The role of relationships in the adoption of Interorganisational Information Systems (IOS)

The notion of progression in the adoption of Interorganisational Information Systems (IOS) has increasingly received attention from various researchers in the field of technology adoption, but currently there is still a limited understanding of how to address this important concept. Guided by our proposed IOS adoption maturity model, in this study we investigate the IOS adoption progression experienced by organisations within the Australian grocery industry through a multiple case study involving eight dyads. Our model focuses on the two way influence between dyadic relationship and IOS sophistication in the course of IOS adoption progression. This is the first study that provides empirical support for illustrating the notion of IOS progression. This study has important implications to both research and practice

Research Mode and Contribution in Interorganizational Information Systems Research

We develop a model to analyze the body of knowledge of the information systems (IS) field where research accumulates through the interplay of different modes: discovery, prescriptive, and evaluation. The paper proposes five signature contributions: 1) descriptions of discovery and exploration, 2) elaborations of IS-based means and means-ends propositions, 3) discussions of IS-based designs, 4) explanations of the impacts and impact mechanisms of IS, and 5) discussions of organizational theories of IS-phenomena. We argue that each of these contributions plays an important role in the accumulation of the body of knowledge. In particular, we call for a balance in approaches producing these different contributions. Results from analyzing two samples of published interorganizational information systems (IOS) research in high-tier information systems journal outlets from 1982-2010 supports the applicability of the framework as a useful way to categorize the research stream. In line with prior suggestions, we also found an increased tendency towards explanatory organizational theories in that less work has focused on discovering new practices, developing means, and evaluating their uses. Recent interest in academically rigorous design science research offers a welcome addition to the body of IS research that could broaden its base and enrich its content and contributions

Translation to Inter-organizational Systems Integration: The Effect of Power and the Mediating Role of the Obligatory Passage Point

IOS integration has become a competitive necessity in recent industrial environment. Thus, in the supply chain, dominant firms often try to exert their power to influence their dependent firms to implement IOS integration. However, whether power helps or hurts an integrated IOS implementation is still an unresolved issue. Mixed results on this issue from prior studies demand a further examination on such a context. Based on the circuits of power framework and the concept of obligatory passage point (OPP), this study identifies three factors that mediate the effect of power on the implementation of IOS integration, including competitive necessity, interestingness, and firm readiness. We accordingly develop a theoretical model with six hypotheses. Based on a sample of 134 manufacturing firms and PLS analysis, all hypotheses receive empirical support from the data. The findings suggest that the flows of exercised power and potential power into IOS integration can go through those mediators. Exercised power can promote competitive necessity that lead dependent firms to perceive greater interestingness and achieve higher firm readiness, resulting in a high level of IOS integration. Potential power supplements exercised power in facilitating interestingness and firm readiness. These two types of power also demonstrate different effects on those mediators. While exercised power has a greater impact on competitive necessity and no impact on interestingness, potential power produces an opposite result. This study therefore clarifies the effect of different types of power on IOS implementation. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are provided. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol8/iss3/4

The Impact of Multilevel Contextual Factors on IS Adoption at the Inter-organizational Level

Inter-organizational information systems (IOIS) offer many potential benefits to organizations, and IOIS adoption has increased in the last few decades. However, IOIS adoption varies significantly across different contexts, and little research has investigated how contextual factors affect IOIS-adoption variances at the inter-organizational (IO) level in depth—particularly from a multilevel perspective. This paper proposes a novel multilevel framework to analyze what combinations of contextual factors at the national, industry, inter-organizational, and organizational levels influence IOIS-adoption variances at the inter-organizational level. We present an in-depth, exploratory case study of the Indonesian grocery industry that identified three inter-organizational configurations between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers with IOIS-adoption variances. We found that the combinations of multilevel contextual factors varied for each configuration and, thus, explain the IOIS-adoption variances we observed at the IO level in a nuanced and holistic way. We argue that our multilevel framework may help scholars avoid contextual fallacy by encouraging them to examine the influence of higher-level factors on IOIS-adoption variances at the IO level and to avoid the atomistic fallacy that results when they make the wrong assumption that IOIS adoption at the organizational level implies adoption at a higher level

Combining the rational and relational perspectives of electronic trading

Many organisations make extensive use of electronic linkages to facilitate their trading exchanges with partners such as suppliers, distributors and customers. This research explores how the use of inter-organisational systems (IOS) both affects, and is affected by, the relationships between trading partners. In doing this, it brings together two existing but distinct perspectives and literatures; the rational view informed by IOS research, and the behavioural or relationship perspective embodied in inter-organisational relationships (IOR) literature. The research was undertaken in the European paper industry by means of six dyadic case studies. The dyads studied covered both traditional electronic data interchange systems and newer e-marketplace environments. A framework was derived from existing literature that integrates the two perspectives of interest. The framework was used to analyse the case studies undertaken and enabled the inter-relationship between IOS use and IOR to be explained

