A socio‐cognitive interpretation of the potential effects of downsizing on software quality performance

Organizational downsizing research indicates that downsizing does not always realize its strategic intent and may, in fact, have a detrimental impact on organizational performance. In this paper, we extend the notion that downsizing negatively impacts performance and argue that organizational downsizing can potentially be detrimental to software quality performance. Using social cognitive theory (SCT), we primarily interpret the negative impacts of downsizing on software quality performance by arguing that downsizing results in a realignment of social networks (environmental factors), thereby affecting the self‐efficacy and outcome expectations of a software professional (personal factors), which, in turn, affect software quality performance (outcome of behaviour undertaken). We synthesize relevant literature from the software quality, SCT and downsizing research streams and develop a conceptual model. Two major impacts of downsizing are hypothesized in the conceptual model. First, downsizing destroys formal and informal social networks in organizations, which, in turn, negatively impacts software developers' self‐efficacy and outcome expectations through their antecedents, with consequent negative impacts on software development process efficiency and software product quality, the two major components of software quality performance. Second, downsizing negatively affects antecedents of software development process efficiency, namely top management leadership, management infrastructure sophistication, process management efficacy and stakeholder participation with consequent negative impacts on software quality performance. This theoretically grounded discourse can help demonstrate how organizational downsizing can potentially impact software quality performance through key intervening constructs. We also discuss how downsizing and other intervening constructs can be managed to mitigate the negative impacts of downsizing on software quality performance.     

Associating organizational strategic performance with information technology investment: an exploratory research

In the last twenty years, firms have witnessed an explosive growth in information technology (IT) investment. This is true both for manufacturing industries and service industries. The existing literature on IT investment and organizational strategic performance, however, provides very little evidence linking IT investment to organizational strategic and economic performance. The present research investigates whether certain IT investment measures are useful in differentiating organizational economic performance among the most effective information technology users. Eight measures were used to represent IT investment. Ten ratios were utilised to measure organizational strategic and economic performance. The sample organizations were analysed using multidimensional cluster analysis. The results of the analysis suggest that a clear distinction exists between organizations in terms of IT investment and organizational strategic and economic performance. This is true even among the most effective users of information technology. The results also suggest that the majority of the organizations that are investing more in IT seem to be achieving superior strategic and economic performance.     

Letter from the editor

Abstract

Organizational context plays an important role in how organizations develop and implement IT strategies and plans. Since, in developing nations like India where, in the presence of highly skilled based of technical manpower, embedded organizational and cultural issues exert a strong impact on strategies adopted by organizations, it becomes important to identify organizational attributes that determine IT effectiveness. In this paper we investigate the critical nexus between IT planning and IT effectiveness in the Indian corporate milieu with the aim of identifying strategies and practices that could result in effective IT usage in spite of organizational and cultural constraints. Empirical support was provided for this study by in‐depth interviews conducted with systems managers and, in some instances, CEOs. Results indicate that the majority of the organizations do not use IT effectively. Moreover, some of these deficiencies can be linked to planning and strategic aspects of IT management. Results are discussed in the light of existing conditions and the main outcome that emerges is that if organizations in India do not develop and implement strategies to use IT for both incremental as well as radical organizational improvements, they are not likely to experience significant IT‐related benefits.     

Evaluating organizational efficiency resulting from information technology investment: an application of data envelopment analysis

Abstract. Even during this recessionary era, information technology (IT) expenditure in most organizations continues to grow at a high rate. Because of this increased IT expenditure, more and more senior managers are demanding that IT play a greater role in determining their firm's success by helping them increase organizational efficiencies and perhaps even achieve competitive advantage. The existing information systems literature on IT investment and organizational strategic performance, however, provides very little help to senior managers in making before-the-fact IT investment decisions. The present research study puts forth some 'hard' evidence relating IT investment to organizational strategic and economic performance by using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Eight IT investment measures were used as inputs and 10 organizational strategic and economic performance ratios were used as outputs for the DEA model. The results indicate that two-thirds of the organizations in this research study are deemed efficient by DEA. A clear distinction exists between the efficient group and the inefficient group in terms of IT investment and organizational strategic and economic performance. The firms in the efficient group had a much higher return on their information technology investment than the inefficient group. In addition, the DEA results pinpoint the inefficient inputs and deficient outputs for an inefficient firm allowing a senior manager to take corrective actions to compensate for the situation.     

