3,713 research outputs found

    What drives the vacancy rate for information technology workers?

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    This paper provides empirical evidence on both the magnitude and determinants of unfilled positions for information technology workers using cross-sectional data on 4150 German firms. Vacancies are defined as unfilled positions excluding those created by replacement needs during the first half of the year 2000. The share of unfilled positions created by replacement needs is only about 20 percent, indicating that high turnover rates are not the main reason for high vacancy rates. The adjusted job vacancy rate for ICT workers varies between 5.7 percent in the ICT sector and 6.7 percent in the non-ICT sector. The results of a generalized tobit model show that the adjusted vacancy rate mainly depends on the firm size, the share of ICT workers and actions taken in the past to solve the ICT worker shortage but not on the diffusion of ICT. In the ICT sector, the decision made in the past to train apprentices in the new ICT occupations seems to have reduced the current vacancy rate. In the non-ICT sector, a successful strategy to solve the ICT worker shortage appears to be increased internal training. Finally, in the non-ICT sector, the common practice of completely outsourcing software programming significantly reduces the probability of unfilled positions. -- Dieser Beitrag beschĂ€ftigt sich mit der Anzahl und den Bestimmungsfaktoren unbesetzter Stellen fĂŒr IKT-FachkrĂ€fte in Deutschland. Datengrundlage ist eine reprĂ€sentative telefongestĂŒtzte (CATI) Umfrage von 4150 Unternehmen fĂŒr das Jahr 2000. Die Quote unbesetzter Stellen fĂŒr IKT-FachkrĂ€fte (ohne Stellen aufgrund Ersatzbedarfs) variiert zwischen 5,7 Prozent in der IKT-Branche und 6,7 Prozent in der Nicht-IKT-Branche. Der Anteil fluktuationsbedingt unbesetzter Stellen an allen unbesetzten Stellen betrĂ€gt 20 Prozent. Somit dĂŒrfte die Personalfluktuation der IKT-FachkrĂ€fte nicht die Hauptursache fĂŒr die hohe Quote unbesetzter Stellen sein. Regressionsergebnisse auf Basis verallgemeinerter tobit-Modelle zeigen, dass die Quote unbesetzter Stellen hauptsĂ€chlich von der FirmengrĂ¶ĂŸe, dem Anteil der IKT-FachkrĂ€fte im Vorjahr sowie den Strategien zur Überwindung des IKTFachkrĂ€ftemangels in der Vergangenheit abhĂ€ngen, jedoch von der Diffusion der Informationstechnologie nicht beeinflusst werden. Hinsichtlich der Wahrscheinlichkeit unbesetzter Stellen zeigt sich, dass die Auslagerung der Software-programmierung an Fremdunternehmen zu einer geringeren Betroffenheit von unbesetzten Stellen fĂŒr IKT-FachkrĂ€fte fĂŒhrt.unbesetzte Stellen,IKT-FachkrĂ€fte,Informationstechnologie,Unfilled positions,ICT workers,information technology

    An examination of janitor services sourcing factors in secondary schools in Hong Kong

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    Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-150).Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2009.published_or_final_versio

    Infrastructure-as-a-Service Usage Determinants in Enterprises

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    The thesis focuses on the research question, what the determinants of Infrastructure-as-a-Service usage of enterprises are. A wide range of IaaS determinants is collected for an IaaS adoption model of enterprises, which is evaluated in a Web survey. As the economical determinants are especially important, they are separately investigated using a cost-optimizing decision support model. This decision support model is then applied to a potential IaaS use case of a large automobile manufacturer

    Development and validation of a conceptual framework for IT offshoring engagement success

