Organisational learning: Collective mind or cognitivist metaphor?

The concept of organisational learning may be seen to be based on an implicit cognitive model of organisations. An examination of the literature on the subject, however, reveals that there are widely differing views on how this model is to be interpreted. Does it really mean that organisations are entities capable of cognition, or is it just a metaphor? In this paper some of the main perspectives on organisational learning are explored and their assumptions about the nature of the phenomenon are discussed. The implications of the different perspectives for the relationship between information systems and organisational learning are considered.     

The synergy of learning organisations and flexible information technology

The switch from the Command-and-Control to Learning Organisation paradigm in the area of organisational theory is well understood. It is less well appreciated that learning organisations cannot operate effectively if supported by centralised data processing systems. The paper argues that there is a need for synergy between organisational structures and organisational information systems. Learning must be supported by the so-called new information technology. To obtain desired synergy it is necessary to design organisations and organisational information systems concurrently.     

The Weight of History: An Exploration of Resistance to Change in Vicars/Managers

What impact do managers have on successful implementation of organisational change? A model is suggested to assess the strength of managers to initiate and implement organisational change and development. The model rests on leadership theories and factors that describe and explain various change aspects of managers’ behaviour. It is assumed that managers who have a change‐centred leadership style, who are intuitive combined with power motivation and see urgent demands for change and development, have an optimal capacity for implementing major changes in their organisations. This model has been tested on a sample of 153 vicars, each facing a radically new situation. The Church of Sweden was disestablished this year breaking a structure, which has lasted for 500 years. As expected, very few of the vicars (as managers) exhibited change and development related behaviour described by the model. In fact, only one percent of the vicars appears to have maximum capacity to implement organisational changes. Whether the model can predict successful implementation of major organisational change remains to be tested.     

Modelling user participation in organisations as networks

User participation (UP) means activities that individuals perform for processes to develop systems or to act collectively and is an important factor for gaining user commitment and minimising user resistance. This is due to the ability of UP to shape the structure and behaviour of organisations through leveraged user expertise, minimised redundant processes and improved understanding of systems.Grounded on social network analysis and UP research, this article proposes a mathematical model for analysing UP in ‘organisations as networks’. The model identifies concepts for characterising network structures for UP and introduces indicators for assessing the network behaviour of human participants within organisations. The article concludes by discussing implications for researchers and practitioners, and limitations of the proposed model.     

The role of boundaries in knowledge processes

Advances in communications and information technology deliver an increasingly dynamic and interconnected competitive context. To survive and prosper in this environment, organisations must be innovative and adaptive. Intellectual and relational capital comprise key resources for competitive success. This paper concerns the knowledge processes that enable organisations to undergo transformational change in an interconnected world whilst retaining the integrity of their organisational identity. It views organisations as complex adaptive systems, and uses a case study example to demonstrate the importance of boundary phenomenology in defining organisational knowledge processes. The underlying conceptual framework draws on Maturana and Varela's concept of autopoietic unity as a metaphor to explore issues of organisational identity and integrity, and uses Merali's Cognitive Congruence Framework to examine the cognitive infrastructures underpinning adaptive behaviour. The discussion reflects on the implications of this work for knowledge management practice in emergent competitive contexts, and in concluding, advocates active boundary management.     

Protection motivation and deterrence: a framework for security policy compliance in organisations

Enterprises establish computer security policies to ensure the security of information resources; however, if employees and end-users of organisational information systems (IS) are not keen or are unwilling to follow security policies, then these efforts are in vain. Our study is informed by the literature on IS adoption, protection-motivation theory, deterrence theory, and organisational behaviour, and is motivated by the fundamental premise that the adoption of information security practices and policies is affected by organisational, environmental, and behavioural factors. We develop an Integrated Protection Motivation and Deterrence model of security policy compliance under the umbrella of Taylor-Todd's Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour. Furthermore, we evaluate the effect of organisational commitment on employee security compliance intentions. Finally, we empirically test the theoretical model with a data set representing the survey responses of 312 employees from 78 organisations. Our results suggest that (a) threat perceptions about the severity of breaches and response perceptions of response efficacy, self-efficacy, and response costs are likely to affect policy attitudes; (b) organisational commitment and social influence have a significant impact on compliance intentions; and (c) resource availability is a significant factor in enhancing self-efficacy, which in turn, is a significant predictor of policy compliance intentions. We find that employees in our sample underestimate the probability of security breaches.     

