The Critical Role of External Validity in Advancing Organizational Theorizing

The information systems field needs strong cumulative traditions to advance IS theory building and better explain real-world phenomena. Despite the hegemony of theory in our major journals and major improvements in methodology over the years, the field has yet to achieve strong cumulative traditions beyond a few limited areas. In this paper, we propose a methodology for building such traditions by relying on the framework of external validity that Shadish, Cook, and Campbell (2002) suggest. Our methodology classifies accumulated knowledge into four types, highlights several evolutionary pathways for theory building, and explains how researchers can apply it to extend their own theory. To examine the appropriateness of our typology of accumulated knowledge across the IS and management fields, we conducted a literature review of the empirical research in major IS and management journals over a recent two-year period and coded it according to relevant characteristics of Cronbach’s UTOS (i.e., units, treatments, outcomes, and settings). The technology acceptance model, IS success model, and resource-based view literatures illustrate how to apply the methodology. This evidence leads us to believe that establishing a cumulative tradition is well within the IS community’s grasp

The Role of Business Intelligence in Organizational Decision-making

This Ph.D. thesis is concerned with the role of the business intelligence (BI) output in organizational decision-making processes. The primary focus of this thesis is to investigate how this BI output is employed and deployed by decision-makers to shape collective judgement and to reach organizational decisions. Concerning the role of the BI output in decision-making the BI literature is characterized by normative ideas of how the BI output should be used in decision-making and how it can enable people to make better decisions. Most previous work has concerned methods and technologies to collect, store and analyze BI. It has also, assumed a rational approach to decision making where data from information systems are used to inform decisions either by reducing uncertainty, ambiguity or complexity. This study attempts to establish knowledge about the role of the BI output in the IT project prioritization process of the Group IT of the Danske Bank Group. Hence, the starting point of this thesis is a 16-month long interpretive study from March 2010 till July 2011 during which I observed the prioritization process and collected various forms of data. I use a rich dataset built from this longitudinal study of the IT project prioritization process in Group IT where thematic analysis is used to analyze the data. Overall, the study operates under the interpretive paradigm, which assumes that the world and knowledge are socially constructed

Decision making: Social and creative dimensions

This volume presents research that integrates decision making and creativity within the social contexts in which these processes occur. The volume is an essential addition to and expansion of recent approaches to decision making. Such approaches attempt to incorporate more of the psychological and socio-cultural context in which human decision making takes place. The authors come from different disciplines and also belong to a broad spectrum of research traditions. They present innovative chapters dealing with both theoretical and empirical aspects of decision making in different personal and organizational contexts. All chapters are written from the perspective that human decision making is inherently social and more or less creative. The volume addresses fundamental questions about the nature of human decision making as it occurs in different social contexts. Thereby, it becomes essential reading for researchers in decision making and for advanced students in psychology, management science, informatics, and related disciplines

An assessment of the sustainability of E-fulfilment models for the delivery of fast moving consumer goods to the home

Online retail sales are growing rapidly and have captured a significant proportion of the retail market in many countries. Although companies are under mounting pressure to reduce their environmental impact, the environmental effect of the different online distribution strategies remains unclear. Most previous studies of this subject have only included partial effects and consequences. To enable a more holistic understanding, this study proposes a more inclusive framework of environmental assessment based on life cycle analysis. This was applied to fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). Previous studies have shown that the last mile delivery contributes significantly to the environmental impact of online retailing, mainly because of the nature of the home delivery operations, including narrow time windows and short order lead times. If consumers were to buy products online on a subscription basis and give the supplier more control over the replenishment process there might be less need for fast deliveries, creating opportunities to improve the efficiency of home deliveries and reduce their environmental impact. The study classified different forms of subscription arrangement, assessed their relative attractiveness to consumers and examined their likely impact on the supply chain. Consumer views on subscriptions were surveyed by means of focus group discussions and interviews. To assess the likely supply chain impacts of subscriptions, the literature on vendor-managed inventory was consulted. A Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) model was built to quantify and compare the environmental impact of various e-fulfilment models for FMCG products in the United Kingdom. This study reveals that the method of execution have a large influence on the environmental impact. In store-based retailing, the energy consumption within the supermarket is a significant contributor to the total greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, some forms of home delivery, involving for example the use of parcel networks with no pre-agreed time-slots and relatively high rates of delivery failure and customer collection, are also carbon-intensive. This contribution of consumer trips to the total footprint is much smaller in case of van-based deliveries where pre-agreed time-windows are used. Regardless of the business model, the total carbon footprint per item depends heavily on the number of items per delivery. Consequently, companies or consumers looking to decrease the environmental impact of online shopping should maximise the number of items per delivery. The study concludes with an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses and possible environmental improvements of each of the efulfilment methods, taking account of the possible role of subscriptions

Proceedings of the Fifth Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems: Professional Development Consortium

Collection of position statements of doctoral students and junior faculty in the Professional Development Consortium at the the Fifth Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems, Tel Aviv - Yafo

A study of inventory classification in healthcare logistics using system dynamics modelling.

