Conceptualising Gamification Risks to Teamwork within Enterprise

Gamification in businesses refers to the use of technology-assisted solutions to boost or change staff attitude, perception and behaviour, in relation to certain business goals and tasks, individually or collectively. Previous research indicated that gamification techniques can introduce risks to the business environment, and not only fail to make a positive change, but also raise concerns in relation to ethics, quality of work, and well-being at a workplace. Although the problem is already recognised in principle, there is still a need to clarify and concretise those risks, their factors and their relation to the gamification dynamics and mechanics. To address this, we conducted multi-staged empirical research, including two months’ observation and interview study, in two large-scale businesses using gamification in their workplace. In this paper, we focus on gamification risks related to teamwork within the enterprise. We outline various risk mitigation strategies and map them to primary types of gamification risks. By accomplishing such conceptualisation, we pave the way towards methods to model, detect and predict gamification risks on teamwork and recommend and design practices and strategies to tackle them

Yet Another ‘List’ Of Critical Success ‘Factors’ For Enterprise Systems: Review Of Empirical Evidence And Suggested Research Directions (2)

Critical Success Factors (CSF) remain the most-researched areas within the Enterprise Systems (ES) domain over the years and has resulted in a long ‘list’ of such factors. Consequently, many ‘factors’ are not more than ‘variables’ belonging to the same management area. Therefore, this paper argues for going back to the original definition of CSFs as few key areas and reviews empirical evidence in each CSF area. Thereafter, the paper notes other limitations of the CSF literature and suggests research directions to provide a deeper explanation of the ES phenomena. These include tracing CSFs across time, taking a change-centric view of the ES lifecycle, unpacking interrelationship among CSFs, paying attention to the implementation context, and moving from a list of CSFs to the identification of their underlying mechanisms. We hope that our suggestions will provide a roadmap to ES researchers on conducting focussed research on CSFs

ERP systems in SMEs: A literature review

Published version of a chapter in Proceedings of the 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Also available from the publisher: http://doi.dx.org/10.1109/HICSS.2011.191This review summarizes research on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Due to the close-to-saturation of ERP adoptions in large enterprises (LEs), ERP vendors now focus more on SMEs. Moreover, because of globalization, partnerships, value networks, and the huge information flow across and within SMEs nowadays, more and more SMEs are adopting ERP systems. Risks of adoption rely on the fact that SMEs have limited resources and specific characteristics that make their case different from LEs. The main focus of this article is to shed the light on the areas that lack sufficient research within the ERP in SMEs domain, suggest future research avenues, as well as, present the current research findings that could aid practitioners, suppliers, and SMEs when embarking on ERP projects

Gamification Risks to Enterprise Teamwork: Taxonomy, Management Strategies and Modalities of Application

Gamification corresponds to the use of game elements to encourage certain attitudes and behaviours in a serious context. When applied to enterprise teamwork, gamification can lead to negative side-effects which compromise its benefits. For example, applying competitive elements such as leaderboard may lead to clustering amongst team members and encourage adverse work ethics such as intimidation and pressure. Despite the recognition of the problem in the literature, the research on concretising such gamification risks is scarce. There is also a lack of methods to identify gamification risks and their management strategies. In this paper, we conduct a multi-stage qualitative research and develop taxonomy of risks, risk factors and risk management strategies. We also identify the modalities of application of these strategies, including who should be involved and how. Finally, we provide a checklist to help the risk identification process as a first step towards a comprehensive method for eliciting and managing gamification risks to teamwork within enterprises

Utfordringer i postimplementeringsfasen ved ERP-innføring : en casestudie i Maritim Båtutstyr

