Data Warehousing Infusion and Organizational Effectiveness

Data warehousing (DW) has emerged as one of the most powerful technology innovations in recent years to support organization-wide decision making and has become a key component in the information technology (IT) infrastructure. Proponents of DW claim that its infusion can dramatically enhance the ability of businesses to improve the access, distribution, and sharing of information and provide managerial decision support for complex business questions. DW is also an enabling technology for data mining, customer-relationship management, and other business-intelligence applications. Although data warehouses have been around for quite some time, they have been plagued by high failure rates and limited spread or use. Drawing upon past research on the adoption and diffusion of innovations and on the implementation of information systems (IS), we examine the key organizational and innovation factors that influence the infusion (diffusion) of DW within organizations and also examine if more extensive infusion leads to improved organizational outcomes. In this paper, we conducted a field study, where two senior managers (one from IS and the other from a line function) from 117 companies participated, and developed a structural model to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that four of the seven variables examined in this paper-organizational support, quality of the project management process, compatibility, and complexity-significantly influence the degree of infusion of DW and that the infusion, in turn, significantly influences organization-level benefits and stakeholder satisfaction. The findings of this paper have interesting implications for both research and practice in IT and DW infusion, as well as in the organization-level impact of the infusion of enterprise-wide infrastructural and decision support technologies such as DW.     

A review of medical error reporting system design considerations and a proposed cross-level systems research framework

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on medical error reporting systems, identify gaps in the literature, and present an integrative cross-level systems model of reporting to address the gaps and to serve as a framework for understanding and guiding reporting system design and research. BACKGROUND: Medical errors are thought to be a leading cause of death among adults in the United States. However, no review exists summarizing what is known about the barriers and facilitators for successful reporting systems, and no integrated model exists to guide further research into and development of medical error reporting systems. METHOD: Relevant literature was identified using online databases; references in relevant articles were searched for additional relevant articles. RESULTS: The literature review identified components of medical error reporting systems, error reporting system design choices, barriers and incentives for reporting, and suggestions for successful reporting system design. Little theory was found to guide the published research. An integrative cross-level model of medical error reporting system design was developed and is proposed as a framework for understanding the medical error reporting literature, addressing existing limitations, and guiding future design and research. CONCLUSION: The medical error reporting research provides some guidance for designing and implementing successful reporting systems. The proposed cross-level systems model provides a way to understand this existing research. However, additional research is needed on reporting and related safety actions. The proposed model provides a framework for such future research. APPLICATION: This work can be used to guide the design, implementation, and study of medical error reporting systems.     

The Last Stage of Product Development: Interventions in Existing Operational Processes

We explored two questions in two empirical studies. In the first study we wanted to find out whether we could describe the interactions between New Product Development (NPD) and Operations by using a generic theory of change management and interventions. In the second study we explored such interventions during implementation and wanted to find out to what extent these interventions followed the theories of change. Some of the interactions are interventions from NPD to Operations in order to change the work of Operations. We found that these interventions and intended changes fit the theories of change management quite well. This means that the change literature gives good insights into the causes of success and failure of these interventions and could mean that, in some respect, we can apply the knowledge of these theories of change management and interventions to the field of NPD. This insight provides a new and additional perspective: NPD to be seen as a process that uses interventions to facilitate, or provoke, change within operational processes. We see too much attention paid to the project management methods and ‘hard’ theories, for example rationality, control, hierarchy, planning, predicting and prescribing. There is good reason to add the more ‘soft’ theories of change to NPD practice, with extra and explicit attention to learning, trial and error, monitoring, tell and sell, empathy, and co‐operation. NPD practitioners are also very much focused on the product and less (or not at all) on the actual changes that have to take place in production (Operations) related to the implementation of these processes. For successful implementation interventions need to be tuned towards the receiver. The interventionist (i.e. NPD practitioners) must be aware that there is a range of choice if different intervention strategies in order to tune their intervention efforts more effectively towards the receiver. In order to be able to do this, NPD practitioners, as well as the people from Operations, need to become skilled in using a generic theory of intervention and change, such as the one described in this paper, during their interactions.     

