NETWORKING WITH A HUMAN FACE Mentoring as a Career Strategy

Abstract

Mentoring has been around for ages, often masquerading as the management club or the fast track. Among successful business unit managers, mentoring is a well-understood practice, and it's a career development strategy today's IS professional would be wise to consider.     

Performance Measurement in EDP

Abstract

As cyber-criminals get smarter and smarter, staying one step ahead of emerging security threats is getting harder and harder. Seemingly every day, news reports are filled with hair-raising stories about computer networks and corporations being terrorized by worms, viruses, hackers, and identity thieves. More than ever, companies need to pay strict attention to network security, not only to defend against attacks and protect customer data, but also to satisfy a growing list of government regulations such as the Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), California's privacy breach notification law SB1386, and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).     

Development and validation of an Internet self-efficacy scale

Although much research has been done in the area of strategic planning for information systems (IS), relatively less research has focused on the output of the IS planning process, namely, the IS plan. This paper examines the usefulness of IS plans through a field survey of 136 IS executives. Results indicate that IS plans are generally perceived to be useful for supporting business objectives, improving systems integration, exploiting information technology (IT) for competitive advantage, and prioritising IS development projects. Conversely, IS plans are perceived to be less useful for clarifying the role of IS, evaluating IS performance, anticipating surprises and crisis, and adapting to unanticipated situations. Implications of these results are discussed.     

Sarbanes—Oxley and Enterprise Security: IT Governance — What It Takes to Get the Job Done

Abstract

Several sections of the Sarbanes— Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) directly affect the governance of the information technology (IT) organization, including potential SOX certification by the chief information officer, Section 404 internal control assessments, “rapid and current” disclosures to the public of material changes, and authentic and immutable record retention. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires publicly traded companies to comply with the Treadway Commission's Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) that defines enterprise risk and places security as a critical variable in enterprise risk assessment. Effective IT and security governance are examined in terms of SOX compliance. Motorola IT security governance demonstrates effective structures, processes, and communications; centralized security leaders participate with Motorola's Management Board to create an enabling security organization to sustain long-term change.     

The Future IS Organization in a Flat World

ABSTRACT

The business world is becoming increasingly “flat” with regard to access to global markets and a global workforce. New operational priorities are emerging that require new IS capabilities. The linkage between these operational shifts and the changes required by an IS organization to develop new IS capabilities for a flattening world are identified and discussed.     

Information Systems Strategy and its Relationship With Innovation Differentiation and Organizational Performance

ABSTRACT

This study, from the resource-based view, analyzes the different typologies of information systems (IS) strategy and their effects on firms’ innovation differentiation strategy and performance. Distinguishing between innovative and conservative IS strategy, results from the Spanish food industry show that an innovative IS strategy has a stronger direct effect on organizational performance, but that a conservative IS strategy can be a safer way to support the innovation differentiation strategy of firms.     

Information Systems at Utilities: An Issue of Value

Abstract

Although a variety of IS issues such as containing costs and developing systems that meet users’ needs should be addressed, a recent survey of utility executives reveals that the primary issue of importance for an organization is the overall financial value that the IS function provides. The survey also reveals the specific rankings of several strategic IS issues and the actions these executives would take to address these issues.     

STANDARDS FOR USER-DRIVEN APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

IS budgets have increased to a point at which many IS organizations could be standalone organizations. Viewed in this light, IS should be managed as such. This column describes this budgetary growth pattern, discusses the management implications of this growth, and offers advice on how to manage IS as an independent business venture.     

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING Aligning Business Goals with Technology

Abstract

For strategic business planning to be successful in the prevailing competitive business environment, current and future technology needs must be considered. In many organizations, it is the responsibility of the IS manager to ensure that the information systems support these business needs. The IS manager must have a clear understanding of the organization's strategic business plan and must tailor IS projects to meet that plan's objectives. Enterprisewide information management and enterprise analysis can help the IS manager understand the business strategy and predict the effects of technology on that strategy.     

The Transformation of Computing: Riding the Wave

Abstract

In an IS world characterized by high stress and low unemployment, IS executives must not only secure scarce talent but also ensure that staffing patterns optimally meet corporate and IT goals. the staffing model presented here offers a new way of looking at IS culture, bringing IS in tandem with the strategic direction of the organization, and fostering ongoing, global assessment of overall IS performance.     

