Showing papers in "IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management in 2009"
TL;DR: This study explores and identifies critical elements of project management that contributed to the success of the second ERP implementation and provides a roadmap to follow in order to avoid making critical, but often underestimated, project management mistakes.
Abstract: Information technology (IT) projects are susceptible to changes in the business environment, and the increasing velocity of change in global business is challenging the management of enterprise systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP). At the same time, system success depends on the rigor of the project management processes. scope creep, poor risk management, inadequate allocation of human resources over time, and vendor management are some common problems associated with the implementation of an enterprise system. These issues pose threats to the success of a large-scale software project such as ERP. This research adopts a case study approach to examine how poor project management can imperil the implementation of an ERP system. Having learned the lessons from the failure of its first ERP implementation, the company in this case reengineered its project management practices to successfully carry out its second ERP implementation. Many critical project management factors contributed to the failure and success of this company's ERP system. This study explores and identifies critical elements of project management that contributed to the success of the second ERP implementation. For those organizations adopting ERP, the findings provide a roadmap to follow in order to avoid making critical, but often underestimated, project management mistakes.
256 citations
TL;DR: A generic systemic causal model of the key factors that contributed to omission errors in construction and engineering projects is presented and can improve understanding of the archetypal nature and underlying dynamics of omission errors.
Abstract: Construction and engineering projects are typically complex in nature and are prone to cost and schedule overruns. A significant factor that often contributes to these overruns is rework. Omissions errors, in particular, have been found to account for as much as 38% of the total rework costs experienced. To date, there has been limited research that has sought to determine the underlying factors that contribute to omission errors in construction and engineering projects. Using data derived from 59 in-depth interviews undertaken with various project participants, a generic systemic causal model of the key factors that contributed to omission errors is presented. The developed causal model can improve understanding of the archetypal nature and underlying dynamics of omission errors. Error management strategies that can be considered for implementation in projects are also discussed.
143 citations
TL;DR: Instead of rigidly dictating a specific project schedule a priori, a superset of activities and simple rules through which the activities can self-organize are provided, which provide a new basis for future studies of agile and adaptive processes.
Abstract: Projects are temporary allocations of resources commissioned to achieve a desired result. Since each project is unique, the landscape between the current state (the start of the project) and the desired state (the successful end of the project) is often dynamic, uncertain, and ambiguous. Conventional project plans define a set of related activities (a work breakdown structure and activity network) with the assumptions that this set is necessary and sufficient to reach the project's desired result. Popular models for project planning (scheduling, budgeting, etc.) and control are also based on a set of project activities that are specified and scheduled a priori. However, these assumptions often do not hold, because, as an attempt to do something novel, the actual path to a project's desired result is often revealed only by the additional light provided once the work is underway. In this paper, we model a product development process as a complex adaptive system. Rather than prespecifying which activities will be done and when, we set up: 1) a superset of general classes of activities, each with modes that vary in terms of inputs, duration, cost, and expected benefits; and 2) simple rules for activity mode combination. Thus, instead of rigidly dictating a specific project schedule a priori, we provide a ldquoprimordial souprdquo of activities and simple rules through which the activities can self-organize. Instead of attempting to prescribe an optimal process, we simulate thousands of adaptive cases and let the highest-value process emerge. Analyzing these cases leads to insights regarding the most likely paths (processes) across the project landscape, the patterns of iteration along the paths, and the paths' costs, durations, risks, and values. The model also provides a decision support capability for managers. For researchers, this way of viewing projects and the modeling framework provide a new basis for future studies of agile and adaptive processes.
139 citations
TL;DR: This work synthesizes what is known about risks and risk resolution techniques into an integrative framework for managing risks in distributed contexts based on empirical evaluation of its practical usefulness and discusses implications for both research and practice.
Abstract: Software projects are increasingly geographically distributed with limited face-to-face interaction between participants. These projects face particular challenges that need careful managerial attention. While risk management has been adopted with success to address other challenges within software development, there are currently no frameworks available for managing risks related to geographical distribution. On this background, we systematically review the literature on geographically distributed software projects. Based on the review, we synthesize what we know about risks and risk resolution techniques into an integrative framework for managing risks in distributed contexts. Subsequent implementation of a Web-based tool helped us refine the framework based on empirical evaluation of its practical usefulness. We conclude by discussing implications for both research and practice.