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    “A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy”.The study presented in this thesis investigates Offshore Information Technology Outsourcing (IT offshoring) relationships from clients’ perspective. With more client companies outsourcing their IT operations offshore, issues associated with the establishment and management of IT offshoring relationships have become very important. With the growing volume of offshore outsourcing, the numbers of failures are also increasing. Therefore, both clients (service receivers) and suppliers (service providers) face increasing pressure to meet with the objectives of IT offshoring initiatives. Improving the quality of the relationship between client and supplier has frequently been suggested in the literature as probable solution area, however not much literature and empirical evidence is available in this respect. The aim of the study is to make a theoretical and practical contribution by studying the interplay between the critical factors influencing the relationship intensity level of the exchange partners and suggest measures that can potentially increase the success rate in IT offshoring engagements. The objectives of this study are: 1. To identify the relevant critical factors and explore its causes and effects (antecedents and consequences) on the relationship intensity significance level. 2. To develop an integrated conceptual framework combining the hypothetical relationship among these identified critical factors. 3. To empirically validate the conceptual framework. To accomplish the first objective and building the theoretical platform for the second objective, three research questions are identified and answered through empirical study backed by literature evidence. The second objective is addressed through an integrative conceptual framework by analysing the related studies across other disciplines, gaps in the existing theories and models in the outsourcing literature. Coupled with literature gap analysis, the researcher adopted some of the relevant features from across various disciplines of management and social sciences that are relevant to this study. After that, the third objective, the research hypotheses are validated with empirical examination conducted in Europe. Seven research hypotheses are developed based on literature analysis on the relationship of the key constructs in the conceptual framework. This study is explanatory and deductive in nature. It is underpinned mainly by a quantitative research design with structured questionnaire surveys conducted with stratified sampling of 136 client organisations in Europe. Individual client firm is the unit of analysis for this study. Data analysis was conducted using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling techniques. In this research, empirical support was found for most of the research hypotheses and conclusions of the study is derived. An investigation into trust as a concept is used to denote relationship intensity, as the central construct of the framework. The validated conceptual framework and tested hypothesis results are the main contributions of this study. The results of this study will also be useful in terms of adopting the conceptual framework linked with hypotheses as a point of reference to begin with, in order to accomplish a healthy exchange relationship. However, a further deep dive and fine tuning the sub-units/composition characteristics of each critical factor may be needed for individual outsourcing initiative(s). This study is particularly relevant to the client-supplier firms already engaged in a relationship but can also be useful to those clients who are planning to begin their journey in IT offshoring in the near future, as a preparatory platform

    Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, v. 4, no. 3

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    Determining the Cost of Business Continuity Management - A Case Study of IT Service Continuity Management Activity Cost Analysis

