IT artifact bias: How exogenous predilections influence organizational information system paradigms

Efforts in IS research have long sought to bridge the gap between the information technology (IT) function and strategic business interests. People perceive affordances (possibilities for action) in information technology artifacts differently as cognitive structures (schema) which bias individual focus. This study explores how an individual's tendency to perceive the ‘trees’ in an IT ‘forest’ (artifact preference) affects their assessment of efforts to achieve more effective IT outcomes. The effect is demonstrated using a relatively simple IT success model. Further, in a sample of 120 survey responses supported by ten semi-structured interviews, we demonstrate that job role and organizational IT complexity systematically impact artifact perception. A better understanding of IT artifact bias promises to help organizations better assess information systems.     

IT/IS implementation risks and their impact on firm performance

There has been considerable theoretical work on the role of information systems (IS) in creating competitive advantage and enhancing organizational performance. The literature identifies a consistent lack of success by organizations in achieving business benefits from their IS investments and in particular their difficulties in obtaining a sustainable competitive advantage. A great deal of debate appears to exist nowadays related to the participation of information technology (IT) risks to organizational performance. Previous research has dealt with the examination of the existing relationships between the implemented information technology and firm's performance variables. This research focuses on the IT impact on firm's non-financial IT risk. The research was conducted using questionnaires that were sent to world's five hundred largest corporations as they were published in the fortune magazine (European edition, No. 14, 2003) and to Greek companies. The results indicate that IT risk factors affect mainly coordination and partially information ability but not productivity. Furthermore, the most significant risk factors affecting business performance are management ability, information integrity, controllability and exclusivity.     

信息技术竞争价值两种观点的比较研究

从理论基础、获取竞争优势的方式和竞争优势的持续性三个维度对战略信息技术应用领域中两种重要观点进行比较研究．基于传统竞争战略观点的战略信息系统,通过识别信息系统（IS）应用的战略机会为企业创造竞争优势,但这种优势由于忽视企业自身特性而难以持续．基于资源基础论（RBV）观点的企业信息技术能力,通过调用和部署企业特有的IS资源为企业获得长期竞争优势．提出了一种IS资源分类方式,并根据资源的六个属性进行描述,分析IS资源对信息技术能力和组织绩效的作用机制,指出信息技术能力研究中存在的问题．     

企业IS外包、IT组织变革与能力提升的案例研究

以IT组织结构、IT能力等相关研究为理论基础,选择两家企业作为实地研究对象,通过访谈、资料收集等方式对它们的IS外包及IT组织变革过程进行了案例研究。结果表明,IS外包推动下的IT组织变革可以有效地促进业务与IT的融合,获取IT竞争优势。     

The performance impact of intra-firm organizational design on an alliance's NPD projects

This research contributes to the intra-organization, inter-organization, and new product development (NPD) management literature by studying the impact of a firm's internal organizational design on the communication within and performance of NPD projects conducted with strategic alliance partners. The empirical data were collected from three in-depth case studies of network lead companies (NLCs) operating in different industries. The three NLCs have different internal organizational designs, ranging from very flexible “organic” to very rigid “mechanistic.” In each NLC, a successful new-to-firm product development project was chosen for further detailed investigation. First, we identify the role the alliance's NPD project characteristics and industry characteristics play in determining the “intensity level” and “media richness” of communication required between the alliance's NPD project partners. Then, we examine how the internal organizational design influences the actual intensity and media richness of communication of the alliance's NPD project that matches our assumptions of what is required.     

Innovating strategically in information and knowledge management: Applications of organizational behavior theory

A business school declares its strategy as becoming a leading European institution. As main vehicle for achieving recognition is the implementation of a top-down strategy naming five academic fields as key – (a) finance, (b) economics, (c) marketing, (d) law, accounting, and auditing, and (e) organizational behavior (OB). Top management allocates resources for research, academic activities, and positions to these five strategically chosen areas. Academic areas that are not strategically named must generate their own income through educational programs and research grants. Can OB serve as the platform to ensure the survival of IS/KMS? In our analysis, we found no other business school formulating a strategy along these lines; dominating strategic themes are internationalization, research excellence, and student environment. No academic field is singled out as strategic. We argue that selecting a few academic areas as a strategy is dysfunctional. We also found that OB is not very actively employed in research, be it positioning, theory, research model, analysis, or discussion. Hence, we do not find that OB offers any theorizing help to IS/KMS – this in contrast to innovation and change theories, for which we propose an framework as a means of defining IS/KMS research projects.     