115 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated challenges, obstacles, and performances of the Korea Train eXpress (KTX) project and found five major delay causes for KTX project, which are lack of owner's abilities and strategies to manage hi-tech oriented mega project, frequent changes of routes triggered by conflicts between public agencies and growing public resistance from environmental concerns; the inappropriate project delivery system; a lack of proper scheduling tool tailored for a linear mega project; and redesign and change orders of main structures and tunnels for high-speed railway, which is fundamentally different from the traditional railway
Abstract: In 2004, Korea became the fifth country in the world to own and operate a high-speed railway called Korea Train eXpress (KTX). Numerous uncertainties and challenges during planning and managing phase resulted in schedule delays and cost overruns. The delay causes of each activity along the 412 km Korea high-speed railway route were very difficult to identify because KTX project consisted of 11n141 different activities. This paper evaluates challenges, obstacles, and performances of KTX project. First, critical sections in the railway route that influenced significant delays to project completion were identified. Then, delay causes of these critical sections were investigated thoroughly. The analysis discovered five major delay causes for KTX project. They are lack of owner's abilities and strategies to manage hi-tech oriented mega project; frequent changes of routes triggered by conflicts between public agencies and growing public resistance from environmental concerns; the inappropriate project delivery system; a lack of proper scheduling tool tailored for a linear mega project; and redesign and change orders of main structures and tunnels for high-speed railway, which is fundamentally different from the traditional railway construction. Based on the in-depth analysis of KTX project, through which a conceptual framework was established to identify the various facets of mega projects, this paper suggests lessons learned for engineers to better prepare and respond to potential causes of schedule delays for mega projects.
112 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that high customization may occur because of: unnecessary redevelopment of functionality that is available in the ERP system standard, resistance to change based on cultural issues and low project acceptance, and the implementation team's lack of opposition to customization requests.
Abstract: This research investigates why certain enterprise resource planning (ERP) system adopters have pursued high levels of software customization during implementation despite the generally accepted best-practice heuristic of limiting customization. Qualitative data from ERP adoption projects and consultants working with ERP implementations have been collected. This study empirically identifies customization drivers and explains their relationship to customization. The results suggest that high customization may occur because of: unnecessary redevelopment of functionality that is available in the ERP system standard, resistance to change based on cultural issues and low project acceptance, insufficient weight given to the implementation team's recommendations, and the implementation team's lack of opposition to customization requests. The results of this study also explain how these problems occur and why they lead to overcustomization.
112 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that human capital and organizational capital are positively related to relational capital with partnering firms, which, in turn, has a positive effect on knowledge transfer performance.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the roles of the three distinct aspects of intellectual capital, including human capital, organizational capital, and relational capital, in knowledge transfer. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 97 knowledge transfer cases. The results indicate that human capital and organizational capital are positively related to relational capital with partnering firms, which, in turn, has a positive effect on knowledge transfer performance. Our results provide evidences that relational capital plays a mediating role between human capital and organizational capital and knowledge transfer performance. The findings of this study contribute to the theoretical development of a conceptual model for explaining the interrelationships among three aspects of intellectual capital and knowledge transfer performance. The empirical evidences of the Sobel ( Sociological Methodology. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1982, pp. 290-312.) test in line with the Baron and Kenny's (J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. , vol. 51, pp. 1173-1182, 1986) procedure support the process-oriented view and indicate that relational capital would mediate the effects of human capital and organizational capital on knowledge transfer performance. The empirical evidences of this study fill the gap in the literature that is lack of empirical examination of the roles of intellectual capital in the knowledge transfer contexts. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.
82 citations
TL;DR: A novel rigorous assessment methodology to improve the decision-making analysis in the complex multiple-attribute environment of new product design (NPD) assessment in early product design stage, where several performance measures must be accounted for.
