Showing papers in "Management Information Systems Quarterly in 2000"

A resource-based perspective on information technology capability and firm performance: an empirical investigation

Abstract: The resource-based view of the firm attributes superior financial performance to organizational resources and capabilities. This paper develops the concept of IT as an organizational capability and empirically examines the association between IT capability and firm performance. Firm specific IT resources are classified as IT infrastructure, human IT resources, and IT-enabled intangibles. A matched-sample comparison group methodology and publicly available ratings are used to assess IT capability and firm performance. Results indicate that firms with high IT capability tend to outperform a control sample of firms on a variety of profit and cost-based performance measures.

Why don't men ever stop to ask for directions? Gender, social influence, and their role in technology acceptance and usage behavior

Abstract: Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this research investigated gender differences in the overlooked context of individual adoption and sustained usage of technology in the workplace. User reactions and technology usage behavior were studied over a five-month period among 342 workers being introduced to a new software system. At all three points of measurement, compared to women, men's technology usage deci

Time flies when you're having fun: cognitive absorption and beliefs about information technology usage 1

Abstract: Extant explanations of why users behave in particular ways toward information technologies have tended to focus predominantly on instrumental beliefs as drivers of individual usage intentions. Prior work in individual psychology, however, suggests that holistic experiences with technology as captured in constructs such as enjoyment and flow are potentially important explanatory variables in technology acceptance theories. In this paper, we describe a multi-dimensional construct labeled cognitive absorption and defined as a state of deep involvement with software. Cognitive absorption, theorized as being exhibited through the five dimensions of temporal dissociation, focused immersion, heightened enjoyment, control, and curiosity, is posited to be a proximal antecedent of two important beliefs about technology use: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. In addition, we propose that the individual traits of playfulness and personal innovativeness are important determinants of cognitive absorption. Based on the conceptual definition of this construct, operational measures for each dimension are developed. Using the World Wide Web as the target technology, scale validation indicates that the operational measures have acceptable psychometric properties and confirmatory factor analysis supports the proposed multi-dimensional structure. Structural equation analysis provides evidence for the theorized nomological net of cognitive absorption. Theoretical and practical implications are offered

Factors that influence the social dimension of alignment between business and information technology objectives

Abstract: The establishment of strong alignment between information technology (IT) and organizational objectives has consistently been reported as one of the key concerns of information systems managers. This paper presents findings from a study which investigated the influence of several factors on the social dimension of alignment within 10 business units in the Canadian life insurance industry. The social dimension of alignment refers 'Lynda M. Applegate was the accepting senior editor for this paper. to the state in which business and IT executives understand and are committed to the business and IT mission, objectives, and plans. The research model included four factors that would potentially influence alignment: (1) shared domain knowledge between business and IT executives, (2) IT implementation success, (3) communication between business and IT executives, and (4) connections between business and IT planning processes. The outcome, alignment, was operationalized in two ways: the degree of mutual understanding of current objectives (shortterm alignment) and the congruence of IT vision (long-term alignment) between business and IT executives. A total of 57 semi-structured interviews were held with 45 informants. Written business and IT strategic plans, minutes from IT steering committee meetings, and other strategy documents were collected and analyzed from each of the 10 business units. All four factors in the model (shared domain knowledge, IT implementation success, communication between business and IT executives, and connections between business and IT planning) were found to influence short-term alignment. Only shared domain knowledge was found to influence long-term alignment A new factor, strategic business plans, was found to influence both short and long-term alignment. MIS Quarterly Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 81-113/March 2000 81 I~~~~~fl This content downloaded from 207.46.13.115 on Sat, 08 Oct 2016 04:53:48 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Reich & Benbasat/Alignment Between Business and IT Objectives The findings suggest that both practitioners and researchers should direct significant effort toward understanding shared domain knowledge, the factor which had the strongest influence on the alignment between IT and business executives. There is also a call for further research into the creation of an IT vision.