Masteroppgave i informasjonssystemer- Universitetet i Agder 2010De fleste bedrifter i dag har en eller annen form for datasystemer, og mange bedrifter har større virksomhetsomspennende systemer slik som ERP-systemer. Det vil derfor være en stor fordel for en nyutdannet arbeidssøker å ha kunnskaper om disse systemene. Gjennom studietiden har ERP-systemer vært fokus i flere av kursene. Det har ført til at jeg har lært mye om denne type systemer, utfordringer ved implementering av disse, og hvordan de brukes. Naturlig nok har det vært noe begrenset kunnskap angående praktisk erfaring og bruk av ERP-systemer, og derfor har sjansen til å fordype seg i temaet gjennom en masteroppgave ved å studere en ”ekte” case fra norsk arbeidsliv vært veldig interessant. Målet med denne studien har vært å belyse utfordringer SMB’er møter i postimplementeringsfasen ved innføring av et ERP-system. Studien er gjennomført som en kvalitativ utforskende casestudie i Maritim Båtutstyr. Både kvalitative og kvantitative datainnsamlingsteknikker har vært anvendt i studien for å danne et helhetlig bilde av situasjonen og for å gi bedre grunnlag for konklusjonene. Funnene viser at workarounds har vært en utfordring for bedriften og forårsaket problemer senere i prosessen og kostet dem tid og penger å rette opp. Noen av disse workarounds har vært essensielle for driften mens andre har vært midlertidige eller resultat av hva de ansatte så på som svakheter i systemet. Systemet er komplekst og mange ansatte og daglige ledere har følt at opplæring i systemet har vært mangelfull. Dette har ført til gal bruk av systemet og workarounds. Som en SMB har Maritim begrensede ressurser. Derfor har kurstilbud fra leverandør ikke vært et alternativ. Kvaliteten på tilbudet har også spilt inn. En ressurs som også er begrenset er ansatte med spesiell kompetanse i bedriften. Som en liten bedrift med få ansatte er de sårbare for utskiftninger hvor personer med nøkkelkompetanse forsvinner. Maritim har en flat og smidig organisasjonsstruktur med muligheter for å dele kunnskap og erfaringer internt, både gjennom møter, seminarer og internt forum. Det er kort vei til nøkkelpersoner i bedriften og ansatte føler alle har tilgang til alle. Dette skaper en trygghet hos ansatte og kan stimulere til innovasjon. En viktig utfordring har vært workarounds og dårlig opplæring. Noe av grunnen til at dette har vært en utfordring for Maritim, er de ugunstige insentivene hos konsulenter og leverandører. De har liten eller ingen interesse av å gjøre kundens system mer enn godt nok, det vil si å hjelpe kunden fram til det punktet hvor de beholder systemet. Det er en stor utfordring for en SMB å finne de riktige aktørene i markedet, de som er villige til å hjelpe dem til å bli veldig gode. Kontraktsforhandlinger er viktig og SMB’er anbefales å skaffe advokathjelp for å sikre dem en god avtale som kan påvirke konsulentenes og leverandørenes insentiver i riktig retning. Et annet forslag er å opprette en offentlig, nasjonal brukertilfredshetsundersøkelse som årlig undersøker ERP-implementeringer. Det vil introdusere et nytt insentiv hos aktørene. Det å score høyt på kvalitet på leveranse blir et mål i seg selv, hvor høy score på rangeringen kan føre til mer salg. Funnene i denne studien er i tråd med mye av utfordringene beskrevet i litteraturen. Med begrensede ressurser er det viktig for en SMB å gjøre riktige valg i postimplementeringsfasen. Funnene gjort i denne studien kan være til hjelp for andre SMB’er som vurderer å skaffe seg et ERP-system

Enterprise resource planning business case considerations : an analysis of Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises in developing countries

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems because they promise significant benefits. However, the majority of ERP deployments rarely meet user expectations and often do not yield expected benefits. As a result, the failure rate of ERP implementations at SMEs is estimated to be between 40 and 60 percent. This high rate of failure, together with the resultant impact on SMEs and the consequences for national development is a cause for concern. In order to address this concern, this study aims to explore how SMEs develop their business cases, as well as how the benefits, risks and costs of ERP systems are realised in SMEs. Companies need a clear vision and convincing reasons when they adopt ERP systems. The study used the qualitative research method. Cases from South Africa and Zimbabwe were investigated in a cross-sectional study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using elements of thematic data analysis, grounded theory, and a general inductive approach to analysis. The Design Reality Gap Model formed a theoretical base and was used as lens for data collection and analysis

ERP system implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises

This thesis presents a study of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Compared to large enterprises, SMEs represent fundamentally different environments, with a number of characteristics typifying the SME context. Because of these distinguishing differences, the findings from studies of ERP implementation in large enterprises cannot be fully applied to SMEs. The purpose of this research project is to explore the influences of the SME context on the ERP system implementation, addressing the following overall research question: How does the SME context affect ERP system implementation? The implementation term in this thesis refers to the entire ERP life-cycle, denoting the complete implementation process. A qualitative exploratory research approach is applied to answer the research question. The research is conducted through a combination of literature review and case study research. The empirical part comprises a multiple case study of ERP implementation in four SMEs. All four case organizations are privately owned SMEs in the Czech Republic. The research strategy applied is to investigate influences of the contextual factors on various activities across the ERP life-cycle. A list of characteristics, which typify the SME context and could potentially influence on ERP implementation, is synthesized from relevant literature. The SME characteristics are grouped into three contextual dimensions: organizational, environmental, and technological. Then, the influences of the SME characteristics on various activities across the ERP life-cycle are explored. To organize the findings, a six stage model of the ERP-life cycle is adopted. A detailed cross-case analysis is conducted, identifying similar and contrasting findings between the cases. The research results are presented in five articles published in international conference proceedings and journals. The purpose of this thesis summary is to integrate and discuss the results presented in the publications in a coherent way. The thesis contributes to four research areas. First, the study contributes to the research stream on contextual influences on ERP system implementation, with particular focus on the influence of the SME context. The ownership type and limited resources were identified as the most influential characteristics of the SME context. Furthermore, an early stage of organizational growth and obsolete legacy systems influenced several issues

