Selling packaged software: an ethical analysis

Within the IS literature there is little discussion on selling software products in general and especially from the ethical point of view. Similarly, within computer ethics, although there is much interest in professionalism and professional codes, in terms of accountability and responsibility, the spotlight tends to play on safety-critical or life-critical systems, rather than on software oriented towards the more mundane aspects of work organisation and society. With this research gap in mind, we offer a preliminary ethical investigation of packaged software selling. Through an analysis of the features of competition in the market, the global nature of the packaged software market and the nature of product development we conclude that professionalism, as usually conceived in computer ethics, does not apply particularly well to software vendors. Thus, we call for a broader definition of professionalism to include software vendors, not just software developers. Moreover, we acknowledge that with intermediaries, such as implementation consultants, involved in software selling, and the packaged software industry more generally, there are even more “hands” involved. Therefore, we contend that this is an area worthy of further study, which is likely to yield more on the question of accountability

How do supply chain management and information systems practices influence operational performance?:Evidence from emerging country SMEs

This study first provides a comparative analysis of the impact of supply chain management (SCM) and information systems (IS) practices on operational performance (OPER) of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in two neighbouring emerging country markets of Turkey and Bulgaria. Then, we investigate moderating effects of both SCM–IS-linked enablers and inhibitors on the links between SCM and IS practices and OPER of SMEs. To this end, we first empirically identify the underlying dimensions of SCM and IS practices, and SCM–IS-related enabling and inhibiting factors. Second, a series of regression analyses are undertaken to estimate the impact of the study's constructs on OPER of SMEs. The results are discussed comparatively within the contexts of both Turkish and Bulgarian SMEs and beyond. The study makes a significant contribution to the extant literature through obtaining and analysing cross-national survey data of SCM and IS practices in emerging country markets

ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks: a literature review

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation is a complex and vibrant process, one that involves a combination of technological and organizational interactions. Often an ERP implementation project is the single largest IT project that an organization has ever launched and requires a mutual fit of system and organization. Also the concept of an ERP implementation supporting business processes across many different departments is not a generic, rigid and uniform concept and depends on variety of factors. As a result, the issues addressing the ERP implementation process have been one of the major concerns in industry. Therefore ERP implementation receives attention from practitioners and scholars and both, business as well as academic literature is abundant and not always very conclusive or coherent. However, research on ERP systems so far has been mainly focused on diffusion, use and impact issues. Less attention has been given to the methods used during the configuration and the implementation of ERP systems, even though they are commonly used in practice, they still remain largely unexplored and undocumented in Information Systems research. So, the academic relevance of this research is the contribution to the existing body of scientific knowledge. An annotated brief literature review is done in order to evaluate the current state of the existing academic literature. The purpose is to present a systematic overview of relevant ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks as a desire for achieving a better taxonomy of ERP implementation methodologies. This paper is useful to researchers who are interested in ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks. Results will serve as an input for a classification of the existing ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks. Also, this paper aims also at the professional ERP community involved in the process of ERP implementation by promoting a better understanding of ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks, its variety and history

Impact of ERP implementation on the quality of work life of users: A sub-Saharan African study

ERP implementations have a disruptive impact on users and in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are more problematic than in developed countries. Extant ERP literature has not focused on the impact of implementations on users work life. Therefore this research aimed to confirm this impact on SSA users’ work life. A theoretical framework and survey was developed from Dooyeweerd’s “Down-To-Earth” aspects and the Easton and Van Laar Work-Related Quality of Life scale. Responses from users from 7 countries working for one case organisation were analysed. The significant effect of an ERP implementation on work life quality was confirmed. Cultural differences were also confirmed. The factors mostly accounting for work life quality impact were skills development and an improvement in working conditions due to a reduction in corruption pressure. The framework and research instrument can be used by organisations to assess the impact of an ERP implementation on user work life quality

New model of enterprises resource planning implementation planning process in manufacturing enterprises

This article presents new model of enterprises resource planning implementation planning process in manufacturing enterprises based on assessment of risk sources. This assessment was performed by applying analytic hierarchy process. Analytic hierarchy process method allows variation of relative importance of specific risk sources dependent on the section from which the risk source originates (organizational environment, technical issues, people issues, adoption process management, and external support). Survey was conducted on 85 manufacturing enterprises involved with an enterprises resource planning solution. Ranking of risk sources assessments returns most frequent risks of enterprises resource planning implementation success in manufacturing enterprises, and representative factors were isolated through factor analysis by risk source origin. Finally, results indicate that there are hidden causes of failed implementation, for example, risk source "top management training and education," from risk origin "adoption process management.