A cross-cultural study on escalation of commitment behavior in software projects

Abstract: One of the most challenging decisions that a manager must confront is whether to continue or abandon a troubled project. Published studies suggest that failing software projects are often allowed to continue for too long before appropriate management action is taken to discontinue or redirect the efforts. The level of sunk cost associated with such projects has been offered as one explanation for this escalation of commitment behavior. What prior studies fail to consider is how concepts from risk-taking theory (such as risk propensity and risk perception) affect decision makers' willingness to continue a project under conditions of sunk cost. To better understand factors that may cause decision makers to continue such projects, this study examines the level of sunk cost together with the risk propensity and risk perception of decision makers. These factors are assessed for cross-cultural robustness using matching laboratory experiments carried out in three cultures (Finland, the Netherlands, and Singapore). With a wider set of explanatory factors than prior studies, we could account for a higher amount of variance in decision makers' willingness to continue a project. The level of sunk cost and the risk perception of decision makers contributed significantly to their willingness to continue a project. Moreover, the risk propensity of decision makers was inversely related to risk perception. This inverse relationship was significantly stronger in Singapore (a low uncertainty avoidance culture) than in Finland and the Netherlands (high uncertainty avoidance cultures). These results reveal that some factors behind decision makers' willingness to continue a project are consistent across cultures while others may be culture-sensitive. Implications of these results for further research and practice are discussed.

One road to turnover: an examination of work exhaustion in technology professionals

Abstract: The concept of work exhaustion (or job burnout) from the management and psychology research literature is examined in the context of technology professionals. Data were collected from 270 IT professionals and managers in various industries across the United States. Through structural equation modeling, work exhaustion was shown to partially mediate the effects of workplace factors on turnover intention. In addition, the results of the study revealed that: (1) technology professionals experiencing higher levels of exhaustion reported higher intentions to leave the job and, (2) of the variables expected to influence exhaus

Technology adaption: the case of a computer-supported inter-organizational virtual team 1

Abstract: The adaptation process for new technology is not yet well understood. This study analyzes how an inter-organizational virtual team, tasked with creating a highly innovative product over a 10 month period, adapted the use of a collaborative technology and successfully achieved its challenging objectives. The study of such a virtual team is especially useful for extending our understanding of the adaptation process as virtual teams have more malleable structures than typical organizational units and controlled group experiments. Data were obtained from observations of weekly virtual meetings, electronic log files, interviews, and weekly questionnaires administered to team members. We found that the team initially experienced significant misalignments among the pre-existing organizational environment, group, and technology structures. To resolve these misalignments, the team modified the organizational environment and group structures, leaving the technology structure intact. However, as the team proceeded, a series of events unfolded that caused the team to reevaluate and further modify its structures. This final set of modifications involved reverting back to the pre-existing organizational environment, while new technology and group structures emerged as different from both the pre-existing and the initial ones. A new model of the adaptation process-one that integrates these findings and those of several previous models-is proposed.

A confessional account of an ethnography about knowledge work

Abstract: Information systems research has traditionally focused on information as an object that serves as input to decision making. Such a perspective attends mainly to the use of information. Increasingly, however, organizations are concerned about the production of information. This paper focuses on the work of producing informational objects, an activity central to knowledge work. Based on data collected during an eight-month ethnographic study of three groups of knowledge workers-computer system administrators, competitive intelligence analysts, and librarians-I explore the informing practices they relied upon. These are identified as ex-pressing, monitoring, and translating. Common to these informing practices is the knowledge workers' endeavor to balance subjectivity and objectivity, where subjectivity is a necessary part of doing value adding work and objectivity promises workers authority and a sense of security.

Why software projects escalate: an empirical analysis and test of four theoretical models 1,2

Abstract: Software projects can often spiral out of control to become "runaway systems" that far exceed original budget and schedule projections. The behavior that underlies many runaway systems can best be characterized as "escalation of commitment to a failing course of action." The objectives of this study were to: (1) understand the extent to which IS projects are prone to escalate, (2) compare the outcomes of projects that escalate with those that do not, and (3) test whether constructs associated with different theories of escalation can be used to discriminate between projects that escalate and those that do not. A survey was administered to IS audit and control professionals and, to establish a baseline for comparison, the survey was designed to gather data on projects that did not escalate as well as those that did escalate. The results of our research suggest that between 30% and 40% of all IS projects exhibit some degree of escalation. Projects that escalated had project outcomes that were significantly worse in terms of perceived implementation performance and perceived budget/schedule performance, as compared to projects that did not escalate. Using constructs from theories that have been used to explain the escalation phenomenon, we were able to test various logistic regression models for their ability to discriminate between projects that escalate and those that do not. To construct our models, we explored constructs derived from self-justification theory, prospect theory, agency theory, and approach avoidance theory. While constructs derived from all four theories were significant in logistic regression models, the completion effect construct derived from approach avoidance theory provided the best classification of projects, correctly classifying over 70% of both escalated and non-escalated projects.

