Search results

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the practice of IT‐enabled management control change, in particular how IT‐driven change is made possible from a practical perspective in a global context. It does so by investigating the redesign of the telecommunications company Ericsson's global finance and accounting function from an independent structure of numerous national chief financial officer units into one interdependent global network of shared service centres.

Ericsson's transformation was followed by drawing mainly on interviews and documents. The data were analysed using narrative and temporal bracketing strategies for theorising from process data.

The paper illustrates how IT‐enabled management control change unfolds as a continuous interaction between a dynamic organisational structure (social dimension) and a less, but still, dynamic IT (material dimension) across time. The study also highlights how such a process is metaphorically similar to the form of a hermeneutic spiral rather than the common perspective of an arrow from the present to the future.

The focus of the paper is on positive organisational change and how transformation is possible from a strategic and managerial point of view. Hence, less focus is placed on the employee perspective.

This paper stresses the importance of pre‐understanding, an openness to trials and learning, and a dynami stance towards the moving targets of IT and organisation.

The paper provides rich empirical material. The analysis includes contemporary issues, and the practice of IT‐enabled management control change.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic view of the link between the identification of complexity contributing factors, the application of project management approaches and their impacts on the performance of Information Technology (IT)-enabled change projects.

A qualitative approach of an embedded single-case design comprising three IT-enabled change projects delivered in Australia was used to explore the impact of complexity contributing factors and project management approaches on project performance measures. Semi-structured interviews were used as the main data collection method. Thematic analysis was used as the data analysis approach.

The results from the thematic analysis highlight that complexity contributing factors are related to two categories of complexity defined in this paper: technical uncertainties and uncertainty in goals and deliverables, both have an impact on the performance of IT-enabled change projects. It also highlights key project management approaches such as the use of an adaptive management approach and good communication as key to managing complexity. It also identifies a misalignment between stakeholder perception of success and the project management success measure for complex IT-enabled projects.

The research is based on data collected from Australian participants involved in three case studies. Additional data collection and reviews from practitioners in the field of project management could further refine and improve this research.

The research facilitates the identification of specific complexity contributing factors at the early stage of a project to ensure that the appropriate project management approaches and success measures are used.

The paper contributes to rethinking the pathways towards improving project performance in the IT sector by expanding the identification of project complexity to understanding how complexity and the management approaches impact project performance.

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize how information technology (IT) enables supply chain (SC) network capabilities, which is to capitalize on SC’s existing set of resources and, at the same time, manage new combinations of SC resources to meet future market needs. The paper also develops SCM framework associated with IT-enabled SC network capabilities.

Through a case study of a leading Taiwanese petrochemical corporation, qualitative data were gathered on the IT-related SC management practices, in terms of network resource mobilizing and adaptive co-management arrangements to enable SC network capability. This research is based primarily on the interviews of the case company, supplemented by archived documents, published books, and in-depth observations.

Based on the evidence from the case, this study inductively develops a model that includes the operating processes with IT-enabled activities to achieve ambidextrous SC network capability, and the relevant framework functions in network resources and co-management activities include information co-governance, information interoperability, community engagement strategy, cyber-physical dexterity, and control enactment, which lead the SC alliances improvements for dynamic environmental changes.

Practitioners may derive strategies and tactics from the current findings to help them implement innovative information technologies and setup SC framework, during SC network capability development, to achieve SC’s sustainable competence in a dynamic market.

Researchers and practitioners may obtain a more complete view of IT-enabled SC network capability development. The proposed model reveals that developing IT-enabled SC network capabilities is a dynamic process whereby an organization’s major SC managerial activities are divided into specific network resource mobilizing and adaptive co-management arrangements.

Despite much research on information technology (IT)-enabled organizational transformation (OT), there are still many issues to be addressed. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by proposing an integrative model that includes specific transformation resources, capabilities, and outcomes pertaining to the success of IT-enabled OT.

Using the resource-based view, organizational learning theory, and business process reengineering, the authors developed an integrative model of IT-enabled OT. To validate this model, the authors conducted in-depth case studies of five firms that reported successful IT-enabled OT and five others that reported less successful.