Software process improvement with weak management support: an analysis of the dynamics of intra-organizational alliances in IS change initiatives

Software Process Improvement (SPI) projects are large-scale, complex organization-wide change initiatives. They require considerable investments in personnel, time and money and impact just about every aspect of software firms. The group charged with conducting an SPI project has, however, little formal authority to influence or force software professionals to engage in SPI work or to define and implement changes. The SPI literature suggests that successful SPI initiatives depend on strong commitment from top management. But what should the SPI group do if management support is weak? In this paper, we present an analysis of how an SPI group can use alliances to obtain influence and succeed when management support is weak. Our study is based on a 3-year longitudinal field study of SPI change initiatives at Denmark Electronics. Our findings show that a lack of top management support is not necessarily incompatible with success. This research opens an important new area of research on intra-organizational alliances and information system (IS) implementation. It has the potential to offer new theories and practical advice on how IS implementation projects can be more effectively managed.     

Design for usability on supply chain management systems implementation

Supply chain management (SCM) systems implementation has become a fashion due to advances in information technology and pressures of market competition. Unfortunately, successful implementation was rare. In this article, the concept of usability was extended in an explorative case study to crystallize design for usability (DFU) principles in a large‐scale SCM systems implementation project at a leading semiconductor manufacturing company in Taiwan. Proposed was a holistic usability framework to guide the analysis of DFU as well as the compilation of an evidence database composed of design documentation, post hoc evaluation, semistructured interviews, and participant observation. This research revealed a set of usability needs and coping strategies found throughout a series of systems design and redesign processes at the case company. As a result, an emergent usability framework in the form of ICOM (Input, Control, Output, and Mechanism) dimensions was proposed to guide the implementation of SCM systems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reconciling global and local needs: a canonical action research project to deal with workarounds

This paper discusses how research with practitioners can help reconcile the top‐down requirements of headquarters with the bottom‐up local needs in the context of global information systems. Based on a 12‐month canonical action research project that took place at the Chinese branches of a French multinational corporation, our research revealed and addressed workarounds that the Chinese users of a company‐wide global enterprise resource planning system had put in place that were not expected nor desired by company headquarters. From the local users' point of view, they were necessary to deal with Chinese legislation and cultural practices, but from the French headquarters' point of view, they meant that many of the potential gains of global standards were lost. Activity theory was used as a focal theory to analyse each of these workarounds and business process management as an instrumental theory to design solutions to the workarounds. We describe in detail how we used canonical action research to successfully deal with exemplars of each of the three types of workaround identified (data adjustments, process adjustments and parallel‐system adjustments). Unusually, the research relates to post‐implementation change rather than to that looking at change occurring before and during implementation. We argue that canonical action research and the particular combination of activity theory and business process management are appropriate for dealing with workarounds and this has not been demonstrated previously. Further, our research – deemed successful by managers, users and researchers alike – took place in China where previous literature suggests only limited success with such global systems.     

Drivers, barriers and critical success factors for ERPII implementation in supply chains: A critical analysis

This paper reviews existing literature to determine the drivers of and barriers to Enterprise Resource Planning II (ERPII) implementation. The ERPII literature is then extended through interviews with potential players in ERPII implementations to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) or preconditions required for successful implementation throughout supply chains. These interviews were conducted with leading ERP vendors/consultants and organisations involved in the entire supply chain to gather evidence on the success, or lack thereof, of ERPII implementations. The results were compared and contrasted to existing literature on ERPII, collaborative networks, and the extended enterprise. We found more barriers to than drivers of successful ERPII implementation. This leads prospective implementers to have a pessimistic forecast for ERPII implementation success. Our research reveals that main reason for this negativity is a general lack of understanding and appreciation of the capabilities of the extended enterprise network. Second, the research presents two sets of CSFs: CSFs which apply to traditional ERP and carry forward to apply to ERPII, and CSFs that are tailored to the new needs for successful ERPII implementations. Finally, the research questions the suitability of ERPII in today’s modern business environment, and suggests that technology may have overtaken management’s capabilities to capture the full benefits of such an advanced enterprise system. Future trends in ERPII development are also considered in an attempt to find the next phase in the enterprise system life cycle. Beyond ERPII, the research suggests that infrastructure such as large-scale business intelligence (BI) systems must be heavily incorporated into modern enterprise systems to fully understand how information flows throughout an organisation and to make sense of that information.     

Investigating the Critical Success Factors for Implementing Electronic Document Management Systems in Governments: Evidence From Jordan

We investigated the critical success factors that affect the implementation of electronic document management systems in government organizations. Based on a comprehensive literature review and input from an expert panel, we composed a list of 37 factors that were considered as prerequisites of successful electronic document management system implementation. We then grouped these 37 factors into six categories. Through a questionnaire survey and factor analysis, we confirmed that the categories identified are important for successful electronic document management system implementation.     