Proposing the control‐reactance compliance model (CRCM) to explain opposing motivations to comply with organisational information security policies

Organisations increasingly rely on information and related systems, which are also a source of risk. Unfortunately, employees represent the greatest risk to organisational information because they are the most frequent source of information security breaches. To address this ‘weak link’ in organisational security, most organisations have strict information security policies (ISPs) designed to thwart employee information abuses. Regrettably, these ISPs are only partially effective because employees often ignore them, circumvent them or even do the opposite of what management desires. Research on attempts to increase ISP compliance has produced similarly mixed results. Lack of compliance with ISPs is a widespread organisational issue that increasingly bears disproportionately large direct and qualitative costs that undermine strategy. Consequently, the purpose of our study was to contribute to the understanding of both motivations to comply with new ISPs and motivations to react negatively against them. To do so, we proposed an innovative model, the control‐reactance compliance model (CRCM), which combines organisational control theory – a model that explains ISP compliance – with reactance theory – a model used to explain ISP noncompliance. To test CRCM, we used a sample of 320 working professionals in a variety of industries to examine the likely organisational outcomes of the delivery of a new ISP to employees in the form of a typical memo sent throughout an organisation. We largely found support for CRCM, and this study concludes with an explanation of the model's contributions to research and practice related to organisational ISP compliance.     

Developing a Theory to Explain the Insights Gained Concerning Information Systems and Business Process Behaviour: The ASSESS-IT Project

Business Process (BP) literature promotes the value of business processes as essential gearwheels that help organisations to reach their goals. Similarly, many process design approaches claim that information technology is a major enabler of business process, a view also shared by the Information Systems (IS) community. Despite this, BP and IS approaches do not provide clear guidance on how to coordinate the design of BP and IS. Nor is any indication of which modelling techniques could be used to detect and design IT opportunities within a business process context given.The ASSESS-IT project examined this domain and proposed the use of simulation techniques to achieve BP and IT integration. The outcome of this project gave indication that depicting the dynamic behaviour of IS could be very helpful for BP modellers to predict the impact that the insertion of IS may have on organisational processes. This paper proposes a simulation framework to depict IS behaviour within a BP simulation model, namely BPS/ISS, and tests it using the case study that was part of the ASSESS-IT project.     

Exploring managers' intention to use business intelligence: the role of motivations

In recent years, the amount of information has been growing quickly within organisations. Thus, several organisations have implemented analytics and business intelligence (BI) for Big Data solutions. To effectively foster the acceptance and usage of BI, this study examines how the motivational factors of both expectancy theory and social exchange theory (SET) affect managers' willingness to utilise BI. A survey of 271 managers supports the proposed model. The results show that intangible rewards of expectancy theory significantly influence the intention to read information (IRI) through the desire to make good decisions. Benefit factors (organisational rewards, reputation, and reciprocity) of SET are significantly associated with the desire to exchange reports (DER). The IRI significantly directly and indirectly influences the intention to create reports through the DER. Given the empirical findings, this study provides theoretical and managerial insights for organisations.     

The dynamics of IT boundary objects,information infrastructures,and organisational identities: the introduction of 3D modelling technologies into the architecture,engineering, and construction industry

In recent years, more companies engage in collaborative cross-organisational practices to achieve their business objectives. To cooperate effectively across boundaries requires organisations to overcome the tension between their distinct backgrounds and the need to create shared understandings with their partners for collaboration. This requires the creation of shared artefacts such as boundary objects. Whereas the past work on boundary objects has highlighted their role as translation devices, we examine them in relation to the information infrastructures within which they are embedded, and the identities of the organisations that use them. We propose a model that outlines the relationships among the three concepts and illustrate its dynamics by presenting two case studies that describe the introduction of three-dimensional modelling technologies into the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Based on the case studies we suggest that boundary objects, in addition to facilitating cross-organisational communication, also help to form organisational identities. We further suggest the occurrence of a process whereby changes in boundary objects enable changes in information infrastructures and identities in one organisation. These changes, in turn, create the conditions for change in bordering organisations through shared boundary objects and boundary practices.     

