JGITM - Q1, 1999 Contents (Volume 2, Number 1)
Special Issue on "IT and Social and Economic Development"
EDITORIAL PREFACE
Guest Editor G. Harindranath introduces this issue with comments on the use of Information Technology for social and economic development. There is an underlying presumption, never entirely proven, that investements in IT increase productivity at the organizational and national levels. Moreover, the complexities associated with the social and economic development process have not deterred decision-makers from having unrealistic expectations, and IT continues to be a panacea for many developmental illnesses. The purpose of the special issue is then to examine these issues in greater depth.
ARTICLES
MODEL OF AN INFORMATION AND DECISION CENTRE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Authors: Dietrich Splettstoesser, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Ade Towry-Coker, Independent Consultant
Abstract: Developing Countries (DCs) are typically faced with weak infrastructures. The lack of reliable transport and communication systems compounds the general misery of disease, ignorance and poverty which in most African DCs has not only not been overcome. Information and Decision Centres (InfoDeCs) are designed to help DCs address common problems, resulting from over-centralization, lack of power-sharing, insufficient participation of civil society in development planning, and uncontrollable migration from rural to urban centres due to the typical neglect of rural development. The authors describe the InfoDeC concept as an expansion of the Multipurpose Community Telecentre (MCT) approach started by IDRC, ITU, and UNESCO in five African countries and have designed a low-cost prototype of an InfoDeC for the district capital of Bagamoyo in Tanzania. The paper presents reasons and rationale for InfoDeCs as intelligent hubs of the future information infrastructure of DCs.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, IT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MEXICO
Authors: Roberto J. Mejias, The University of Oklahoma, USA, Jonathan W. Palmer, The University of Maryland,USA, and Michael G. Harvey, The University of Oklahoma, USA.
Abstract:Well-articulated IT infrastructures generate a direct impact on domestic and global economic growth opportunities and have been shown to be an essential factor in reducing disparities between developed and developing economies. This paper examines the role new and emerging technologies play in supporting an IT infrastructure that may enhance economic development in Mexico. A political economy framework (PEF) is used as a conceptual foundation for understanding the impact emerging technologies have upon the utilization and transfer of technical knowledge. They make the case that the use of new and emerging information technology to enhance economic development in Mexico will require applications at both macro and micro levels.
THE REFORM OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR IN BRAZIL: IMPLICATIONS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
Author: Renata Lèbre La Rovere, Instituto de Economia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract: This paper uses the example of the telecommunications sector in Brazil to argue that the faster IT diffusion associated with privatization of telecommunications will have positive economic impacts on all firms only if a regulatory framework is developed. It also analyses the regulatory challenges that Brazil will face in a new competitive environment. The paper concludes by identifying the main beneficiaries of the telecommunications reform and the difficulties involved in reaching some of its goals.
THE EXPERT'S OPINION
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT: MOVING AWAY FROM A MAGICAL VISION
Author: Subhash Bhatnagar, CMC Professor of IT, Indian Institute of Management, India.
The paper critically examines the role that information technology can play in catalysing economic activity, in administrative reforms and in developing human resources. Learning from the experience of India and several other developing countries which have made special efforts to step up IT investments, the paper attempts to define a perspective with which developing countries can plan investments in IT and its successful integration with the development process. It counters the view of technology enthusiasts who believe that information technology can assist in every aspect of development and that it is the panacea for developing countries.
THE BOOK REVIEW
Written by G. Harindranath. He reviews The Newly Industrialized Countries and the Information Technology Revolution: The Brazilian Experience by Arlindo Villaschi, Aldershot, UK: Avebury, 1994, This book attempts to counter the thesis that the 1980s represented a 'lost decade' for Brazilian efforts at economic development by examining the country's experience with the informatics and telecommunications industries. Based on a detailed analysis of the Brazilian 'national system of innovation' (BNSI), the author argues that, contrary to popular perception, Brazil developed a variety of capabilities in two highly dynamic industries, informatics and telecommunications, during the eighties and that these capabilities provided the country with 'windows of opportunities' to enter the technological and production networks being built by industrialized countries around that time.