Complementary Investment in Change Management and IT Investment Payoff

Measuring information technology payoff continues to be a challenge for organizations. Considering the impact of complementary investments on IT payoff has been proposed by recent studies. This paper examines the impact of one type of complementary investment on IT payoff: organizational change management initiatives to support IT implementation. The paper reports a case study of Cisco Systems' IT investment in an operating systems upgrade of over 34,000 computer systems in 117 countries. The findings of the exploratory case study indicate that planned communications and change management strategies developed by their Organizational Change Management group led to the smooth implementation of the upgrade process and contributed to the payoff from the IT investment, measured in terms of client satisfaction with the process and system and reduced cost and time to upgrade all systems. The findings were supported by pre- and post-implementation surveys of clients, analysis of the change management initiatives and their impact on the process, and comparison of actual and budgeted costs for the project.     

IT centrality,IT management model,and contribution of the IT function to organizational performance: A study in Canadian hospitals

The characterization of the IT function in organizations represents a central topic of investigation in the information systems field. The main purpose of this study was to predict the contribution of the IT function to organizational performance by focusing on the centrality of IT and the IT management profile as primary determinants. A cross-sectional survey of CIOs working in Canadian hospitals reveals that IT centrality positively influences the strategic orientation of the IT management model. In turn, the stronger the strategic orientation of the IT management model in place, the greater is the IT function’s contribution to organizational performance.     

Challenges of IT implementation for supporting collaboration in distributed organizations

The study focuses on the implementation of information technology (IT) for supporting collaboration in distributed organizations, i.e. organizations consisting of two or more semi-autonomous units in different geographical locations. Six case studies of IT implementation projects have been conducted, focusing on the challenges in the implementation process as seen from the perspective of the implementation team. Being of an exploratory nature, the study has identified a large number of issues that have influenced the different stages in the implementation process. The implementation context studied is found to imply several additional challenges for the implementation team, compared to ‘traditional’ intra-organizational IT implementation. This is a result of greater autonomy among the participating units, heterogeneous technological platforms and logistical barriers in the implementation activities. Resistance from the organizational units, technological incompatibility and lack of incentives for adopting new work practices, are identified as major barriers in the implementation. In general, the implementation is found to require a process of maturation, where implementers and adopters gradually develop an understanding of how the technology can support the organizational needs.     

Identifying and overcoming the challenges of implementing a project management office

With the ongoing challenge of successfully managing information technology (IT) projects, organizations are recognizing the need for greater project management discipline. For many organizations, this has meant ratcheting up project management skills, processes, and governance structures by implementing a project management office (PMO). While anecdotal evidence suggests that implementing a PMO can be quite difficult, few studies discuss the specific challenges involved, and how organizations can overcome them. To address this gap in existing knowledge, we conducted a Delphi study to (1) identify the challenges of implementing a PMO for managing IT projects, (2) rank these challenges in order of importance, (3) discover ways in which some organizations have overcome the top-ranked challenges, and (4) understand the role of PMO structure, metrics, and tools in the implementation of a PMO.We identified 34 unique challenges to implementing a PMO and refined this list to 13 challenges that our Delphi panelists considered most important. The top-three challenges were (1) rigid corporate culture and failure to manage organizational resistance to change, (2) lack of experienced project managers (PMs) and PMO leadership, and (3) lack of appropriate change management strategy. Through follow-up interviews with selected panelists, we identified a series of actions that can be taken to overcome these challenges including having a strong PMO champion, starting small and demonstrating the value of the PMO, obtaining support from opinion leaders, hiring an experienced program manager who understands the organization, bringing the most talented PMs into the PMO implementation team, adopting a flexible change management strategy, and standardizing processes prior to PMO implementation. The interviews were also used to better understand the role of PMO structure, metrics, and tools. In terms of PMO structure, we found that ‘light’ PMOs were more likely to be implemented successfully. Most organizations eschew formal metrics, instead relying on subjective indicators of PMO success. Lastly, it appears that PMO tools are difficult to implement unless a project management culture has been established.     