The deep structure of organizational online networking – an actor‐oriented case study

While research on organizational online networking recently increased significantly, most studies adopt quantitative research designs with a focus on the consequences of social network configurations. Very limited attention is paid to comprehensive theoretical conceptions of the complex phenomenon of organizational online networking. We address this gap by adopting a theoretical framework of the deep structure of organizational online networking with a focus on their emerging meaning for the employees. We apply and assess the framework in a qualitative case study of a large‐scale implementation of a corporate social network site (SNS) in a global organization. We reveal organizational online networking as a multi‐dimensional phenomenon with multiplex relationships that are unbalanced, primarily consist of weak ties and are subject to temporal change. Further, we identify discourse drivers and information retrievers as two mutually interdependent actor roles as an explanation for uneven levels of user contributions to the SNS. Based on our analysis, we elicit abstract order principles, such as topical discourses, and identify transactive memory theory as a potent explanation of the evolving interaction structures. We finally discuss how the deep structure framework can contribute to future research on organizational networks.     

State of the art literature review on performance measurement

The performance measurement revolution started in the late 1970s with the dissatisfaction of traditional backward looking accounting systems. Since then the literature in this field is emerging. Most of the focus was on designing performance measurement system (PMS), with few studies illustrating the issues in implementing and using PMS. Although Management Information Systems (MIS) and change management are important enablers of PMS, their role is not very well understood. Hence the objective of this paper is to review literature on the role of MIS and change management throughout the lifecycle of performance measurement, i.e. design, implementation and use stages. This paper not only discusses the role of MIS and change management throughout PMS lifecycle but also discusses PMS in the context of emerging business environment such as globalization, servitization, and networking in the context of multi-cultural environment. Finally it identifies research challenges for PMS in the emerging business environment.     

Information technology and e-business marketing strategy

The advancement of information technology and its benefits for organizations have made the field of e-business marketing competitive and successful although there have been failures as well. Failure happens due to the use of constant strategies while the e-business environment is dynamic and in such a context, strategy formulation and implementation is a challenge for e-business organization. In this research a questionnaire was designed by reviewing the literature and interviewing experts. Analyzing the collected data, the e-business key strategy factors such as technology, information systems, risk management and compliance were extracted. In the next stage, these key factors were presented as the e-business marketing strategy model. The results suggested that dissimilar dimensions of e-business strategy factors may not be equally conducive to different marketing strategies. In particular, risk management has an insignificant relationship with any of the marketing strategies; while high level of compliance is positively associated only with a focus strategy. IT governance is positively associated with price leadership and differentiation strategies but linked negatively with focus strategy.     

Facilitating the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems: an empirical analysis of innovation and support factors

Abstract. Inter-organizational systems, which represent the majority of competitive information systems, have received increasing attention from researchers. This study focuses on the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems (CIOS). A model is constructed and tested, based on literature in IS implementation and organizational innovation. Data from 73 organizations who have implemented such systems are gathered through a questionnaire. Two classes of independent variables, innovation factors and support factors, are examined for their influence on CIOS implementation success. While no innovation factors emerge as important, support factors, such as customer training and top management support, are found to significantly facilitate successful implementation of such systems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

软件实训项目的MSF解决方案的探索

MSF为设计和开发企业解决方案提供了一组模型、原理和准则,它确保一个项目的所有元素,如人员、过程和工具能够得到成功的管理。MSF还提供了已经得到验证的做法以用于规划、设计、开发和部署成功的企业解决方案。通过本实训计划,指导学生学会在Microsoft.net环境中设计解决方案的体系结构并根据解决方案作出正确的技术和商业决策。     

软件实训项目的MSF解决方案的探索

MSF为设计和开发企业解决方案提供了一组模型、原理和准则．它确保一个项目的所有元素．如人员、过程和工具能够得到成功的管理。MSF还提供了已经得到验证的做法以用于规划、设计、开发和部署成功的企业解决方案。通过本实训计划，指导学生学会在Microsoft.net环境中设计解决方案的体系结构并根据解决方案作出正确的技术和商业决策。     

Towards a framework for business process re-engineering in small and medium-sized enterprises