One of the key challenges for a modern day health care provider is to dispense high quality of medical care while limiting or even reducing the health care expenditures. This research work endeavours to meet this challenge through effective management of hospitals logistics systems. The aim of this research work is to provide a structured mechanism for modelling and analysing health care logistics to be able to understand its dynamic behaviour and effectively manage its logistical activities on the basis of the model. In order to achieve the research objectives, this research uses system dynamics as the main medium of analysis, and in particular, employs an integrated system dynamics framework which has been used previously for manufacturing industry supply chain designs and tests the feasibility of the framework for analysing and modelling health care logistics. This is ascertained by developing and incorporating a decision making metrics in the system dynamics model based on item criticality, usage, and value to optimise overall logistics costs. System Dynamics methodology is employed at first to develop a model for existing inventory control decisions, and subsequently to produce two alternative approaches based on traditional (R, s, S) inventory control approach and Continuous Replenishment Inventory and Order Based Production Control CR(IOBPCS) approach. These approaches are tested for two case hospitals, namely: Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) USA, and Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (DRI) UK. The dynamic analysis for each case revealed problems in terms of multistage inventories and order batching, which could lead to demand amplification causing a detrimental effect on the inventory management throughout the supply chain. Accordingly, the simulations results produced for the two cases are benchmarked using alternative strategies in terms of lower inventory cost, and robustness to meet the unpredictable demand arising from a large number of items. Overall, this research work has enhanced the understanding of hospitals logistics systems by building qualitative and quantitative models. More specifically, this research work has illustrated the applicability of the integrated system dynamics framework in analysing and modelling hospitals logistics systems and inventory control decisions. One particular contribution of this study is introducing inventory classification based on the criticality of items for patient needs which is more suited for health care situations rather purely cost based policies prevalent in other manufacturing and service chains. Therefore, this work has rigorously tested a multi-criteria based inventory classification method that takes into account the criticality of use, cost, and usage value of items for optimising overall inventory cost while maintaining the required patient care/service level. Future studies may be conducted to further evaluate the trade-offs in between different logistics decision making (such as, inventory control, service level, purchasing, transportation and warehousing) in order to design a set of "best practice" simulation models to optimise the overall dynamic behaviour for health care supply chains

A new framework for a technological perspective of knowledge management

Rapid change is a defining characteristic of our modern society. This has huge impact on society, governments, and businesses. Businesses are forced to fundamentally transform themselves to survive in a challenging economy. Transformation implies change in the way business is conducted, in the way people perform their contribution to the organisation, and in the way the organisation perceives and manages its vital assets – which increasingly are built around the key assets of intellectual capital and knowledge. The latest management tool and realisation of how to respond to the challenges of the economy in the new millennium, is the idea of "knowledge management" (KM). In this study we have focused on synthesising the many confusing points of view about the subject area, such as: a. different focus points or perspectives; b. different definitions and positioning of the subject; as well as c. a bewildering number of definitions of what knowledge is and what KM entails. There exists a too blurred distinction in popular-magazine-like sources about this area between subjects and concepts such as: knowledge versus information versus data; the difference between information management and knowledge management; tools available to tackle the issues in this field of study and practice; and the role technology plays versus the huge hype from some journalists and within the vendor community. Today there appears to be a lack of a coherent set of frameworks to abstract, comprehend, and explain this subject area; let alone to build successful systems and technologies with which to apply KM. The study is comprised of two major parts: 1. In the first part the study investigates the concepts, elements, drivers, and challenges related to KM. A set of models for comprehending these issues and notions is contributed as we considered intellectual capital, organizational learning, communities of practice, and best practices. 2. The second part focuses on the technology perspective of KM. Although KM is primarily concerned with non-technical issues this study concentrates on the technical issues and challenges. A new technology framework for KM is proposed to position and relate the different KM technologies as well as the two key applications of KM, namely knowledge portals and knowledge discovery (including text mining). It is concluded that KM and related concepts and notions need to be understood firmly as well as effectively positioned and employed to support the modern business organisation in its quest to survive and grow. The main thesis is that KM technology is a necessary but insufficient prerequisite and a key enabler for successful KM in a rapidly changing business environment.Thesis (PhD (Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2010.Computer Scienceunrestricte