Abstract: A key issue in successful new product development is how to determine the best product design among a lot of feasible alternatives. In this paper, the authors present a novel rigorous assessment methodology to improve the decision-making analysis in the complex multiple-attribute environment of new product design (NPD) assessment in early product design stage, where several performance measures, like product functions and features, manufacturability and cost, quality and reliability, maintainability and serviceability, etc., must be accounted for, but no concrete and reliable data are available, in which conventional approaches cannot be applied with confidence. The developed evidential reasoning (ER) interval methodology is able to deal with uncertain and incomplete data and information in forms of both qualitative and quantitative nature, data expressed in interval and range, judgment with probability functions, judgment in a comparative basis, unknown embedded, etc. An NPD assessment model, incorporated with the ER-based methodology, is then developed and a software system is built accordingly for validation. An industrial case study of electrical appliances is used to illustrate the application of the developed ER methodology and the product design assessment system.
77 citations
TL;DR: A gap was identified between the literature concerning activities sequencing based on DSM and the process modeling literature concerning process verification, and demonstration of the logic differences emphasizes the need for simulation-based decision making according to the specific process attributes.
Abstract: Planning product development processes (PDP), and particularly new product development (NPD) processes, is complex and challenging. The plan should reflect the product-related knowledge, including the influences of performing changes in one product component on the need to rework the design of other components. Given the complexity, dynamics, and uncertainties of design processes (DPs), the plan evaluation requires simulation tools. The design structure matrix (DSM) is a known method for DP planning. However, the DSM itself does not express all the relevant information required for defining process logic. Many logic interpretations are applicable in different business cases; yet, a consistent method of transforming a DSM-based plan to a logically correct concurrent process model in the case of iterative activities is lacking. A gap was identified between the literature concerning activities sequencing based on DSM and the process modeling literature concerning process verification. This survey systematically classifies the approaches used in DSM-based process planning, and discusses their strengths and limitations with problems related to process modeling logic verification of iterative processes. Demonstration of the logic differences emphasizes the need for simulation-based decision making according to the specific process attributes.
76 citations
TL;DR: Results indicate that each type of business strategy deploys advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) differently by assimilating and integrating various types of manufacturing technologies and suggest that ME owner-managers must assess their firm's level of AMS assimilation in light of their strategic objectives.
Abstract: It is generally recognized that a firm's manufacturing strategy is effective to the extent that it is ldquoalignedrdquo with the business strategy and provides the firm with a competitive advantage. Given a conceptualization of business strategy through Miles and Snow's typology (prospectors, analyzers, and defenders), the aim of this research is threefold. First, one seeks to identify the performance outcomes of strategic alignment in terms of the productivity and profitability of medium-sized enterprises (ME). Second, this research aims to verify if these outcomes are valid for all strategic types or only for some. Third, to find out what manufacturing strategy is the most appropriate for each business strategy type. A research model and hypothesis are tested with survey data obtained from 150 Canadian MEs. Significant performance outcomes of alignment are found, thus validating the research model and confirming the main research proposition. Differences between strategic types are also found in terms of performance outcomes. Results indicate that each type of business strategy deploys advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) differently by assimilating and integrating various types of manufacturing technologies. Results suggest that ME owner-managers must assess their firm's level of AMS assimilation in light of their strategic objectives.
70 citations
TL;DR: This paper proposes a system-focused approach for managing system development and making effective and efficient decisions during this life cycle with a system readiness level (SRL) index that incorporates both the current TRL scale and the concept of an integration readiness level.
Abstract: Many U.S. government agencies and their contractors have subscribed to using the prescriptive metric of technology readiness level (TRL) as a measure of maturity of an individual technology, with a view toward operational use in a system context. A comprehensive set of concerns becomes relevant when this metric is abstracted from an individual technology to a system context, which may involve interplay among multiple technologies that are integrated through a system development life cycle. This paper proposes a system-focused approach for managing system development and making effective and efficient decisions during this life cycle. A system readiness level (SRL) index that incorporates both the current TRL scale and the concept of an integration readiness level is presented with methods for determining current and future readiness of a system. Using techniques in evolutionary algorithms, the SRL index is optimized based on resource allocation to provide a decision support approach that enhances managerial capabilities in the system's development life cycle. The optimization model for the SRL is then executed with a case example and resource constraints of 75%, 60%, 45%, 30%, and 15% to demonstrate how it can be used to make strategic planning decisions in the system's development life cycle.