Understanding the Role of B2B Social and Relational Factors on Web-Based EDI Adoption:A collaborative approach in the container liner shipping industry

Organisations today operate in a complex, unpredictable, globalised, and competitive business environment and challenging marketplace, emphasis on just-in-time deliveries and service quality through the integration of resources. In response to the changing business dynamics, web-based EDI (WEDI) has been adopted by the global container shipping industry to cost-effectively utilise available resources to build and remain its competitive advantage. To improve the current understanding of WEDI adoption factors, this research explores inter-organisational collaboration of WEDI adoption, focusing on the organisational adoption stage and examine how business level social and relational factors influence WEDI adoption in the context of the container liner shipping industry. Based on theoretical and literature reviews on previous EDI adoption, in particular to three key inter-organisational system adoption empirical research (including Lee and Lim, 2005; Boonstra and de Vries, 2005; Zhu et al., 2006), an integrated research model was established of which features ‘Social Resources’ of (trading partner power, trading partner dependence and social network effect), ‘Relational Resources’ of (trading partner trust, top management commitment and guanxi, ‘Reward’ of (perceived interests), and ‘Technological State’ of (technological trust and e-readiness) as prominent antecedents. Through E-mail and Web Survey approach, we examine the nine independent constructs in the research model quantitatively on a dataset of 164 respondents from the top 20 leading container shipping liner in year 2009 and 195 respondents of the top 20 leading container shipping liner in 2012 by 3 case studies through online surveys. After examining its reliability, validity and correlation of the constructs, PLS structural Equation Modelling was applied to test hypotheses. The empirical results update how firms exchange business dada, in particular to the use of WEDI in the industry. This study demonstrated that ‘Social Resources’ of trading partner power, trust and guanxi, positively associated with the perceived interest of WEDI adoption. Relational Resources’ of trading partner trust, top management commitment and guanxi positively associated with the perceived interest of WEDI adoption. It also confirms the nine constructs to be positively association the WEDI adoption decisions. Drawing upon social exchange theory, we argue that firms simultaneously modify and adjust their social and relational resources to affect other firms’ expected benefit as a reward. Overall, based on a rigorous empirical analysis of two different international dataset, this research provides valuable and the most updated insights into a set of key factors that influence WEDI adoption. By recognising what may influence WEDI adoption in the context of the container liner shipping, this study will be useful in suggesting strategies to overcome the constraints that inhibit adoption. Researchers will benefit from the study's theoretical insights and explore further WEDI adoption and diffusion patterns. Practitioners who learn why organisations adopt WEDI and what the related factors are that influence the adoption process will make better strategic decisions concerning the adoption of WEDI

An exploratory examination of individual relationships with technology and people

The growth of technology and systems personalisation is leading to increasing personal choice and power. Hence, it becomes increasingly difficult to force people to appropriate, adopt, use, etc., any technology. Relationship marketing sees relations as key to appropriation contexts and that the nature of relations is closely tied to individual identity concerns. Identity literature in IS posits that appropriation or use of technology is based not what the person necessarily is but what they hope to become, which is highly idiosyncratic. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to understand the ‘why’ behind IS phenomena rather than stopping at lists of characteristics. Furthermore, personal construct theory and existentialism posit that quite often individuals’ identity concerns are highly contradictory to their actual everyday actions in moving towards a preferred self. Hence, to progress the relational literature in IS, this thesis employs the following research objective: To elicit and document the relational dimensions of people’s daily work existence at the intersection of people and technology. The findings challenge many fundamental assumptions underlying various theories employed in IS and management, particularly regarding change. They suggest that 1) people are not averse to change, rather, they demand it, 2) inertia depends largely on where the change is coming from as well as where in the individual’s personal construct system that relations with the object tied to the change are strongest or weakest, and 3) identity and existential concerns are at the heart of the explanation. However, this research offers a theoretical lens (existential phenomenology) and methodology (repertory grid plus laddering to core constructs) that provides a way forward. The methodology employs the repertory grid technique followed by laddering to core constructs. Both of these techniques consist of in-depth semi-structured interviews, and are considered qualitative in nature. While these techniques result in dichotomous constructs, the identity and existential concerns are arrived at through iterative interpretation. The methodology provides a way of understanding both relationships and identity concerns about people and technology in a single, easy to use, semi-structured interview, which could provide a more complete picture for other areas of IS research as well