Showing papers in "Management Information Systems Quarterly in 1994"

Computer-mediated collaborative learning: an empirical evaluation

Abstract: National commissions and scholarly reports on the status of contemporary higher education have frequently been critical of the college experience; the emphasis on transmitting fixed bodies of information and a failure to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills have been cited as serious weaknesses in higher education systems. Colleges and universities have additional reasons to redevelop central pedagogies for students. Individuals need to learn at higher rates of effectiveness and efficiency than ever before because of rapidly growing bodies of relevant information and the escalation of knowledge and skill requirements for most jobs.Recent developments incomputer hardware, software, and communication technologies create exciting new opportunities for the educational use of these technologies. The objective of this study is to go beyond the traditional classroom instructional modesl (e.g., lectures and class discussions) to develop and evaluate computer-supported pedagogical approaches. More specifically, this study investigates whether the use of a group decision support system (GDSS) in a collaborative learning process enhances student learning and evaluation of classroom experiences.The findings of a study involving 127 MBA students indicate that GDSS-supported collaborative learning leads to higher levels of perceived skill development, self-reported learning, and evaluation of classroom experience in comparison with non-GDSS supported collaborative learning. Furthermore, the final test grades of the group of students who were exposed to GDSS-supported collaborative learning were significantly higher than those of the other groups of students who participated in the experiment.

A confirmatory factor analysis of the end-user computing satisfaction instrument

Abstract: The dimensionality of the user satisfaction construct is an important theoretical issue that has received considerable attention. Focusing on end users who directly interact with application software, Doll and Torkzadeah (1988) develop a 12-item application specific instrument for providing an overall assessment of end-user computing satisfaction (EUCS). They also contend that EUCS is comprised of five component measures (content, accuracy, format, ease of use, timeliness) that explain the construct and permit more precision in formulating and testing research hypotheses. The acceptance of the EUCS as a standardized instrument requires confirmation that it explains and measures the user satisfaction construct.Based on a sample of 409 respondents from 18 organizations, this research uses confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL) to test alternative models of underlying factor structure and assess the reliability and validity of factors and items. Without respecifying the model, the results provide some support for Doll and Torkzadeh's proposed model of the five first-order factors and one second-order (higher-order) factor. Thus the evidence supports the use of: (1) the 12-item instrument as an overall measure of EUCS; and (2) the five component factors for explaining the EUCS construct.

Measuring user participation, user involvement, and user attitude

Abstract: Defining user participation as the activities performed by users during systems development, user involvement as the importance and personal relevance of a system to its user, and user attitude as the affective evaluation of a system by the user, this study aims to: (1) develop separate measures of user participation, user involvement, and user attitude, (2) identify key dimensions of each construct, and (3) investigate the relationships among them. Responses from users in organizations developing new information systems were used to create an overall scale measuring user participation (along with three subscales reflecting the dimensions of responsibility, user-IS relationship, and hands-on activities), an overall scale measuring user involvement (along with two subscales reflecting the dimensions of importance and personal relevance), and a scale measuring user attitude. Analysis of the data provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the three constructs and their dimensions. User participation has long been considered a key variable in the successful development of information systems. However, past research has failed to clearly demonstrate its benefits. The measures developed in this study provide a useful starting point for deciphering the precise nature of the relationship among user participation, involvement, and attitude during systems implementation.

The influence of IT management practice on IT use in large organizations

Abstract: This paper draws upon the absorptive capacity as the theoretical basis for a pragmatic explanation of key factors affecting information technology (IT) use in large, complex organizations. IT use is defined as the extent to which an organization deploys IT to support operational and strategic tasks. The study uses results from a survey of senior IT managers from 132 firms to examine hypothesized relationships among the following constructs: IT management climate, managerial IT knowledge, IT-management-process effectiveness, and IT use. A structural-equation model is developed using LISREL to assess the relative effects of and interrelationships among these constructs. The study's findings indicate that managerial IT knowledge is a dominant factor in explaining high levels of IT use and that both managerial IT knowledge and IT-management-process effectiveness are influenced by IT management climate.