Quality management in systems development: an organizational system perspective

Abstract: We identify top management leadership, a sophisticated management infrastructure, process management efficacy, and stakeholder participation as important elements of a quality-oriented organizational system for software development. A model interrelating these constructs and quality performance is proposed. Data collected through a national survey of IS executives in Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies was used to test the model using a Partial Least Squares analysis methodology. Our results suggest that software quality goals are best attained when top management creates a management infrastructure that promotes improvements in process design and encourages stakeholders to evolve the design of the development processes. Our results also suggest that all elements of the organizational system need to be developed in order to attain quality goals and that piecemeal adoption of select quality management practices are unlikely to be effective. Implications of this research for IS theory and practice are discussed.

Understanding computer-mediated discussions: positivist and interpretive analyses of group support system use

Abstract: This research considers whether interpretive techniques can be used to enhance our understanding of computer-mediated discussions. The case study considered in this research is the use of a group support system (GSS) to support employee discussions about gender equity in a university. Transcripts of the four discussions were analyzed

Options analysis of software platform decisions: a case study

Abstract: In recent years, the use of option pricing models to support IT investment decisions has been proposed in the MIS literature. In this paper, we discuss the practical advantages of such techniques for the selection of a software platform. First, we argue that traditional quantitative approaches to a cost-benefit analysis give only a partial picture of such decision situations: due to the long planning horizon required because of the time-consuming and resource-intensive implementation process, it is not possible to exactly predict which applications will, in fact, run on the system over time. Thus, the investor is faced with the problem of valuing "implementation opportunities." We then compare different valuation techniques for this task and discuss their respective advantages and drawbacks. The practical advantages of employing such models are demonstrated by describing a real-life case study where option pricing models were used for deciding whether to continue employing SAP R/2 or to switch to SAP R/3.

Justifying electronic banking network expansion using real options analysis

Abstract: The application of real options analysis to information technology investment evaluation problems recently has been proposed in the IS literature (Chalasani et al 1997; Dos Santos 1991; Kambil et al 1993; Kumar 1996; Taudes 1998) The research reported on in this paper illustrates the value of applying real options analysis in the context of a case study involving the deployment of point-of-sale (POS) debit services by the Yankee 24 shared electronic banking network of New England In the course of so doing, the paper also attempts to operationalize real options analysis concepts by examining claimed strengths of this analysis approach and balancing them against methodological difficulties that this approach is believed to involve The research employs a version of the Black-Scholes option pricing model that is adjusted for risk-averse investors, showing how it is possible to obtain reliable values for Yankee 24's "investment timing option," even in the absence of a market to price it To gather evidence for the existence of the timing option, basic scenario assumptions, and the parameters of the adjusted Black-Scholes model, a structured interview format was developed The results obtained using real options analysis enabled the network's senior management to identify conditions for which entry into the POS debit market would be profitable These results also indicated that, in the absence of formal evaluation of the timing option, traditional approaches for evaluating information technology investments would have produced the wrong recommendations

The effect of multimedia on perceived equivocality and perceived usefulness of information systems

Abstract: With the advent of multimedia and intranet technologies, managers and information systems designers face a new challenge: how to capture and present information using a variety of representation formats (text, graphics, audio, video, and animations) so that members of an organization can make better sense out of the information available. In this study, we develop a task-representation fit model to generate several predictions about the potential of multimedia to alleviate the limitations of text-based information in the context of individual decision makers utilizing organizational data and test them in a laboratory experiment. Results support the task-representation fit relationships predicted. For analyzable tasks, text-based representation and multimedia representation are equally effective in reducing perceived equivocality levels. For less-analyzable tasks, only multimedia representation was instrumental in reducing perceived equivocality levels.

Data warehousing supports corporate strategy at first American corporation 1,2

Abstract: From 1990 through 1998, First American Corporation (FAC) changed its corporate strategy from a traditional banking approach to a customer relationship-oriented strategy that placed FAC.s customers at the center of all aspects of the company's operations. The transformation made FAC's an innovative leader in the financial services industry. This case study describes FAC's transformation and the way in which a data warehouse called VISION helped make it happen. FAC's experiences suggest lessons for managers who plan to use technology to support changes that are designed to significantly improve organizational performance. In addition, they raise interesting questions about the means by which information technology can be used to gain competitive advantage.