Business process management and IT management: The missing integration

The importance of business processes and the centrality of IT to contemporary organizations’ performance calls for a specific focus on business process management and IT management. Despite the wide scope of business process management covering both business and IT domains, and the profound impact of IT on process innovations, the association between business process management and IT management is under-explored. Drawing on a literature analysis of the capabilities of business process and IT governance frameworks and findings from a case study, we propose the need for horizontal integration between the two management functions to enable strategic and operational business—IT alignment. We further argue that the role of IT in an organization influences the direction of integration between the two functions and thus the choice of integration mechanisms. Using case study findings, we propose that IT as a business enabler respectively calls for sequential and reciprocal integrations at strategic and operational planning levels. Drawing on logical reasoning, we suggest that IT as a strategic driver necessitates reciprocal integration at both levels.     

Dynamic and emergent information systems strategy formulation and implementation

Early attempts to formulate information systems (IS) strategies concentrated on the analytical task of deriving IS strategies from business plans. The limitations of the static plans that often resulted from these formal studies were, however, soon discovered. The critics suggested informal and incremental planning to ensure flexibility, creativity and strategic thinking to comprise emergent strategies as well as planned strategies.In previous IS planning research, there appears to be a contradiction between the published planning methods and the generally held views about effective implementation of IS planning process. The explicit methods described in IS literature predominantly assume a comprehensive IS planning process. Despite the fact that many researchers consider incremental approaches to be more effective, methods that can be used to facilitate incremental IS planning are few, not detailed enough and not comprehensive.The four cycles method introduced in this paper attempts to combine the strengths of both the comprehensive and incremental planning to be able to recognise emerging trends and to make an e-business strategy. The method provides a basic schedule for organising planning activities. IS planning is seen as a continuous process that is periodically adjusted to the expectations of the participating managers. Practising managers can use the method to facilitate implementation of an incremental and continuous IS planning process. For e-business strategy research, the paper provides a theoretically based method that can be tested in future action research projects.The first results of conducted action research show that the method should not be used as a checklist but as a choice list. Each period had a constant focus on external developments and the fit with internal possibilities. The method provided a flexible and dynamic basis for actions. The emergent nature of the changes and the difficulty of formalising creativity and innovation placed restrictions on the planning process. We learned that a thematic approach where each cycle is given a creative subject helped to “open up” the users in the organisation. Future research should focus on the inter-organisational nature of e-business strategy. If it is difficult to get top management participation, it will be even more difficult with more organisations involved.     

Achieving top management support with business knowledge and role of IT/IS personnel

The business-IT gap is still present in many companies and IT/IS professionals often impute the responsibility for this to management and claim they lack top management's support for their initiatives. The aim of this paper is to show how IT/IS personnel can achieve top management support. Based on more than 50 in-depth interviews with CIOs and CEOs in the last 10 years we hypothesize that top management support can be attained with the business and managerial knowledge and skills of IT/IS personnel as well as with the business-oriented role of the IT/IS department. The impact was empirically tested via structural equation modeling (SEM) using data from 152 Slovenian companies with more than 50 employees. Based on findings some implications for top managers and IT/IS professionals are given, especially for CIOs, on how IT/IS personnel can contribute to bridging the gap.     

Implementation and impacts of IT Service Management in the IT function

In recent years, organizations have made significant IT investments, including digital transformation programs, with the aim of enhancing the quality and delivery of services, and creating greater value for stakeholders. However, deriving value from IT investments and digital transformation necessitates, among other factors, a solid mastery of the IT function. In light of this, IT Service Management (ITSM) has emerged as a crucial and widely implemented approach to managing an organization's IT function, with the goal of achieving both operational and strategic benefits. Yet, despite its wide adoption, this approach has been undertheorized by academics, and there is limited understanding of the impacts that ITSM can generate for organizations as well as the mechanisms through which these impacts are achieved. In order to address this problem, this paper performs a systematic literature review examining research published on ITSM between 2012 and 2021 in order to understand what has occurred rather than what could or should be expected. Based on the findings, the paper advances that ITSM should be considered a Management Control System that includes a variety of control practices to achieve greater performance, transparency, and customer-focus within the IT function. It is also argued that these outcomes in turn increase client satisfaction and business/IT alignment. A model of the organizational impacts of ITSM is developed and ITSM is suggested as a subject for further, richer research into IS controls.     

