ACIS 2005 Proceedings

Why Invest in CRM Programs When So Many Appear to Fail?

Tim Coltman — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:59 PDT

The market enthusiasm generated around investment in CRM technology is in stark contrast to the nay saying by many academic and business commentators. Building on the resource-based view of the firm this study shows the human, technological and business capabilities required to effectively execute a CRM program. Further, the study demonstrates that CRM programs are most valuable when directing attention towards a proactive market orientation. Lastly, the study cautions that in seeking to compete through superior service, CRM programs must first be feasible and this requires a wider understanding of the structural and behavioural limits to performance.

Validating the Extended Technology Acceptance Model: Perceived Playfulness in the Context of Information-searching Websites

Janine Chung et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:57 PDT

Prior research that has used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to predict Internet usage has focused on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of websites. More recently, in an extension of TAM to include an intrinsic motivator, perceived playfulness was found to be another important factor in user acceptance of websites (Moon and Kim, 2001). Since then, no other research found has validated the significance of perceived playfulness. The purpose of this study is therefore to validate Moon and Kim’s extended TAM by exploring the importance of the intrinsic factor “perceived playfulness”, in the context of information-searching sites on the Internet.

Using Repertory Grid in an Assessment of Impression Formation

Ernest Edmonds et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:55 PDT

In the work described here we are concerned with support for creative knowledge workers. Our research deals with how computer systems can be used to assist in the formation of the close collaborative relationships that are common in this work domain. Here we describe the background behind our interest in impression formation as well as how and why we have applied the repertory grid technique in this research. The results of a series of interviews are reviewed and we comment on the effectiveness of the method used.

Understanding the Main Phases of Developing a Maturity Assessment Model

Tonia de Bruin et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:53 PDT

Practitioners and academics have developed numerous maturity models for many domains in order to measure competency. These initiatives have often been influenced by the Capability Maturity Model. However, an accumulative effort has not been made to generalize the phases of developing a maturity model in any domain. This paper proposes such a methodology and outlines the main phases of generic model development. The proposed methodology is illustrated with the help of examples from two advanced maturity models in the domains of Business Process Management and Knowledge Management.

Training for ERP: Does the IS Training Literature Have Value?

Cheryl Calvert et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:51 PDT

This paper examines end-user training (EUT) in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, with the aim of identifying whether current EUT research is applicable to ERP systems. An extensive review and analysis of EUT research in mainstream IS journals was undertaken. The findings of this analysis were compared to views expressed by a leading ERP trainer in a large Australian company. The principles outlined in the EUT literature were used to construct the Training, Education and Learning Strategy model for an ERP environment. Our analysis found very few high-quality empirical studies involving EUT training in such an environment. Moreover, we argue that while the extensive EUT literature provides a rich source of ideas about ERP training, the findings of many studies cannot be transferred to ERP systems, as these systems are inherently more complex than the office-based, non-mandatory applications upon which most IS EUT research is based.

Tracking and Profiling Successful IT Graduates

Johanna Vescio et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:49 PDT

This paper presents the findings of the UTS Successful Graduates Research Project which was undertaken by the UTS Planning and Quality Unit (PQU) in partnership with UTS Faculties, professional bodies and key industry organisations between 2001 and 2004. It consisted of a linked set of studies tracking successful graduates from any university in their first years of professional practice after graduation in the unique context of each profession. The results demonstrate that, although a high level of technical, profession-specific knowledge is necessary for successful practice, it is clearly not sufficient. A range of emotional intelligence, cognitive capabilities and generic skills are identified as critical success factors. Indeed, one of the key findings is that it is the combination of key elements of emotional intelligence, cognitive capabilities, generic and job specific skills and knowledge that is telling, not excellence in one domain. The results have important implications for current curriculum design and assessment in universities and for recruitment criteria in the areas investigated. Strategies for inculcating emotional intelligence in graduates are suggested.

Towards an interactive process model for implementing IS innovation

Stuart Jones et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:47 PDT

Effective implementation of new information systems (IS) is a central concern of practitioners today. Research on IS innovation and implementation success factors has been considerable, however mixed and often conflicting results characterise the state of our knowledge. This paper reviews the literature concerned with IS innovation implementation to identify major concepts and key issues requiring attention. Three inter-related concepts are identified in the literature - complexity, uncertainty and knowledge dynamics - that have not been considered as interacting processes in any previous work identified. An interactive process model relating these three concepts is proposed to address this gap, and in doing so provides a way for the implementation process for IS innovation to be better understood.