Information technology,the organizational capability of proactive corporate environmental strategy and firm performance: a resource-based analysis

The study of the relationships between information technology (IT), environmental organizational issues and firm performance is a cutting-edge research topic for the information systems (IS) community. However, at present we know very little about these relationships. Drawing on the perspective of IT-enabled organizational capabilities and the literature on organizations and the natural environment, our study introduces conceptually the construct organizational capability of proactive corporate environmental strategy to the IS field. We propose that IT capability may enable the implementation of a proactive environmental strategy and that this strategy could play a significant role in determining the business value of IT. Using structural equations modeling with data collected from 63 firms, we find that IT capability is an enabler of proactive environmental strategy and that this strategy plays a significant role in mediating the effects of IT on firm performance. Our study provides initial evidence on the role of IT in the implementation of proactive environmental practices. Our results suggest to IT executives that their decisions matter in shaping environmental sustainability, which in turn will generate business value from IT.     

The conundrum of IT management

This paper presents a robust argument as to why it can be difficult for chief information officers (CIOs) to generate business value from investments that their organizations make in information technology (IT) with contemporary organizational structures, authority patterns, processes and mindsets. This argument is built on the subtle premise that organizations should not seek to merely manage IT but to manage the delivery of business value through IT. It takes the view that this latter quest is knowledge-based and that the knowledge resources to successfully deliver this value are distributed throughout the organization. Crucially, this knowledge is not located solely within the IT function, presenting a challenge for the CIO for its integration and coordination. With the CIO having little or no jurisdiction over all required knowledge, its deployment will therefore be fragmented. The conundrum of IT management is how to generate value through IT without having access and authority over necessary resources. Research and practitioner implications of this analysis are highlighted.     

The critical success factors for ERP implementation: an organizational fit perspective

Since early 1990s, many firms around the world have shifted their information technology (IT) strategy from developing information systems in-house to purchasing application software such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. IT managers responsible for managing their organization’s ERP implementation view their ERP systems as their organizations’ most strategic computing platform. However, despite such strategic importance, ERP projects report an unusually high failure rate, sometimes jeopardizing the core operations of the implementing organization. This study explores the root of such high failure rate from an “organizational fit of ERP” perspective. Based on the relevant literature, we define the concept of organizational fit of ERP and examine its impact on ERP implementation, together with ERP implementation contingencies. The results from our field survey of 34 organizations show that ERP implementation success significantly depends on the organizational fit of ERP and certain implementation contingencies.     

Causality in the alignment of information technology and business strategy

The need for a link between information technology (IT) use and organizational strategy has been identified and discussed for a number of years. The thrust of this work argues that the motives for investment in IT should derive from firm objectives and, more particularly, from the strategic plan which the organization wishes to pursue. This paper argues that, often, mere lip service is paid to the strategic nature of IT. Further, strategy justification has become a tool for securing investment in IT by circumventing established organizational policy on investments. Many IT investments labelled ‘strategic’ appear to be operational in nature. This paper discusses the nature and evaluation of strategy and relates it to the literature on IT as a strategic tool. The extent to which the relationship between IT and strategy has altered over recent years is subsequently investigated. The implementation process is investigated and evidence of IT investment activities and the returns available to investing organizations are reviewed. The paper argues that there are a number of alternative views on the IT-strategy relationship, some of which are organizationally detrimental.     

A meta-analysis of relationships between organizational characteristics and IT innovation adoption in organizations

Adoption of IT in organizations is influenced by a wide range of factors in technology, organization, environment, and individuals. Researchers have identified several factors that either facilitate or hinder innovation adoption. Studies have produced inconsistent and contradictory outcomes. We performed a meta-analysis of ten organizational factors to determine their relative impact and strength. We aggregated their findings to determine the magnitude and direction of the relationship between organizational factors and IT innovation adoption. We found organizational readiness to be the most significant attribute and also found a moderately significant relationship between IT adoption and IS department size. Our study found weak significance of IS infrastructure, top management support, IT expertise, resources, and organizational size on IT adoption of technology while formalization, centralization, and product champion were found to be insignificant attributes. We also examined stage of innovation, type of innovation, type of organization, and size of organization as moderator conditions affecting the relationship between the organizational variables and IT adoption.     