De-escalating information technology projects: lessons from the Denver International Airport

Abstract: Project failure in the information technology area is a costly problem, and troubled projects are not uncommon. In many cases, these projects seem to take on a life of their own, continuing to absorb valuable resources, while failing to deliver any real business value. While prior research has shown that managers can easily become locked into a cycle of escalating commitment to a failing course of action, there has been comparatively little research on de-escalation, or the process of breaking such a cycle. Through de-escalation, troubled projects may be successfully turned around or sensibly abandoned. This study seeks to understand the process of de-escalation and to establish a model for turning around troubled projects that has both theoretical and practical significance. Through a longitudinal case study of the IT-based baggage handling system at Denver International Airport (DIA), we gathered qualitative data on the de-escalation of commitment to a failing course of action, allowing us to inductively develop a model of the de-escalation process as it unfolded at DIA. The model reveals de-escalation as a four-phase process: (1) problem recognition, (2) re-examination of prior course of action, (3) search for alternative course of action, and (4) implementing an exit strategy. For each phase of the model, we identified key activities that may enable de-escalation to move forward. Implications of this model for both research and practice are discussed.

Aligning the IT human resource with business vision: the leadership initiative at 3M

Abstract: Increasingly, business leaders are demanding that IT play the role of a business partner and a strategic enabler. In such an environment, IT human capital has assumed considerable significance. Insightful IT leaders recognize that the greatest impediments to success are often related to people rather than to information, technology, and systems. What is not quite clear to IT leaders, however, is exactly how to develop and leverage this human capital in support of business needs. The transformation of IT from a back-office support role to a strategic business partner requires new roles and competencies for IT leaders and professionals. Key challenges for IT leaders are to envision these roles and competencies and to develop and implement programs to translate this vision to reality. This paper describes the IT human resource vision that is guiding such a transformation at 3M-a large multi-product, diversified manufacturing firm (1998 sales: $15 billion)-and focuses on the implementation of its leadership initiative. This initiative was instrumental in not only allowing 3M to develop needed skills and behaviors among its IT professionals, it also helped 3M evade an industry-wide recruitment and retention trend. The major conceptual models guiding the leadership initiative as well as implementation details are presented. Challenges encountered on the way and the lessons learned from the journey are discussed. 3M's experiences provide opportunities for managers in other organizations to develop valuable insights regarding the management of human capital in IT.

Information technology development creativity: a case study of attempted radical change

Abstract: Many calls for reengineering suggest that information technology (IT) can be employed to enable significant organizational change. However, organizational inertia typically inhibits such change, resulting in IT development that reflects the organizational status quo. Of interest, then, are strategies and techniques that can be employed to support IT-enabled reengineering. Key to such reengineering is creativity. Therefore, this paper attempts to better understand creativity during IT requirements and logical design phases, at which time reengineering can be devised. A creativity model is adapted from the organizational literature and used to interpret the requirements gathering and logical design experiences of a firm attempting to reengineer its operations through the use of imaging technology. A comparison of creativity and traditional IT development viewpoints reveals significant differences as well as similarities. Insight resulting from this exercise is offered to help managers and researchers identify important variables and relationships in the IT development creativity management process. The model, and future associated research, can help researchers and managers: (1) determine to what degree creative IT requirements and logical design is feasible in a given organizational context and (2) plan and execute a creative IT requirements and logical design process.

Understanding software operations support expertise: a revealed causal mapping approach

Abstract: This paper utilizes a qualitative methodology, revealed causal mapping (RCM), to investigate the phenomenon of software operations support expertise. Software operations support is a large portion of the IS work performed in organizations. While we as researchers have access to generalized theories and frameworks of expertise, very little is known about expertise in this critical area. To understand software operations support expertise, a mid-range theory is evoked from interviews with experts and the construction of RCMs from those interviews. The results of this study indicate that software operation support expertise is comprised of five major constructs: personal competencies, environmental factors, support personnel motivation, IS policies, and support personnel outcomes. Additionally, this study revealed that these constructs interact differently in contexts where software support is the main activity versus contexts where the focus is development. This study demonstrates that the use of the RCM methodology yields constructs of software operations support expertise that are not suggested by generalized theory. In addition, the use of RCM as an evocative, qualitative methodology reveals the interaction and linkages between these constructs. This paper also provides a history of and tutorial to the RCM methodology for use by the research community.

Understanding GDSS in symbolic context: shifting the focus from technology to interaction

Abstract: GDSS has enjoyed about a decade and a half of vigorous research activity. Throughout this time, a problem that has occupied the research community is the inconsistent research results that have been obtained. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the reason for these inconsistencies is rooted in the epistemological mode that has prevailed and to offer an alternative epistemological lens that might help advance our understanding of GDSS use and research. Using qualitative research methods and a symbolic interactionist theoretical basis, this paper examines how a particular group used a GDSS over two meetings. The findings indicate that GDSS use may result in reactions from its users that are difficult to capture using conventional methodological assumptions, thereby helping explain why past results have not been consistent. Based on these findings, a shift in focus is advocated from an emphasis on the technology to an emphasis on human interaction, one that embraces the reasons underlying past inconsistencies rather than attempting to overcome them.