Towards an economic analysis of IT outsourcing risks

Brian Corbitt et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:45 PDT

This paper uses a case study to focus on the economic impacts of IT outsourcing risks through price determination. Previous research on IT Outsourcing (ITO) has examined risks from a number of perspectives, invariably from its impact on cost and failure. This paper uses a two dimensional model of buyer and supplier risk to show the relationships between the two related forms of risk in ITO and the determination of prices to resolve the risk.

Towards An Activity Theory Perspective on Mobile Information Systems

Michael Er et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:43 PDT

Mobile technology allows the potential to extend an organization’s information system and therefore information access and collaboration outside the normal boundaries set by the traditional office, affording access to information from remote locations. It is therefore puzzling that with the large capital expenditure for research and development into mobile devices that their adoption and use does not necessarily reflect returns in the same order of magnitude. This confusion is compounded further considering the large quantum of research that has been already undertaken in the area of technology diffusion. This paper reflects on the existing work practices, which are often ignored in the implementation of mobile devices contributing to issues with new system adoption. We attempt to highlight the factors that affect adoptability of mobile technology devices through the use of Activity Theory.

Towards a holistic undertanding of business and an applied understanding of information systems: the use of a "scaffolding" approach

Jennifer Leonard et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:42 PDT

Businesses are increasingly indicating a need for business graduates who have an integrated understanding of its operations, and an ability to address the multiple perspectives required in applying technology in a business setting. It is not always easy for undergraduates, with limited world experience, to gain such a holistic understanding. This paper discusses a ‘scaffolding’ approach to help them make the valuable links between one subject and another by deploying business, information/data and process modelling perspectives and their enabling technologies/tools. It proposes a detailed evaluation of this approach as the students progress from one subject to another.

There are always two sides to a story: The use of Social Dramas as a mode of data analysis in Information Systems

Brian Corbitt et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:40 PDT

With the continually evolving social nature of information systems research there is a need to identify different “modes of analysis” (Myers, 1997) to uncover our understanding of the complex, messy and often chaotic nature of human factors. One suggested mode of analysis is that of social dramas, a tool developed in the anthropological discipline by Victor Turner. The use of social dramas also utilises the work by Goffman (1959; 1997) and enables the researcher to investigate events from the front stage, reporting obvious issues in systems implementation, and from the back stage, identifying the hidden aspects of systems implementation and the underpinning discourses. A case study exploring the social dramas involved in systems selection and implementation has been provided to support the use of this methodological tool.

The Social Dimension of eCommerce

Dubravka Cecez-Kecmanovic et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:38 PDT

To study the social dimension of business-to-customer electronic commerce (B2C eCommerce) we propose a critical social-theoretic approach where commercial transactions are seen as social actions undertaken by buyers and sellers conceived of as social actors. The critical social-theoretic approach serves to analyze and interpret empirical evidence from automobile sellers’ and buyers’ case studies. By comparing social actions by actors in traditional, face-to-face automobile sales versus eCommerce sales we demonstrate how eCommerce tends to affect social conditions of trade and buyers’ and sellers’ behaviour. Grounded in the empirical and theoretical argument we provide an explanation of some unintended and unexpected consequences including decreasing prices, power redistribution between sellers and buyers towards empowerment of buyers, and increasing fairness of trade practices.

The IT Manager: an Endangered Species?

David Musson — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:37 PDT

Information Technology is generally acknowledged to be an indispensable part of business today, so it might be thought that companies generally employed IT staff. A survey was carried out on a large sample of New South Wales companies to discover how many companies had any IT staff. It showed that only about 25% of the sample had such staff. About a quarter of companies turning over $5m - $10m and half the companies turning over $10m - $50m had IT managers. These figures suggest that the most NSW companies have no IT staff, which has implications for a wide range of governance issues.

The Importance of Personalization in Affecting Consumer Attitudes toward Mobile Advertising in China

David Xu et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:35 PDT

Empowered by the Web’s interactive and quick-response capabilities, mobile marketing is a very promising direct marketing channel. The present research investigates consumer attitudes toward mobile advertising in China. The results of a survey indicate that (1) consumers in China generally have slightly negative attitudes toward receiving mobile advertising (2) there is a direct relationship between consumer attitudes and consumer intention in receiving mobile advertising. (3) Personalization plays an important role in affecting consumers’ attitude toward receiving mobile advertising. Thus the designers and marketers should better strategize their advertising designs by considering the personalization factor.