Electronic mail as a medium for rich communication: an empirical investigation using hermeneutic interpretation

Abstract: This study provides an account of how richness occurs in communication that uses electronic mail. In examining actual e-mail exchanged among managers in a corporation, the study interprets the managerial use of the communication medium of electronic mail as the users themselves understand and experience it. Employing the research approach of interpretivism in general and hermeneutics in particular, the study finds that richness or leanness is not an inherent property of the electronic-mail medium, but an emergent property of the interaction of the electronic-mail medium with its organizational context, where the interaction is described in terms of distanciation, autonomization, social construction, appropriation, and enactment.Conclusions and recommendations are that managers who receive e-mail are not passive recipients of data, but active producers of meaning; that the best or just an appropriate communication medium is not determined through an individual manager's exercise of rational decision making, but emerges as best or appropriate over time, over the course of the medium's interactions with many users; that systems professionals need to treat the managerial user of an e-mail system not merely as a client of information services, but also as a processor or co-processor to be integrated into the system design; and that information systems researchers need to dedicate attention to the actual processes by which the users of communication medium come to understand themselves, their own use of the medium, and their organizational context.

Alignment of the IS functions with the enterprise: toward a model of antecedents

Abstract: Identifying the best way to organize the IS functions within an enterprise has been a critical IS management issue since the mid-1980s. Yet to date, MIS researchers have offered little empirical evidence on which to base guidelines for the practitioner. This study seeks to explain a firm's IS organization design decision for a decentralized, centralized, or "hybrid" locus of responsibility from an expanded set of environmental, overall organizational, and IS-specific antecedants as well as a larger concept of organizational alignment. Potential antecedents are selected from prior contingency research and the IS literature; other variables emerge from the data collection. Data collected via on-site interviews from IS and general managers in six multi-divisional firms, paired by industry, confirm that centralized, decentralized, and hybrid IS structures exist -- but often not in ''pure'' form -- and that industry type is not a strong predictor. Data was also collected via survey form on the importance of potential antecedents for a recent IS design change in each firm. Based on both qualitative and quantitative data, four configurations are discussed; patterns of antecedents that are associated with (1) highly centralized or (2) highly decentralized IS structures; and patterns of antecdents that explain a firm's choice to (3) decentralize of (4) recentralize systems development and application planning functions in particular. A model based on these configurations is then proposed. The article concludes with implications for researchers and practioners .

Strategic information systems revisited: a study in sustainability and performance

Abstract: Sustainability of competitive advantage may be achieved by leveraging unique firm attributes with information technology to realize long-term performance gains. Information systems that cannot sustain competitive impact have only transient strategic value or may offer negative value if matched by a superior response by competitors. A research review of sustainability was conducted that resulted in the development of a framework depicting factors effecting sustainable competitive advantage. This study evaluate longitudinal changes in performance measures of 30 firms that have been cited as "classic" cases of strategic use of information technology. The results of this analysis indicate that not all of these classic cases can be touted as "sustained winners" Differences among strategic "sustainers" and "non-sustainers" were formally tested to determine those firm and/or industry factors that may be antecedents to sustained IT competitive advantage. Results indicate that managers must do more than simply assess the uniqueness or availability of emerging technological innovations in developing strategic IT plans. Specifically, the establishment of technological base along with substantial capital availability seem to be important prerequisites for "technologically derived" sustainability. Recognizing the need for a stronger prescriptive orientation to strategic IS, future research is outlined in an effort to develop a comprehensive framework that would link combinations of sustainability factors to actual performance.