JGITM - Q2, 1999 Contents (Volume 2, Number 2)
EDITORIAL PREFACE
Guest Editor, Janice Burn differentiates electronic markets from an organization playing on a global arena. The author also provides definitive characteristics of electronic business, electronic markets and electronic commerce, which are invariably used interchangeably. Some of the pressing research issues are related to the new organizational structure, impact and strategy to effectively take advantage of the opportunity of electronic markets.
ARTICLES
COMPUTER BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS (CBIS) ADOPTION IN SMALL BUSINESSES: HONG KONG EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS FACTORS
Authors: Chi-Wai Chung and Moureen Mo-Lin Tang, Lingnan College, Hong Kong
Abstract: The rapid development of computerized technology has led to increasing use of computer based information systems (CBIS) in small businesses. In view of the high cost of implementing and managing a CBIS, justifications for the application of computer technology in small businesses continue to be debated throughout the world. This study empirically investigates the current usage and success factors of CBIS in small businesses of Hong Kong and compares these findings with those of related studies in Canada, the United States, and Singapore. This research has identified several common global factors that would affect the CBIS success of small businesses. In addition, this study has also identified two new success factors: the presence of CBIS security control and level of end-user computing training.
SOME CORRELATES OF IS PROJECT TEAMS’ INTERNAL INTERACTION AND OUTCOME IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY
Authors: Adel M. Aladwani, Kuwait University, Kuwait
Abstract: This investigation explores some of the factors that affect internal interaction and performance in IS project teams in the context of a developing country. The study hypothesizes that project team size, leader capability, and training affect participation and coordination, which in turn affect IS project team performance. The author’s statistical analyses reveal many interesting findings. Some of these findings are inconsistent with the conclusions of previous research, which have been carried out in developed countries. The author found that coordination could negatively affect the performance of IS project teams. He also found that training could hinder the coordination within the IS project team. In addition, he found that leader capability positively affected participation and that project team size negatively affected coordination.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS ACROSS ORGANISATIONAL AND NATIONAL BOUNDARIES: AN ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS
Authors: Wander van den Berg and Paul Mantelaers, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Abstract: This paper focuses on transnational information systems (TIS) that cross organisational and international boundaries. Although a number of such systems is already operational, and the number being built is on the increase, very little attention has been paid to TIS in the literature. This paper describes an empirical study, which gathered case study data from four TIS projects. The data were used to describe problems encountered during TIS development and management and to discuss solutions found for those problems. The authors find that (1) organizational and institutional problems tend to be more difficult to address than informational ones, (2) the early and late system phases of the development present the greatest difficulties and (3) many of the more complex issues concern the interorganizational rather than the international context of TIS. It is interesting to note that when organizations encountered difficulties, they rather lowered the level of TIS they aspired to than facing the difficulties head-on.
THE EXPERT OPINION
AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. BEN C. BRYANT, JR., PRESIDENT & CEO, SCB COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Interviewers: Prashant C. Palvia and En Mao, University of Memphis, Memphis
Abstract: SCB Computer Technology, Inc. (SCB) ranks among the top contenders in the competition for information management consulting services. Having grown from a small partnership established in 1976, SCB enjoys a nationwide presence with a corporate office in Memphis, Tennessee and regional and branch offices in most major metropolitan areas. The interviewers discuss IT professional services and related issues with Mr. Bryant.
THE BOOK REVIEW
Authors: Edward M. Roche. He reviews “Global Software Teams” by Erran Carmel, Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall PTR, 1999, 269pps. Carmel synthesizes a series of case studies into best practices. ‘Centrifugal’ forces (that tear apart global teams) are compared to ‘centripetal’ forces that help keep them together. Because of the geographical distances and time zones involved, traditional control and coordination mechanisms do not work, team building is difficult and teams can become too unwieldy or otherwise start to deteriorate in their ability to deliver. Carmel argues that there are many common characteristics of software professionals the world over.
JGITM - Q3, 1999 Contents (Volume 2, No. 3)
Special Issue on "Information Technology in Developing Countries"
Guest Editors: Robert Davison - City University of Hong Kong, Roger Harris - Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Douglas Vogel - City University of Hong Kong, and Gert-Jan de Vreede - Delft University, Netherlands.
EDITORIAL PREFACE
The four guest editors introduce this special issue, which precipitated from their collaboration with the Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences (HICSS). They comment on the plight of the developing nations that are trying desperately to keep up with the developed nations. However, global forces are simultaneously working to increase the digital divide as well as providing the means for reducing it. IT in developing countries remains something of a Cinderella pursuit; the four articles in this issue provide quite different perspectives on the subject.
