IT service management: towards a contingency theory of performance measurement

Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) focuses on IT service creation, design, delivery and maintenance. Measurement is one of the basic underlying elements of service science and this paper contributes to service science by focussing on the selection of performance metrics for ITSM. Contingency theory is used to provide a theoretical foundation for the study. Content analysis of interviews of ITSM managers at six organisations revealed that selection of metrics is influenced by a discrete set of factors. Three categories of factors were identified: external environment, parent organisationand IS organisation. For individual cases, selection of metrics was contingent on factors such as organisation culture, management philosophy and perspectives, legislation, industry sector, and customers, although a common set of four factors influenced selection of metrics across all organisations. A strong link was identified between the use of a corporate performance framework and clearly articulated ITSM metrics

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTINGENCY THEORY OF MIS

The purpose of this paper is to define and critique the use of contingency theory in the field of Management Information Systems (MIS). The existence of such a theory is demonstrated through a detailed review of the MIS literature. The development of contingency theory in MIS is compared to the development of Organization Theory. The developments in the two fields have been remarkably similar and the field of MIS can benefit from the experiences of organization theorists. We argue that since MIS is at an early stage of development, it is now repeating some of the unproductive assumptions and lines of development of contingency theory. The conclusion from this analysis is that the contingency theory implicit in MIS research is inadequate. Progress in the field has been hampered by the adoption of a naive meta-theory and a narrow research perspective. This has resulted in highly mixed empirical results, a premature quantification strategy, and ill-defined concepts of performance and fit. A series of recommendations for improving the theoretical basis of MIS are given. These recommendations include relaxing the assumptions that constitute the naive meta-theory of a contingency theory in MIS. A more subjectivist, less functional, less unreflexive and less deterministic approach is advocated. In addition, changes in research methodologies are recommended. An increased emphasis on training in case study methodologies, longitudinal research and ethnographic approaches is suggested.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Beyond the Black Box, or, When Shrouded Clauses Are Pro-Consumer

This article compares two clauses in credit card contracts providing for alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Arbitration clauses use ADR to cut off consumer remedies, while reversal clauses use ADR to expand them. Holding constant the possibility of earning extra money by exploiting consumer biases, it is argued that the coexistence of these two clauses must be explained in terms of which aspects of a firm\u27s institutional structure leads it to instantiate this possibility. Viewing a firm as a forum to mediate the interests of the constituencies that either own or contract with it, one can ask how the aggregate interests of a firm\u27s constituencies (including consumers) affect its incentives to take advantage of consumer biases. Ownership can explain the low rate of arbitration clauses in credit union credit card contracts. Contracting patterns, specifically cross elasticity of merchants and consumers, can explain the consumer ftiendliness of reversal clauses. Implications for analyzing credit card contracts and consumer regulation more broadly are discussed

The impact of Information Technology (IT) on the financial performance of organizations in a developing country

Bibliography: pages 84-90.The effect of IT investment on the risk and risk profile of managers were studied in the IT-using industry in Namibia. IT investment uses certain of an organization's resources. The following models (computerization index (CI), IT expense ratio (ITEX) , IT costs efficiency ratio (ITCE), operating cost efficiency ratio (OPEX), operating leverage, cost-benefit ratio, return on IT assets ratio and profitability performance measurements in terms of six strategic ratios; profit/total assets, profit/turnover, turnover/total assets, gross margin/turnover, profit growth rate and sales growth rate) were used. The study also established the importance of perceived risk in any organization's and managers' daily activities. The study further investigated the close link between calculated organizational risk and IT investment decisions. The results displayed a positive association between the CI and turnover growth. A link was shown between ITEX and OPEX and OPEX and the monetary value of IT, allowing the study to accept these two hypotheses. It was thus concluded that CI and ITEX could be used as a possible measurement of computerization. On the other hand, managerial perceived and calculated organizational risk were not found to be the deciding factors while an IT investment was being made

Ambidexterity and Paradexterity: A typology of IT Governance contradictions

The theoretical construct of organizational ambidexterity addresses how organizations balance managerial contradictions such as exploitation and exploration or efficiency and flexibility. The underlying argument is that management should involve not a trade-off between two states, but simultaneous handling of contradictions. This paper expands the theory of organizational ambidexterity through introducing a typology of contradictions in the form of dichotomies and dualities within a particular management focus, i.e. IT Governance. The paper utilizes a previous study of IT Governance practice at two large, public universities to propose a typology and the concept of paradexterity. Through this, the paper seeks to add new knowledge to the fields of both organizational ambidexterity and IT Governance

Communication in organizations: the heart of information systems

We propose a theory characterizing information systems (IS) as language communities which use and develop domain-specific languages for communication. Our theory is anchored in Language Critique, a branch of philosophy of language. In developing our theory, we draw on Systems Theory and Cybernetics as a theoretical framework. "Organization" of a system is directly related to communication of its sub-systems. "Big systems" are self-organizing and the control of this ability is disseminated throughout the system itself. Therefore, the influence on changes of the system from its outside is limited. Operations intended to change an organization are restricted to indirect approaches. The creation of domain-specific languages by the system itself leads to advantageous communication costs compared to colloquial communication at the price of set-up costs for language communities. Furthermore, we demonstrate how our theoretical constructs help to describe and predict the behavior of IS. Finally, we discuss implications of our theory for further research and IS in general. Keywords: Language Critique, language communities, communication, self-organization, IS researc

