How information-sharing values influence the use of information systems: An investigation in the business intelligence systems context

Although the constituents of information systems (IS) success and their relationships have been well documented in the business value of information technology (IT) and strategic IS literature, our understanding of how information-sharing values affect the relationships among IS success dimensions is limited. In response, we conduct a quantitative study of 146 medium and large firms that have implemented a business intelligence system in their operations. Our results highlight that in the business intelligence systems context information-sharing values are not directly linked to IT-enabled information use, yet they act as significant moderators of information systems success dimensions relationships.     

The impact of information technology on the financial performance of diversified firms

Diversification may increase economic benefits through more efficient utilization of business resources across multiple markets. However, the benefits of these scope economies are often not realized due to costs of coordinating resources in multiple markets. Information technology (IT) is widely used to achieve more efficient coordination by reducing the costs of coordinating business resources across multiple markets. Because of the need for coordination of business resources across multiple markets, diversification can increase the demand for IT. But does increased use of IT improve the performance of diversified firms? This research tackles this question by undertaking an empirical study of the impact of IT on the financial performance resulting from diversification by focusing on the strategic direction chosen by different firms. The empirical aspects of this subject have received little attention from previous information systems (IS) and economics research. This research also sheds light on the business value of IT by showing the importance of complementarity between IT and strategy in firm performance, a subject which has also received limited attention in prior IS research.     

A study of subsidiaries’ views of information systems strategic planning in multinational organisations

This research examines information systems strategic planning (ISSP) in multinationals from the perspective of the subsidiaries. The research was carried out through interviews with the IT and business managers in subsidiaries of nine large American, European, and Japanese multinationals. The evidence from this study reveals that, in the majority of these organisations, IS planning is either centralised or moving towards centralisation. The main focus of IS planning, in many of these organisations, is to control cost and achieve scale economies. As centralisation increases IT tends to control the planning process and, as a result, IS planning becomes more tactical than strategic and is dominated by IT infrastructure planning. Project implementation was the main criterion used to measure IS planning success. However, due to the dominant role of IT, the subsidiary business managers are often less satisfied with the IS planning approach compared with the subsidiary IT managers. The level of involvement of business managers and their satisfaction with ISSP was related to the degree of decentralisation of responsibility for IS planning.     

Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use

Information systems (IS) are strategic in so far as they are used to realize strategic intent. Yet, while much has been said about aligning IS functionality with the strategic intent and how to organizationally implement strategically aligned systems, less is known of how to successfully implement strategic change associated with system use – a truly critical challenge within strategic IS implementation. Drawing on a strategy-as-practice perspective we address this gap by developing a multi-dimensional view of IS strategy, conceptualizing three key challenges in the IS strategy process, to explain how and why a paper mill, despite successfully implementing a strategic production management system, failed to produce intended strategic change. We call this outcome strategy blindness: organizational incapability to realize the strategic intent of implemented, available system capabilities. Using a longitudinal case study we investigate how cognitive rigidity of key actors and fixed, interrelated practices shaped the implementation of the new production system. We also identify core components and dynamics that constitute a richer multi-dimensional view of the IS strategy implementation (alignment) process. In particular, we identify three salient factors that contribute to strategy blindness – mistranslation of intent, flexibility of the IT artifact and cognitive entrenchment – and discuss how they affect strategic implementation processes. We conclude by discussing implications of our findings for IS strategy theory and practice, especially the contribution of strategy-as-practice to this stream of research.     

Affordances,experimentation and actualization of FinTech: A blockchain implementation study

Blockchain, the technology underlying bitcoin, is an emerging financial technology (FinTech) that is poised to have strategic impacts on organizations. Because it is a new phenomenon, there are few studies on blockchain, and those studies have focused mainly on the technology’s potential impacts, whereas how to effectively implement it in an organization remains unknown. Our study intends to fill that gap. Using affordance-actualization (A-A) theory as the theoretical lens, we conducted a case study of blockchain implementation in an organization that has effectively implemented it. We identify three affordances of blockchain in the organization and a process model whereby these affordances are actualized. The process model extends A-A theory by adding an experimentation phase where blockchain’s use cases within the organization are identified, developed and tested through conceptual adaptation and constraint mitigation. Our study makes important theoretical contributions to the literature on A-A theory, blockchain, information technology (IT) implementation, and strategic information systems (SIS). Our study can also help IT practitioners to implement blockchain effectively and extract value from their investment.     

