Showing papers in "Journal of Strategic Information Systems in 2010"

Organizational impact of system quality, information quality, and service quality

Abstract: Increased organizational dependence on information systems drives management attention towards improving information systems' quality. A recent survey shows that ''Improve IT quality'' is one of the top concerns facing IT executives. As IT quality is a multidimensional measure, it is important to determine what aspects of IT quality are critical to organizations to help Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to devise effective IT quality improvement strategies. In this research, we model the relationship between information systems' (IS) quality and organizational impact. We hypothesize greater organizational impact in situations in which system quality, information quality and service quality are high. We also hypothesize a positive relationship between system quality and information quality. We test our hypotheses using survey data. Our structural equation model exhibits a good fit with the observed data. Our results show that IS service quality is the most influential variable in this model (followed by information quality and system quality), thus highlighting the importance of IS service quality for organizational performance. This paper contributes theoretically to IS success models through the system quality-to-information quality and IS quality-to-organizational impact links. Implications of our results for practice and research are discussed.

An empirical investigation of employee portal success

Abstract: Employee portals are utilized by many companies to improve companies' information exchange, communication, and employee collaboration, as well as to better support their business processes. Owing to limited IT budgets and the need to justify investments in employee portals, assessing the benefits of these is an important field in research and practice. Thus, the purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of employee portal success. We introduce a theoretical model for this that is based on the DeLone and McLean IS Success Model. Furthermore, we develop hypotheses regarding the associations between different models' success dimensions and test them using more than 10,000 employees' responses collected in a survey of 22 companies. Our results indicate that besides the factors contributing to IS success in general, other success dimensions - like the quality of the collaboration and process support - have to be considered when aiming for a successful employee portal. The study's findings make it possible for practitioners to understand the levers with which to improve their employee portals. By empirically validating a comprehensive success model for employee portals, the study's results advance theoretical development in the area of collaboration-centered systems and present a basis for further research in this field.

Information systems in the public sector: The e-Government enactment framework

Abstract: Despite the burgeoning number of studies of public sector information systems, very few scholars have focussed on the relationship between e-Government policies and information systems choice and design. Drawing on Fountain's (2001) technology enactment framework, this paper endeavours to conduct an in-depth investigation of the intricacies characterising the choice and design of new technologies in the context of e-Government reforms. By claiming that technologies are carriers of e-Government reform aims, this study investigates the logics embedded in the design of new technology and extant political interests and values inscribed in e-Government policies. The e-Government enactment framework is proposed as a theoretical and analytical approach to understand and study the complexity of these relationships which shape e-Government policies.

Knowledge Management Competence for Enterprise System Success

Abstract: This study conceptualizes, operationalises and validates the concept of Knowledge Management Competence as a four-phase multidimensional formative index. Employing survey data from 310 respondents representing 27 organizations using the SAP Enterprise System Financial module, the study results demonstrate a large, significant, positive relationship between Knowledge Management Competence and Enterprise Systems Success (ES-success, as conceived by Gable et al., 2008); suggesting important implications for practice. Strong evidence of the validity of Knowledge Management Competence as conceived and operationalised, too suggests potential from future research evaluating its relationships with possible antecedents and consequences.

Globalization, culture, and information: Towards global knowledge transparency

Abstract: In this paper, I seek to intertwine the IS research on globalization with IS research on culture. I first discuss various perspectives of globalization - cultural imperialism, interconnected businesses, and a global village - and the accompanying role of information technologies. I then present a brief overview of three waves of IS culture research: identifying differences, explaining differences, managing differences. Based upon the gaps identified in the overview, I suggest some propositions for future IS culture research. Finally, I seek to identify important future research that lies at the intersection of globalization and culture research, namely research into global knowledge transparency. Global knowledge transparency involves the dual objectives of providing more detailed product and service information to the consumer and gathering more detailed knowledge about the individual. The former helps individuals make more responsible choices in their purchase decisions, enabling them to understand the consequences of their choices on the well-being of others. The latter helps individuals make more informed decisions concerning their own well-being, enabling them to better understand the consequences of their choices for their own life and health. Taken together, the two objectives of global knowledge transparency can help societies promote better use of resources and more individual accountability.

