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Article
Publication date: 7 July 2020

Thiago Poleto, Thárcylla Rebecca Negreiros Clemente, Ana Paula Henriques de Gusmão, Maisa Mendonça Silva and Ana Paula Cabral Seixas Costa

The information technology (IT) outsourcing (ITO) decision is a key issue in strategic and operational management and is considered a main critical factor influencing successful…

Abstract

Purpose

The information technology (IT) outsourcing (ITO) decision is a key issue in strategic and operational management and is considered a main critical factor influencing successful organizational performance and technology assessment. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework combining value-focused thinking (VFT) methodology and the FITradeoff method to support decisions regarding ITO.

Design/methodology/approach

This study answers the following questions: How to identify, in a structured way, the objectives that should be considered in an ITO decision process in a changing environment? How to identify new IT services to be outsourced from the established objectives? The VFT method is recommended in this case to structure and model the problem. Moreover, the FITradeoff multicriteria method was considered in this study to support the evaluation and prioritization of IT services in an ITO decision

Findings

The framework provides promising results for ITO decisions. This study revealed that a lack of strategic and fundamental objectives is a critical issue in making ITO decisions. Although the VFT methodology is subjective in nature, it promotes a better understanding of goals and values, and FITradeoff allows the decision-maker to make comparisons of consequences based on his/her preferences.

Research limitations/implications

The recommendations of the study are restricted to the case study and cannot be generalized. In addition, applying the method requires attention in determining the criteria used for outsourcing IT.

Practical implications

The strategic analysis of ITO provides a holistic view of the current situation since (i) the VFT methodology enables the IT manager to generate new alternatives to assist future decisions and (ii) FITradeoff has been demonstrated as a suitable option to evaluate ITO decisions.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to utilize a problem structuring method (VFT) to identify criteria and alternatives based on the organizational values and objectives. This is integrated with a multicriteria method that uses partial information and may consequently lead to fewer inconsistencies (FITradeoff) in the context of ITO.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 58 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2020

Gaki Tshering and Shang Gao

The purpose of the research is to assess security concerns in government's use of Blockchain technology through the lens of value focused thinking (VFT) approach.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the research is to assess security concerns in government's use of Blockchain technology through the lens of value focused thinking (VFT) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative methods such as open ended questions and interviews were used to gather data and the data was analysed in a structured approach to formulate a means-ends network of objectives. The data were collected from eight interviews of selected participants.

Findings

The findings are 35 objectives of which ten are fundamental objectives related to the values of identity, trust, data privacy, transparency, integrity, public service delivery, cost, availability of public information, responsibility and usability.

Practical implications

The study implies that governments or private organisations building blockchain solutions for governments can benefit from insights on values to focus on in blockchain security; and the current research serves as a base to understand more on blockchain use in the governments as well as security values and application of VFT approach for future academic researchers in this area.

Social implications

It is a need-driven approach in which blockchain is assessed to ensure its fit to societal needs and public values.

Originality/value

It is first of its kind in studying security in blockchain use by government through the lens of VFT approach, and it provides insights of values that are of importance to further blockchain use in the government.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 May 2007

Carlos Braziel, Alfred E. Thal and Jeffrey D. Weir

Government‐owned utility systems at many locations are old, obsolete, and unreliable. Replacement of these systems has become more technically and operationally complex, thereby…

Abstract

Purpose

Government‐owned utility systems at many locations are old, obsolete, and unreliable. Replacement of these systems has become more technically and operationally complex, thereby making them more difficult for personnel to operate and maintain. In response, some governmental agencies are conveying ownership of these systems to the private sector through utility privatization as a way to efficiently operate and upgrade them. For utility privatization to be successful though, independent audits are necessary to ensure desired quantitative and qualitative factors are balanced. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explains how the valuefocused thinking (VFT) methodology was used to develop a multi‐objective decision analysis (MODA) model to determine the effectiveness of utility privatization efforts.

Findings

The VFT MODA model was determined to be a suitable tool to evaluate a complex decision problem such as utility system evaluation. The model captured 28 values and 47 measures relating to utility privatization program's objective of improving the overall quality, reliability, and responsiveness of utility systems.

Research limitations/implications

The VFT MODA model lacks real‐world data for evaluation, senior leader stakeholder input and a value and measure to evaluate energy efficiency.

