The Effect of Telework

Priscilla Arling\u27s letter to the editor of Computerworld

Are we relevant to the digital natives?

Bruce Grant-Braham looks at the latest hospitality information technology application

A model of case implementation and an experience of unsuccessful case adoption

Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) is a revolutionary technology that seeks to automate the software development process. Current literature reports on many successes of CASE adoption Despite of such successes, many organisations are experiencing difficulties in implementing CASE technology . Even many powerful CASE tools have become 'shelfware'. It is argued that the benefits of CASE are unlikely to be realised, unless it is introduced based on a sound implementation plan This article presents a conceptual model to introduce CASE technology within a MIS department Such a plan faciliiaus change in software culture and management practice and enables management to deal with confusion and skepticism prior to its occurrence. Furthermore, a case study is described that focuses on a CASE implementation that failed to achieve its purpose The reasons for the failure are critically examined and explained in the light of the model

Grosch's law: a statistical illusion?.

In this paper a central law on economies of scale in computer hardware pricing, Grosch's law is discussed. The history and various validation efforts are examined in detail. It is shown how the last set of validations during the eighties may be interpreted as a statistical misinterpretation, although this effect may have been present in all validation attempts, including the earliest ones. Simulation experiments reveal that constant returns to scale in combination with decreasing computer prices may give the illusion of Grosch's law when performing regression models against computer prices over many years. The paper also shows how the appropriate definition of computer capacity, and in particular Kleinrock's power definition, plays a central role in economies of scale for computer prices.Law;

The Output Contributions of Computer Equipment and Personnel: A Firm- Level Analysis

This paper examines the output contributions of capital and labor deployed in information systems (IS) at the firm level during the period 1988-91 throughout the business sector, using two different sources of data on these inputs. Our production function estimates suggest that there are substantial excess returns to both IS capital and IS labor, although the size and significance of the excess returns to IS capital is larger. Computer capital and labor jointly contribute, or account for, about 21 percent of output, although only about 10% of both capital and labor income accrue to IS factors. Although IS employees accounted for a very small share of total employment by 1986, IS employment growth is estimated to have made a larger contribution to 1976-86 output growth than non-IS employment, due to the very rapid growth (16% per annum) of IS employment. The estimated marginal rate of substitution (MRS) between IS and non-IS employees, evaluated at the sample mean, is 6: one IS employee can be substituted for six non-IS employees without affecting output.