Copyright (c) 2010 Association for Information Systems All rights reserved. http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta Recent documents in Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA) en-us Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:34:53 PST 3600 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss3/3 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss3/3 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:46:22 PST Information systems development (ISD) takes place within an economical context. However, the economical conditions that shape ISD practice have hardly been researched. In this paper we study how pricing affects ISD in practice. Based on data collected in the Danish IT industry we used a grounded theory approach to develop a model of the impact of pricing on ISD. The model was refined through the use of principal-agent theory and economic game theory in the form of the prisoner's dilemma. The model describes the pricing structure, risk distribution, opportunistic behavior and their relationships as the elements that influence ISD practice. On this basis we argue for the uptake of new development approaches such as agile software development (ASD) to improve ISD practice and its outcomes. Karlheinz Kautz http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss3/2 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss3/2 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:46:21 PST In this paper we study coordination of multi-organizational system development projects. In these kinds of projects a common information system is developed to several client organizations by several vendor organizations. We studied two large scale projects in the public sector and analyzed the evolution of coordination mechanisms and the mode of coordination. Case 1 is a joint development project between 13 universities and case 2 is a joint system development project among public and private pension fund companies in Finland. Different coordination mechanisms and mode of coordination were used in the studied cases. In the first case the mode of coordination was mostly informal during the studied phases of system development life cycle. The second case started with a formal mode of coordination and it maintained that mode. In both cases the mode of coordination remained the same, but the coordination mechanisms used varied in different phases of the project. In case one the informal mode of coordination led to difficulties with the schedule and the quality of the first version of the system. In case two more formal approaches helped keep to the schedule, but the functionality of the system was reduced. We conclude that given the size and complexity of these multi-organizational system development projects, it is difficult to change the ways of working in a short period of time. Antti Nurmi http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss3/1 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss3/1 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:46:20 PST Mark Srite http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss2/3 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss2/3 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:44:09 PDT This paper examines the relationship between IT vendors and the clients who use their products and services. The last fifteen years have seen a large increase in the amount of spending on purchased software as opposed to internally developed software. The dynamic of these relationships has not been a focus of current IS research and, as such, remains largely unexplored. The paper identifies the factors that influence the success of information tech-nology vendor-client relationships. Qualitative interview data is analyzed using grounded theory to create a list of factors that describe both good and bad relationships as perceived by experienced IT professionals. Using these factors, a model of information technology vendor-client relationships is presented. Future research directions are suggested as well as implications for research and practice. Craig C. Claybaugh http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss2/2 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss2/2 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:44:08 PDT Building on the resource-based view, this study compares the financial performance of three different types of firms: click-and-brick (CB), traditional brick-and-mortar (BM), and pure-click (PC) firms. We select twenty-one firms from each type and examine their financial performance using profitability and cost ratio analysis for the period from 2000 to 2004. The results of our ratio analysis indicate that the average profitability and cost structure vary by firm type. Firms that conduct their business using both traditional-physical stores and the Internet achieve significantly higher profitability than comparable firms that either use only traditional-physical stores or solely rely on the Internet. Furthermore, the cost structures of the firms that conduct their business using both traditional-physical stores and the Internet appear to be comparable to the traditional firms. In contrast, the pure-click companies that rely solely on the Internet for doing business seem to experience higher overall costs. These results are of practical relevance for the managers in the pure-click firms who may face less favorable cost structures as compared to other firm types. Myung Ko http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss2/1 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol10/iss2/1 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:44:08 PDT Marcus A. Rothenberger http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/6 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/6 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:11:16 PDT The implementation of information technology innovation is much more complex and process-oriented than the creation of the innovation itself. Proper implementation involves a tremendous amount of organizational cooperation and support in order for the innovation to be used to its maximum or target potential. How can innovators and information technology systems work together to get the most out of innovation? There are several salient features to remember when working with and implementing innovation. It is important to understand that each organization is a different, cognitive entity, capable of interpreting and understanding its own reasons for existence. By the same token, one should understand that in most cases, the business knows what is best for itself. Proper organization of a business entity can cause an increase in innovation within the organization. The information systems department plays an integral role in organizational innovation. The diffusion of innovation information is also paramount in providing for the successful implementation of innovation. An example of the implementation of Activity Based Costing is presented in the paper. This example provides a six-step process to implementing information technology innovation. These steps are initiation, adoption, adaptation, acceptance, routinization, and infusion. This paper also presents the idea that innovation and information technology is highly correlated and discusses the role of top management in successful implementation of innovative ideas. Mahesh S. Raisinghani http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/4 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/4 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:11:15 PDT Technology is fundamentally changing the way companies do business. Consolidations, globalization, and deregulation have put increased pressure on managers to better understand their businesses and take them to the next level. Given the fast-paced business environment today, decision-making cycles have been shortened and managers need accurate information in a timely manner in order to make quality decisions. A properly designed and populated data warehouse can provide the relevant data necessary to make good decisions. Significant advances in computer hardware and end user software have made it easy to access, analyze, and display information at the desktop. The data companies continue to collect from their current information system provides a great source of information about its customers and processes. Data mining software programs are powerful tools that can be used to interrogate the massive amounts of data contained in the data warehouse in order to uncover relationships. To help business leaders and decision makers manage their companies effectively, companies need to make as much information as possible available and give decision-makers the tools they need to explore it according to Kapstone (1995). By implementing a data warehouse and using data mining tools companies can uncover relationships that can be used to achieve strategic advantages. First, I will explain data warehouses, why they are built, and how to build them. Second, I will cover data mining tools and the benefits companies are experiencing by using them. Finally, I will focus on the strategic advantages of building a data warehouse and extracting valuable data using sophisticated data mining tools. Ryan Neary http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/5 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/5 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:11:15 PDT End users are frequently challenged with decision making where the goals, objectives, and priorities of management and entire functional areas are in conflict or defy standard quantifiable assessment (i.e., return on investment, payback period, etc.). In addition, objectives, priorities, and resources are constantly changing as corporate politics, staff turnover, or market conditions drive a firm in new directions. End users require, therefore, a straightforward capability of displaying resource or other constraints and the relative priorities of initiatives and projects in such a way that the manager can strive towards several objectives simultaneously. This paper discusses a well-established modeling technique, Goal Programming and shows how this once involved analysis technique has been simplified with the advent of powerful desktop hardware and software. GP models can now be developed on personal computers and used by managers and senior staff to simulate, in a matter of a few minutes, any scenario, which represents the relative priorities of initiatives and projects within defined resource or other constraints. Jeff Butterfield http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/3 http://aisel.aisnet.org/jitta/vol1/iss1/3 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:11:14 PDT The World Wide Web (WWW) has dramatically changed the role of communication media for research and commerce and it is expected to result in dramatic changes in how students learn in the world's tertiary educational institutions. There have been widespread reports of courses and programs taught over the WWW, particularly in IS, but to what extent have Internet-based teaching innovations actually been adopted by IS faculty? We surveyed more than 2600 IS faculty worldwide to determine what Internet-based teaching innovation they had adopted. More than 600 respondents from 23 countries provided us with data on their use of 13 Internet-based teaching activities. Eight of the activities were widely used (by more than 50% of the respondents), while five other activities were used by 26% or less of the respondents. The results suggest that at least 7% had the capacity to teach courses on line in 1998-9 and that at least 16% expected to have the capacity for 1999-2000. Ken Peffers