Strategic information systems research: An archival analysis

Abstract: The Journal of Strategic Information Systems (JSIS) has been an international outlet for Information Systems research that focuses on strategic issues since 1991. This paper reports on an analysis of the research published in JSIS to date. The paper presents a preliminary classification system for research topics related to Strategic Information Systems into which all 316 JSIS research papers as at end 2009 are classified. Discussion on changing emphases in topics over time is provided, in the context of the editorial philosophy of the journal. The paper seeks to stimulate discussion on future directions for research in Strategic Information Systems.

Managing culture creep: Toward a strategic model of user IT culture

Abstract: This article describes a framework of IT user culture that has implications for organizational IT strategy. The research was conducted in multiple settings with a grounded theory approach. The resulting framework is anchored to nine archetypal IT user profiles and encompasses their inter-group dynamics. By adopting a cultural perspective on IT usage, the framework can inform IT adoption and usage strategy with possible cultural antecedents and determinants of usage constructs common in IS research. The proposed framework suggests how management can influence the migration of IT user culture (culture creep). This framework can also enrich other acceptance models in order to more fully consider the human factor during IT implementation and adoption. The results underscore the importance of culture-customizing organizational IT socialization, training and evolution programs.

Metrics for characterizing the form of security policies

Abstract: Security policies are widely used tools for the implementation of organizational security, however neither do we have metrics for measuring their effectiveness, nor are there universal standards that can serve as benchmarks. There is considerable variability in security policies based on the way they are written but we have no quantifiable evidence to determine if one kind of policy is better than another. This paper examines the literature on policies and identifies three dimensions (breadth, clarity and brevity) that could be used to characterize how well a security policy is written. These dimensions are validated through a survey of user perceptions. Informed by this empirical evidence, we propose objective metrics (along with algorithms for calculating these metrics), that can be used to assess each of these dimensions. The objective metrics are cross validated with user perceptions and found to be consistent, thus providing a standardized process to characterize the form of a security policy. Such a set of metrics would facilitate the process of evaluating the effectiveness of security policies.

An examination of the antecedents and consequences of organizational IT innovation in hospitals

Abstract: The healthcare industry is widely recognized as information-intensive and IT is considered to be an intrinsic component of the success of healthcare organizations such as hospitals. While both researchers and practitioners have argued that hospitals should aspire to be IT innovators, most tend to be IT laggards. An understanding of the factors that drive hospitals to become IT innovators remains an important phenomenon of interest. However, there is a lack of theory-driven empirical research that systematically investigates the factors that influence a hospital's strategic choice to be an IT innovator and the influence of IT innovation on hospital performance. This study bridges the extant gaps in the literature by developing and testing an integrated model that seeks to understand why certain hospitals are IT innovators. Using IT innovation theory as our theoretical foundation, we examine three antecedents, including the chief information officer (CIO) strategic leadership, the top management team's (TMT) attitude toward IT, and the hospital's climate. Further, we examine the influence of IT innovation on the impact of IT within the hospital and the influence of IT impact on the hospital's financial performance. The research model was tested using both survey and archival data from 70 matched pairs of hospital CIOs and executives. The quantitative analysis is supplemented with by interviews with 10 participating CIOs to further examine the relationship of the CIO to hospital IT innovation. The results suggest that the CIO strategic leadership and the TMT's attitude toward IT are key factors that influence IT innovation; however, the influence of a hospital's climate on organizational IT innovation is contingent upon the CIO's level of strategic leadership. The results also suggest that hospitals that are IT innovators can generate greater impact from IT, which in turn results in greater performance for the hospital. Theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions are discussed.

Paradoxical effects of institutionalisation on the strategic awareness of technology in organisations

Abstract: Much of the IS literature focuses on the positive impacts of the institutionalisation of IT in business routines; that is it assumes that it is good for IT to become embedded within an organisation. In this paper, however, we explore the 'dark side' of such institutionalisation, demonstrating how a technology once institutionalised can become invisible to management so that its strategic potential is under-exploited while at the same time business risks associated with the IT are ignored. We demonstrate this through an in-depth longitudinal case study which follows the development of an intranet in a bank in the UK over a period of 5years. By following changes to the management of the intranet and its continuous embedding in work practices, the paper identifies six characteristics of institutionalised systems and highlights five risks for a business. The paper contributes to the literature in IS by exploring the impact for businesses from the apparent paradox between institutionalisation and awareness of the strategic value of technology in organisations.