Opportunistic strategy formulation for IS/IT planning

Existing models and frameworks for information systems and information technology (IS/IT) planning are not robust enough to explain or predict strategic gains and many organizations are wary of investing further in their information infrastructure. Because technology is not the only ingredient of success, a complete and rigorous reconsideration of the techniques, options and approaches to IS/IT planning linked to business strategy is needed. It is argued that this can only be achieved through consideration of the recent organizational processes involved for creating a successful IS/IT strategy. This paper reviews aspects of both the literature on business strategy and IS/IT planning and considers case examples from two organizations in which the contrasting outcomes from the same technical innovation illustrate the dynamics of opportunistic strategy formulation.     

Understanding the successful adoption and use of IS/IT in SMEs: an explanation from Portuguese manufacturing industries

Abstract. The objectives of the research were to identify factors enabling or inhibiting the adoption and use of information systems and technology (IS/IT) in Portuguese manufacturing small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and understand how these factors interrelate in determining relative success in the adoption and use of IS/IT. This research elicited factors from previous quantitative and qualitative research, which had been shown to influence IS/IT adoption in SMEs in other contexts. A strategic change framework was used to structure the factors and ensure that comprehensive evidence about their nature and effects could be obtained in the empirical research. Further factors were identified by initial fieldwork, before carrying out 12 in‐depth case studies, across a range of situations – different industries, different levels of adoption and a range of degrees of success in IS/IT use. The pattern that emerged from the analysis of the data shows that certain factor combinations and relationships appear to determine the relative degrees of IS/IT success across the firms. This pattern can also be explained by interpreting the roles and relationships of the key actors involved in the process of IS/IT adoption and use. Top management perspectives and attitudes towards IS/IT adoption and use play an important role in the development of internal IS/IT competencies and provide an important contribution to the development of a context that enables IS/IT success.     

Effects of organizational context and inter-group behaviour on the success of strategic information systems planning: an empirical study

The strategic value of information systems (IS) and the impact of information technology (IT) on business competitiveness has increased the need for effective strategic information systems planning (SISP). However, numerous strategic information systems planning methodologies stress the rational and formal aspects of organizational life, while ignoring the complexity of actual organizational situations which are characterized by human behaviour. Additionally, although numerous researchers have conducted empirical studies examining the relationship between various factors and strategic IS planning effectiveness, many factors have received little attention. This study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyse the effects of organizational context and inter-group behaviour on the success of SISP. A survey of senior IS executives in Taiwan was used to test the relationships between the constructs in the research model. The results showed that certain factors relating to organizational context and inter-group behaviour influenced the success of SISP. Finally, the implications of this finding for IS practice and future research are examined.     

Alignment within the software development unit: Assessing structural and relational dimensions between developers and testers

Just as business-IT alignment has received significant focus as a strategic concern in the IS literature, it is also important to consider internal alignment between the diverse subunits within the IT organization. This study investigates alignment between developers and testers in software development to understand alignment within the IT unit. Prior evidence of tension between these sub-groups (and others as well) suggests that all is not necessarily well within the IT organization. Misalignment within the IT unit can certainly make it difficult for the IT unit to add strategic value to the organization. This study is an important initial step in investigating IT subunit alignment which can inform future research focusing on the alignment of other IT subunits such as architecture, operations, and customer-support. Using theoretical concepts from strategic business-IT alignment, we test a research model through a survey of professional software developers and testers. Results suggest that relational but not structural dimensions influence IT subunit alignment.     