Information technology and new organizational forms: choosing chaos over panaceas

This paper examines five aspects of the critical relationship between information technology (IT) and new emergent forms of organizations. First, there appears to be an unhealthy tendency among IT professionals to elevate any single, highly successful practical experience instantly into an overarching paradigm for managerial success. Second, there is a corresponding tendency for IT researchers to focus their efforts on the search for the single universal formula that will transform any type of organization in any situation from mediocrity to excellence. Third, IT researchers assign a pre-eminence to IT in organizational transformation that neglects many other important social and environmental factors. Fourth, management theorists seem unable to cope with the unpredictability, the multivariate nature and the ‘messiness’ of human organizations in cultural contexts. Even studies that make qualitative allowances will still imply a surreal causal analysis that is mostly speculation. Fifth, several critical factors influence the interaction of changes in IT and emergent organizational forms: these include organizational learning, structural premise and power.     

The determinants of the critical success factors of information systems downsizing

Competitive advantage in the information age is based, in large part, on a firm's capability to acquire and use quality information as well as effective and efficient services, with its information technology resources at the least possible cost. One possible strategy for improving the cost-performance ratio of information technology resources is known as downsizing. The downsizing effort is a strategic move that is believed by many organizations to be capable of yielding significant benefits. It can also be a costly endeavour which may leave a firm worse off. Therefore, careful planning and control must be exercised if information systems downsizing is to succeed. This paper reports the results of a study whose purpose is to identify and explain the critical success factors for a downsizing effort. Results of the study show that information systems downsizing may produce benefits such as improved information systems, improved organizational structure, higher productivity, and lower cost. The results also indicate that downsizing success is dependent upon complex linkages of communications, action plans, needs for downsizing as perceived by employees, and the specific method of downsizing used.     

The story of socio-technical design: reflections on its successes, failures and potential

Abstract.  This paper traces the history of socio-technical design, emphasizing the set of values it embraces, the people espousing its theory and the organizations that practise it. Its role in the implementation of computer systems and its impact in a number of different countries are stressed. It also shows its relationship with action research, as a humanistic set of principles aimed at increasing human knowledge while improving practice in work situations. Its evolution in the 1960s and 1970s evidencing improved working practices and joint agreements between workers and management are contrasted with the much harsher economic climate of the 1980s and 1990s when such principled practices, with one or two notable exceptions, gave way to lean production, downsizing and cost cutting in a global economy, partly reflecting the impact of information and communications technology. Different future scenarios are discussed where socio-technical principles might return in a different guise to humanize the potential impact of technology in a world of work where consistent organizational and economic change are the norm.     

组织机构知识门户的IT实现

介绍组织机构知识门户EKP概念及相关知识,结合自身工作经验,从组织机构IT实现的3个层次和4个具体实施策略方面,提出了组织机构知识门户IT实现的解决方案。     

The design of information technology planning systems for varying organizational contexts

The conduct of IT planning processes has been a dominant managerial concern in organizations. Yet, current IT planning research offers little guidance on the types of planning actions and behaviour that are appropriate to organizational contexts. The motivation of this paper is to extend the existing literature by addressing the following major question: How should organizations design IT planning systems to manage the conduct of their IT planning processes? The paper seeks to address this question by (i) identifying key organizational forces that affect the IT planning processes, (ii) articulating some of the key dimensions of IT planning systems and (iii) elaborating upon propositions for linking designs of IT planning systems with organizational context. The concepts and the propositions are expected to provide significant guidance for further research and practice.     

Guest Editors' Introduction: Strategic Planning in Today's IT Environment

This introduction to the special issue dedicated to strategic planning presents the complexity and dynamics of global enterprise IT management in today's tight and unstable economic environment. IT managers and enterprise executives can achieve their overall business success by opening channels of communications among their normally independent organizational silos and by creating an enterprise-shared culture that recognizes the critical role IT has in this endeavor.     

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

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.