Practical implications

The paper provides organizations faced with utility privatization decisions with an effective decision‐analysis tool.

Originality/value

The paper explores the first documented use of VFT to assist organizations and governments in providing insight into the performance of its privatized utility systems.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 March 2018

Shekhar Shukla, B.K. Mohanty and Ashwani Kumar

The purpose of this paper is to highlight an innovative approach to explore and evaluate the sustainability perspectives in e-commerce channels for additive manufacturing (AM)…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight an innovative approach to explore and evaluate the sustainability perspectives in e-commerce channels for additive manufacturing (AM). This approach helps the stakeholders to perform strategic planning dependent on a scenario-based analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper structures the problem of understanding the sustainability perspectives of e-commerce channels for AM using value-focused thinking to identify the related fundamental objectives. These objectives assist in creating dynamic scenarios based on fuzzy cognitive maps of different e-commerce channels for AM.

Findings

To evaluate the proposed research methodology, four scenarios were developed for each e-commerce channel for AM. The exploration and evaluation of one of these scenarios assisted in explaining the whereabouts of the process to aid in strategizing decision situations and understanding these channels better from the sustainability perspective.

Practical implications

The approach presented in this paper can be used by the practitioners to perform strategic planning for prioritizing sustainability in e-commerce channels for AM; considering the consequences and trade-offs wrt the other factors. Moreover, the scenario-based analysis can be performed depending on the problem requirements of the stakeholder.

Originality/value

The paper addresses the gap of understanding the theoretical aspect of the sustainability perspective in e-commerce channels for AM and the practical aspect of exploring and evaluating them. A scenario-based analysis for each e-commerce channel based on the fundamental objectives of sustainability provides insights for implementation and directions for future research.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 118 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 October 2019

Kane J. Smith and Gurpreet Dhillon

Blockchain holds promise as a potential solution to the problem of cybersecurity in financial transactions. However, difficulty exists for both the industry and organizations in…

1353

Abstract

Purpose

Blockchain holds promise as a potential solution to the problem of cybersecurity in financial transactions. However, difficulty exists for both the industry and organizations in assessing this potential solution. Hence, it is important to understand how organizations in the financial sector can address these concerns by exploring blockchain implementation for financial transactions in the context of cybersecurity. To do this, the problem question is threefold: first, what objectives are important based on the strategic values of an organization for evaluating cybersecurity to improve the security of financial transactions? Second, how can they be used to ensure the cybersecurity of financial transactions in a financial organization? Third, how can these objectives be used to evaluate blockchain as a potential solution for enhancing the cybersecurity of organizations in the financial sector relative to existing cybersecurity methods? The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

To accomplish this goal we utilize Keeney’s (1992) multi-objective decision analytics technique, termed value-focused thinking (VFT), to demonstrate how organizations can assess a blockchain solution’s value to maximize value-add within financial organization.

Findings

The presented model clearly demonstrates the viability of using Keeney’s (1992) VFT technique as a multi-criteria decision analysis tool for assessing blockchain technology. Further, a clear explanation of how this model can be extended and adapted for individual organizational use is provided.

Originality/value

This paper engages both the academic literature as well as an expert panel to develop an assessment model for blockchain technology related to financial transactions by providing a useful method for structuring the decision-making process of organizations around blockchain technology.

Details

Managerial Finance, vol. 46 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4358

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2020

Thiago de Almeida Rodrigues, Caroline Maria de Miranda Mota, Udechukwu Ojiako and Fikri Dweiri

The purpose is to identify the main characteristics of dry ports (DPs) in Brazil, discussing the role of this logistic player, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, this…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose is to identify the main characteristics of dry ports (DPs) in Brazil, discussing the role of this logistic player, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, this study provides a structured framework to drive DP decision-makers, identifying and assessing a network of means–end objectives, which could be replicable to other contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This article approached initially a literature review and exploratory research to discuss the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil. The second step was to conduct a qualitative analysis following the value-focused thinking (VFT) approach in two case studies in Pernambuco state to assess the achievement of the main objectives.

Findings

This article identified that the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil are offering additional services with a cheaper storage cost, handling mainly import cargo and being connected to seaports through highways. Moreover, this study resulted in a framework to assess the objectives of DPs, which could be replicable in other contexts, improving the current operations of DPs.