TL;DR: A path analysis of data drawn from 467 completed NPD projects indicates that stronger MMI accomplished early in NPD is associated with stronger MPI in later stages of NPD, and the strongest positive associations of MMI with product market success are indicated in product commercialization.
Abstract: The study of marketing-manufacturing integration (MMI) in new product development (NPD) projects is rather limited, and has not clearly indicated how levels of MMI should differ across various stages of development for high and low levels of product innovativeness. Our study builds upon prior research that has applied resource dependency theory to product development projects. We examine the influences of MMI in each of four stages of the NPD process. A path analysis of data drawn from 467 completed NPD projects indicates that stronger MMI accomplished early in NPD is associated with stronger MMI in later stages of NPD. For highly innovative projects, increased MMI in each stage of product development is respectively associated with greater product market success, but MMI in the earliest stages is especially salient. For incremental NPD projects, the strongest positive associations of MMI with product market success are indicated in product commercialization. We compare our findings with prior research, and we identify benefits, detriments, and costs of MMI that should be more deeply explored in future research with the objective of a more complete theory of cross-functional integration in NPD.
TL;DR: A research model to explain the antecedents of coordination effectiveness of software developer dyads from interacting teams is presented and it is revealed that the implicit knowledge sharing has a significant positive impact on coordination effectiveness.
Abstract: Among the numerous reasons for software project failure, coordination problems are especially salient. Prior studies on coordination in software development are confined to team internal coordination and do not explicitly differentiate team internal and external coordination processes. This study presents a research model to explain the antecedents of coordination effectiveness of software developer dyads from interacting teams. Dyads in this study refer to software developer pairs where each member comes from a different team. We explore the antecedents by integrating interpersonal and technology-based coordination. We test this model using data collected from 59 software developer Dyads from interacting teams as well as from software developer leaders. The results reveal that the implicit knowledge sharing has a significant positive impact on coordination effectiveness. The use of explicit knowledge sharing and coordination technology have no statistically significant impact on coordination effectiveness although the teams studied were working predominantly in a collocated mode. Mutual trust and project commitment have a significant impact on knowledge sharing with mutual trust directly affecting both implicit and explicit knowledge sharing. Project commitment also has a direct impact on explicit knowledge sharing and mutual trust, but it does not directly affect implicit knowledge sharing. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed. Limitations of this study are identified. Future research directions are also presented.
TL;DR: The results shed light on the motives and drivers of IT investment decisions by highlighting that these decisions are influenced by both economic considerations and legitimacy considerations such as conforming to institutional norms.
Abstract: Information technology (IT) investments account for a significant proportion of capital budgets of most firms today. While research attention so far has been focused on if and how firms benefit from these investments, limited attention has been paid to understand what determines the IT investment levels of firms. In this study, we examine the effects of institutional pressures and firm characteristics on the IT investment levels of a firm after controlling the financial conditions of the firm. Using available data from secondary sources, we find that the IT investment intensity of a firm is positively associated with that of its competitors, suppliers, and customers. We also find that the degree of institutional shareholding is positively associated with its IT investment intensity. Our results shed light on the motives and drivers of IT investment decisions by highlighting that these decisions are influenced by both economic considerations and legitimacy considerations such as conforming to institutional norms.
TL;DR: The proposed typology suggests that biotechnology firms follow four types of alliance portfolio strategies: focus, hedge, enable, and combine, and empirical results showed that firms with focus and hedge alliance portfolios had greater patent output than firms with enable or combine portfolios.