System life expectancy and the maintenance effort: exploring their equilibration

Abstract: Aging information systems are expensive to maintain and most are eventually retired and replaced. But what determines (in the choices made by managers) whether and when a system reaches end-of-life? What shapes managers' judgements about a system's remaining life expectancy and do these judgments influence the maintenance effort itself? System maintenance and prospective replacement are examined here in new terms, positing that managers "equilibrate" (balance) their allocation of maintenance effort with their expectations of a system's remaining life. Drawing from data on 758 systems among 54 organizations, support is found for an exploratory structural equation model in which the relationship between maintenance effort and remaining life expectancy is newly explained. A "portfolio effect," reflecting a system's familial complexity, is also found to be directly and positively related to the maintenance effort. A further finding is that a system's size is directly and positively associated with its remaining life expectancy. Notwithstanding normative research suggesting the contrary, larger systems may tend to be longer-lived than smaller systems. Practically, the suggestion is made that better documented and monitored portfolios, together with regular, periodic performance assessments, can lead to better management of systems' life cycles.

Is a map more than a picture? the role of SDSS technology, subject characteristics, and problem complexity on map reading and problem solving 1

Abstract: This research investigated how the use of a spatial decision support system (SDSS)-a type of geographic information system (GIS)-influenced the accuracy and efficiency of different types of problem solvers (i.e., professionals versus students) completing problems of varied complexity. This research-first to simultaneously study these variables-examined subjects who completed a problem involving spatially-referenced information. The experiment was guided by a research model synthesized from various perspectives, including the theory of cognitive fit, prior research on map reading and interpretation, and research examining subject expertise and experience. The results are largely supportive of the research model and demonstrate that SDSS, an increasingly important class of management decision-making technology, increased the efficiency of users working on more complex problems. Professionals were found to be more accurate but less efficient than students; however, professionals who used the SDSS were no more accurate than professionals using paper maps. Need for cognition, a construct that focuses on an individual's willingness to engage in problem solving tasks, was found to be marginally related to accuracy. The implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are presented and discussed.

The supply and demand of information systems doctorates: past, present, and future

Abstract: This paper reports on a survey of North American IS programs and secondary data assessing the supply and demand of Information Systems (IS) doctorates. The data document a large and growing lack of supply to meet current and future demand. Demographic factors-including the number of university students, their selection of majors, and retirements among IS faculty-favor a probable scenario for continuing strong demand for IS faculty in the longer term. We argue that the severe imbalance will continue if the current state of the economy and businesses' need for technically-savvy managers continues. Implications and recommendations are presented for ensuring the long-term health of the IS discipline in addressing this imbalance.

Editors comments: irreducibly sociological dimensions in research and publishing

Abstract: Editors can behave in unexpected ways. An editor can accept for publication a research paper that falls in a school of thought with which he actually disagrees. An editor can manage the review process for a research paper that lies outside of her expertise. I have done these and other things that have caused some people to express surprise. There are reasons, of course, for my behavior. The reasons have to do with my understanding of our overall research enterprise. As an editor, I have been mindful of the larger research structure in which I merely occupy a role. Research unfolds in this overall structure. A single person—whether an editor-in-chief or a person with a freshly minted doctorate—hardly exercises complete free will in the sorts of research questions, theories, and methods that he or she may choose to entertain. A research structure, consisting of these and other elements, is already in existence and its use is sanctioned by established researchers. Another dimension to our research enterprise is related to what has been called the \" natural science model \" of research. According to this model, researchers concern themselves with a theory to explain and predict a phenomenon, where their research activity generally consists of articulating or refining the theory so that it may more accurately explain and predict the phenomenon. The needs of the current theory (refining, articulating, and extending it) provide the focal point for further research activity, hence specifying future research directions. Kuhn (1962) calls this activity \" puzzle solving \" and \" normal science. \" It is a research process that runs on its own momentum, where the normal activity of identifying where the current theory needs more work has the effect of setting the research agenda for the scientific community. Only when normal science fails to improve a theory, such that it encounters more and more situations it actually fails to explain or predict, would the theory be rejected and a new one erected in its place (Kuhn calls this very occasional activity \" revolutionary science \"). In my understanding, most of our information systems (IS) research community subscribes to the natural science model. Good examples of puzzle solving and normal science can be found in the stream of research on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the stream of research in GSS investigating the impact of technology on decision quality, the stream of research on information …