Practical implications

The framework to assess DPs' objectives bridged the gap between the literature and the practice working as a tool to drive decision-makers to improve the current performance of DPs in Brazil. Additionally, the main issues, challenges and opportunities discussed provide managers, policymakers and DPs operators with valuable insights into this theme.

Originality/value

This paper is the first study to present a framework to assess the objectives of DPs as a valuable tool to drive decision-makers to improve DPs operations. From this study, lessons could be learned and the process described could be replicable in other countries.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 February 2019

David Lewis Coss and Gurpreet Dhillon

To effectively develop privacy policies and practices for cloud computing, organizations need to define a set of guiding privacy objectives that can be applied across their…

1154

Abstract

Purpose

To effectively develop privacy policies and practices for cloud computing, organizations need to define a set of guiding privacy objectives that can be applied across their organization. It is argued that it is important to understand individuals’ privacy values with respect to cloud computing to define cloud privacy objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose of this study, the authors adopted Keeney’s (1994) value-focused thinking approach to identify privacy objectives with respect to cloud computing.

Findings

The results of this study identified the following six fundamental cloud privacy objectives: to increase trust with cloud provider, to maximize identity management controls, to maximize responsibility of information stewardship, to maximize individual’s understanding of cloud service functionality, to maximize protection of rights to privacy, and to maintain the integrity of data.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation is generalizability of the cloud privacy objectives, and the second is research bias. As this study focused on cloud privacy, the authors felt that the research participants’ increased knowledge of technology usage, including that of cloud technology, was a benefit that outweighed risks associated with not having a random selection of the general population. The newness and unique qualities of privacy issues in cloud computing are better fitted to a qualitative study where issues can emerge naturally through a holistic approach opposed to trying to force fit an existing set of variables or constructs into the context of privacy and cloud computing.

Practical implications

The findings of this research study can be used to assist management in the process of formulating a cloud privacy policy, develop cloud privacy evaluation criteria as well as assist auditors in developing their privacy audit work plans.

Originality/value

Currently, there is little to no guidance in the literature or in practice as to what organizations need to do to ensure they protect their stakeholders privacy in a cloud computing environment. This study works at closing this knowledge gap by identifying cloud privacy objectives.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2016

Osama A.B. Hassan

The purpose of this paper is to advance a model that relates the criteria of sustainable development with the construction engineering of buildings. Moreover, a method to evaluate…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance a model that relates the criteria of sustainable development with the construction engineering of buildings. Moreover, a method to evaluate the building sustainability is suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

The method is based on calculating the weighted expected utility function of a building with respect to composite indicator.

Findings

Based on this integrated approach, a tentative index to evaluate the sustainability of buildings is proposed.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to the assessment of the sustainable development of the built environment.

Practical implications

The feasibility of assessing the sustainability of a building using the sustainable index of buildings (SIB) is that it permits the decision-makers to study the potential improvement in the sustainable development of buildings in the long and short run. Moreover, the role of benchmarking in improving the sustainability performance of buildings is discussed in view of the suggested method.

Social implications

The present method is practical and easy to use for ranking building (or a part of a building) according to the sustainable performance.

Originality/value

New methodology based on integrating the value-focused thinking together with the composite indicators is used to evaluate the sustainable development.

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2021

Kristina Gyllensten, Anders Pousette and Marianne Törner

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of work-related value conflicts on information security in two organisations in nuclear power production and related…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of work-related value conflicts on information security in two organisations in nuclear power production and related industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods design was applied. Individual interviews were conducted with 24 employees of two organisations in Sweden and questionnaire data on information security climate were collected from 667 employees (62%) in the same two organisations.

Findings

The qualitative part of the study identified five different types of value conflicts influencing information security behaviour. The quantitative part of the study found that value conflicts relating to information security had a negative relationship with rule-compliant behaviour. The opposite was found for participative security behaviour where there was a positive relationship with value conflicts. A high climate of information security was positively related to both rule-compliant and participative information security behaviour. It also moderated the effect of value conflicts on compliant information security behaviour.

Originality/value

This paper highlights organisational contextual conditions that influence employees’ motivation and ability to manage value conflicts relating to information security in a high-risk industry. It also enables a better understanding of the influence of the information security climate on information security in the presence of value conflicts in this type of industry.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2021

Marek Michalski, Nubia Velasco and Pedro Palominos

Abstract

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

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