Can you believe what you see? A qualitative study about the determinants affecting the perceived credibility of video eWOM

Thesis Purpose: With the increasing popularity of social networks like YouTube, and the increasing accessibility of consumers to devices able to make and edit videos, video reviews are facing a remarkable growth. Hitherto, the research in eWOM has paid more attention to written reviews, leaving a notable gap of research in video eWOM. The purpose of this study was to improve the knowledge about video eWOM, studying the determinants affecting the perceived credibility of video reviews. Indeed, credibility is a crucial factor, playing a significant role in the consumer’s attitude toward a brand or product, and the consequent purchase intention. The study reached an answer to the following question: What are the determinants affecting the perceived credibility of video-eWOM reviews? Theoretical Perspective: The research model, adopted in this study, built upon three (3) main theoretical areas, due to a lack of research in video eWOM and in order to formulate an adequate background, suitable for the interpretation and analysis of data. First, the study drew upon the determinants of perceived credibility, found by prior research in the field of written eWOM. With the purpose of facilitating the use of this theory, it was built a comprehensive model, summarising all the determinants. Second, some theories about the influence of video features on the audience were implemented in order to fully grasp the potentiality of video reviews. Finally, the third area was focused on the peculiar features of nonverbal communication, involved in video reviews through the adoption of images, motion and sound to convey the message. Methodology: The empirical research was performed through a qualitative study based on a variation grounded theory. The data was collected at one point in time, and the sample consisted in 12 female participants who interacted with five (5) video reviews on YouTube. The participants’ opinions were collected performing semi-structured interviews, supported by the techniques of photo elicitation and list of thoughts. The empirical data was then analysed through a sequence of definite steps, based on grounded analysis. Results: The results of the empirical research were summarised in a new model, encompassing all the determinants observed to exert an influence in the current study. Two (2) new determinants of perceived credibility – visual evidence and testing – were revealed along with one (1) new moderator, first impression. Besides, the determinants and moderators, corresponding to the ones of written eWOM, were assessed by the participants through the adoption of more cues, including the reviewer’s appearance, facial expressions, tone of voice, and video features (e.g. setting). Keywords: Video eWOM, Video reviews, Electronic word-of-mouth, Credibility, YouTube

The politics of new technologies in local government.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DX202884 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Capital\u27s Media: The Physical Conditions of Circulation

The question of what constitutes media has received little attention in Marxism and where it does, the concept is an empty abstraction. While Marxists have extensively theorized the concentration of mass media ownership, and analyzed mass media content as ideology or propaganda, critical discussions of what a medium is in the capitalist mode of production have been mostly lacking. That is to say, Marxism does not have a media ontology. Media is therefore a critical gap in Marx’s political economy. This dissertation seeks to fill this gap by asking what is a medium in the capitalist mode of production?, answering it with a valueform theory of media and a concept of “capital’s media” that takes the circulation of capital as its starting point. The dissertation goes beyond Marxism’s mass media myopia and moves the concept of media towards logistics and infrastructure. The contributions this dissertation makes are to (1) develop a theory and category of capital’s media as a phenomenon of the circulation process of capital; (2) stake out an approach to investigate media phenomenon outside of pure political economy and cultural studies approaches; and in the process (3) contribute towards a rehabilitation of Marx’s analysis of circulation. To make these contributions this dissertation relies on a theoretical framework that is primarily based on Marx’s value theory, but enriched with concepts from Canadian- German media theory (Harold A. Innis, Marshall McLuhan, Friedrich Kittler, Wolfgang Ernst, and Hartmut Winkler) and Paul Virilio’s dromology. This dissertation has two components to its methodology: an original “circulationist” reading of Marx’s political economy that is developed from the heterodox Neue Marx-Lektüre (New Marx Reading), and a set of empirical case studies that includes the shipping container and intermodal transportation, distribution centers, and point-of-sale and payment systems Positing a category of capital’s media, this dissertation concludes that nothing by its very nature is a medium but instead that things function as media when they appear in that category. More specifically, a thing, such as a container ship or distribution center, appears in the category of capital’s media when they function within and for the circulation process