Abstract: This paper explores how firmspsila alliance portfolios are related to patent output in the biotechnology industry. We propose that patent output is related to the composition of the firm's alliance portfolio, including the diversity of technologies, depth and scope of technologies, extent of alliance partner cospecialization, entry stage of technology development, and extent of prior alliance partner experience. We draw from real-options-based and knowledge-based views to develop a typology of alliance portfolios, arguing that each portfolio type differs in its effects on intra- and interorganizational dynamics, and thus, on patent output. Our proposed typology suggests that biotechnology firms follow four types of alliance portfolio strategies: focus, hedge, enable, and combine. Using secondary data provided by the ReCap, Delphion, and Compustat databases on 827 biotechnology alliances among 353 firms from 1995 to 2003, we found support for our proposed typology. Empirical results showed that firms with focus and hedge alliance portfolios had greater patent output than firms with enable or combine portfolios, and firms with focus alliance portfolios had the greatest patent output. We conclude with a discussion of our key findings along with implications for theory, future research, and management practice.
TL;DR: The model incorporates a funding process whereby the startup valuation is positively impacted by improved product quality and market growth and characterizes the impact of changes in productivity, along with the evolution rate of R&D and marketing payoffs, on the underlying decisions.
Abstract: The problem focus is on startup decisions associated with staged venture financing, where both R&D and marketing are significant percentages of overall expenses. When should a startup owner acquire working capital, and how should she/he distribute that capital between R&D (to improve product quality) and marketing (to increase sales) to ultimately grow valuation? Also, should the startup owner cap the total R&D and marketing budgets to increase profitability during staged venture financing? We develop a model to study resource acquisition and allocation decisions across successive stages of startup growth. The model incorporates a funding process whereby the startup valuation is positively impacted by improved product quality and market growth. This model provides insights on optimal acquisition and allocation practices and characterizes the impact of changes in productivity, along with the evolution rate of R&D and marketing payoffs, on the underlying decisions. Our results also illustrate conditions for optimal capping of R&D and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues.
TL;DR: A new design tool called product attribute function deployment (PAFD), based on the principles of decision-based design (DBD), is introduced as a decision-theoretic, enterprise-level process tool to guide the conceptual design phase.
Abstract: The critical product planning phase, early in the product development cycle, requires a design tool to establish engineering priorities, select the preferred design concept, and set target levels of engineering performance while considering the needs of both the consumer and producer. The quality function deployment (QFD) method was developed as a design process tool to translate customer needs into engineering characteristics; however, limitations have been identified in using the QFD method for product planning. In this paper, a new design tool called product attribute function deployment (PAFD), based on the principles of decision-based design (DBD), is introduced as a decision-theoretic, enterprise-level process tool to guide the conceptual design phase. The PAFD method extends the qualitative matrix principles of QFD while utilizing the quantitative decision-making processes of DBD. The PAFD method is built upon established methods in engineering, marketing, and decision analysis to eliminate the need for the user ratings and rankings of performance, priority, and attribute coupling in the QFD method. The differences between the QFD and the PAFD processes are compared and contrasted, and the conceptual design of an automotive manifold absolute pressure sensor is used as a case study to demonstrate the features and benefits of the PAFD method.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a taxonomy of supply networks, which provides a necessary and systematic framework for mapping supply networks based on the mapping purpose and available information, and develop a methodology for discovering and mapping supply network by means of radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled capture and sharing of the information about the movement of products throughout supply networks.
Abstract: Many organizations have very limited information about the supply networks in which they are involved. For the purpose of planning business strategies, tracing products, and assuring product quality, organizations are eager to know their entire supply networks, i.e., who are their supplierspsila suppliers and who are their buyerspsila buyers. However, because an organization's higher-tier suppliers and buyers are not directly connected to the organization, it is difficult for the organization to obtain the information about all entities and their relationships in its supply networks. This paper aims at providing an innovative solution for organizations to discover their supply networks. We first propose a new taxonomy of supply networks, which provides a necessary and systematic framework for mapping supply networks based on the mapping purpose and available information. We then develop a methodology for discovering and mapping supply networks by means of radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled capture and sharing of the information about the movement of products throughout supply networks. This research solves a real-world supply chain management problem of what supply networks can be discovered using RFID and Internet technologies and how to discover them.
TL;DR: The two factors to be complementary, i.e., both direct and interaction effects of speed and market knowledge on product success were found and both measures of effectiveness and efficiency need to be considered complementarily when managing for successful NPD.