ERP in SMEs : exploring ERP lifestyle cost issues

This thesis presents a study of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems lifecycle in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The majority of businesses and firms around the globe can be considered to be SMEs. Thus, SMEs are seen to be typical companies that are the cornerstone of most economies. Compared with large enterprises (LEs), SMEs have limited budgets and resources, and have a higher sensitivity to costs. Although ERP adoption is one of the most complex, costly, and biggest projects an enterprise can embark on, many factors lead SMEs to take such a decision. When SMEs take the first steps towards adopting an ERP system, they need to think about many things; first and foremost, they need to take into account the cost of adoption. Literature and professional reports show that a prevailing number of ERP adoption projects fail because of inaccurate or optimistic budgets and time schedules. In addition, many organizations have difficulty identifying the potential cost factors that could occur during their adoption projects Moreover, current mainstream cost management and estimation methods are inadequate in ERP adoptions settings. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and identify the cost factors and other cost estimation related issues that may occur when SMEs adopt ERP systems. Many researchers have argued that expected and potential benefits are influential during the budgeting process and investment evaluation, and should not be ignored. Thus, the investigation of benefits management and realization practices falls within the boundaries of this research. In order to identify cost factors associated with ERP adoption in SMEs, and SMEs practices and behaviours in relation to the estimation of costs and benefits, it is necessary to explore one main research question and its subset of questions.- What are the challenges to the management and estimation of costs and benefits within on-premise ERP adoption projects in SMEs? The ERP adoption term used in this thesis refers to the first five phases of the ERP lifecycle framework developed by Esteves and Pastor (2007), which denote the ERP introduction process. This process moves from the “adoption decision” through to go-live and maintenance, and evolution; however, it excludes the retirement phase. In order to understand and investigate the challenges in their perspective context, a qualitative exploratory research approach is adopted to answer there search question stated above. This PhD study was carried out through a combination of literature reviews, panels of experts, and case study research. The empirical part of the study encompasses a multiple case study, an experts’ panel, and one in-depth case study of ERP adoptions in four SMEs. All four organizations are privately owned Egyptian small and medium -sized enterprises. Besides the target organizations, the data collection process covered two ERP vendors (local and international), two implementation partners, two independent ERP and investment consultants, and eight participants on the experts’ panel. Data analysis was carried out in order to identify impending cost factors and challenges that SMEs may encounter when justifying and evaluating their investments and estimating their adoption budgets. This thesis has mainly adopted a six-phase ERP lifecycle framework. There search results are presented in six articles, which focused on the different lifecycle phases. The articles have been published in international peer reviewed conference proceedings and journals

Gamification risks in collaborative information systems: identification and management method.

In recent years, technology has been increasingly harnessed to play a role in encouraging and persuading people towards a better achievement of their individual and collective goals. Gamification solutions are popular approaches in this field. Gamification in business refers to the use of game elements in order to facilitate a change of behaviours, encourage engagement and increase motivation toward executing tasks and attaining goals. Despite the increasing recognition, previous research has revealed risks when applying gamification to teamwork within a business environment, such as negatively affect group coherence and creating adverse work ethics. For example, applying competitive elements such as leaderboards may lead to clustering amongst team members and encourage adverse work ethics such as intimidation and pressure. Although the problem is already recognised in principle, there is still a need to clarify and concretise those risks, their factors and their relation to the gamification dynamics and mechanics. Moreover, developing an integrated method to systematically identify those risks and provide a way to mitigate and prevent them for healthier and successful implementation of the system in teamwork places is needed. To achieve this goal, this thesis conducted a set of empirical studies involving managers, practitioners, psychologists and gamification users. This includes three-stage empirical research in two large-scale businesses using gamification in their workplace, including two months’ observation and interview study. This resulted in identifying a set of risk factors, a taxonomy of risks and set of management strategies. A follow-up focus groups research study also identified the modalities of application of these strategies, including who should be involved and how in their implementations. These studies first resulted in the development of a checklist tool to help identify gamification risks. The findings were finally used to develop a method to systematically identify gamification risks and recommend design practices and strategies to tackle them. By accomplishing that, this thesis recommends that gamification in enterprises shall undertake a risk assessment and management process to cater for its potential side effects on teamwork. A notable recommendation is to use participatory decision style for the method that enables for the analysis of gamification risks and their resolution. Moreover, this thesis recommends studying how to integrate the risk identification processes, which should take an iterative participatory style with the systems’ development life cycle activities