User commitment and collaboration: Motivational antecedents and project performance

ContextPrior research into the success of information system development projects views user commitment and collaboration as unrelated concepts in models that take either a perspective of mediators or one of processes. This perspective is limiting in that mediators and processes may interact during the course of an information system development project.ObjectiveIn this work, we model both mediators and processes as important to project outcomes and propose that processes will also be impacted by affective mediators, specifically the behavioral mediator of user commitment and the project process of collaboration. The model also allows behavioral antecedents to be considered in relation to the mediation variable, specifically the ability of the users and the extrinsic motivators perceived by the users.MethodA questionnaire containing constructs of collaboration processes, user commitment, abilities, and extrinsic motivation are completed by users in a development project and project success is measured by the IS staff for a matching independent variable. 128 matching pairs were collected and the model analyzed using partial least squares regression.ResultsResults indicate that the affective mediator can be influenced by the tested antecedents showing that IS project managers should be able to choose users with essential abilities and also establish sufficient rewards to employees, even those who may not be direct subordinates. Similarly, collaboration is still important to the success of a project, indicating that procedures to encourage collaboration be installed from the beginning of the project. However, commitment alone is sufficient to predict collaboration, meaning that motivation outside the processes in place may not be necessary to encourage collaboration between the users and IS staff.ConclusionIS researchers should consider both process mediators and affective states in future work when considering the link between antecedent inputs of software projects to the success of outputs. IS managers should promote commitment among users beyond placing collaboration mechanisms in place. This might require project managers have more decision authority in the rewards provided to user participants.     

Propositional Satisfiability Algorithm to Find Minimal Reducts for Data Mining

A fundamental problem in data mining is whether the whole information available is always necessary to represent the information system (IS). Reduct is a rough set approach in data mining that determines the set of important attributes to represent the IS. The search for minimal reduct is based on the assumption that within the dataset in an IS, there are attributes that are more important than the rest. An algorithm in finding minimal reducts based on Propositional Satisfiability (SAT) algorithm is proposed. A branch and bound algorithm is presented to solve the proposed SAT problem. The experimental result shows that the proposed algorithm has significantly reduced the number of rules generated from the obtained reducts with high percentage of classification accuracy.     

Exploring university perceptions of IS implementation and attributes of success: a case study of public universities in Thailand

ABSTRACT

This study aims to gain a better understanding of public university implementation of organizational information systems (IS). Mixed methods research was used, including initial exploration, telephone interviews, and a self-administered mail survey. The data were gathered from university personnel at 40 public universities in Thailand, and the research focused on the university student-registration systems (S-R). The study results highlight the different perceptions between two response groups: administrators and system users. The results show different perceptions of IS implementation and attributes that define IS implementation success. The results also serve as important suggestions that need to be recognized by administrators and practitioners for effectively planning the implementation of organizational IS in public universities.     

OFFICE AUTOMATION An MIS Manager' s Guide to Office Automation

Abstract

For an easy solution to the complex problem of IS projects that are delivered late and over budget, IS managers sometimes purchase project management software. Although such software can provide some benefits, it is not a cure-all for the ills of poorly developed and badly managed projects.     

Choosing the Best Workweek for the Data Center

Abstract

When an organization adopts an ambitious growth plan, the IS department must work hard to accommodate such growth. An evaluation of the existing IS support system is critical. This column presents a case study of one manager who faced this situation and provides four specific actions not only to adjust to the change but to capitalize on it.     

The IS Organization of the Future: Impacts of Global Sourcing

ABSTRACT

Global sourcing will continue to have a major impact on IS organizations. Fourteen “new” and traditional skills that IS organizations will need in tomorrow's global sourcing environment are highlighted.     

Integrating IS Disciplines into End-User Training

Abstract

In addition to software training, users need to learn systems analysis concepts and development techniques that will enable them to develop better and more reliable end-user applications. IS managers should realize that this type of IS-sponsored training not only improves the users’ productivity but the IS staffs as well.     

Mobility,Business Process Management,Software Sourcing,and Maturity Model Trends: Propositions for the IS Organization of the Future

ABSTRACT

In this article, I argue that increased mobility, a continued emphasis on business process management, expanded options for the sourcing of enterprise system software, and IS maturity models are trends that will require new capabilities and skills for tomorrow's IS organization.     

Risk factors analysis: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among male traffic policemen using high-powered motorcycles

IntroductionThe occupational safety and health issues for police riders and other professional riders are often related to ergonomic hazards and risks. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors that contribute to the health effects in developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among male traffic policemen using high-powered motorcycles.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using 137 police riders. A set of questionnaires including the Standardised Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) and human vibration meter (Svantek 106) was used in this study.ResultsThe prevalence of WMSDs was 67.9%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the duration of riding a motorcycle (OR = 0.175, 95% CI:0.052, 0.581), years of service (OR = 0.152, 95% CI: 0.040, 0.567), and hand-arm vibration, HAV (OR = 3.053, 95% CI: 1.126, 8.280) were significant risk factors for the prevalence of WMSDs.DiscussionThe majority of riders reported symptoms of WMSDs within the past 12 months. Riding duration, years of service, and hand-arm vibration (HAV) were found to be the most important risk factors for WMSDs in this rider group. The results highlight that in the context of ergonomic interaction, high-powered motorcycles and the police riders are not a good fit. Hence, further study is needed to improve the safety and health of the police riders.     

The IS Organization of the Future: The IT Talent Challenge

ABSTRACT

Current projections are that the demands for IS workers in the U.S. are on the verge of exceeding the supply, and IS managers are reporting increased concerns for the recruitment and retention of IT staff. The authors argue that industry and universities need to take actions today to address the projected shortfalls, and offer some guidelines for recruiting and retaining IT professionals.