Abstract: Speed of development, speed to market, and meeting market needs are often recommended in the new product development (NPD) literature as keys to successful product launches, but it is not clear how market knowledge competence and time performance are related in driving successful NPD. To find out, we analyzed 250 firms from four countries (Germany, Italy, Japan, and USA). We found the two factors to be complementary, i.e., both direct and interaction effects of speed and market knowledge on product success were found. In particular, the strong effect of market knowledge competence on product success is noteworthy because building market knowledge competence is a strategy that management can proactively utilize to cope with market uncertainty, which has been argued to moderate the time performance relationship in NPD. The implication is that both measures of effectiveness (matching needs) and efficiency (speed) need to be considered complementarily when managing for successful NPD.
TL;DR: In this paper, a strategic technology planning framework is proposed and a hierarchical decision model and its sensitivity analysis are presented as two major steps of the framework to provide effective technology assessment and to generate technology scenarios.
Abstract: The increasingly important role that technologies play in today's business success is well known. To ensure proper selection and development of the key technologies, a deliberate technology plan is needed. In this paper, a strategic technology planning framework is proposed. A hierarchical decision model and its sensitivity analysis are presented as two major steps of the framework to provide effective technology assessment and to generate technology scenarios. The hierarchical model links an organization's competitive goals and strategies in evaluating the technology alternativespsila overall contributions to business success; the sensitivity analysis helps to forecast and implement possible future changes in the economic environment, industry policies, and organization strategies. With the proposed framework, organizations can start to implement their technology plans synoptically and follow up with incremental adaptations as necessary. A case study on Taiwan's semiconductor foundry industry is presented to demonstrate the model in detail.
TL;DR: Solid evidence is found that the productivity level in developing every component part can be a key driver of speed-to-market and better improvement in quality can be achieved from launch time postponement when product design teams have low product development productivity.
Abstract: In the face of shorter product life cycles, designing products with modular component parts can shorten product development time and speed up the introduction of new products in the market. Utilizing stylized models, we examine the reuse/redesign, quality, speed-to-market, and marketing decisions for two consecutive generations of a multicomponent modular product. With modularity that assumes a stable product architecture, each component can be improved by incurring a design cost that is convex increasing in the level of quality. Our study generates the following insights. When development start-up (fixed) cost is negligible, it is profitable to upgrade every component part; otherwise, it is beneficial to reuse some of the existing parts without making any design improvements in order to save on development cost. In an effort to reduce product development time while maximizing profit, we found solid evidence that the productivity level in developing every component part can be a key driver of speed-to-market. Individually, a new product launch time postponement and an R&D budget increase can lead to improvements in component part quality and overall product quality, but our models show that better improvement in quality can be achieved from launch time postponement (budget increase) when product design teams have low (high) product development productivity. Finally, when the marginal cost of producing the new product is equal to that of the old product, it is optimal to remove the old product from the market and sell only the new product.
TL;DR: It is found that perceived impact of IT failure directly affects an individual's assessment of whether a troubled project's status ought to be reported, exerting an indirect influence on willingness to report bad news, and that personal morality directly affects all three steps in the basic whistle-blowing model, as hypothesized.
Abstract: An individual's reluctance to report the actual status of a troubled project has recently received research attention as an important contributor to project failure. While there are a variety of factors influencing the reluctance to report, prior information systems research has focused on only situational factors such as risk, information asymmetry, and time pressure involved in the given situation. In this paper, we examine the effects of both situational and personal factors on an individual's reporting behavior within the rubric of the basic whistle-blowing model adapted from Dozier and Miceli . Specifically, we identify perceived impact of information technology (IT) failure as a situational factor and personal morality and willingness to communicate as personal factors, and investigate their effects on the assessments and decisions that individuals make about reporting the IT project's status. Based on the results of a controlled laboratory experiment, we found that perceived impact of IT failure directly affects an individual's assessment of whether a troubled project's status ought to be reported, exerting an indirect influence on willingness to report bad news, and that personal morality directly affects all three steps in the basic whistle-blowing model, as hypothesized. Willingness to communicate, however, was found not to affect an individual's willingness to report bad news. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
TL;DR: It is suggested that autonomous teams engage more frequently in cooperative learning behaviors, and consequently perform more effectively and are more satisfied, and that relationships exist between the type of autonomy present in teams and the resultant elements of cooperative learning and work outcomes.