基于RBV的企业信息化绩效评估层次模型

以基于资源的企业理论(RBV)为基础,将企业IT资源分为IT基础设施资源、IT人力资源和互补性组织资源三类。指出IT资源对企业绩效影响的过程性,提出基于RBV的信息化绩效评估层次模型,并以实际企业为例,分析每一层次的评估范围和评估指标,帮助企业对信息技术商业价值进行有效的评估。     

基于IT能力的学习导向战略对绩效的作用机理研究

动态能力理论认为环境复杂性导致更多的企业采取学习导向战略改进现有能力获得绩效的持续提升。然而,大多数研究忽视了学习导向战略与绩效间关系的中间路径与作用机制研究。因此,本研究首先对学习导向战略、IT能力和组织绩效间的关系进行探索性研究,接着以IT能力为中介变量,构建并验证了三者之间的关系。运用SPSS软件检验的模型验证显示,IT能力在学习导向战略和组织绩效间扮演了部分中介功能,学习导向战略对IT能力和组织绩效有显著正向影响,IT能力各个构面对组织绩效有不同程度的正效应。最后,建议企业可以通过在组织内部实施学习导向战略构建信息技术能力从而促进知识的传播、吸收与内化,差异化产品以快速响应顾客的需求,最终改进与提升组织绩效。     

Examining an extended duality perspective regarding success conditions of IT service

IS research predominantly presumes that the success factors of IT service have one-dimensional influences: the higher (or lower), the better. Sporadic arguments, however, have been made that, depending on the antecedent, such a monolithic premise may not sustainable. Despite the rich evidence of the dichotomous role of success factors on measured consequences in non-IS fields, especially in the marketing discipline, theoretical and empirical efforts to examine this duality have received limited attention in IS research. Especially, no previous IS study took the extended duality position in which the role of success conditions can be any of pure enabler, pure inhibitor, asymmetric bi-directional influencer or symmetric bi-directional influencer . The extended duality becomes the theoretical thesis of this research, setting it apart from the scant IS research that viewed duality through the rather simplified lens of statistical significance in each direction. To test the validity of the extended duality theory in the IT service context, cross-sectional survey data were gathered on post-adoption usage of mobile data services (or MDS), the most prevalent form of IT service. Frequently used success conditions of IT service – system quality, information quality, economic value and self-efficacy – are chosen as the explanatory variables. The analysis suggests that success conditions of IT service can have a highly divergent and diversified form of duality effects on measured outcomes. The findings have important practical and theoretical implications to practitioners and researchers.     

基于共演理论的企业战略转型——以万达集团为例

企业是如何选择与自身属性具有较强匹配性的组织战略的？其战略的成功选择和实施需要企业拥有何种能力？战略转型在实业界得到广泛关注和实践,但关于企业战略转型的共演进程及机理的研究较匮乏。本文以万达集团1988至2017年的战略转型历程为研究对象,运用纵向单案例研究及扎根理论数据编码的程序与方法深入剖析所选案例企业,发掘出组织知识及动态能力两个范畴以及范畴之间的逻辑关系及作用机制,并由此构建了万达集团战略转型共演模型。我们发现,企业战略转型并非组织纯粹经济行为,它还受到商业生态系统、组织自身特性和高层管理者认知等因素的影响。同时,共演模型也表明：共演是组织基于大环境背景下组织各个要素之间的前向共同演化和相互共同演化的过程,这种演化与组织战略转型的分析、选择和实施的成功几率存在密切关系     

Business-IT Alignment: A practical research approach

The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of Business-Information Technology Alignment, or BIA, on organizations and to revisit the BIA antecedents by using data from hotel sector of the service industry.The research model was developed based on the literature and inputs from the hotel industry and IT experts, using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique in data analysis, and data from phone interviews that were conducted with both business and IT personnel from 3 to 5 star hotels in Thailand.We found that Business-IT Alignment does have a positive relationship with organizational performance. Shared domain knowledge was found to have the highest relationship with Business-IT Alignment while IT management sophistication had the least impact, but in a negative direction, while organizational size was found to be a moderator. Other BIA antecedents were effective communication, IT operational and implementation success, and planning sophistication.This study developed a model that integrates the alignment between the strategic and operational levels which offers a holistic view of BIA, different from previous studies that considered only one or the other level. Secondly, we cross verify the antecedents from the literature and actual practice by interviewing experts in the industry. Finally, we revisited measurements and relationships among the constructs so that the model is up-to-date and applicable to the current business environment.     