The Evolving Intellectual Diversity of the IS Discipline: Evidence from the Referent Disciplines

For over 20 years, researchers expressed their concern for the lack of theoretical development in the Information Systems discipline and the lack of a cumulative research tradition. The aim of this study is to investigate the intellectual structure of the IS discipline through an analysis of 993 mainstream research articles published in selected journals and proceedings during the previous decade (1991-2000). We explore the variety of researcher perspectives in the discipline, based on the theoretical frameworks adopted by these studies. This examination shows the relative mindshare of different theoretical frameworks and informs the self-reflection that is frequently undertaken in our discipline. The study generates categorizations to map theories to frameworks, which are then located in a three-dimensional ontology. The resulting mappings should help researchers understand the scope of past IS research and identify gaps in theoretical development

Validity of DeLone and McLean\u27s Model of Information Systems success at the web site level of analysis

The DeLone and McLean Model of Information Systems (IS) Success is one of the most cited and commonly-used models in the IS literature. Generally, the model has been used mainly to explain IS success at the individual level of analysis. However, in rare occasions it has been utilized on its entirety to measure success at the organizational level of analysis. In this study, the DeLone and McLean Model of IS Success is applied at the organizational level of analysis in the E-commerce environment. We gather website features from 448 top retailers, categorize them following DeLone and McLean’s taxonomy, and introduce them as the independent variables in our model. The results of our study provide support for utilizing the model to explain the dimensions and relationships of IS Success at the organizational level of analysis. At this higher level, website features that map to quality perceptions of system quality, information quality, and service quality do exist. In terms of relationships between these dimensions; the analysis suggests that both system quality and service quality positively affect system use; and system use strongly affects net benefits as measured by organizational sales. Furthermore, as an extension of the DeLone and McLean model, we add direct paths from all three qualities to net benefits (sales). Results from this extension of the model suggest that information quality and system quality directly affect net benefits. Results from this study have strong implications for the IS field and especially for the e-commerce environment. First, it provides support for utilizing real world objective data as outcomes of the analysis. Second, it provides support for utilizing the DeLone and McLean model at the organizational level of analysis as a tool to help researchers and practitioners understand the different dimensions of IS Success and how they affect each other. Third it provides practitioners, web development instructors, and web developers with real objective website feature groups that directly affect organizational sales

Dispute resolution and technology : revisiting the justification of conflict management

Verkkoversio: Helsingin yliopisto, 2023The rapid increase in e-commerce transactions has led to the emergence of new dispute resolution models, e.g. online dispute resolution (ODR). Simultaneously, public courts embrace new information and communication technologies in order to overcome the shortcomings of the public court system. Technological redress is more and more often sought within the private regimes of e-commerce instead of through public courts. But what exactly does this shift to technology in dispute resolution entail? In this book Koulu examines the multifaceted phenomenon of dispute resolution technology, using private enforcement as an example, and the impact it has on justifying dispute resolution. The implementation of technology in dispute resolution reveals the hidden justificatory narratives of procedural law and thus provides possibilities for their critical examination. Koulu argues that the privatisation of enforcement – as it is enabled by different forms of technology from the direct enforcement of e-commerce market leaders to self-executing smart contracts in the blockchain – brings the inherent violence of law out into the open. This increase in private enforcement, in turn, challenges the nationstate’s monopoly on violence, which has traditionally formed the main source of justification for dispute resolution and the enforcement of judicial decisions. After examining the possibilities of finding justification for private enforcement from other sources, e.g. from private autonomy or from human rights discourse, Koulu claims that private enforcement constitutes a new grey area of conflict management. Koulu’s doctoral dissertation gives unique insight into contemporary debates both in global procedural law and law and technology studies.peerReviewe

Dispute resolution and technology : revisiting the justification of conflict management

Verkkoversio: Helsingin yliopisto, 2023The rapid increase in e-commerce transactions has led to the emergence of new dispute resolution models, e.g. online dispute resolution (ODR). Simultaneously, public courts embrace new information and communication technologies in order to overcome the shortcomings of the public court system. Technological redress is more and more often sought within the private regimes of e-commerce instead of through public courts. But what exactly does this shift to technology in dispute resolution entail? In this book Koulu examines the multifaceted phenomenon of dispute resolution technology, using private enforcement as an example, and the impact it has on justifying dispute resolution. The implementation of technology in dispute resolution reveals the hidden justificatory narratives of procedural law and thus provides possibilities for their critical examination. Koulu argues that the privatisation of enforcement – as it is enabled by different forms of technology from the direct enforcement of e-commerce market leaders to self-executing smart contracts in the blockchain – brings the inherent violence of law out into the open. This increase in private enforcement, in turn, challenges the nationstate’s monopoly on violence, which has traditionally formed the main source of justification for dispute resolution and the enforcement of judicial decisions. After examining the possibilities of finding justification for private enforcement from other sources, e.g. from private autonomy or from human rights discourse, Koulu claims that private enforcement constitutes a new grey area of conflict management. Koulu’s doctoral dissertation gives unique insight into contemporary debates both in global procedural law and law and technology studies.VertaisarvioitupeerReviewe