ARTICLES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: ADVENT OF THE INTERNET IN MONGOLIA
Authors: Harvey G. Enns and Sid L. Huff, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in developing countries experience great difficulties in the implementation of technologies that provide access to the Internet. These difficulties are due to technical challenges, such as poor telecommunication infrastructure, lack of technological readiness, inadequate technical skills and training, financial barriers, and the like. Often they require assistance from non-government organizations. This paper begins with an overview of the factors that lead to successful implementation of IT projects in developing countries. A framework is presented which categorizes these factors into environmental, technical, intra-organizational, and inter-organizational components. The paper then reports the efforts of one company in implementing a series of telecommunications projects to provide access to the Internet for Mongolian companies, governmental organizations, and others. The paper concludes by applying the framework to illustrate successful implementation in the developing country context.
THE RAPID EMERGENCE OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE IN A DEVELOPING REGION: THE CASE OF SPANISH-SPEAKING LATIN AMERICA
Author: Charles H. Davis, University of New Brunswick, Canada
In several respects, Spanish-speaking Latin America appears to be a “fast follower” of electronic commerce. The region has one of the world’s fastest-growing rates of growth of Internet connectivity, and demand for IT is soaring. The telecommunications infrastructure is improving and access costs are declining. Business and technological information from North America and Europe is readily available. However, structural and cultural characteristics are shaping the ways in which e-commerce can drive economic renewal. These characteristics include a relatively weak technological and educational infrastructure, highly skewed distribution of income, scarcity of capital for new ventures, a business culture that places low value on market responsiveness or customer service, and a policy and legal system that requires retrofitting. Nevertheless, the connectivity boom in the region has generated an array of e-commerce opportunities that are attracting many contenders. This paper surveys recent research on the emergence of e-commerce in Spanish-speaking Latin America and describes the challenges it faces.
ARTICLE: THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIETAL CONTEXT ON TEXTBOOK DESIGN IN SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: G.J.Erwin, University of Durban-Westville - South Africa and C.N. Blewett, University of Natal - South Africa
Changes in South African politics and society since the election of Nelson Mandela as President have brought about changes in the background of student audiences. This has stimulated a review of the areas of governance, syllabus, curriculum, teaching methods and research in educational institutions. This paper describes the first year IS textbook which meets South African needs, rather than echoes the technology and methods of developed countries. We discuss the "product-driven" and "problem-driven" arrangements of current textbooks, problems with non-South African textbooks, resistance by course instructors to change, and features of a local Information Systems course. The paper includes a summary of a survey of IS students using the textbook. We conclude with recommendations on teaching methods, textbook design and support material which are appropriate to a developing country.
ARTICLE: FROM SOFTWARE RISKS TO SUSTAINABLE INFORMATION SYSTEMS: SETTING THE STAGE FOR A DELPHI STUDY IN NIGERIA
Authors: Anja Mursu, University of Jyväskylä - Finland, Abimbola H. Soriyan and Karen C. Olufokunbi, Obafemi Awolowo University - Nigeria, and Mikko Korpela, University of Kuopio - Finland
In this paper, the authors argue that the research framework used in western software risk research – software projects – must be expanded to include IS implementation and use contexts, particularly in developing countries. The literature of software risk management indicates that the risk of failure in IS development (ISD) can be mitigated by analyzing the threats to success. In Africa the understanding of success or failure in ISD has a broader meaning than in industrialized countries. The magnitude of constraints in Africa makes the sustainability of information technology (IT) a major issue. We are in the process of conducting a Delphi study in Nigeria to produce a rank-order list of the most common risk factors in software projects. We also present a holistic framework for studying uccessful ISD in Nigeria. A detailed methodology is induced from the framework and the framework’s applicability assessed in the light of preliminary results.
THE EXPERT OPINION
An interview is conduced by Roger Harris (co-editor) with Mr. Gabriel Accascina, Regional Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific
Development Information Programme (APDIP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The interview discusses the background and the role of the APDIP program in assisting developing countries in the Asia Pacific region, to use IT to foster development activities. It also examines the experience of the program as well as the response from the various countries.
THE BOOK REVIEW
Written by Sajda Qureshi of Erasmus University, Netherlands.