Aligning information technology and business strategy with a dynamic capabilities perspective: A longitudinal study of a Taiwanese Semiconductor Company

Strategic alignment involves the development and reconfiguration of information technology (IT) to support business strategies. This paper applies the dynamic capabilities perspective to analyze the strategic information system alignment process. The paper further argues the approach is constructive in understanding and overcoming difficulties in achieving and sustaining alignment. From a longitudinal case study of a semiconductor company in Taiwan, the results show an unaligned strategic information system (with an implemented IT strategy that varies from the intended IT strategy) impedes the development of IT. Path dependence, or the implications of prior IT decisions, is another barrier for alignment. A broader view of intended alignment, focusing on IT combined with clear business vision, can be beneficial for adding future IT resources. In addition, dynamic capabilities, which are critical for the creation and strength of IT resources, positively influence the alignment process and its future implementation success.     

Agile development in a bureaucratic arena—A case study experience

The evolving nature of development approaches towards Agile development is viewed with some success. However, evidence suggests that not all development environments have evolved with the same alacrity, thus an organization's inherent culture may not match the development approach adopted effecting failure. This paper concerns an innovative, real-world Government IS project that is currently being implemented in the UK that reflects such a situation. The paper looks at the tension that transpired between the bureaucratic project arena and the Agile development approach. It examines stakeholders’ behaviour and attitudes borne from a bureaucratic and hierarchical society that were problematic for Agile development. It further explores the issues of conflict and trust that prevented key stakeholders from building and fostering a collaborative and co-operative collective with the Developers that had significant impact. The case study provides evidential insights into the phenomenon of stakeholder control over critical decision-making activities that prevailed over organizational driven strategies that has implications for practice.     

企业战略导向、组织学习对商业模式创新的影响研究

在构建"战略导向-组织学习-商业模式创新"的基本概念模型和提出相关假设后,基于202份有效样本数据,综合运用因子分析、多元回归分析等实证研究方法发现,(1)不同的战略导向、组织学习方式对商业模式创新均有显著的正向影响;(2)同时追求利用式学习和探索式学习的高水平运营并不利于商业模式创新;(3)在战略导向对商业模式创新的影响过程中,探索式学习和利用式学习都具有中介作用。     

IT能力构建及其对企业和谐信息化的影响研究

基于和谐管理理论，对基于资源基础理论和动态能力理论的IT能力进行了重新构建，并进行了维度划分，阐述了其意义所在。基于和谐管理理论与和谐信息化体系理论，和谐信息化有了新内涵，提出了和谐信息化是企业信息化的绩效，也是企业信息化的一个发展方向。通过对华南地区281个中国企业样本的实证研究，验证了IT能力量表构建的信度和效度，实证结果表明，IT人物互动能力是实现企业和谐信息化的最重要因素，由此表明，企业更应注重IT人物互动能力的提升。案例研究也印证了此结论。在今后研究中，可以IT人物互动能力为和谐主题，分析其在企业信息化各阶段的具体表现，并制定科学的提升计划，以促使企业和谐信息化绩效的实现。     

跨产业升级、战略转型与组织响应

新兴市场经济国家的跨产业升级现象正成为企业界和学术界关注的焦点。本文构建了跨产业升级、战略转型与组织响应的整合性分析框架，剖析跨产业战略转型过程与机制以及组织结构的策略性响应行为。以深圳达实智能作为案例，揭示了“结构追随战略”的互动过程及其对企业竞争力与升级绩效的影响。研究发现，达实转型成功的关键在于动态调整组织结构以适应跨产业、跨区域转型战略带来的管理决策的复杂性。行业与区域交叉的条块式管理体系提高了企业对客户（市场）的响应速度与运营效率，为提升价值链地位和推动营收快速增长奠定了组织基础。本文探索性地提出了新兴经济体本土企业提高组织响应能力成功实现跨产业战略转型的一个系统框架。新兴经济体迅速变化的市场需求与技术融合导致企业战略呈渐进式转型特征，组织架构响应则呈动态调整形式。“渐进式战略转型与动态组织架构响应”模式成为新兴经济体企业跨产业转型的重要特征，对于理解新兴经济体跨产业升级现象、打开“战略转型与组织响应黑箱”大有裨益。本文进一步丰富了跨产业升级和Chandler“结构追随战略”的相关理论。