The relationship between user participation and user satisfaction: an investigation of four contingency factors

Abstract: User participation has been widely touted by the MIS community as a means to improve user satisfaction with systems development. This claim, however, has not been consistently substantiated in the empirical literature. In seeking to explain such equivocal results, the effects of four contingency factors - task complexity, system complexity, user influence, and user-developer communication - on the relationship between user participation and user satisfaction were investigated. As suggested in the literature, this research tests hypotheses that these specific contingency factors should aid in identifying situations where user participation would have a strong relationship with satisfaction.Analysis of 151 independent system development projects in eight different organizations indicated that user participation has a direct relationship with user satisfaction. In addition, the four contingency factors were found to play key roles on this relationship. Task complexity and system complexity proved to be pure motivators. That is, the strength of the participation-satisfaction relationship depended on the level of these factors. In projects where there was a high level of task complexity or system complexity, the relationship between user participation and user satisfaction was signifiantly stronger than in projects where task complexity or system complexity was low. User influence and user-developer communication were shown to be independent predictors of user satisfaction. That is, user influence or user-developer communication was positively related to user satisfaction regardless of the level of participation.The results help explain the relationship between user participation and user satisfaction by suggesting the nature of the relationship under different sets of conditions. The implications are relevant to system developers and to academicians seeking to explain how, when, why, and where user participation is needed.

Reengineering: business change of mythic proportions?

Abstract: Reengineering is a powerful change approach that can bring about radical improvement sin business processes. However, the popular management literature has created more myth than practical methodology regarding reengineering. It has relied more heavily on hype than on research, common sense, or lessons of the past. In this paper, we attempt to "demythologize" some key aspects of reengineering by describing what we have observed in our research and practice. Seven reengineering myths are identified, discussed, and dispelled. By separating rhetoric from reality, we hope to help others to have reasonable expectations for success with their reengineering initiatives.

Software evaluation and choice: predictive validation of the technology acceptance instrument

Abstract: Information technology (IT) researchers repeatedly insist upon the rigorous validation of measuring instruments, yet most IT instruments remain at an early stage of development.The Technology Acceptance Model indicate that perceived usefulness and ease of use will influence an individual's intentios to use an information technology. This research introduces a criterion variable that measures intentions as a choice among sevearl alternatives with subjects actually expecting to use their choice.

Realizing emancipatory principles in information systems development: the case for ETHICS

Abstract: Information systems development methodologies have been the subject of much attention over the .years.. A substantial body of research has focused on the need to develop methodologies that support viewing information systems as social constructs, and information systems development (ISD) as a social process. But if development a social process, what principles~ideals should inform it? Recent research has called for "emancipatory" ideals to be included. This debate can be expanded to explore not only what emancipatory principles might be applied in information systems development, but also how. Existing ISD methodologies only partially embrace emancipatory principles. One of these--ETHiCSseems the most likely candidate to be extended or "reformulated" to achieve emancipatory ideals more comprehensively. Organizations using this reformulated version of ETHICS should make some progress advancing emancipation while at the same time confronting limited resources and the presence of power and authority. The approach undertaken here is generic; researchers can similarly apply these reformulation techniques to other methodologies based on other paradigms.

Work experiences, job involvement, and quality of work life among information systems personnel

Abstract: This study assesses the job involvement of 464 professionals and managers in the information systems (IS) field and investigates the role of involvement in influencing the quality of work life. Results show significant variation in the level of job involvement displayed by IS employees and differential patterns of relationships among the work variables for IS personnel with low, moderate, and high levels of job involvement. The findings indicate that involvement serves as a complex moderator role in the pattern of relationships of work experiences, and job characteristics with career expectations and career outcomes. It has both linear and non-linear relationships with sevearl of the study variables. While in some cases, high levels of job involvement tend to enhance the beneficial effects of work experiences on the quality of work life, in others such involvement tends to heighten the negative effects of role stressors. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Business reengineering at CIGNA Corporation: experiences and lessons learned from the first five years