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    This single organisation case study discusses the cost of business continuity management in IT services. Information technology (IT) expenses can amount to a substantial part of operational costs in a company, and IT leaders tend to aim for thorough IT cost management to meet financial targets. Thus, information security activities such as business continuity management (BCM) rank among the most important concerns for IT leaders. Despite the concerns of IT management, senior management appears to be hesitant to spend on BCM as much as IT management would hope for. Senior management may struggle with the question of how to justify spending on an activity that proves its usefulness only when a rare event occurs. The challenge for measuring costs of sociotechnical activities was the inspiration for this work – to find out whether the cost of business continuity management (BCM) could be explained better to help decision making. Two main paradigms emerged from literature – BCM activities in the context of organisational routines, and IT cost and information security cost classifications. The theoretical assumption was that the relationship between IT costs and BCM activities emulates the activity- based costing theory (ABC) – the premise of cause-and-effect relationship between activities and costs. The key question is “How to determine the cost of BCM activities in IT services?” To find out, I used comprehensive archival data set from a case company and designed a retrospective quantitative model to analyse the association between BCM activities and IT costs. By employing causal-comparative method and multiple linear regression analysis, I compared distinct groups of IT services to determine how much of the variation in IT costs could be explained by BCM activities. In addition, I measured the relative effect of each independent variable towards the total cost of BCM. As both statistical and practical significance test results were supported, several interesting results were observed between BCM activities and IT costs – namely human, technology and organisational resources, as well as IT service designs. The research presents two theoretical contributions and one empirical contribution to the theory. The first and primary contribution is the BCM activity cost model. This is the final product for the main research question of determining the cost of BCM in IT services. The second contribution is the total cost of BCM framework. This framework contributes to the broader academic discussion of information system (IS) cost taxonomies in IT services and information security. The third contribution is empirical confirmation how to observe unknown cost effects by multiple regression analysis. Learnings from this research can contribute IS researchers focused on the economic aspects of IS and IT. The research also introduces three practical contributions. The first one considers the observation of overall BCM cost effects on IT services. Although the results of a single case study cannot be generalized directly to every organization, information herein may aid companies to evaluate BCM impact on their budgets. The second practical contribution considers the challenges regarding measurement of activity costs that can be difficult to observe directly. Within the limitations of this research, nothing here suggests that the BCM activity cost model could not be productized and integrated into other cost appraisal tools in a company or applied in other IT service management areas. The last important practical contribution are the definitions of BCM activity cost variables. Confirming the cost association between theoretical and empirical BCM frameworks can help BCM professionals to promote BCM process.TĂ€mĂ€ yhden organisaation tapaustutkimus pohtii jatkuvuudenhallinnan kustannusten osuutta tietojĂ€rjestelmĂ€palveluissa. Informaatioteknologian (IT) kustannukset saattavat muodostaa merkittĂ€vĂ€n osa yrityksen menoista, ja IT-johtajat pyrkivĂ€t yleensĂ€ tarkkaan kulujenhallintaan saavuttaakseen yrityksen taloudelliset tavoitteet. Siksi tietoturva-aktiiviteetit kuten jatkuvuudenhallinta (business continuity management, BCM) ovat heidĂ€n olennaisimpia huolenaiheitaan. IT-johtajien huolista huolimatta ylin johto ei yleensĂ€ ole kovin innokas panostamaan BCM:ÀÀn niin paljon kuin IT-johto toivoisi. Ylin johto saattaa tuskailla sen kanssa, miten perustella kulut toimiin, joita kaivataan vain harvinaisissa poikkeustilanteissa. Sosioteknisten kulujen mittaamisen haaste antoi inspiraation tĂ€lle tutkimukselle; tavoite oli selvittÀÀ, olisiko mahdollista selittÀÀ BCM-kustannuksia paremmin pÀÀtöksenteon tueksi. Kirjallisuudesta nousee esiin kaksi keskeistĂ€ aihepiiriĂ€: BCM organisaation toimintatapojen kontekstissa sekĂ€ IT-ja tietoturvakulujen luokittelu. Teoreettinen oletus oli, ettĂ€ IT-kulujen ja BCM- toimenpiteiden suhde emuloi toimintolaskennan (activity-based costing, ABC) teoriaa – se, ettĂ€ toimenpiteiden ja kulujen vĂ€lillĂ€ on syy-seuraussuhde. Avainkysymys on ”Miten mÀÀritellĂ€ BCM- toimenpiteiden kulut IT-palveluissa?” TĂ€mĂ€n selvittĂ€miseksi kĂ€ytin kattavaa arkistodataa caseyhtiöstĂ€ ja kehitin retrospektiivisen kvantitatiivisen mallin analysoidakseni BCM-toimenpiteiden ja IT-kulujen suhdetta. Kausaalis-komparatiivisen metodin ja lineaarisen regressioanalyysin avulla vertailin erilaisia IT-palvelujen ryhmiĂ€ selvittÀÀkseni missĂ€ mÀÀrin BCM-toimenpiteet voisivat selittÀÀ IT-kulujen vaihtelua. LisĂ€ksi mittasin jokaisen muuttujan suhteellisen vaikutuksen BCM:n kokonaiskustannuksiin. Kun sekĂ€ tilastolliset ettĂ€ kĂ€ytĂ€nnölliset testitulokset huomioitiin, BCM- toimenpiteiden ja IT-kulujen suhteesta ilmeni useita kiinnostavia tuloksia: sekĂ€ inhimillisiĂ€ ettĂ€ teknologia- ja organisaatioresursseihin ja IT-palvelujen muotoiluun liittyviĂ€. Tutkimus tuotti kaksi teoreettista kontribuutiota sekĂ€ yhden empiirisen todistuksen teorialle. EnsimmĂ€inen ja olennaisin nĂ€istĂ€ on BCM-toimenpiteiden kustannusmalli. TĂ€mĂ€ lopputuotos vastaa tutkielman avainkysymykseen BCM-kuluista IT-palveluissa. Toinen kontribuutio on BCM-kehyksen kokonaishinta. TĂ€mĂ€ voi ruokkia laajempaa akateemista keskustelua tietojĂ€rjestelmien (information system, IS) kustannustaksonomioista IT- palveluissa ja tietoturvassa. Kolmas kontribuutio, empiirinen todistus, osoittaa epĂ€suorien kulujen mittaamisen olevan mahdollista regressioanalyysiĂ€ hyödyntĂ€en. Tutkimuksen havainnoista voi olla hyötyĂ€ IS:n ja IT:n taloudellisiin aspekteihin keskittyneille IS-tutkijoille. Tutkimuksesta nousee esiin myös kolme kĂ€ytĂ€nnön kontribuutiota. EnsimmĂ€inen liittyy siihen, miten BCM-kokonaiskulujen vaikutuksia IT-palveluihin seurataan. Vaikka yhden tapaustutkimuksen tuloksia ei voida yleistÀÀ, tutkimuksen havainnot voivat auttaa yrityksiĂ€ arvioimaan BCM:n vaikutuksia budjetteihinsa. Toinen kĂ€ytĂ€nnön kontribuutio liittyy haasteisiin siinĂ€, kuinka mitata toimenpidekustannuksia, joita on hankala tarkkailla suoraan. TĂ€mĂ€n tutkimuksen rajoissa ei ilmennyt mitÀÀn syytĂ€ sille, etteikö BCM-toimenpiteiden kustannusmallia voitaisi tuotteistaa ja integroida yrityksen muihin kustannusarviotyökaluihin tai etteikö sitĂ€ voisi soveltaa muille IT-palvelujen hallinnon alueille. Viimeinen merkittĂ€vĂ€ kĂ€ytĂ€nnön kontribuutio on BCM-toimenpiteiden kustannusmuuttujien mÀÀrittely. BCM-ammattilaiset voivat helpommin edistÀÀ BCM-prosessia, kun teoreettisten ja empiiristen BCM-kehysten kulujen vastaavuus vahvistetaan