Understanding social collaboration between actors and technology in an automated and digitised deep mining environment

The purpose of this article is to develop knowledge and learning on the best way to automate organisational activities in deep mines that could lead to the creation of harmony between the human, technical and the social system, towards increased productivity. The findings showed that though the introduction of high-level technological tools in the work environment disrupted the social relations developed over time amongst the employees in most situations, the technological tools themselves became substitute social collaborative partners to the employees. It is concluded that, in developing a digitised mining production system, knowledge of the social collaboration between the humans (miners) and the technology they use for their work must be developed. By implication, knowledge of the human's subject-oriented and object-oriented activities should be considered as an important integral resource for developing a better technological, organisational and human interactive subsystem when designing the intelligent automation and digitisation systems for deep mines. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This study focused on understanding the social collaboration between humans and the technologies they use to work in underground mines. The learning provides an added knowledge in designing technologies and work organisations that could better enhance the human-technology interactive and collaborative system in the automation and digitisation of underground mines.     

The application of IT in organisations: Some trends and issues

Abstract

This paper describes some trends and issues in the application of information technology in organisations. Technology trends are outlined in the areas of computing power, telecommunications, networking, software and standards. Some trends in the applications of IT are described with respect to developments in information systems and office automation. Some differences in the likely role of IT in the industrialised and developing countries are discussed. The second half of the paper deals with issues in the management of IT applications in organisations, and issues are identified as being political, organisational and social in nature in addition to technical. A social systems framework is proposed for the analysis of these issues. Some specific IT issues are then discussed involving alternative stakeholder perspectives, the analysis of decision making processes, the process of consultation and communication and the organisational impacts of IT applications.     

Taking stock of organisations’ protection of privacy: categorising and assessing threats to personally identifiable information in the USA

Many organisations create, store, or purchase information that links individuals’ identities to other data. Termed personally identifiable information (PII), this information has become the lifeblood of many firms across the globe. As organisations accumulate their constituencies’ PII (e.g. customers’, students’, patients’, and employees’ data), individuals’ privacy will depend on the adequacy of organisations’ information privacy safeguards. Despite existing protections, many breaches still occur. For example, US organisations reported around 4,500 PII-breach events between 2005 and 2015. With such a high number of breaches, determining all threats to PII within organisations proves a burdensome task. In light of this difficulty, we utilise text-mining and cluster analysis techniques to create a taxonomy of various organisational PII breaches, which will help drive targeted research towards organisational PII protection. From an organisational systematics perspective, our classification system provides a foundation to explain the diversity among the myriad of threats. We identify eight major PII-breach types and provide initial literature reviews for each type of breach. We detail how US organisations differ regarding their exposure to these breaches, as well as how the level of severity (i.e. number of records affected) differs among these PII breaches. Finally, we offer several paths for future research.     

Impact of using social network services on workplace ostracism,job satisfaction,and innovative behaviour

Research has found workplace ostracism to negatively impact workplace attitudes and behaviours such as job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour, and job performance. However, research investigating beyond the direct effects of workplace ostracism and findings about boundary conditions for mitigating the negative effects of workplace ostracism are limited in organisational studies. In this regard, this study explored the mediating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between workplace ostracism and innovative behaviour and the moderating effects of social networking services for work-related purposes for the relationship between workplace ostracism and job satisfaction. The two-wave study consisted of 237 full-time employees in large organisations in South Korea. The hierarchical regression analyses resulted in job satisfaction to mediate the relationship between workplace ostracism and innovative behaviour and social network service to significantly moderate the relationship between workplace ostracism and job satisfaction. Moreover, mediated moderation was found for the study model, which further suggests that using social network services for work-related purposes had indirect effects on innovative behaviour.     

Understanding social collaboration between actors and technology in an automated and digitised deep mining environment

The purpose of this article is to develop knowledge and learning on the best way to automate organisational activities in deep mines that could lead to the creation of harmony between the human, technical and the social system, towards increased productivity. The findings showed that though the introduction of high-level technological tools in the work environment disrupted the social relations developed over time amongst the employees in most situations, the technological tools themselves became substitute social collaborative partners to the employees. It is concluded that, in developing a digitised mining production system, knowledge of the social collaboration between the humans (miners) and the technology they use for their work must be developed. By implication, knowledge of the human's subject-oriented and object-oriented activities should be considered as an important integral resource for developing a better technological, organisational and human interactive subsystem when designing the intelligent automation and digitisation systems for deep mines.

Statement of Relevance: This study focused on understanding the social collaboration between humans and the technologies they use to work in underground mines. The learning provides an added knowledge in designing technologies and work organisations that could better enhance the human–technology interactive and collaborative system in the automation and digitisation of underground mines.     

