Exploring the impact of communication effectiveness on service quality,trust and relationship commitment in IT services

Most firms today are served by specialized IT service providers for the development and maintenance of their business information systems. During the IT service encounter, service providers and clients interact throughout the project, exchanging information, sharing knowledge and making critical decisions. From the IT service provider's viewpoint, it is important to raise the level of clients’ relationship commitment during this service encounter as their business continuity depends upon clients assessment. Intuitively, effective communication and effective service quality, mediated by trust, are critical factors in raising the level of relationship commitment. This study proposes an empirical model consisting of four critical antecedents of relationship commitment (communication effectiveness, technical service quality, functional service quality and trust) and then tests the model using data points solicited from two global firms. Study results revealed that trust is a strong mediator for relationship commitment while functional, rather than technical, service quality is a stronger mediator in forming the clients’ trust.     

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.     

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.     

The critical success factors of business process management

Although business process management (‘BPM’) is a popular concept, it has not yet been properly theoretically grounded. This leads to problems in identifying both generic and case-specific critical success factors of BPM programs. The paper proposes an underlying theoretical framework with the utilization of three theories: contingency, dynamic capabilities and task–technology fit. The main premise is that primarily the fit between the business environment and business processes is needed. Then both continuous improvement and the proper fit between business process tasks and information systems must exist. The underlying theory is used to identify critical success factors on a case study from the banking sector.     

Web-enabled supply chain management: Key antecedents and performance impacts

Despite increased interest and growing investments in web-based supply chain management (SCM) applications, firms face numerous challenges in successfully web-enabling their SCM activities. In this research, we focus on two main objectives – (i) to understand the key antecedents that affect the web-enablement of SCM activities; (ii) to document the performance impacts of web-enabled SCM efforts. Based on a large-scale, questionnaire survey of North American organizations, we assessed the influence of six factors namely – supplier synergy, information intensity, managerial IT knowledge, interoperable IT infrastructure, perceived IT returns on investments (ROI) and formal governance mechanisms – on the extent of web-enabled SCM. Our results revealed a strong positive influence of supplier synergy, information intensity, managerial IT knowledge, inter-operability and formal governance mechanisms on the extent of web-enabled SCM. We also found a negative association between relative cost–benefit perceptions and the extent of web-enabled SCM. Further, we also found strong positive association between extent of web-enabled SCM and the benefits realized from SCM efforts. We discuss the implications of our results for research and practice.     

基于案例的“J2EE与中间件”教学改革初探

如何培养学生的实践动手能力,积累项目开发经验以适应IT企业需求是高等学校计算机教育工作者亟待研究与解决的问题。在＂J2EE与中间件＂的教学中,基于案例和教学视频的协作学习活动的开展,在激发学生学习兴趣的同时,也提升了学生的综合能力,对计算机类教学有借鉴意义。     

Capturing and measuring technology based service innovation–A case analysis within theory and practice

While economies in the industrialised World have become increasingly knowledge driven and service based, much of the work on capturing and measuring business value is still constrained and steeped in the thinking of the manufacturing era. One area that is more susceptible to measurement is the field of technology based or enhanced services. This case analysis seeks to explore how a service operator, such as an international airport, can gauge value from investment into IT. We examine how the airport operator combines a variety of accounting techniques and other tools to capture value from their IT investments. We explore how the operator could improve their measurement of business value derived from their IT investment. One observation of practice is that value capturing tools and techniques are used in parallel rather than ‘in sync’. Drawing on the notion of user innovation, we argue operators should embrace a systemic approach in adapting and modifying measuring regimes to accommodate service based innovation.     

