67,078 research outputs found

    Reconceptualizing information systems business value in the non-profit organizational context

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    The nonprofit sector is an important part of the U.S. economy as an estimated 2.3 million non-profit organizations contributed 804.8billiontothegrossdomesticproduct(GDP),approximately5.5804.8 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP), approximately 5.5% of GDP (Roeger, Blackwood, & Pettijohn, 2012). Significant monetary investments and expenditures are made by these organizations. Non-profit organizations reported 1.51 trillion in revenue, 1.45trillioninexpenses,and1.45 trillion in expenses, and 2.71 trillion in total assets (Roeger et al., 2012). Many non-profit organizations use donated funds to address complex social problems such as education inequality, financial instability, and limited access to health care services. To impact change in these social areas, non-profit organizations operate within a complex business environment characterized by a significant reliance on volunteers, collaboration with other non-profit organizations, and the pursuit of community-driven strategic objectives. The contextual factors that characterize non-profit organizations can have an impact on the way information systems (IS) are integrated within organizational practices and on how these organizations can use IS effectively to achieve business goals (Zhang et al., 2010). Yet, IS research within the non-profit setting is considerably limited (Zhang et al., 2010) and the extent of the impact of these contextual factors is unknown. Further, understanding how non-profit organizations gain value from IS in the non-profit environment has also been neglected in academic literature. Typical terms associated with IS business value research, such as impact on productivity, on market performance, or on economic growth (Schryen, 2013), are not applicable in the non-profit business environment. Non-profit organizational performance is dualistic in nature, primarily focusing on the attainment of various social goals within a particular community in addition to traditional financial measures (Zmud, Carte, & Te'eni, 2004). Therefore, an alternate conceptualization of IS business value and its relationship to organizational performance is necessary when examining IS in non-profit organizations. This multi-method dissertation aims to address the aforementioned issues by focusing on the role of IS in non-profit organizational practices to examine how IS business value is derived in the non-profit context and its impact on non-profit organizational performance. We employ an alternate approach to examining IS business value through the usage of the knowledge-based view of the firm as the theoretical base. This divergence from previous studies which focus solely on the resource-based view of the firm provides us with an entirely new avenue for examining IS business value in the non-profit organizational context. First, within the Introduction, we provide a detailed explanation of the contextual factors in the non-profit context. Second, we provide a thorough literature review on IS business value and discuss the difficulties in directly applying it in the non-profit organizational context. Third, we argue for reconceptualizing IS business value using the knowledge-based view of the firm as the theoretical base. This provides us with a firm ground upon which we can conduct the three studies of this dissertation. The research detailed was conducted at two organizations: United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) and United Way of Central Carolinas (UWCC). Study 1 employs an action research approach at UWGG where, through collaboration with key employees, practical solutions were developed to address IS related issues faced by the focal organization. More specifically, we focused on the utilization of the Enterprise System in an organizational practice and derived theoretical insights on IS business value through integrating Practice theory and Process Theory in the action research approach. Study 2 employs case study methodology to examine business intelligence (BI) practices at UWCC. We provide background on BI usage in the for-profit organizational context and highlight the lack of research in the non-profit organizational context. We then examine BI from a process perspective and theorize on the value that is derived from the organizational utilization of an integrated data system. We draw from intellectual capital research, a core concept based on the knowledge-based view of the firm, to examine how BI provides UWCC with new knowledge on the impact of their programs in the community. We theorize on non-profit IS business value through examining the relationship between BI-facilitated Intellectual capital and its resultant impact on the non-profit's social goal. Study 3 provides a comparative analysis of the role of IS in the social goal strategies employed at both UWGG and UWCC. Using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, we examine the favorable and unfavorable aspects of how information systems are utilized in each organization's social goal strategy and provide prescriptive insight into how non-profit organizations can transition towards better strategic IS utilization. Lastly, we conclude this dissertation with a brief summary of salient points, including the dissertation's contributions to research and practice and a discussion of future research. Overall, this three study dissertation provides a holistic view of the role of IS in non-profit organizational social goal strategies and how non-profits derive value from their information systems. This dissertation fills gaps in research on IS business value by reconceptualizing it from a knowledge-based view of the firm, applying it in the non-profit organizational context, and developing theoretical insights on it from multiple perspectives. We make significant contributions to literature in management, organizational behavior, and information systems through our focus on IS usage and utilization in non-profit organizations. This dissertation is one of the first studies to examine non-profit IS organizational practices in situ, provide practical insight to the role of IS in non-profit social goal strategies, and develop theoretical insights into how non-profits utilize and gain value from information systems

