Organisational Policy and Shop-floor Requests in Design: Visualisation of the Argumentation behind an Information System for the Swedish Trade Union Movement

Design Rationale is an approach to the design of information systems which highlights the underlying argumentative reasoning and documentation of design decisions. The Argumentative Design (ArD) method extends Design Rationale to address organisational problem identification and the formulation of needs to be supported by the system. In this study, ArD was further modified and then applied in the early phase of the design of an information system for shop stewards in the Swedish trade union movement. The application of ArD revealed that both similarities and significant discrepancies existed between top-management information technology strategies and shop-floor needs, and that the strategies involve fundamental power-relation issues in terms of centralisation versus decentralisation and individualism versus collectivism. It is suggested that ArD can be of general benefit in early design phases by eliciting fundamental organisational issues and by illustrating what impact chosen information technology solutions may have on organisations. The study is of value for other unions wishing to learn from the Swedish experience and the modified ArD approach can also be used in other contexts where several interest groups are to be satisfied by a system

Implementation evaluation model to measure virtual learning environment success factors among Malaysian teachers

Despite the various benefits offered by Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), its usage among Malaysian teachers is still low, indicating that the system is not in the right track of success. Therefore, this study aims to develop a model to measure VLE success among Malaysian teachers based on the updated DeLone & McLean IS Success Model (D&M). This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. Eight hundred and fifty (850) questionnaires were distributed to respondents across the northern region of Malaysia using simple random sampling procedure. The QR code was used to speed up the data collection without violating the rules of probability sampling. As a result, 719 questionnaires were returned and 643 are usable for the main analysis. The quantitative data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Most of hypothesized direct relationships are supported, except for Use to Intention to Use, which is fully mediated by User Satisfaction. The result also confirmed the positive moderating role of Workload. However, the moderating role of Personal Characteristics is not supported. Furthermore, the issue of recursive relationships, which produced two R² and Q² in certain endogenous variables, was investigated by comparing five possible models. Consequently, the produced model can be analyzed on a single structural model and therefore, provides valid predictive accuracy and relevance. This analysis has become a major methodological contribution of the study that provides a foundation for further investigations on the relevancy of the recursive relationships in D&M. Based on the final model, the VLE implementation strategy was produced and presented to 14 practitioners. Next, the validation was done using qualitative content analysis. The result indicates that the implementation strategy can be applied in Malaysian schools. Finally, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a model to measure VLE success among teachers

The importance of negotiating for improved information systems delivery

Faculty of Information Systems School of Economic and Business Sciences 9406128v [email protected] Conflict is a neglected topic in Information System Development (ISD). While deemed important, few ISD studies have examined interpersonal conflict, the management of this conflict, or the impact this conflict has on project outcomes. Research in this field has revealed that conflict between different user groups within the systems development team is considered to be a significant threat to the success of a project. Failed systems have been attributed to resistance to system change, political issues that arise as a result of the system change and poor qua lity of teamwork between users and technical staff, analysts, programmers and other IS professionals and cultural differences. Better methods of systems analysis and design are thus needed to ensure appropriate, feasible and acceptable programs and applications and it is therefore with this intention, that this dissertation is submitted: to consider organisational behavioural means, in particular the importance of negotiating within the Systems Development process, to improve systems development. There were multiple objectives to this dissertation. These were: · to investigate whether system development is currently experienced as a process of conflict · to ascertain which roles experience a greater degree of conflict · to ascertain which systems development life cycle (SDLC) and which methodologies experience a greater degree of conflict · to assess whether negotiating skills vary across the different roles within the SDLC, to assess whether negotiating skills vary across SDLC methodologies · to determine whether the interest to improve negotiating skills varies within the SDLC · to evaluate the importance attached to negotiating skills in the SDLC · to assess whether the acceptance of the proposed negotiating framework for systems development varies within the SDLC · to examine what factors play a role in the acceptance of the proposed frameworks and · to assess whether the proposed framework will improve systems delivery. ii The reach of the research was limited to organisations in Southern Africa. These organisations were either large software development houses, or small IT departments within organisations, which specialised in developing either outsourced systems or in- house systems. Selfadministered questionnaires were mailed out to system development teams in South Africa, of varying industries and a total sample of one hundred and fifty five respondents replied. A quantitative approach was adopted to analyse the data. The results of the research show that minimal conflict is currently experienced in the SDLC and respondents across all roles and methodologies feel they possess negotiation skills to handle the conflict. The majority of the sample favourably accepted the proposed framework. Some roles attached more importance to the need for negotiating skills in their line of work, and paid more attention to improving their negotiating skills than others