The role of IT human capability in the knowledge transfer process in IT outsourcing context

Our research attempted to identify the behavioral process of knowledge transfer by examining the effects of IT human capability, human character, trust, and cooperative learning on it in an IT outsourcing situation. By analysing data collected from vendor and client matched-pair samples of 87 IT outsourcing projects, we found that both the client's and the vendor's character influenced trust, trust affects on cooperative learning, and the cooperative learning influence on knowledge transfer. More importantly, it we found that the client's IT human capability had a direct impact on cooperative learning and knowledge transfer. This indicated that client's IT human capability was a crucial factor in effective knowledge transfer during IT outsourcing. It also implied that client firms should identify and retain some IT personnel who can apply vendors’ competencies in IT practice and respond effectively to any technological challenges.     

Enterprise architecture,IT effectiveness and the mediating role of IT alignment in US hospitals

Despite the possible benefits of implementing healthcare information technologies, successful implementation of effective healthcare information technology is constrained by cultural and regulatory concerns and technical obstacles encountered when establishing or upgrading an organisation's enterprise infrastructure. In this paper, we advance Ross' four‐stage model of enterprise architecture maturity as a valuable IT resource for helping healthcare organisations sustain a competitive advantage. We use partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling to analyse survey data from 164 US hospitals at different stages of EA maturity. Our results provide evidence that enterprise architecture maturity directly influences the effectiveness of hospitals' IT resources for achieving strategic goals. Further, enterprise architecture maturity indirectly influences the effectiveness of IT resources when IT alignment is incorporated as a mediating variable. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice and suggest opportunities for future research.     

基于SaaS模式公共服务平台多用户数据结构的研究

本文在研究SaaS模式特点的基础上,首先提出了SaaS应用的体系架构,然后提出了基于SaaS模式的企业公共服务平台的三个紧密相连的模型——多用户数据模型、元数据管理模型和安全服务模型.     

The role of multidimensional social capital in crowdfunding: A comparative study in China and US

How does an entrepreneur's social network impact crowdfunding? Based on social capital theory, we developed a research model and conducted a comparative study using objective data collected from China and the U.S. We found that an entrepreneur's social network ties, obligations to fund other entrepreneurs, and the shared meaning of the crowdfunding project between the entrepreneur and the sponsors had significant effects on crowdfunding performance in both China and the U.S. The predictive power of the three dimensions of social capital was stronger in China than it was in the U.S. Obligation also had a greater impact in China.     

The IT sales cycle as a source of context in IS implementation theory

Theories of systems implementation identify contextual factors that influence both management action and implementation outcomes. Building on this, I showed using case studies, how the actions of participants in the IT sales cycle create the context within which implementation takes place. I argue that implementation begins much earlier than current theories have assumed and should be considered to consist of two distinct but related processes: the acquisition of IS and their deployment in the organization.     

IT non-conformity in institutional environments: E-marketplace adoption in the government sector

Institutional authority is a factor that impacts adoption of IT. Institutional theory incorporates three different but complimentary perspectives and we used these to develop a layered analysis of IT adoption in organizations. We used a case study of State Government agencies in Australia to show how layers of authority influenced the adoption or rejection of technology and that such forces varied in their influence over time. Based on this, we proposed the notion of patterns of conformity and non-conformity which recognise the changes in levels of compliance over time as organizational forces arise. In particular, the alignment of layers of authority acts to ensure conformity with or rejection of IT adoption decisions.     

Relating IT strategy and organizational culture: an empirical study of public sector units in India

This paper analyzes the relationships between selected aspects of organizational culture and IT-Strategy in public sector units (PSUs). Organization culture, which is treated as a shared set of norms and values, is analyzed with respect to IT-Strategies. Organizational culture is assessed in terms of innovative, supportive and bureaucratic cultures. IT strategy is viewed as comprising six generic strategies, namely, centrally planned, leading edge, scarce resource, necessary evil, monopoly and free market. The data on which conclusions were drawn arises from a nation-wide survey covering 72 public sector organizations in India. In addition to the survey research, we conducted an in-depth case study of State Bank of India. This yearlong study commenced in 1996. Statistically significant findings show that it is the innovative element of a PSUs organizational culture that is associated with a delineable IT strategy. Leading edge, free market, and monopoly IT-strategies are found to be related to innovative components of organizational culture. Monopoly and scarce resource strategies are associated with supportive and bureaucratic cultures, respectively. Our case study validates some of these findings in a large bank. Implications for practice as well as research are provided.     

The role of government in IT standards

Government involvement in the IT standards process often includes funding, regulatory, and legislative mandates; trade and procurement policies; and sometimes outright control. Examples of all these exist in various countries, jurisdictions, and technical areas around the world. However, governments also play a major role as IT consumers. The specifications adopted by a government as a consumer facilitate widespread use in industry. Therefore, governments are in a unique position to participate in the standards process in a way that not only reflects a public interest role but also considers consumer concerns. Just as industry cannot operate without government as a partner in defining priorities and ensuring satisfactory results, governments cannot effectively represent their constituents by taking unilateral action in establishing standards. The government must appreciate the role it plays as an informed consumer with a potential for applying life cycle planning     

The growing role of IT in transportation

The automobile and railway industries have grown more reliant on IT, but future intelligent transportation systems must also address potential security breaches. This article focuses on the security issues that ITSs must address before a full-blown implementation becomes feasible. The broad spectrum of our transportation-related articles is simply the tip of the iceberg. On 25 August 2003, the Altamont Commuter Express train that serves the San Francisco bay are became one of the first commuter rail systems in the US to serve as a mobile IEEE 802.11 hot spot for commuters. IEEE 802.11 is a family of specifications that the IEEE developed for wireless LAN (local area network) technology. Now, for better or for worse, commuters can maintain nearly door-to-door broadband connectivity between their homes and their offices. Even in automobiles, phones based on Bluetooth - an open standard for short-range digital transmissions - and personal digital assistants are likely to become integrated with fully wired onboard dashes. Meanwhile, government agencies are continuously enhancing traffic-monitoring systems to better route highway resources and increase public safety.     