The Impact of Communications and Understanding on the Success of Business/IT Alignment

Jacob Cybulski et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:33 PDT

This article reports on an investigation of IS stakeholders communication and mutual understanding, and their impact on the success of business / IT alignment. In particular, by following a hermeneutic study of transcripts of two focus groups and several interviews conducted with senior business and IT executives, the paper explores the issues of modern business context and practices, project scope and structure, trust, language and nomenclature, and the barriers to the effective stakeholder communication and understanding. The study results are finally compared against the standard model of business and IT alignment. The main unexpected finding being executives' pre-occupation with issues of "marginal" value to the alignment model, such as day-to-day management of communicative and understanding effectiveness, as opposed to the fundamental issues of strategy and infrastructure fit.

The Evaluation of Business Intelligence: A Case Study in a Major Financial Institution

David Arnott et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:31 PDT

Business intelligence (BI) is the current industry movement that addresses the use of IT to support management decision making. Unlike previous approaches to decision support, BI systems are large-scale information systems. Whereas the development of small-scale personal decision support systems (PDSS) and executive information systems (EIS) may be authorised and funded at an individual executive’s discretion, BI systems require evaluation and approval processes more like those used in large-scale operational IT projects. This paper presents a framework for BI and proposes that Symon’s Context-Content-Process model is useful for understanding BI projects. A pilot case study of BI evaluation in a major bank is described and analysed in terms of the Context-Content-Process model. The findings include the recognition of the importance of non- financial intangible factors in BI evaluation, the use of operational justification for strategic BI systems, and the varying perspectives of different stakeholders in BI systems. The framework and case findings provide part of the foundation for a larger project concerning the development of a BI evaluation method.

The Effect of Organisational Culture on Knowledge Sharing: A Comparison of United Kingdom, United States and Australian Behaviour

Hilary Berger et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:29 PDT

Collaborative research is being undertaken to examine the role that organisational culture plays in determining an individual's attitude towards knowledge sharing, and how these cultures might impact on knowledge sharing behaviour in different organisations. The international scope of one of the project’s provided an opportunity to collect data from organisations spanning national boundaries comprising of various organisational types. Findings from the combined research indicate that it is organisational type rather than national identity that appears to have the most significant impact on knowledge sharing behaviour.

The Development of a User Self-Help Knowledge Management System for Help Desk: Deployment of Knowledge Management Approach and Software Agent Technology

Sim Lau et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:27 PDT

Most help desks have admitted their call volume has increased in the past decade while “help unavailable when needed” is the major reason for service delivery failure and user dissatisfaction. The habit of calling help desk for simple problems has prompted the investigation of transferring part of first-level troubleshooting duty from help desk to user. This research proposes the development of user self-help knowledge management system that allows user to solve simple and routine technical enquiries. The proposed approach incorporates software agent to allow autonomous handling of enquiries so that the most appropriate solution and user communication can be facilitated.

The Attribution of Success and Failure by IS Project Professionals

Andrew Guilfoyle et al. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:25 PDT

Success and failure of IT projects is a complex issue, due to the large number of projects that are undertaken, definitions of success and failure, high failure rates, substantial effects of projects on users and high responsibility. In this exploratory study we examine how project managers attribute IT project success and failure in large Australian organizations. 112 IT personnel completed an adapted version of the Attributional Styles questionnaire (Furnham et al. 1994) which asked them to attribute causes along a number of attribution dimensions, for IT projects which have either succeeded or failed. The results showed executive management support and users involvement had great impact on the IT project success or failure. In addition, most IT project managers attributed failure to others while attributed success to themselves. Results are discussed in terms of what sort of culture is maintained in the area in terms for how success and familiar of IT projects are attributed? And what are the potential ramifications for future motivations to engage in, complete, adjust or actively create new projects within the organisation?

The Asian Tsunami: An urgent case for improved government information systems and management

Nigel Martin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:18:23 PDT

This discussion paper provides a timely consideration of how regional governments in Asia and other national governments around the world collect, manage, and share information in what is becoming an increasingly global community. The paper addresses the socio-technical perspective of government information systems and management, and draws on several public reports, media articles, and expert opinions published in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004. On the basis of the published material, the paper observes how critical early warning information was handled by government authorities in the hours before the tsunami wave strike, discusses the availability of technological solutions that can provide earthquake and tsunami warning information, and poses that government bureaucracies and human relations form the weakest link in the information chain. The type of early warning information system that might be created to avoid another loss of life, suggested improvements to inter-government information sharing and communications, and the emerging requirement for earthquake and tsunami information dissemination and education are also discussed. The paper concludes with a research agenda for government warning information systems and management.