JGITM - Q1, 2003 Contents (Volume 6, No. 1)
EDITORIAL PREFACE: TOWARDS AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO IT PLANNING IN NON-WESTERN ENVIRONMENTS by Sofiane Sahraoui, Americam University of Sharjah, UAE
IT planning literature is permeated with a functional paradigm wherein planning is the sole responsibility of thinkers and doers are limited to implementation issues. This is deemed unsuitable in the current knowledge intensive environment. Moreover planning models are based on western management theories and do not reflect accurately the reality of non-western management contexts. Based on the above two shortcomings, we lay the ground for an alternative approach to IT planning.
ARTICLES
AHP, FUZZY MEASURE AND FUZZY INTEGRAL APPROACHES FOR THE APPRAISAL OF INFORMATION SERVICE PROVIDERS IN TAIWAN
AUTHORS: Daniel Y. Shee, National Chi Nan University, Taiwan, Gwo-Hshiung Tzeng, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, Tzung-I Tang, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
The effective appraisal of ISPs is a critical issue since it affects enterprises’ decisions on the eventual selection of an appropriate ISP. This study begins by proposing a hierarchy structure for the problems involved in appraising the ISPs. Both additive (analytic hierarchy process, AHP) and non-additive (fuzzy measure and fuzzy integral) multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are applied. The results of AHP show that the three most important dimensions are: performance of information systems, awareness of and response to customer requirements, and performance of networking. Detailed investigations are then conducted. Ten real cases are employed as illustrative alternatives to demonstrate the synthesis decision under the application of both MCDM methods.
ANALYZING THE ADOPTION OF ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEMS IN INDIAN ORGANIZATIONS: A PROCESS FRAMEWORK
AUTHORS: Monideepa Tarafdar, University of St. Thomas, Rahul K. Roy, University of Northern Iowa
This paper is based on an empirical study of ERP implementation exercises in Indian organizations. The results show that the ERP implementation process is composed of successive phases, in each of which a specific number of modules of the software are implemented. Each phase has distinct stages, which address specific activities within the phase and describe different aspects of the implementation process. Differences of the model with existing models have been identified, and opportunities for generalizing it to other similar societies have been analyzed.
THE ADOPTION OF INTERNET COMMERCE BY SMES IN THE SOUTH OF ITALY: AN ENVIRONMENTAL, TECHNOLOGICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
AUTHORS: Ada Scupola, Roskilde University, Denmark
This study is an investigation of the environmental, organizational and technological drivers of Internet commerce adoption and implementation in small businesses. The Tornatsky and Fleischer model was adopted and tested in seven small businesses located in Southern Italy. The study shows that the environmental context has a key role in the adoption and implementation of e-commerce in SMEs. This is over and above factors related to technology characteristics and organizational characteristics that have been extensively investigated elsewhere. Environmental factors of special importance are government intervention, public administration and external pressure from competitors, suppliers and buyers.
THE EXPERT OPINION
An interview with Ed Cannon, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer, The Grey Global Group. Grey Global Group is a holding company providing strategic direction and leadership to marketing communications companies with revenues of $12 billion. Ed Cannon discusses the IS structure, major applications and challenges faced by the Grey Global Group.
BOOK REVIEW: TECHNOLOGY, GLOBALISATION AND POVERTY, by Jeffrey James.
Review written by Robert Vinaja.
This new book provides a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and empirical interactions between globalization, technology and poverty. Jeffrey James studies the effect of information technology on patterns of globalization and investigates how such patterns can be changed to reduce the growing global divide between developed and developing nations.
JGITM - Q2, 2003 Contents (Volum 6, Number 2)
EDITORIAL PREFACE: KEY PERSPECTIVES ON THE GLOBAL E-READINESS OF WEBSITES: A REALITY CHECK
AUTHOR: Mahesh S. Raisinghani, University of Dallas, USA
This essay explores the critical elements that organizations need to address in developing a global e-business strategy. Companies seeking to become global players must pay close attention to and find a delicate balance between globalization, localization, customization, translation and the growing trend towards internationalization.
ARTICLES
A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF E-COMMERCE ADOPTION IN SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN BRUNEI
AUTHORS: Afzaal H. Seyal, Institut Tecnologi Brunei, Brunei Darussalam, Mohd. Noah Abd Rahman, Institut Technologi Brunei, Brunei Darussalam
This research investigates 95 small and medium business organizations of various types in Brunei Darussalam. The study has assessed EC adoption and found that 65% of the organizations have claimed to adopt EC. Several of the adoption attributes such as relative advantages, compatibility, trialability, observability, and organizational attributes such as nature, size, and type of business were studied along with managerial attributes: management support and top management attitudes towards EC adoption. The study has concluded that adoption parameters such as, compatibility with others, trialability and observability along with management support and top managers' attitudes were found to be the major determinants of EC adoption.
PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS OBJECTIVES: A COMPARISON OF IS PROFESSIONALS FROM THE UNITED STATES AND KOREA
AUTHORS: Dane K. Peterson, Southwest Missouri State University, USA, Chung Kim, Southwest Missouri State University, USA, Joong H. Kim, Kyonggi University, South Korea
Information Systems (IS) professionals from the United States and Korea were surveyed to explore potential similarities and differences in their views on the importance of various IS objectives. The IS objectives were classified by the level of impact on organizations: system, user, strategic, and organizational. Overall the results indicated that the IS professionals viewed the system level objective as the most important and the organizational level objective the least important. IS professionals from the U.S. rated the system level objective less important but rated the user and strategic level objectives more important than did the IS professionals from Korea. The results were discussed in terms of the effects of cultural influences on global IS development and potential inaccurate perceptions of IS success.
E-SERVICE ADOPTION AND USE IN SMALL FARMS IN AUSTRALIA: LESSONS LEARNED FROM A GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED PROGRAM
AUTHOR: Carol Pollard, University of Tasmania, Australia
One aspect of e-commerce that offers great benefits to sparsely populated, geographically remote countries is E-services. This entry level communication technology offers great potential to small firms without the risks of total e-commerce commitment through online banking, EFT, EFTPOS, EDI, Fax, email and Internet access. This study explores the impact of a government-sponsored e-services program to improve communication activities of farmers in rural Australia. A survey was used to collect data from a group of 75 growers in Northwest Tasmania. Although the program had a relative degree of success, there are lessons to be learned from the benefits and drawbacks reported by the growers. The results provide mixed support for previously reported research on e-commerce and e-services in small firms.
THE EXPERT OPINION
An Interview with Boyd Rogers, Vice President for Process and Technology, VF Corporation. Conducted by Hamid R. Nemati, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
VFC is a holding company whose subsidiaries design, manufacture and market branded jeanswear, intimate apparel, knitwear, children's playwear and other apparel. Boyd Rogers talks about IT strategy, challenges, role of SAP and IT globalization issues.
BOOK REVIEW: INNOVATION IN MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS IN THE INFORMATION AGE: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE EUROPEAN ICT INDUSTRY, by Grazia D. Santangelo.
Review written by Robert Vinaja, University of Texas-Pan American.
The book provides an empirical analysis of the impact of the ICT revolution on multinational corporations, considering the emerging techno-socio-economic environment. Dr. Santangelo examines multinational corporations' operations in terms of corporate production and localization of research and development.