Business process re-engineering (BPR) is the vogue, although somewhat discredited, change management method. It is as an information technology (IT)-based and customer-driven approach to organizational change, undertaken to enable superior performance, such as cost reduction, shorter cycle time, higher product quality and increased customer satisfaction. Although the literature on re-engineering principles and prospects is large, there is little empirical research evaluating the success or failure of BPR initiatives. This is especially so in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in which the potential for BPR benefits may differ significantly from that in their larger counterparts. SMEs are the fastest growing segment of most economies and are perceived to be more flexible and adaptable in terms of structure and speed of response than larger organizations. The literature speculates that SMEs have as good a chance of re-engineering successfully as their larger counterparts, although this is untested. Yet, with limited resources, such as IT and BPR expertise, and financial constraints, SMEs may find it difficult to re-engineer. This paper addresses the role of BPR in SMEs and develops a framework to assess its implementation potential. Factors that facilitate and inhibit BPR performance are identified and analysed as the basis for empirical testing. A set of propositions is developed that allows operationalization of the framework. The ultimate goal is to develop a process and tool set to assist SMEs wishing to undertake business process re-engineering.     

Using management procedure gaps to enhance e-learning implementation in Africa

Management of Universities in Ghana have established good rationale for embracing e-learning as a new paradigm of educational delivery, and have demonstrated commitment by investing and building technology infrastructure necessary for e-learning. However, the approach to evaluate the institutional context as guide to successful e-learning implementation remains a problem. In the absence of standards for evaluation to guide the implementation process, this research investigated management approaches to facilitating e-learning implementation at a leading university in Ghana. To gain depth in understanding activities that support e-learning, a pilot survey was conducted. This was used to refine the research instruments. The survey questionnaire, interviews conducted, and institutional documents on e-learning activities provided depth of management practices that supports e-learning. The management procedures were then compared with some e-learning implementation best practice, and gaps were established.This paper has demonstrated that by using dimensional tools to establish procedure gaps in e-learning implementation, the short and long-term strategic plans will be put in perspective. The tool show how the university is moving from its current practices of educational delivery to e-learning or some blend. Universities with problems as discussed in this paper may achieve success by assembling an implementation team and a leader, determining the appropriate learning technology, clearly outlining the process of implementation and having an ongoing evaluation process to institutionalise the innovative e-learning approach. The policy and strategy document, showing the institutional position must include the pedagogical goals, infrastructure requirements, evaluation, collaboration with stakeholders, quality control, technical support, budget and funding and resource planning.     

A taxonomy of biologically inspired research in computer networking

The natural world is enormous, dynamic, incredibly diverse, and highly complex. Despite the inherent challenges of surviving in such a world, biological organisms evolve, self-organize, self-repair, navigate, and flourish. Generally, they do so with only local knowledge and without any centralized control. Our computer networks are increasingly facing similar challenges as they grow larger in size, but are yet to be able to achieve the same level of robustness and adaptability. Many research efforts have recognized these parallels, and wondered if there are some lessons to be learned from biological systems. As a result, biologically inspired research in computer networking is a quickly growing field. This article begins by exploring why biology and computer network research are such a natural match. We then present a broad overview of biologically inspired research, grouped by topic, and classified in two ways: by the biological field that inspired each topic, and by the area of networking in which the topic lies. In each case, we elucidate how biological concepts have been most successfully applied. In aggregate, we conclude that research efforts are most successful when they separate biological design from biological implementation – that is to say, when they extract the pertinent principles from the former without imposing the limitations of the latter.     

Open Innovation Climate Measure: The Introduction of a Validated Scale

Open innovation describes how organizations open up their innovation processes for external influence and collaboration. Despite this recent, and increasingly popular, development in the industry as well as in academic literature, the field lacks valid assessment tools. As a supportive organizational climate is argued to be a crucial element for successful implementation of open innovation, we propose in this paper Open Innovation Climate Measure (OICM). This three‐dimensional assessment tool is tested in three units located in a multinational automotive corporation in the process of incorporating open innovation principles in practice.     

ISO 9001 and the Quality of Working Life: An Empirical Study in a Peripheral Service Industry to the Standard's Home Market

In recent years, the implementation of quality management systems based on ISO 9001 has clearly gone beyond the traditional industrial and service subsectors. It has started to have a growing influence on some peripheral subsectors to the standard home market, such as those of health and social services. In this article, the influence of the main global management meta‐standard is analyzed from a macroergonomic perspective in one of the aforementioned sectors. Based on an empirical exploratory study carried out in two Spanish organizations belonging to the subsector of residential care homes for elderly persons, the influence of the adoption of the standard is analyzed, focusing on the quality of working life of the direct attention employees. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.