A typology of user liability to IT addiction

To date, information systems (IS) research mainly has provided a monolithic view of information technology (IT) use, considering it to be a desired behaviour with positive outcomes. However, given the dramatic increase in the use of technology during the last few years, susceptibility to IT addiction is increasingly becoming an important issue for technology users and IS researchers. In this paper, we report the results of a study that focuses on identifying variations in user liability to IT addiction, which reflects the susceptibility of individual users to develop IT addiction. First, a review of the literature in different disciplines (e.g. health, psychology and IS) allows us to better understand the concepts of IT addiction and liability to addiction. The literature review also provides an overview of the antecedents and consequences associated with IT addiction. Then, building on the analysis of 15 in‐depth interviews and 182 exploratory open‐ended surveys collected from smartphone users, we apply the concept of liability to addiction in the IT use context and propose a typological theory of user liability to IT addiction. Our typology reveals five ideal types; each can be associated to a user profile (addict, fanatic, highly engaged, regular and thoughtful ). Building upon both the extant literature and our results, we put forth propositions to extend the theoretical contributions of the study. We finally discuss the contributions and implications of our paper for research and practice.     

Rapid business and IT change: drivers for strategic information systems planning?

Today's organizations increasingly plan new information systems (IS) to better compete. Through such planning, they attempt to align their IS strategy and their business strategy. This study tested the impact of business and information technology (IT) change on strategic information systems planning (SISP) horizon, of horizon on the planning itself, and of the planning on the alignment of IS strategy and business strategy. A questionnaire defined business change, IT change, and alignment as multi-item scaled questions, and planning horizon as a single, nonscaled one. It defined a multi-item scaled SISP measure as both a second-order construct and as single-order constructs for its individual phases. A postal survey collected data from 161 IS executives. Constructs were extensively validated. The analysis used structural equation modeling, and surprisingly found that business change predicted longer SISP horizons, but IT change predicted neither longer nor shorter ones. Planning horizon predicted SISP itself (as a second-order construct and as all of its phases), and such planning (as a second-order construct, and as strategic awareness and strategy conception phases) predicted alignment of IS strategy and business strategy. These findings suggest that practitioners more carefully assess their own degree of caution in setting planning horizons in response to business and IT change. In fact, the findings suggest it may not be necessary for practitioners to shorten planning horizons in a rapidly changing environment.     

Effects of strategic alignment on IS success: the mediation role of IS investment in Korea

The purpose of this research is to develop a comprehensive information system (IS) evaluation model for IS success linked to organizational performance. The primary focus of this research is to investigate the role of IT investment in business values by means of a group survey of about 300 business executives in Korea. We used the contingency theory to discover the mediation effect of IS investment on strategic alignment and IS success. In contrast to previous research, this study expanded the test scope to IS architecture and organizational structure at the operational level. The results from 273 business executives in Korea indicated that strategy integration with IT is positively related to IT investment, and IT investment is a critical antecedent of IS success. Thus, the implications of the findings are that right-directional IT investment has played an important role in the success of IT companies in Korea.     

Using intelligent agents to manage fuzzy business processes

Businesses are undergoing a major paradigm shift, moving from traditional management into a world of agile organizations and processes. An agile corporation should be able to rapidly respond to market changes. For this reason, corporations have been seeking to develop numerous information technology (IT) systems to assist with the management of their business processes. Many of the coming new business processes may contain embedded intelligent agent-based systems. Agent technology looks set to radically alter not only the way in which computers are interacted, but also the way complex processes, e.g., product development, are conceptualized and built. The paper presents a fuzzy approach based on an intelligent agent framework to develop modular products. This approach aims to address the research issue: "How can modular design be carried out through intelligent agents to meet a customer's fuzzy requirements using modules that come from suppliers that are geographically separated and operate on differing computer platforms?" The proposed methodology is applied to a real-world case that involves module-based synthesis at one of largest distribution centers in the world     

复杂产品虚拟样机技术研究

虚拟样机技术尤其是面向多领域支持复杂系统的协同虚拟样机仿真支撑平台的研究已成为研发的热点。通过对Agent技术和WEB服务技术以及虚拟样机仿真系统的长期研究,提出了一种面向多领域的复杂产品虚拟样机仿真支撑平台的实现方案,给出了该仿真支撑平台的基于Agent和WEB服务的系统结构和虚拟样机设计中涉及的机械,电子,控制,软件等领域的智能Agent的统一描述,讨论了虚拟样机仿真支撑系统中Agent间的通信方式并阐明了系统的工作流程和信息集成模式,为虚拟样机的进一步发展和应用奠定了基础。     