Examining motivation of IT vendors to share knowledge with clients

To reduce information technology (IT) development costs, more firms have begun to outsource IT-related activities by partnering with IT vendors. As knowledge is a valuable asset in IT development, knowledge sharing between vendors and business clients becomes critical. However, the motivation behind IT vendors’ willingness to share knowledge with client firms is not sufficiently understood. To shed light on the nature of knowledge sharing within vendor–client partnerships, we examine the influence of performance feedback and managerial mindset on vendors’ motivation to share knowledge with their clients. We adopt a multi-method approach involving both a scenario-based field experiment with 164 vendor managers (Study 1) and a field survey of 112 vendor managers involved in IT development (Study 2). We find that when vendors’ performance exceeds their aspiration levels, they are motivated to share knowledge with clients. Such motivational effects are more pronounced for vendor managers exhibiting abstract mindsets. Our study is of significant value to researchers and practitioners, affording both groups a keener, deeper, and more robust appreciation for how knowledge sharing in vendor–client partnerships can be managed more effectively.     

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。     

Patterns of co-alignment in information-intensive organizations: business performance through integration strategies

Information technology (IT) has transformed business practices in the last several decades: operations, product strategies, distribution, and customer service have become increasingly dependent on IT. Moreover, IT has changed its orientation from that of pure operational utility in the 1960s and 1970s to that of a competitive weapon in the 1990s and today. These phenomena have affected the way modern organizations are managed, as well as the way IT affects the strategic activities of an organization's value-chain.In particular, aligning an organization's business and IT strategies in order to deliver higher business performance presupposes a strategic business opportunity to which information systems technology is integral. In other words, Strategic Alignment between business and IT can have a positive business impact only if we see an organization's IT components as parts of a well-integrated organizational system. If business strategy is viewed separately from IT strategy or IT strategy is viewed only as a “support” tool, then there is little likelihood that the above positive impact of strategic alignment can take place.This research suggests, develops and tests a strategic co-alignment model by examining three types of integration that impact the planning process and the overall performance of information-intensive organizations: technological integration (TI), functional integration and strategic integration (SI).The results of this research yield some useful set of guidelines for theory building for IS, as well as for the business practice aspect of IS: most interesting is the role of consistency (co-alignment) between an organization's business and strategic information systems plans to improve overall firm performance. Other recommendations include having a high degree of involvement of IS executives in corporate planning, the use of outsourcing services to promote organizational systems integration, and the importance of internal coordination mechanisms to facilitate both systems consistency and lower transaction costs. Finally, this study has employed cluster analysis and discriminant analysis to interpret the research findings.     

信息技术赋能创业:IT 能力对创业绩效的影响

大数据、人工智能等新一代信息技术正不断渗透和改变着创业行为和结果,为新创企业发展带来机遇与挑战。目前,企业的信息技术能力对创业活动的影响研究仍处于探索阶段。本文基于创业机会理论与资源依赖理论,考察IT能力对创业绩效的影响机制,探讨创业机会识别与开发的中介作用以及数字化业务强度的调节作用。实证分析发现：IT设施运用能力、IT业务跨越能力和IT前瞻性立场等三种IT能力均有助于提升创业绩效;创业机会识别与开发在3种IT能力与创业绩效间扮演中介角色;数字化业务强度在IT能力和创业机会识别与开发间发挥正向调节作用,并进一步调节创业机会识别与开发在3种IT能力与创业绩效间的中介作用,即：数字化业务强度越高,创业机会识别与开发的中介效应越显著。本研究丰富了信息技术赋能创业的研究内容,有助于推进信息技术在创业理论与实践中的运用。     

CITPEVS:一个评估中国IT项目成功的工具

介绍了国际项目管理领域在项目成功的衡量以及项目成功关键因素方面的研究,分析了这些研究在中国IT项目应用中的不足,综合考虑了中国的具体环境和IT项目的特殊性,以及未来发展的一些趋势,对PEVS进行了修改,提出了一个评估中国IT项目成功的工具CITPEVS,来帮助中国的IT项目经理判断项目是否正步入正轨并将取得成功。     

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。     

Knowledge management in client–vendor partnerships

Partnerships between business clients and vendors are increasingly becoming more common as firms strive to reduce cost and outsource non-core activities. Some firms proactively manage the knowledge gained from such partnership while others do so to a lesser extent. Through a questionnaire survey of business clients in Singapore, this study helps to shed some light on the nature of client–vendor partnership, factors affecting knowledge transfer (defined in terms of knowledge codifiability, client's motivation for partnership, vendor's willingness to share, and trust between client and vendor). In addition, we also examine mechanisms for knowledge dissemination within the client organization and the impact on the IT function. The results should be of interest to both researchers and practitioners in better understanding how such partnership could be managed more effectively.     

