we believe these allegations have substance will depend on our own experiences with journals and our knowledge of the experiences of colleagues. Based on my own experiences, I believe the allegations have some foundation. Accordingly, in this paper I present a manifesto for changing and hopefully improving the journal review process. My manifesto has four major recommendations: (1) remove the blind review process and make the names of authors, reviewers, and associate editors public; (2) indicate the names of reviewers and editors on the published paper, along with their final recommendations, and the number of review cycles that the paper has undergone;
TL;DR: An analysis of fifteen case studies provides evidence that legacy information systems include business and technical dimensions and that the systems can present problems when there is a misalignment between the strategic vision of the business, the IT legacy and the old business model embodied in the legacy.
Abstract: Legacy information systems evolved incrementally in response to changes in business strategy and information technology. Organizations are now being forced to change much more radically and quickly than previously and this
change places new demands on information systems. Legacy information systems are usually considered from a technical perspective, addressing issues such as age, complexity, maintainability, design and technology. We wish to
demonstrate that the business dimension to legacy information systems, represented by the organisation structure, business processes and procedures that are bound up in the design and operation of the existing IT systems, is also significant. This paper identifies the important role of legacy information systems in the formation of new strategies. We show that the move away from a stable to
an unstable business environment accelerates the rate of change. Furthermore, the gap between what the legacy information systems can deliver and the strategic vision of the organization widens when the legacy information systems
are unable to adapt to meet the new requirements. An analysis of fifteen case studies provides evidence that legacy information systems include business and technical dimensions and that the systems can present problems when there is a misalignment between the strategic vision of the business, the IT legacy and the old business model embodied in the legacy.
TL;DR: This study illustrates how Q-sort and interpretive structured modeling provide additional insights into the key concerns facing IT managers and demonstrates their application with data collected from Brazilian banking IT managers.
Abstract: A questionnaire requiring respondents to rate the importance of key issues is the traditional data collection tool for investigating the key issues of Information Technology (IT) managers. Such an instrument does not force managers to confront the relationships between issues. Q-sort and interpretive structured modeling (ISM) force managers to consider the linkages among key issues. This article discusses the use of these methodologies for investigating key issues and demonstrates their application with data collected from Brazilian banking IT managers. This study illustrates how these approaches provide additional insights into the key concerns facing IT managers.
TL;DR: Reengineering these legacy systems to improve competitiveness requires both technical expertise in systems engineering and an understanding of what the business process is intended to achieve.
Abstract: Integration of technical systems with business processes, and coherent strategies for the development of both, have long been recognised as critical to the competitiveness of companies. However, as separate systems become integrated, dependencies are established that complicate future reengineering exercises. These internal dependencies increase the risk associated with change, promote incremental approaches to systems reengineering and hasten the emergence of legacy systems. Once established, these legacy systems not only represent an impediment to advancing the technology strategy, they may also lock in redundant business processes with a consequent erosion of competitiveness. Reengineering these legacy systems to improve competitiveness therefore requires both technical expertise in systems engineering and an understanding of what the business process is intended to achieve. Recent technical and business change drivers such as the ‘Year 2000 Problem’ (Y2K)
TL;DR: The underlying concepts, architecture, and design of a Web-enabled CyberCollaboratory for geographically distributed information systems students and working professionals, coupled with software developed at the University of Illinois at Springfield, are described.
Abstract: This paper describes the underlying concepts, architecture, and design of a Web-enabled CyberCollaboratory (Web-CCAT) for geographically distributed information systems students and working professionals. The primary objectives for Web-CCAT are (1) to provide the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of cooperative learning without having to coordinate meeting times or come to campus; and (2) to provide a more technologically enriched collaborative environment than is possible in a traditional face-to-face classroom. To meet these objectives, multi-user, collaborative software tools and procedures were designed for use in the asynchronous mode of communication. Web-CCAT is implemented as a tool kit of commercially available applications coupled with software developed at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The system became operational in January 1999.