This study offers three important findings. First, flexible IT and policies were found to be key transformation resources. Second, training, teamwork, leadership, and project ownership were identified as key transformation capabilities. Third, strategic outcomes such as responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and business scope were suggested as key transformation outcomes. The benefits realized by the less successful group tended to be limited to the operational level. Overall, the findings provide evidence that strategic benefits from the success of IT-enabled OT can be obtained by combining specific transformation resources and capabilities.

The results of this study make three contributions to the literature on IT-enabled OT. First, the authors shed light on the underlying mechanism by which specific transformation resources and capabilities lead to the improvement of specific outcomes. Second, IT-enabled OT has been conceptualized from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Third, the authors brought together the diverse literature on IT-enabled OT, presenting an empirically validated integrative model of IT-enabled OT.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and identify the contextual quality management practices (QMP) and to empirically examine their underlying dimensions and its direct influence or association with performance in context to Indian IT enabled service small- and mid-size enterprises (SMEs).

The methodology adopted in this study is sequential exploratory mixed method approach. This study adopts two stage processes of capturing data, first identifying critical QMP/indicators as obtained from review of literature, followed by in-depth interview based on semi-structured questionnaire from sample of 20 select service SMEs. Based on comprehensive compilation of literature as well as through in-depth interview 21 QMP have been identified. Structured instrument has been developed taking measures as identified. The QMP relevant to SMEs have been derived from Kaynak (2003), Samat et al. (2006), Salaheldin (2009), Kim et al. (2012) and Talib et al. (2013b). The research instrument developed was customised and adapted to the background of Indian IT enabled service SMEs. Similarly for measuring quality performance five items have been identified from previous literature. Five-point Likert scale ranging from “5=strongly agree” to “1=strongly disagree” is used to show the agreement of the respondents. Exploratory factor analysis has been deployed to identify underlying dimensions of QMP. Thereafter, linear regression modelling has been done to better understand the relationships between QMP and quality performance.

A three-factor solution has been obtained and the individual practices could be reconfigured into three dimensions, namely, organisational management, capacity management and quality documentation and security management (QDSM). The findings reflect that strength of Indian IT enabled service SMEs pertaining to quality implementation lie with customer focus, training and service-level management (SLM). Regression analysis shows that all three factor dimensions are positively influencing quality performance. The predictor score of three factor dimensions clearly reflects that Indian SMEs in service sectors have been focusing more on organisational culture and QDSM. The overall findings resemble very interesting insights which gives indication of unstructured pattern of approach. Keeping in view the pattern of practices it can be predicted that Indian digital SMEs are not practicing continuous improvement. It could be inferred that Indian IT enabled service SMEs approach is non-continuous in nature.

Further analysis may be needed to measure the construct using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The research paper is limited by including only six service sub-sectors which may not be adequate to generalise the results for the entire IT enabled/digital service SMEs within India. The same study can be extended by incorporating more quality management (QM) variables and other contextual factors within the organisation and by involving other service sector SMEs. Future research could be done by incorporating multi-contingency framework and moreover researchers may deploy other sophisticated tools and techniques to investigate how individual QMP are interrelated and its influence on performance by means of linkage research. The conceptual model developed can be validated by incorporating other service sector SMEs by deploying CFA and structural modelling.

This study could be beneficial to entrepreneurs and managers of start-ups and other service industries towards understanding improvement and changing their implementation approach. The theoretically grounded conceptual framework developed could provide entrepreneurial insights to new service managers and entrepreneurs who can better allocate their scarce resources to build quality and scalability effectively.

This study adds to the literature in identifying and showing importance of QMP in Indian IT enabled service SMEs. This choice is appropriate for this study as no prior research has been found to be conducted on this particular sector from Indian context, especially from service SMEs point of view. This research contributes in identifying new QMP (i.e. service reporting; content management; SLM and information and security management). Overall, the results of this study contribute towards advancing the understanding of the dimensionality of QM. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study being undertaken in context to Indian IT enabled service SMEs and is believed that the study provides valuable knowledge from the perspective of QM issues pertaining to Indian service firms.