Information systems management: role of planning, alignment and leadership

Undoubtedly technology has the potential to provide significant strategic and operational benefits to organisations in the electronic age. Unfortunately the reality is that many organisations are failing to reap the expected benefits from their investment in information systems. This, along with the ubiquitous presence of technology, incessant technological changes and the unrelenting advance of e-commerce, means information systems management (ISM) has become a matter of major concern to many organisations. Given the paramount importance of ISM to organisations, this article seeks to critically examine three of the most fundamental and perhaps elusive aspects of ISM in the context of a rapidly changing technological environment - planning, alignment and managerial responsibilities. Since ISM is a multifaceted concept, it would be futile to attempt a comprehensive analysis of the subject in a single article and hence the above focus on a small number of issues. More specifically, the organisational and managerial aspects of ISM would form the core of this article rather than the more technical issues (e.g. IT infrastructure development). It will also explore problem areas in the literature that represents gaps within both theory and in the prevalent methodologies employed to examine those theories.     

Information systems management: role of planning,alignment and leadership

Undoubtedly technology has the potential to provide significant strategic and operational benefits to organisations in the electronic age. Unfortunately the reality is that many organisations are failing to reap the expected benefits from their investment in information systems. This, along with the ubiquitous presence of technology, incessant technological changes and the unrelenting advance of e-commerce, means information systems management (ISM) has become a matter of major concern to many organisations. Given the paramount importance of ISM to organisations, this article seeks to critically examine three of the most fundamental and perhaps elusive aspects of ISM in the context of a rapidly changing technological environment – planning, alignment and managerial responsibilities. Since ISM is a multifaceted concept, it would be futile to attempt a comprehensive analysis of the subject in a single article and hence the above focus on a small number of issues. More specifically, the organisational and managerial aspects of ISM would form the core of this article rather than the more technical issues (e.g. IT infrastructure development). It will also explore problem areas in the literature that represents gaps within both theory and in the prevalent methodologies employed to examine those theories.     

How Can Organisations Prepare for Reputational Crises?

Most public and private organisations have assumed that they are responsible for their reputation, which they see as a key asset. In a world rapidly becoming dominated by the internet and electronic commerce, organisational control is threatened. This article develops a definition of organisational reputation and suggests how it can be nurtured. It explores the types of reputational threats that face organisations and how training may prevent or reduce the effects of reputational crises.     

Peering through the lens of high-reliability theory: A competencies driven security culture model of high-reliability organisations

To improve organisational safety and enhance security efficiency, organisations seek to establish a culture of security that provides a foundation for how employees should approach security. There are several frameworks and models that provide a set of requirements for forming security cultures; however, for many organisations, the requirements of the frameworks are difficult to meet, if not impossible. In this research, we take a different perspective and focus on the core underlying competencies that high-reliability organisations (HROs) have shown to be effective in achieving levels of risk tolerance consistent with the goals of a security culture. In doing so we draw on high-reliability theory to develop a Security Culture Model that explains how a firm's supportive and practical competencies form its organisational security culture. To refine and test the model, we conducted a developmental mixed-method study using interviews and survey data with professional managers involved in the information security (InfoSec) programs within their respective HROs. Our findings emphasise the importance of an organisation's supportive and practical competencies for developing a culture of security. Our results suggest that organisations' security cultures are a product of their InfoSec practices and that organisational mindfulness, top management involvement and organisational structure are key to the development of those practices.     

Towards an understanding of the role of business intelligence systems in organisational knowing

Recent advances in information technology (IT), such as the advent of business intelligence (BI) systems, have increased the ability of organisations to collect and analyse data to support decisions. There is little focus to date, however, on how BI systems might play a role in organisational knowledge creation – in organisational knowing. We develop a conceptual framework of organisational knowing based on a synthesis of the literature, and use this as a framework to investigate how BI systems facilitate knowing in a case organisation. We identify two practices triggered by BI systems that distinguish them from prior applications of IT: the ability to initiate problem articulation and dialogue, and that of data selection (e.g. to address information needs of organisational decision makers at different managerial levels). This study provides empirical evidence of the performative outcome of BI systems in relation to organisational knowing through the practices of articulation and data selection. It provides a practice perspective on BI and focuses on the role of BI systems in organisational knowing thereby opening up a new departure for BI research that considers the implications of BI systems in organisations with actual practice in mind.