Abstract: The specialized knowledge that exists among information systems development (ISD) teams must be shared and integrated to successfully develop systems solutions. Unfortunately, knowledge sharing and integration continues to be problematic. In this study, we seek out those antecedent characteristics that ISD teams should possess to facilitate the collaboration and knowledge integration necessary for enhanced performance. We propose cooperative learning theory as a lens to understand knowledge integration activities in ISD projects. We suggest that knowledge integration behaviors are discretionary, and that ISD professionals must feel autonomy in deciding to engage in them. We investigate whether the effects of autonomy on cooperative learning and of cooperative learning on work outcomes vary depending on the types of autonomy present in ISD teams. A research model is proposed, and it is empirically tested through a study of 206 ISD professionals from 38 ISD teams. Our findings suggest that autonomous teams engage more frequently in cooperative learning behaviors, and consequently perform more effectively and are more satisfied. We also find that relationships exist between the type of autonomy present in teams and the resultant elements of cooperative learning and work outcomes.
TL;DR: Results indicate that benefits are higher when the feedback from applied research is richer, and when regimes of secrecy are less harsh, which is more likely to be the case with engineering, as opposed to hard science research.
Abstract: The increase of university patents has raised issues of potential conflicts of interest in Faculty activities. Nonetheless, recent empirical evidence has indicated that very productive scientists contribute disproportionally to academic patenting and that inventing is likely to encourage an increase in scientific productivity. This article adds to this evidence by showing that such beneficial effects are not likely to be earned equally by every scientist. The analysis was run in a large sample of Italian scientists contributing to materials sciences in either chemistry or engineering of materials, and makes use of several econometric techniques that are suitable for treating unobserved heterogeneity, excess zeros, and incidental truncation. Results indicate that benefits are higher when the feedback from applied research is richer, and when regimes of secrecy are less harsh, which is more likely to be the case with engineering, as opposed to hard science research. If confirmed by further evidence, the findings suggest that academic policies in matters of intellectual property rights should be refined and tailored to field specificities.
TL;DR: The analysis provided strong support for the premise that developing strong BSR could lead to an improved performance in acquiring and implementing AMT and indicated that the higher the level of technological specificity and uncertainty, the more firms are likely to engage in a stronger relationship with technology suppliers.
Abstract: This paper reports on the results of research into the connections between transaction attributes and buyer-supplier relationships (BSRs) in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) acquisition and implementation. The investigation began by examining the impact of the different patterns of BSR on the performance of the AMT acquisition. In understanding the phenomena, the study drew upon and integrated the literature of transaction cost economics theory, BSRs, and AMT, and used this as the basis for a theoretical framework and hypotheses development. This framework was then empirically tested using data that were gathered through a questionnaire survey with 147 companies and analyzed using a structural equation modeling technique. The results of the analysis indicated that the higher the level of technological specificity and uncertainty, the more firms are likely to engage in a stronger relationship with technology suppliers. However, the complexity of the technology being implemented was associated with BSR only indirectly through its association with the level of uncertainty (which has a direct impact upon BSR). The analysis also provided strong support for the premise that developing strong BSR could lead to an improved performance in acquiring and implementing AMT. The implications of the study are offered for both the academic and practitioner audience.
TL;DR: It is suggested that usage behavior can be transferred indirectly, while perceived entitativity has an important effect on the transfer behavior of technology products that are not substitutable.
Abstract: Although an abundance of research has emerged on technology adoption and acceptance, most has examined the usage behavior of different products in isolation. The current study instead focuses on usage-transfer behavior between technology products that are not substitutable. Drawing upon self-perception theory and entitativity theory, we proposed a research model and validated it using longitudinal data on userspsila transfer from one instant messenger, QQ, to its portal, QQ.com. The findings suggest that usage behavior can be transferred indirectly, while perceived entitativity has an important effect on the transfer behavior. According to the findings of the current research, use of an existing product positively influences the perceived usefulness and ease of use of this product, and that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use can be transferred from the existing product to the new product. Consequently, if the perceived entitativity is high, then perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will be transferred between nonsubstitutable technology products. This study contributes to both research and practice by advancing our understanding of usage behavior in general and, more specifically, transfer behavior between nonsubstitutable technology products.