As an important driving factor of digital innovation, distributed innovation has received extensive attention from academia and business circles in recent years. However, extant works lack a discussion on the influence of distributed innovation on digital innovation performance. Drawing on the opportunity perspective, the study constructs a moderated mediating model to address how distributed innovation directly affects enterprises' digital innovation performance. Particularly, it investigates the moderating and mediating effects of IT-enabled capabilities and digital entrepreneurial opportunities on the above correlation.

With a survey data set of 399 Chinese science and technology enterprises, the study conducts hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and bootstrap to test the study’s hypotheses.

Results demonstrate that (1) distributed innovation positively enhances enterprises' digital innovation performance; (2) digital entrepreneurial opportunities partially mediate the positive relationship between distributed innovation and digital innovation performance; (3) IT-enabled capabilities positively moderate the relationship between distributed innovation and digital entrepreneurial opportunities; (4) IT-enabled capabilities positively moderate the mediating role of digital entrepreneurial opportunities in the relationship between distributed innovation and digital innovation performance.

This is an empirical study on the impact mechanism of IT-enabled capabilities and digital entrepreneurial opportunities on the relationship between distributed innovation and digital innovation performance in China. It advances theories related to distributed innovation, digital innovation and digital entrepreneurial opportunities, and provides decision-making references for the enhancement of digital innovation capabilities of science and technology enterprises.

To compare actual company ERP implementation practices with the prescriptions found in the strategic information systems planning (SISP) and IT‐enabled change management literature.

The case study method is used to study ERP specification, selection, and implementation efforts at three companies. The main sources of data were structured face‐to‐face interviews with key personnel, and supporting internal documents provided by the study companies.

All three companies did an adequate job linking the ERP decision to higher‐level IS and supply chain strategies, although mid‐level managers dominated the strategic debate. However, two of the companies fell far short in the specification and selection processes, particularly with regard to achieving broad participation and managing stakeholder commitment. As such, these two companies missed an opportunity to think independently about their long‐term information requirements and capabilities, proactively manage the debate with the vendors, and obtain early buy‐in from key users.

The case study method limits the sample size, but allows more depth than would be possible using survey instruments or secondary sources. In time, follow‐up research will examine the ultimate success of the companies' efforts.

An important insight is the importance of involving key users in the specification and selection process, especially when the new system promised radical change to current work methods.

This research provides a concise comparison of the ERP efforts across three companies, and pulls together the OM‐based ERP research, SISP, and IT‐enabled change literatures. It is suitable for practitioners and students, as well as researchers.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of successful adoption of information technology (IT)-enabled services to be provided in the proposed smart cities of India from end-user-experience perspective.

This paper has taken a sincere endeavor to understand to what extent the success of the smart cities depends on the users’ experience of the IT-enabled services, the backbone of smart cities, and how using IT-enabled services can improve the quality of the users’ lifestyle. Initially, few hypotheses have been developed from literature review, followed by structured questionnaires. Once the data were collected, they were analyzed using different statistical tools. This paper will be useful for the policymakers, specifically those who are involved in technology and IT-governance-related areas, in policymaking for the proposed smart cities in India.

This study tries to find how the IT-enabled services would transform the lives of residents both socially and technologically; to what extent the prospective citizens will be engaged to use the modern services; to what extent the threat of privacy and security issues affects the overall performance of the proposed smart cities of India; and how gaining trust of the citizens could help in successful adoption of IT services. This paper tries to find out few of these questions from the city residents’ perspective.

This study is undertaken keeping Indian smart cities in perspective. However, in India, the proposed smart cities are in different states. In fact, the respondents selected by the authors are not the true representatives of the whole population, which is spread covering all parts of India. This paper could have implications for policymakers in drafting the smart city policy in India especially from IT-governance and user-experience perspective.