The strategic value of IT insourcing: An IT-enabled business process perspective

Abstract: Although research on the business impact of IT outsourcing abounds, little is known about the relative strategic value of IT outsourcing and IT insourcing. Drawing upon the knowledge-based view of the firm, this study postulates that, compared with IT outsourcing, IT insourcing is more effective for developing IT-enabled business processes (IEBP), which subsequently lead to superior firm performance. Our analysis of the data from InformationWeek and Compustat shows that IT insourcing is positively associated with IEBP, while the relationship between IT outsourcing and IEBP is not statistically significant. We also find that IEBP have a significant influence on firm performance. Finally, the effect of IT sourcing mechanisms on IEBP and the effect of IEBP on firm performance are both moderated by the type of innovation related to IEBP. The results suggest that in order to improve their performance firms should consider IT an integral part of their strategic core and should be proactively involved in the internal development of IT resources. We conclude with managerial implications and directions for future research.

Consultancies and capabilities in innovating with IT

Abstract: When firms innovate with information technology (IT), they frequently retain consultants, who presumably bring certain capabilities to the process. But what capabilities are these and why do they seem to be so needed? In this essay, I consider several different consultancy specializations - business strategy, technology assessment, business process improvement, systems integration, business support services - and how they facilitate an IT innovation process both within and across firms. For each specialization, I examine the consultancy's capabilities and contributions both to the client (within an engagement) and to the broader support of the innovation (across and beyond engagements). The analysis suggests a number of conjectures as to the influence of consultancies on an IT innovation's adoption, diffusion and eventual institutionalization.

Rethinking IS project boundaries in practice: A multiple-projects perspective

Abstract: Information systems research and prescriptive IS project management methodologies are dominated by a perspective on single projects that treats the unit of analysis as a lonely phenomenon with strictly defined boundaries. This study questions this assumption by exploring how the taken for granted project's boundaries are defined in practice. It investigates a case study of an ERP implementation project in an international organization. The findings show the busy multiple-projects platform of contemporary organizations that ERP project cannot be isolated from. They also reveal that project management boundaries are continually crossed and that project's boundaries in practice are malleable and changeable. They are defined through negotiations with other projects and programs where what is inside or outside a project is subject to change according to the outcomes of such negotiations. A flatter view of project organizing could facilitate such an interaction. The implications for IS project management research and practice are discussed.

Developing dynamic capabilities in electronic marketplaces: A cross-case study

Abstract: Business-to-business (B2B) electronic marketplaces (EMPs) have increased the efficiency and economy of business purchasing by bringing together a critical mass of organizations that buy and sell goods and services. While many studies have investigated mature EMPs and identified factors leading to their success and failure, few studies have investigated the capabilities necessary to develop successful EMPs. This research shares findings from in-depth case studies of two EMPs conducted over a 3-year period. Using the dynamic capabilities framework as a theoretical lens, this paper: (1) identifies the capabilities necessary to develop EMPs that generate and sustain participant contributions, and (2) discusses how to develop these capabilities. This study finds that the cultivation of a ''trial-and-error'' culture along with sales managers' activities played key roles in developing outside-in and spanning capabilities. Taken together these capabilities helped the successful EMP develop entrepreneurial alertness and customer agility, two capabilities that were not developed in the failed EMP. These findings extend dynamic capabilities theory and may help practitioners better develop two-sided networks, such as EMPs, that require a critical mass of buyers and sellers.

Does IT outsourcing deliver economic value to firms

Abstract: The question of whether or not IT outsourcing initiatives deliver economic value to firms is an important yet under examined one. This study extends extant outsourcing literature by evaluating how firm value is created through IT outsourcing. Using Porter's Value Chain Model as the theoretical framework, the study systematically traces and measures the value added through IT outsourcing for firms in the manufacturing and retail industries. The results indicate that the effect of IT outsourcing is better detected at the intermediate process level rather than at the firm-level. Firms are able to realize economic benefits of cost savings, but less so in efficiency. Improved cost is observed in inbound logistics and supporting activities. With the exception of inbound logistics, no efficiency improvements are observed in operating activities and outbound logistics, suggesting that the positive impact of IT outsourcing is limited.

Information technology outsourcing through a configurational lens

Abstract: This paper explores the value of a configurational approach to IT outsourcing by developing a framework for IT outsourcing effectiveness. Taking a process view of outsourcing and drawing on the relational view of the firm, the framework identifies four high-level dimensions that correspond to an organization's resource position in four key areas: organizational IT value position, organizational IT asset position, relational asset position, and relational capability position. A novel structured method is used to identify the congruent outsourcing configurations within the range of possible outsourcing configurations based on the interdependencies among the four dimensions. Three congruent outsourcing configurations, designated asset dependence, relational dependence, and independence, emerge from this analysis. Drawing on the assumptions of configurational theory about organizational change and taking a dynamic perspective, the framework is extended to describe how organizations transition between outsourcing configurations over time. This paper demonstrates how a configurational approach can address three potential problems of the outsourcing literature and advance outsourcing research.