TL;DR: A model-based approach is presented for evaluating the potential of innovations occurring in various stages of the industry value chain and the ability of the de novo firm to achieve the maximum possible efficiency in translating inputs into cost-reducing output.
Abstract: We present a model-based approach for evaluating the potential of innovations occurring in various stages of the industry value chain. The realization of the innovation's potential is conceptualized as the ability of the de novo firm to achieve the maximum possible efficiency in translating inputs into cost-reducing output. We apply recent developments from data envelopment analysis to measure the innovation's potential in terms of its relative efficiency with respect to a best practices frontier. We then present a conceptual framework to classify and identify the determinants related to technological and organizational variables in realizing the potential of innovations. Finally, we demonstrate the application of this model-based approach to conduct analysis of the potential of innovations in the U.S. photovoltaic and related systems manufacturing industry.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an exploratory study of a large-scale software process improvement (SPI) project in a Danish high-technology company, Terma, where two business units-integrated systems and airborne systems-followed similar approaches over a three-year period, but with quite different outcomes.
Abstract: The scale and complexity of change in software process improvement (SPI) are considerable and managerial attention to organizational culture during SPI can therefore potentially contribute to successful outcomes. However, we know little about the impact of variations in organizational subculture on SPI initiatives. On this backdrop, we present an exploratory study of a large-scale SPI project in a Danish high-technology company, Terma. Two of its business units-integrated systems (ISY) and airborne systems (ASY)-followed similar approaches over a three-year period, but with quite different outcomes. While ISY reached capability maturity model integration (CMMI) level 2 as planned, ASY struggled to implement even modest improvements. To help explain these differences, we analyzed the underlying organizational culture within ISY and ASY using two different methods for subculture assessment. The study demonstrates how variations in culture across software organizations can have important implications for SPI outcomes. Furthermore, it provides insights into how software managers can practically assess subcultures to inform decisions about and help prepare plans for SPI initiatives.
TL;DR: An integrated theoretical process model for identifying antecedent conditions, sequences of events, critical incidents, and outcomes over the course of a project, which allows for a deeper understanding of the ambiguity and dilemma that decision makers face during project escalations and de-escalations.
Abstract: This paper presents an integrated theoretical process model for identifying , describing, and analyzing the complex escalation and de-escalation phenomena in software development projects. The approach-avoidance theory is used to integrate core elements of various escalation theories into a holistic, explanatory framework for the two phenomena. We use a process model to identify antecedent conditions, sequences of events, critical incidents, and outcomes over the course of a project. The analysis also operates at multiple levels: project, work, and environment. This highlights the recursive interactions between project, organizational work activities, and their contexts during the software project development process. By conceiving the processes of commitment escalation and de-escalation as sequences of events involving recurring approach-avoidance decision conflict, this research allows for a deeper understanding of the ambiguity and dilemma that decision makers face during project escalations and de-escalations. Our proposed model was both informed by a detailed case study that exhibits both project escalation and de-escalation conditions, and at the same time, illuminates the perspectives of various stakeholders.
TL;DR: It is found that, while several different factors contribute to the various aspects of the performance improvement, developing EDI systems with a focus on a firm's customers is critical to the improvement of all performance measures.
Abstract: The use of electronic data interchange (EDI) and related coordination activities among supply chain members can improve supply chain performance. This study examines the relationship between a number of variables relating to EDI usage and supply chain coordination activities and performance improvements in efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. Our main research questions are: (1) how does a firm's approach to its EDI implementation and supply chain coordination affect the type and amount of performance improvement? and (2) what factors are critical to the successful implementation of EDI? Using data from a survey of the food industry's supply chain members, we build logistic regression models to identify the most important factors relating to a successful EDI implementation and performance improvement. We find that, while several different factors contribute to the various aspects of the performance improvement, developing EDI systems with a focus on a firm's customers is critical to the improvement of all performance measures.