The Moderating Effect of Top Management\u27s Collective Mindfulness on the Relationship between Top Management Support and IS Function Performance

As an exploratory study we apply the concept of mindfulness to examine the moderating influence of cognitive processes of top management on the relationship between its support for the IS function and the overall IS function performance. In doing so we enhance our understanding of the underlying cognitive processes associated with top management in their support toward the IS function. We trace the origins of mindfulness in the psychology area to its final possible assimilation in IS research. We then broaden the potential application of collective mindfulness in IS research and embark on developing a scale of collective mindfulness in the IS context. Examination of such possible moderating influences in the context of top management support and IS performance may open doors for future, much deeper, integration of mindfulness in IS research and may help both research and practice in the continued quest for achieving reliable performance of IS

Social Capital and IT as predicates of Collective Mindfulness and Business Risk Mitigation: A Grounded Theory Development

This study explores the idea that an organization’s internal social capital may underpin its corporate risk mitigation dynamic. We examine factors such as standard work routines, dense personal networks and shared understandings existing within the organization as antecedent to two specific aspects of Collective Mindfulness, being Commitment to Resilience and Deference to Expertise. We further examine the role played by the information systems platform deployed by the firm in amplifying these dynamics. We then examine the impact of these two aspects of collective mindfulness on the Risk Mitigation efforts essayed by employees vis-à-vis both the marketing and the operational functions of the firm. All these dynamics are explored using grounded theory methodology and the case study approach, based on interview data collected at a global commercial receivables management firm. Finally, managerial implications and future avenues of research flowing from insights presented in this paper are discussed

Building a Contemplative IS Workforce through Promoting Mindfulness in IS Design–A Case Study

Incorporating mindfulness in the information systems (IS) development process is not new, but educating an IS workforce to promote the design for a contemplative user experience is. Building a contemplative IS workforce is critical for promoting contemplative societies as social interactions nowadays have been increasingly structured by IS infrastructures and capabilities. This research examines the definitions of mindfulness in IS literature and in Buddhism. It qualitatively studies the IS students’ learning outcome on mindfulness. Students in a Systems Analysis and Design course were exposed to mindfulness literature, asked to design websites for a contemplative community of practice, and challenged to exercise and reflect on mindfulness when designing for spiritual information services. A majority of the students have recognized the importance of mindfulness in IS design, suggested approaches of reaching system outcome of promoting mindful user experience, and reported the incorporation of mindfulness in their daily attitudes and behaviors

Innovative IT Use and Innovating with IT: A Study of the Motivational Antecedents of Two Different Types of Innovative Behaviors

The paper distinguishes two different types of innovative behaviors with information technology (IT): innovative IS use (IU) and innovating with IT (IwIT). While the former focuses on changing the technology and the work process to better support one’s existing work goals, the latter focuses on using IT to develop new work-related goals and outcomes. Drawing on Parker’s theory of proactive behavior, the paper compares the motivational antecedents and consequences of these two innovative behaviors with IT. Our model hypothesizes that three generic types of motivation differentially affect IwIT vs. IU. The paper also explores the moderating role of slack resources on the effect of motivation on the two innovative behaviors with IT. Data from a survey of 427 IT users from North American companies show that social motivation affects IwIT (but not IU); intrinsic motivation is positively related to IU (but not IwIT), and internalized extrinsic motivation affects both IU and IwIT. Further, the results indicate that the moderating role of slack resources on different motivational paths is not a one-size-fits-all effect, that is, IS slack resources only moderates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and IwIT. We also differentiated the consequences of IwIT from IU. The post hoc analysis shows that IwIT is significantly related to individual mindfulness at work, but IU is not. The paper contributes to IS research by offering a rich conceptualization of IwIT and examining its motivational antecedents and consequences, compared to IU