    EXPANDING IS BUSINESS VALUE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

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    Non-profit organizations are beginning to embrace information systems (IS) as a way to gain valuable insight into the complex social problems that they continuously work on. Yet, IS research has been relatively silent on the ways in which non-profits gain value from IS investments and usage. This research-in-progress paper lays the groundwork for exploratory research to develop alternative conceptions of IS business value, defined as organizational performance impacts of IS. Prior studies on IS business value have centered in the for-profit business environment. By re-evaluating its underlying assumptions, we aim to expand IS business value to include non-profit organizational performance impacts which are typically non-financial and goal-oriented. Future research includes a case study of the role of business intelligence in non-profits to define IS business value terms that best fit the non-profit organizational context

    Achieving High Organization Performance through Servant Leadership

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    This empirical paper investigates whether a servant leader can develop a corporate culture that attracts or develops other servant leaders. Using the survey developed by Barbuto and Wheeler (2006), servant leader characteristics in managers were measured at three high-performing organizations. Results indicate that servant leaders can develop a culture of followers who are servant leaders themselves. This is one of the few studies to empirically test the model of servant leadership in an organizational environment. The success these servant leaders have achieved in a for-profit, demanding environment suggests this leadership style is viable for adoption by other firms

    Strategic Planning: A Review of Grantee Practices

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    Provides an analysis of the strategic planning process of nonprofit organizations funded by the foundation, including the process of organizational change. Includes recommendations

    Standards and markets for university-originated organizational intelligence

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    The aim of this paper is to bring to discussion ways to diagnose university’s organizational intelligence and to put forward some ways of measuring it. The main steps pursued refer to defining and describing the organizational particularities of universities, which modulate in specific ways organizational intelligence strategies implementation, applying the organizational intelligence standards to universities, and examining the features of the intelligence markets. The manner in which the paradigm of the traditional university is being changed, and finally eliminated, by the social stimuli which claim for a different type of intelligence originating in universities and which are the beneficiaries of the new model of university, as an organization in-between – preserving its idiosyncratic position, but engaging in mutually profitable alliances, is an issue we address to.organizational intelligence; academic strategic management; intelligence markets

    Strategies for Advancing Evolution

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    As detailed in The Evolutionary Manifesto and Evolution’s Arrow, an understanding of the large-scale processes that govern the evolution of life is capable of making sense of human existence. This evolutionary worldview is revealing that we are not just meaningless accidents in a universe that is indifferent to our existence. Instead it shows that humanity has a critical role to play in the future evolution of life on this planet and in the universe. But what specifically do we need to do to advance the evolutionary process and ensure that humanity successfully fulfils its role in the future evolution of life? This paper uses the direction of evolution to answer this fundamental question. It identifies the next great steps in evolution on Earth, and devises strategies that will help actualize those steps

    Chasing the honey bee: enhancing leadership for sustainability

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    This paper explores the ways in which different conceptions of leadership can contribute to the sustainability of economic productivity, social equity and, of course, the natural systems and resources upon which all social and economic development depend. It begins by briefly defining leadership and outlining the major approaches to leadership studies in terms of trait and social theories of leadership. In particular, the paper argues that transformational leadership and what Western (2013) calls “eco-leadership” are most consistent with the systemic, ethical and learning dimensions of sustainability. This involves contrasting what Avery and Bergsteiner (2011, 2013) call the “honey bee” and the “locust” approaches to leadership. With these authors, the chapter argues that the “honey bee” approach of critical, transformational leadership is most consistent with sustainability. The paper concludes with an example of how capacities for “honey bee” leadership and eco-leadership can be developed and enhanced through a university programme

    Summer/Fall 2008

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