Resolving paradoxes in IT success through IT ambidexterity: The moderating role of uncertain environments

As information technology (IT) success is both essential and elusive, researchers and practitioners are faced with an ongoing challenge to determine what IT capabilities should be developed to ensure IT success. Drawing on the paradox and ambidexterity theory, we highlight paradoxes in IT success and propose that firms manage these paradoxes by developing an IT ambidexterity capability. We hypothesize that IT ambidexterity capability enhances IT success, and that uncertain environments strengthen this relationship. Our hypotheses find support in a sample of 292 British high-tech firms. This research contributes to conceptualize paradoxes in IT success and advances the theory for a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of IT ambidexterity capability.     

Organizational determinants of IT adoption in the pharmaceutical distribution sector

The aim of this paper is to propose new organizational factors that might explain the differences in the extent and the speed of IT adoption. With this in mind, we carried out an analysis of 16 cases in the pharmaceutical distribution sector in Spain. The results indicate that there are certain intangible assets that favour the introduction and development of IT. Among these are a frank and fluid communication between departments and members of the organization, low levels of conflict, the explicit support of top management towards IT adoption and learning and creative skills of IT-staff. In addition to these factors, we found others that we propose as catalysts of IT adoption. Among these we might mention the special relationship between the member-clients and the company in the case of cooperative firms.     

IT governance challenges in a large not-for-profit healthcare organization: The role of intranets

This paper reports on the implementation of IT governance in a not-for-profit healthcare organization and considers how managerial strategies for this governance relate to the progressive management approach commonly called the Horizontal Organization. Discussion includes how IT governance was implemented and the mechanisms by which power and politics in the organization were harnessed to achieve strategic goals. In this case study, CEO support for IT governance was related principally to the need for fiscal accountability regarding IT investment aligned to the strategic goals of the organization. The case study showed real organizational gains in achieving best value for the investment dollar, accountable time-frames and cost-controls. The move enhanced the professional status of the IT Department, including more widespread acknowledgement for fairness and equity in its processes, an outcome commonly associated with horizontal management structures.     

The changing role of the CIO: why IT still matters

A group of CIOs dispute the view that "spend less, do not lead, manage risk" is becoming the new IT mantra.     

A balanced scorecard for item-level RFID in the retail sector: a Delphi study

Item-level Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) adoption is on the agenda for many retailers. However, before adopting this technology, managers need to be able to identify its direct and indirect benefits. These benefits are expected to be significant and have begun to be studied empirically and analytically in narrow, isolated segments (e.g., supply chain management). In this paper, we focus on applications of RFID in the retail sector, specifically in store operations. We have adapted the balanced scorecard (BSC) model as a decision-making framework to build a holistic model of RFID-enabled changes throughout retail store operations including marketing, merchandising, and supply chain management. After reviewing the existing literature, we conducted a Delphi study in which 10 consultants and senior managers from leading U.S. retailers were interviewed. The results indicate that benefits in the areas of merchandising and marketing may not be realized as directly as those in the supply chain, but their effects should not be underestimated. The proposed BSC model can also indicate potential opportunities for item-level RFID use in retailing and serve as a guideline for further studies.     

An empirical model of IT usage in the Malaysian public sector

Whilst there have been many studies to determine the factors that influence the use of information technology (IT) in organisations, few have considered how these factors change with the level of IT use. This paper presents the results of such a study involving the use of IT to support Total Quality Management (TQM). The population studied consisted of those organisations in the Malaysian public sector that had applied for the Malaysian Prime Minister's Quality Award during the period 1992–1997.Three sets of factors were investigated for their impact on the use of IT to support TQM in this setting: external, organisational, and technological factors. Overall, the organisational and technological factors had more influence on IT usage than did the external factors. However, as organisations became more experienced in their use of IT, the major contextual influences on IT usage levels changed. At low levels of IT usage the major contextual influences were organisational. At medium levels of IT usage a combination of technological and organisational factors became important, whilst at high IT usage levels, the dominant factors were technological.     

An empirical study of IT as a factor of production: The case of Net-enabled IT assets

A great deal of research in the information systems field has focused on the link between IT and firm-level outputs, like productivity and performance. This paper critically examines the economic assumptions and methodological approaches that underlie much of this work. Three important issues and gaps are identified. First, the functional form of the relationship between IT and firm-level outputs has been inconsistently specified, or overlooked. Second, multiple input and output variables are often arbitrarily combined. Third, the characteristics of IT as a factor of production have not been tested in the era of Net-enabled IT assets. This paper sheds light on these issues by analyzing an appropriate dataset in a two-stage process. In the first stage, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is employed in order to derive a meaningful measure for IT productivity from a compilation of input and output variables. This measure is treated as a dependent variable in a multivariate regression analysis during the second stage. The paper confirms the diminishing marginal productivity and input substitutability of IT for the sub-category of Net-enabled IT assets.