Abstract: Considerable uncertainty and confusion exists about what business reengineering is and when it succeeds. This paper provides a longitudinal view of CIGNA Corporation's experiences in business reengineering since 1989. CIGNA is a leading provider of insurance and related financial services throughout the United States and the world. Between 1989 and 1993, CIGNA completed over 20 reengineering initiatives, saving more than $100 million. Each $1 invested in reengineering has ultimately brought $2-3 in returned benefits. This article describes projects with major payoffs: operating expenses reduced by 42%, cycle times improved by 100%, customer satisfaction up by 50%, quality improvements of 75%. It also highlights how CIGNA's reengineering started small and how learning was used to escalate from this quick hit to reengineering larger and more complex parts of the organization. CIGNA's reengineering successes have also required a willingness to allow failure and learn from failures. Only about 50% of the reengineering efforts bring the type of benefits expected initially. Repeated trials are often necessary. CIGNA's lessons can help other firms anticipate what they will experience as they ascend the learning curve of business reengineering.

Computerized loan origination systems: an industry case study of the electronic markets hypothesis

Abstract: Much has been written in recent years about the changes in corporate strategies and industry structures associated with electronic coordination of market activities. This paper considers the advent of electronic market coordination in the home mortgage industry, focusing on Computerized Loan Origination (CLO) systems. Case studies of five CLOs (First Boston's Shelternet, PRC's Loan Express, American Financial Network's Rennie Mae, Prudential's CLOS, and Citicorp's Mortgage Power Plus) reveal a range of system functionalities. Predictions from the Electronic Markets Hypothesis (EMH) are tested against the empirical results of the five case studies. As suggested by the EMH, financial intermediaries have been threatened by the introduction of CLOs, and in some cases, opposition has been mounted against the systems. On the other hand, despite the availability of the technology and mortgages' seemingly favorable characteristics as an electronically mediated market product, the industry has not been fundamentally changed by the introduction of these systems, despite more than a decade of experience with them. Of the two case studies that could be characterized as electronic markets, neither continues to exist in that form today. And the system with the largest dollar volume of mortgages of the five is best characterized as an electronic hierarchy. These results suggest that either the full results predicted by the EMH require a longer gestation period or that the underlying hypothesis will require augmentation in order to fully explain the results in the home mortgage market.

Gender differences in the information systems managerial ranks: an assessment of potential discriminatory practices

Abstract: This paper examines the extent to which gender discrimination is a force affecting the senior managerial ranks of the information systems (IS) occupation. While the employment trends of women in the IS occupation is encouraging, data are presented that suggest that IS may not be immune to the problems of gender discrimination. Analyzing data gathered by the Society for Information Management (SIM), a problem suggestive of discriminatory practices was found. Women receive lower salaries than men even when job level, age, education, and work experience are controlled.

Conceptual versus procedural software training for graphical user interfaces: a longitudinal field experiment

Abstract: Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are rapidly becoming ubiquitous in organizations. Most of what we know about software training comes from studies of command line interfaces. This paper compares concept-based versus procedure-based content of training materials. Concept-based materials define the nature and associations of the objects in the interface, while procedure-based materials define how specific tasks are carried out. This comparison was done using a field experiement. Eighty-two volunteers participated in a three-week Windows training program and completed a follow-up questionnaire seven months later. The results show that the amount learned in such sessions is a function of neither concept-based nor procedure-based training. GUI training should provide both kinds of information because trainees need to learn both. In addition, trainers should be aware of an apparent early pateau in learning of the Windows GUI.

An exploratory study of roles in computer-supported groups

Abstract: The emerging technology of group support systems has the potential to enhance the effectivenss of team work in organizations. One critical factor that has received little attention in technology-supported environments is that of the roles that participants fill in meetings. This paper develops a theoretical model of roles in computer-supported meetings and examines the impact of a group support system on roles. An exploratory field study of 10 work teams was conducted to investigate the perceptions of participants about their own roles and the roles that the group support system technology might fill. The study found a gap between the role expectations of meeting initiators and meeting participants, as well as between participants' role expectations and actual roles filled. The group support system technology was perceived to fill an unexpectedly large variety of roles. The study also showed that the group support system assumed some of the roles that participants expected to fill, resulting in fewer roles filled by participants.