    The Role of social agency in supply chain management decision-making

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    Global supply chains have expanded in both their size and embeddedness in the markets. The formation and development of relationships with suppliers and buyers has become key to sustaining competitiveness, whereas firms within the chains face increasing needs and demands from both internal and external stakeholders. Accordingly, decision-making within supply chains is expected to meet various objectives regarding, for example, organizational sustainability and performance. To answer the challenges related to the decision-making, researchers in the field of supply chain management have recently been concerned especially with the theme of human behavior. Processes of individual decision-making in the context are often found to be irrational with relation to organizational aims and unexpected in their consequences on the level of supply chains. Yet, explanations with reference to individual psychology and social mechanisms relevant to the phenomena have received little attention, leaving the decision-making inefficient in practice. This doctoral thesis addresses the gap in previous research by considering the interaction between the psychology of the individual decision-maker and the social environment of the supply chain. In this regard, the thesis contributes to the research paradigm of behavioral supply chain management by elaborating on what the interaction means for supply chain management decision-making. A social cognitive lens is adopted to describe how supply chain management decisions may be linked to various psychological characteristics of decision-makers and to put forward practical proposals on how to enhance decision-making in the context. The compilation thesis builds on four original publications with a diverse background of theories on individual decision-making and organizational behavior. Literature relevant to supply chain management decision-making in general—and the topics of logistics outsourcing, organizational performance, and supply relationships in particular—is subjected to conceptual analysis for the development of propositions and hypotheses to be tested. To test the hypotheses, the research then employs empirical survey data from the Finnish State of Logistics Surveys 2014 and 2018, the European Social Survey 2016, and financial reporting data from the Voitto+ and Eikon databases. One of the individual studies is conceptual by nature, whereas three follow a nomothetic approach where the data is analyzed using quantitative methods. The results show how logistics outsourcing decisions are likely to be driven by attitudes, norms, and competence; the environmental and financial performance of companies may be linked to their respective institutional environments and ambidextrous business processes; and supply relationships should be managed with consideration to individual identity and leader rhetoric. The findings further support a view of the individual decision-maker as an intentional and subjectively rational social agent that lays the foundations to behavior on multiple levels of analysis from organizations to supply chains and markets. Supply chain management decision-making could then be enhanced with behavior change techniques related to, for instance, increasing knowledge and setting goals that may be enforced from within or outside the supply chain. Hence, the results benefit business practitioners and policymakers across the boundaries of individual firms with ideas on how to acknowledge the human decision-maker in decision models vastly applied in the field
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