基于Web服务与Agent的软件架构

为了更好地适应软件智能化和分布化的发展需求,在概述了Web服务技术和Agent技术的核心概念的基础之上,提出了基于Web服务与Agent的软件架构,并设计了该架构中的核心概念服务代理的结构.该架构很好地融合了Web服务技术与Agent技术各自的优点,结合了Web服务体系结构与多代理系统各自的优势,能够更加高效地构建出应用于发布环境中开放的、动态的、分布式的IT系统.     

The leveraging influence of strategic alignment on IT investment: An empirical examination

Businesses have invested enormous sums in information technology (IT). The challenge now is to optimize these investments. We empirically examined the influence of the alignment between IS strategy and business strategy (strategic alignment) on the payoff of IT investment. Many studies have been performed on the value of IT investment and strategic alignment separately, in the past, but here we combined them by investigating the moderating affect of strategic alignment on the relationship between IT investment and firm performance for a group of manufacturing firms. The results indicated that there is a synergistic coupling between strategic alignment and IT investment with firm performance. Firms that have aligned IT and business strategies can invest in additional IT resources with some assurance that they will be leveraged substantially. One of our main contributions was in the examination of four differing perspectives of strategic alignment and their relationship with the payoff of IT investment.     

Examining business value of customer relationship management systems: IT usage and two-stage model perspectives

Empirical evidence for the business value of customer relationship management (CRM) systems remains unsolid in IS studies. This study proposes a new model for CRM value according to IT/IS usage theory and “two-stage model.” Empirical tests show that operational benefits of CRM are reflected in firms’ high revenue per employee, which leads to high profitability; strategic benefits of CRM are reflected in firms’ high customer satisfaction, which leads to high profitability and market valuation. Firm size positively moderates the operational and strategic benefits of CRM, while the industry’s product differentiation level negatively moderates operational and strategic benefits of CRM.     

STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The concept of the strategic information system (SIS) has been seriously discussed In both Industry and academia. Several attempts have been made to identify opportunities for the formal development of strategic systems as competitive weapons. Yet most instances of SIS success are retrospective, and most organizations have no definite plan to develop an effective SIS. This leads to questions concerning how much IS managers really understand about the development of strategic systems.     

Intelligent agents in electronic markets for information goods: customization, preference revelation and pricing

Electronic commerce has enabled the use of intelligent agent technologies that can evaluate buyers, customize products, and price in real-time. Our model of an electronic market with customizable products analyzes the pricing, profitability and welfare implications of agent-based technologies that price dynamically based on product preference information revealed by consumers. We find that in making the trade-off between better prices and better customization, consumers invariably choose less-than-ideal products. Furthermore, this trade-off has a higher impact on buyers on the higher end of the market and causes a transfer of consumer surplus towards buyers with a lower willingness to pay. As buyers adjust their product choices in response to better demand agent technologies, seller revenues decrease since the gains from better buyer information are dominated by the lowering of the total value created from the transactions. We study the strategic and welfare implications of these findings, and discuss managerial and technology development guidelines.     

The use of domination and legitimation in information systems implementation

In this paper, we present the results of a longitudinal case study on information systems (IS) implementation conducted in a community healthcare organization. Using structuration theory as a sensitizing framework, we highlight how the information technology (IT) Management improved their influence through gaining legitimation from other organizational stakeholders, and how the nature of this evolved over time. Our results highlight how an appropriate, sophisticated use of what Giddens refers to as the duality of structure contributed to the consolidation of the IT Manager's credibility and authority. We also report on how the IT Management had most of their actions legitimated as an integral element of their actions. The results also highlight the distributed nature of power, such that even those at the lower end of organizational hierarchy were able to influence the success or failure of IS implementation.