The French videotex system Minitel: a successful implementation of a national information technology infrastructure

Abstract: Building an advanced national information technology infrastructure can provide a competitive advantage for the countries that develop it as well as for the companies that operate in those countries. This article describes the development of the French national videotex system Teletel, also known as Minitel. The factors-technical and political-that make Teletel successful are explained and contrasted against other national videotex systems that became commercial failures. Political intrigue, technical capability, creative choices, and the deep pockets of a government-owned utility are all part of the Teletel story.

Competing through EDI at Brun Passot: achievements in France and ambitions for the single European market

Abstract: To differentiate its customer service, Brun Passot, a small French company specializing in the distribution of office supplies, developed a set of telepurchasing applications. In 1982, it launched Bureautel, a videotex-based service that allows customers to electronically place their orders. In 1986, at the request of its large customers, it developed a PC-based ervice, then in 1989 an advanced electronic data interchange (EDI) application linking customers to its supply information system. These services allow data on products availability, price lists, orders, acknoledgement receipts, delivery notices, invoices, and related bank payments to be electronically transmitted. Using ISDN, they also make it possible to look up the photos of the 12,000 products that Brun Passot markets.This article illustrates how a small-sized company has used IT to improve the quality of its customer service, shorten lead time and reduce management costs, as well as create new business opportunities in France. It also raises some issues related to the adoption and diffusion of EDI, and presents Brun Passot ambitions to use this technology as the ''trojan horse'' to expand its geographical coverage. The expected fall of mobility barriers within the European Community, leading to the formation of the single European market, presents for Brun Passot a unique business opportunity to further leverage its IT infrastructure and gain new markets.

Perceptions of the benefits from the introduction of CASE: an empirical study

Abstract: This article describes one UK company's commitment to a computer-aided software (CASE) approach. Three conclusions are drawn. First, there were considerable productivity and quality gains associated with the introduction of CASE: 85% improvement in productivity was recorded, system delivery times were reduced by 70%, and quality improved significantly. Second, these improvements were not fully recognized by the customers and developers. Third, the developers thought that the introduction of CASE had made their jobs more interesting and made them more effective. Conclusions are also drawn regarding the human resource, technical, and managerial infrastructural factors of importance to the successful introduction of CASE methodologies.

Creating and sustaining a global community of scholars

Abstract: Against the backdrop of a brief history of communities of scholars, the shortcomings of the current intellectual infrastructure are discussed in this paper. This system is deeply rooted in printed matter, the postal system, and physical knowledge stores. As a result of the deficiencies of this infrastructure, many scholars, practitioners, and students have limited opportunities to participate in creating and sharing information. The Internet is put forward as the foundation of a new intellectual infrastructure that will overcome many of the problems of the old system. The significant benefits to be gained from redesigning the intellectual infrastructure are discussed. Some of the possible implications for universities and scholarly careers are considered.

A multimedia solution to productivity gridlock: a re-engineered jewelry appraisal system at Zale Corporation

Abstract: Zale corporation once melted down most of its damaged, returned, or repossessed jewelry, resulting in substantial lost revenues. It was determined that additional revenue could be produced from salvageable jewelry if the value of the items could be accurately determined. This meant the jewelry had to be appraised by experienced gemologists to determine the most profitable disposition. The gemologists' productivity suffered because the appraisal was extremely labor intensive. To address this problem, an automated multimedia system utilizing electronically linked measuring instruments, voice recognition, and interconnected LAN databases was developed. Although the unique voice recognition feature of the system was later abandoned, the use of the system enhanced productivity. This paper describes the systems development, its subsequent evolution, and the lessons learned form the process.