User’s Perceived IS Slack Resources and their Effects on Innovating with IT

While adaptation research significantly extends our understanding of how users adapt in reacting to new technology, scant attention has been given to the phenomenon of second-wave, proactive innovations, following the implementation of a disruptive information technology (IT). A proactive user behavior with IT voluntarily steps out of the defined job requirements and creates a new application of IT in the work. This paper conceptualizes a concept called innovating with IT (IwIT) as a post-implementation behavior which refers to user innovations that are proactively conducted with IT in one’s work process or deliverables. The paper draws on proactivity literature and takes a novel “slack” respective to understand what could facilitate IwIT. An integrative model that explores the relationship between user’s perceived IS slack resources and IwIT has been developed. This project contributes to existing IS research by presenting a new and complementary approach to existing research on adaptive behaviors

Supply chain resilience in mindful humanitarian aid organizations: the role of big data analytics

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the nomological network of associations between collective mindfulness and big data analytics in fostering resilient humanitarian relief supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conceptualize a research model grounded in literature and test the hypotheses using survey data collected from informants at humanitarian aid organizations in Africa and Europe.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that organizational mindfulness is key to enabling resilient humanitarian relief supply chains, as opposed to just big data analytics.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine organizational mindfulness and big data analytics in the context of humanitarian relief supply chains

Utilising mindfulness to analyse Agile Global Software Development

As Information Systems Development (ISD) organisations face increasing market demands, ISD strategies such as Agile development and Global Systems Development (GSD) have been employed to help address these demands. With anecdotal evidence pointing to substantially successful implementations, organisations are beginning to embrace the combination of these seemingly orthogonal strategies with beneficial results. However, with the two areas of research still maturing, the bulk of research is made up of anecdotal studies. Utilising mindfulness, a theoretical concept for understanding how organisations can achieve flexibility and reliability, this paper explores how to effectively integrate Agile and GSD methodologies. Incorporating a longitudinal case study, an operationalised mindfulness instrument is applied and triangulated with qualitative data. The findings depict an in-depth analysis of a GSD organisation and provide key contributions for practitioners. Furthermore, theoretical contributions of the paper include: (i) a comprehensive definition of mindfulness that incorporates shared understanding as a key component, and (ii) the development of relationships between the individual mindfulness components

UTILISING MINDFULNESS TO ANALYSE AGILE GLOBAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

As Information Systems Development (ISD) organisations face increasing market demands, ISD strategies such as Agile development and Global Systems Development (GSD) have been employed to help address these demands. With anecdotal evidence pointing to substantially successful implementations, organisations are beginning to embrace the combination of these seemingly orthogonal strategies with beneficial results. However, with the two areas of research still maturing, the bulk of research is made up of anecdotal studies. Utilising mindfulness, a theoretical concept for understanding how organisations can achieve flexibility and reliability, this paper explores how to effectively integrate Agile and GSD methodologies. Incorporating a longitudinal case study, an operationalised mindfulness instrument is applied and triangulated with qualitative data. The findings depict an in-depth analysis of a GSD organisation and provide key contributions for practitioners. Furthermore, theoretical contributions of the paper include: (i) a comprehensive definition of mindfulness that incorporates shared understanding as a key component, and (ii) the development of relationships between the individual mindfulness components

Strategic Alignment: What Else? A Practice Based View of IS Value.

Pour l’essentiel, les recherches traitant des valeurs stratégiques du SI restent dans le paradigme de l’alignement stratégique, et utilisent des notions telles que celles de "processus" ou "d’activités". En s’appuyant sur la perspective offerte par les théories de la pratique, cet article offre une alternative en distinguant trois formes de praxis et des valeurs spécifiques.Literature about IS strategic management or IS strategic value is abundant. Nonetheless, the bulk of existing studies are focused on the concept of alignment. They do not make sense of a strategic value "in practice" and still draw on notions such as activity or process to make sense of alignment. By means of a practice-based view of technology, three praxis are suggested here for the modeling of strategic value: legitimacy-related (based on adoption praxis), assimilative (related to design and acceptance praxis) and appropriative (linked to local adaptation and improvisation praxis). They are introduced by means of a "thought experiment" (a short story about a rifle).Strategic alignment; IS strategic value; Practice-based views; strategic value in practice; thought experiments;