He reviews Trends in World Communication, on Disempowerment and self-empowerment by Cees Hamelink, Southbound, Third World Network, Penang. 1994. 168 pp. The countries in the South hemisphere depend on the countries of the North for their economic, political and communication infrastructures. Cees Hamelink traces the effect of this disparity to imbalances in the information flows across the globe. Four trends in world communication: digitization, consolidation, deregulation and globalization are seen to marginalize the individual and the poorer nations particularly those in the South. While Hamelink's observations may be somewhat dismal, he does make several powerful points.
JGITM - Q4, 1999 (Volume 2, No. 4)Contents
EDITORIAL PREFACE
Dr. Tor J. Larsen introduces this issue. He discusses the fierce and healthy debate questioning the foundations of the academic field of information systems and information technology and its contribution to practice. Researchers within the field of “Global Studies” should follow this debate closely, and actively contribute to it. Among the many issues raised, the definition of information systems and the pursuit of theory are discussed.
ARTICLES
MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS IN LESS DEVELOPED ENVIRONMENTS: EXPERIENCE FROM GREECE Authors: Vassilis Serafeimidis, University of Surrey, UK; Georgios I. Doukidis, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece
Information technology is a major element of most organizational changes attempting to improve organizational performance and market position. The success of such technological investments lies primarily on their successful management and integration with the targeted business context. This research has taken place in Greece where a number of organizations have been investigated through a field survey and two in-depth case studies. The objective of the paper is to identify and analyze the main issues associated with the decision making process of managing investments in information technology in the context of less developed national environments. A number of conclusions are drawn in the areas of how, who, why and when of the IT investment management.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A STUDY OF CHINA.
Authors: Robert J. Mockler, St. John’s University, New York; Dorothy G. Dologite, City University of New York-Baruch College; Yu Chen and Mei Qi Fang, Renmin (People’s) University of China
In addition to the internal organizational factors affecting IT diffusion in individual companies everywhere in the world, four external factors can be identified as having particular relevance to the magnitude and rate of diffusion of information technology (IT) in general in developing countries – political and economic environment, ownership, level and importance of technology, and competitive environment. The impact of these four external context factors on IT diffusion are discussed. In addition, steps which managers have taken, or can take, to overcome not only identified external problems, but also internal organizational problems in successfully diffusing information technology in companies in developing countries, are also discussed. The focus of the study is on China.
GLOBAL COMPARISONS OF KEY ISSUES IN IS MANAGEMENT: EXTENDING INITIAL SELECTION PROCEDURE AND AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN NORWAY.
Author: Petter Gottschalk, Norwegian School of Management
Norway Information systems (IS) departments face many challenges in today’s rapidly changing environment. One approach to understanding these challenges is to survey IS managers to elicit what they consider are key issues. Studies of key IS management issues have been conducted for some years in many nations and regions. However, most of these surveys lack a theoretical basis for the selection of key issues. Furthermore, most studies have used a single-round or a multi-round Delphi method. The chapter presents methodological issues and choices for a survey on key issues and choices for a survey on key issues in IS management which was conducted in Norway in 1998. A three step procedure for key issues selection is introduced, and a Q-method analysis is adopted. The Chapter presents results from the Q-sort suvey and analysis.
THE EXPERT OPINION
An interview with Steve Robinson: Manager of Information Technical Services at Russell Corporation.
The interview is conducted Charles a. Snyder, Chetan S. Sankar, and Rajesh Sehgal, Auburn University.
The interview discusses the factors that influenced Russell Corporation to move to Central America. The disadvantages and important issues of moving to offshore manufacturing are discussed.
THE BOOK REVIEW
Written by Edward M. Roche, The Diebold Group and Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc.
He reviews Infraglobe: infrastructure an the management of knowledge in multinational enterprises by Claudio Ciborra and Angelo Failla, Preface by Tomaso Quattrin, Milano: RCS Libri s.p.a., 1998. Infraglobe is book that is ahead of its time. Supported by La Fondazione IBM Italia, it contains a variety of thoughtful papers that examine how information technology infrastructure is changing in the multinational enterprise. What is interesting is that some of the key observations run contrary in the field today. Some of the conclusions developed in the book were discussed by professor Ciborra at the ICIS 1998 meeting in Helsinki.