As this study discusses proposed smart cities of India from IT-enabled services and from the citizens’ perspective, it will have a huge practical implication once these smart cities become operational in India.

This study discusses the IT-enabled services expected to be provided to the citizens of the proposed smart cities of India. As the paper discusses about the citizens’ perspective and the proposed smart cities of India, it definitely has social implications especially since the study is related to the citizens of proposed smart cities of India.

The research reported in this manuscript is the outcome of in-depth study on proposed Indian smart cities especially from IT adoption and from users’ perspective. Very few studies have been carried out on proposed Indian smart cities from IT adoption perspective and how that could improve the lifestyle of the residents.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of information technologies (IT) in the impact of environmental practices on environmental performance.

The authors use data from the fifth (2009) round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) which includes responses from manufacturing plants within the manufacturing industry in Brazil, China, Germany, Hungary and USA. The authors use multiple regression analysis to test the relationship between environmental practices and environmental performance and the moderating effect of IT.

The paper finds evidence that IT strengthens the relationship between environmental practices and environmental performance. The IT construct is operationalized through IT-enabled control and IT-enabled coordination. The results confirm the established relationship between environmental practices and environmental performance and show that IT-enabled coordination moderates the relationship between environmental practices and environmental performance.

This research contributes to the literature of green operations in the following ways: First, this paper offers an alternative explanation about the role of IT; the authors provide evidence that existing IT resources that support the coordination between product design and manufacturing strengthen the effect of environmental practices. Second, this paper provides evidence that environmental practices can take advantages of the IT resources embedded in daily plants’ routines to enhance plants’ environmental performance. Overall, this research provides suggestions to managers about the role that IT plays in the implementation of environmental practices.

Este artículo explora el rol que las tecnologías de información tienen en la relación entre prácticas medio ambientales empresariales y el rendimiento ambiental de la empresa.

Este artículo utiliza datos de la quinta ronda (2009) de la encuesta internacional de estrategia de manufactura (IMSS por sus siglas en inglés), la cual incluye datos de plantas manufacturadoras en Brasil, China, Alemania, Hungría y Estados Unidos. Se utiliza análisis de regresión múltiple para evaluar el efecto entre prácticas medio ambientales empresariales y el rendimiento ambiental de la empresa; y el efecto moderador de tecnologías de información en la relación anterior.

Este artículo encuentra que las tecnologías de información fortalecen la relación entre prácticas medio ambientales empresariales y el rendimiento ambiental de la empresa. El constructo de tecnologías de información es operacionalizado a través de indicadores de tecnologías de la información que facilitan el control de la producción y la coordinación. Los resultados confirman la relación positiva entre prácticas medio ambientales empresariales y el rendimiento ambiental; y evidencian que tecnologías de información que facilitan la coordinación moderan la relación anterior.

Esta investigación contribuye a la literatura de “operaciones verdes” de la siguiente forma: Primero, esta ofrece una explicación alternativa sobre el rol de tecnologías de información; se provee evidencia que tecnologías de información existentes en la empresa que apoyan la coordinación entre diseño de producto y manufactura hacen más efectivas a las prácticas medio ambientales empresariales. Segundo, este artículo presenta evidencia que la implementación de prácticas medio ambientales empresariales puede apalancarse sobre la tecnología de información existente para mejorar el rendimiento ambiental de la empresa. En general, esta investigación ofrece sugerencias a los empresarios sobre el rol que las tecnologías de información tienen en la implementación de prácticas medio ambientales.

The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework.

The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England.

The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability.

The BR framework that has been the basis of the survey is interesting in terms of its components but is limited with regards to the micro-foundations of a benefits realisation capability within an organisation. The research suggests that organisations in the public sector need to focus much more on staff development and recruitment in the area of BR to ensure that they have the appropriate skills sets for a rapidly changing environment.

The paper proposes a framework for BR capabilities and IT-enabled change, and suggests that although the concept of maturity is valuable when considering the micro-foundations of BR, DCs change and respond to stimuli within the external and internal environment and must be renewed and refreshed regularly.