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。     

Performance of an internet of things project in the public sector: The case of Nice smart city

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology provides a lot of possibilities to develop IT projects that offer to the citizens platform of services for better conditions of living and transporting. Our study contributes to the topical subject of smart cities analysing the performance of an IoT-platform based solution. It evaluates if an IoT platform project can achieve business, environmental and social objectives all together. We select and test a project developed in Nice (France) where 5.000+ sensors are deployed on parking slots to improve the urban transport. The benefits of the IT project are determined comparing data extracting from Nice and compared with two other similar cities (Marseille and Toulon) which play the role of control group. The analysis of the value creation and value capture suggest a governance model for a private and public collaboration. Our findings help public managers to understand better private-public partnership and then prepare the future cities development.     

Creating value in ecosystems: Crossing the chasm between knowledge and business ecosystems

Policy makers take initiatives to stimulate knowledge ecosystems in technology hotspots. It is implicitly assumed that these ecosystems will lead to value networks through which the participating companies can realize a competitive advantage. Value networks refer to business ecosystems where the value proposition is offered by a group of companies which are mutually complementary. The strategy literature suggests that business ecosystems lead to competitive advantages for each of the partners in the ecosystem. Based on a unique hand-collected database of 138 innovative start-ups in the region of Flanders, we analyze the knowledge and business ecosystem and the financial support network. We find that the knowledge ecosystem is well structured and concentrated around a number of central actors while the business ecosystem is almost non-existent at the local level. Further, we find that the financial support network is almost 100% publicly backed and fails to bridge the knowledge and business ecosystem. The implications for policy makers who tend to focus on the development of local ecosystems are discussed.     

Mediation effect of business process and supply chain management capabilities on the impact of IT on firm performance: Evidence from Chinese firms

Motivated by the seeming presence of the productivity paradox in China, this research revisits the question of how information technology (IT) affects firm performance. Leveraging the process-based view of IT, we establish a theoretical framework for the mediation factors for the relationship between IT capabilities and performance. Based on a survey of 127 companies in China, we find that a firm's management capabilities to manage both its internal and external business processes fully mediate the impact of IT on firm performance. The two management capabilities in this study are business-process management capability and supply-chain management capability. Our results show that only the coherent integration of IT capability with firm’s ability to optimize business processes and to improve management of supply chains can enhance firm performance. Firms should avoid the fallacy that IT investments are solely responsible for better firm performance. Based on our findings, we discuss the implications for research and practice.     

发挥IT的商业价值——一个业务与技术融合的观点

从IT与商业的关系角度探讨业务与信息技术融合的商业价值,并运用实例加以论证;讨论IT应用的现状与发展趋势,分析IT与业务融合的程度与层次;结合实例阐释IT与业务融合的五个要素,并由此揭示发挥IT商业价值的路径。指出通过业务与IT融合,可以促进业务的发展与创新,发挥IT的商业价值。     

Refining and Extending the Business Model With Information Technology: Dell Computer Corporation

The exceptional performance of Dell Computer in recent years illustrates an innovative response to a fundamental competitive factor in the personal computer industry - the value of time. This article shows how Dell's strategies of direct sales and build-to-order production have proven successful in minimizing inventory and bringing new products to market quickly, enabling it to increase market share and achieve high returns on investment. The Dell case illustrates how one business model may have inherent advantages under particular market conditions, but it also shows the importance of execution in exploiting those advantages. In particular, Dell's use of information technology (IT) has been vital to executing both elements of its business model - direct sales and build-to-order - and provides valuable insights into how IT can be applied to achieve speed and flexibility in an industry in which time is critical. Many of the insights gained from this case can be applied more generally to other time-dependent industries, suggesting that the findings from the Dell case will have implications for a growing number of companies and industries in the future.