Of managers, ideas and jesters, and the role of information technology

Abstract: In this article we examine the role of information technology in the relationship between ideas and managers. In particular, we explore the capacity of ideas to take hold of managers and organizations, facilitated by information technology, and contest the dominant view that ideas are passive instruments for choice. Rather, we claim that ideas tend to own us. We invert the position of the human actor and the idea, and give ideas the character of an enactor, a prerequisite for an entity that may ''imprison humans''. Strategies for detachment are then needed such as the old institution of jestering.

Impacts of internal and interorganizational information systems on the outsourcing of manufacturing

Abstract: Drawing on transaction cost economics, this paper looks at the relationship of IT use to the outsourcing of manufacturing using survey data from US manufacturers. We find that greater use of interorganizational systems (IOS) is associated with greater outsourcing, but we do not find any main effects between internal IT and outsourcing. A negative interaction effect is found between measures of internal IT and IOS, suggesting that the two may be substitutes rather than complements. This distinction between internal IT and IOS, and the relationship of the two, offers scholars a more nuanced understanding of the nature and impacts of IT. It provides managers insight into how different types of IT can support different sourcing options.

Strategy, networks and systems in the global translation services market

Abstract: The globalisation of markets has led to an increased demand for language translation services that support and enable communication between economic partners. For example, technical documents, software systems, business documents and web sites all need to be translated into multiple languages for individual national markets, and the information that they contain changes periodically. This paper sets out a theoretical framework that describes the architectures of business processes within and between separate firms that are used to support the delivery and management of services. This is done by coordinating the fit between externally generated problem complexity, from customers, and the internally generated complexity of different potential network configuration solutions. The theoretical framework is an architecture of how complexity is generated and managed at the different structural levels and across the different processual stages of an industry. A case study of thebigword, a major international translation services company, illustrates how the framework is applied in practice. The case study analyses the implementation of an electronic market platform which enables the coordination of the different stakeholders involved in the translation services market. These stakeholders include translators, translation services companies and their clients in a global business network.

Opening up design science: The challenge of designing for reuse and joint development

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to advance design science by developing a framework for research on reuse and the relationship between external IT artifacts and their users. A design science approach to IS research needs to grapple with the fact that a number of relevant, economically attractive, external IT artifacts cannot be designed from scratch nor meaningfully evaluated based on the current state of development, and so design science research will struggle with incomplete cycles of design, relevance, and rigor. We suggest a strategic research agenda that integrates the design of the relationship between an external IT artifact and the user by considering the impact artifacts exert on users. Three dimensions derived from adaptive structuration theory inform our framework on three levels of design granularity (middle management, top management, and entrepreneur): agenda considers the dynamic properties of technological objects, adaptability refers to the functional affordance of external artifacts in development, and auspice captures the symbolic expression and scope for interpretation. We derive implications for research design.

Facts, myths and thought-styles... and a rallying cry for civic engagement

Abstract: This polemic concludes with two programmatic recommendations for the Information Systems (IS) field. First, a call for more research in the public services, and for greater civic engagement generally; second, that we shake off our enchantment with Theory, not least in the interests of dissemination and communication, especially with non-academic audiences. Our critique of theory uses Barthes' structuralism to argue that theories are myths which order, interpret and normalise the world. Leading into this, we address the fundamental question ''what is a fact'', drawing on the epistemology of Ludwik Fleck (his concepts of thought-style and thought-collective in particular) which we believe deserves more recognition in IS. The empirical material for our analyses comes from two case studies, both from the domain of child protection in the UK. The paper is introduced with a brief exposition of the myth that information systems are fact-repositories. We stress that, though based on domestic examples, our messages are universal and strategic for the field. To set the scene, the paper opens with some lines from Aeschylus, describing a mythical event at the outset of Agamemnon's ill-fated Trojan campaign.

Information systems in the public sector

Abstract: Despite the burgeoning number of studies of public sector information systems, very few scholars have focussed on the relationship between e-Government policies and information systems choice and d...