Towards a model for ERP user adoption in SMMEs an emerging economy analysis

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.Small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) are the breeding ground for entrepreneurs, the future of emerging economies and the driving force in the global economy. A successful SMME sector holds numerous benefits for an emerging economy such as South Africa. Due to the large growth in SMMEs globally, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) vendors are developing products to cater for the ERP SMME sector. ERP systems provide SMMEs with a strategic tool which potentially improves their business processes, increases competitiveness and provides them with the opportunity to compete globally and sell their products internationally. While ERP systems provide an organisation with various benefits, the successful implementation of ERP systems is a challenge

New model of enterprises resource planning implementation planning process in manufacturing enterprises

This article presents new model of enterprises resource planning implementation planning process in manufacturing enterprises based on assessment of risk sources. This assessment was performed by applying analytic hierarchy process. Analytic hierarchy process method allows variation of relative importance of specific risk sources dependent on the section from which the risk source originates (organizational environment, technical issues, people issues, adoption process management, and external support). Survey was conducted on 85 manufacturing enterprises involved with an enterprises resource planning solution. Ranking of risk sources assessments returns most frequent risks of enterprises resource planning implementation success in manufacturing enterprises, and representative factors were isolated through factor analysis by risk source origin. Finally, results indicate that there are hidden causes of failed implementation, for example, risk source "top management training and education," from risk origin "adoption process management.

User Adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in the Public Sector

The importance of aligning information technology and business strategies to exploit capabilities and change business practices has increased as firms strive for competitive advantage in a diverse and changing marketplace. Nevertheless, over 50% of firms implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems ranked expected process and value enhancements as inadequate, whereas only 13% indicated that implementations met their needs. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model formed the conceptual framework of this single case study. The study comprised a purposeful sampling of 8 business managers in Southeast Alabama working in related job roles and based on established eligibility criteria. Data collection involved semistructured interviews, casual observations, and document analysis. Through method triangulation and predetermined themes directly related to the UTAUT conceptual framework, 5 themes emerged: management endorsement, change management, training and education, dedicated resources, and governance. Results of this research may influence the elimination of key barriers central in the deployment and adoption of ERP systems by the public sector. The study\u27s implications for positive social change include the potential to enhance social and intellectual capital formation through recognizing strategies that mitigate employees\u27 gender and age variances during an ERP implementation

VIS Standards Deployment and Integration: A Study of Antecedents and Benefits

Drawing on institutional theory and the literature on inter-organizational systems (IOS), this paper develops a research model for assessing the use of vertical information systems (VIS) standards. Extending prior research on IOS use, we differentiated between two distinct dimensions characterizing organizations’ use of VIS standards: the extent to which organizations adopt VIS standards across a wide range of business processes, and the extent of systems and business process integration. We examine how VIS standards deployment and integration differentially influence operational and strategic benefits that standards users obtain. We also examine how various institutional pressures (coercive, mimetic, and normative) influence the extent of deployment and integration of the VIS standards in different ways. The hypotheses are tested using survey data collected from organizations in Asia who have implemented RosettaNet standards

Do National Culture and Organizational Development Affect the Effectiveness of ERP Implementation? A Tale of Two Cultures: US versus China

As many US and European companies have implemented Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems, most of the previous implementation studies have tended to focus on companies from more developed countries. This research points out that there is need for academics and practitioners to “take stock,” to examine what is happening in broad terms across organizations in the ERP implementation process, and to consider whether cultural differences in the U.S. when compared to another culture can impact the process. In this study, we are concerned with several issues surrounding current ERP implementation status and report initial findings from managers in a wide variety of organizations in the U.S. and China on their experiences with ERP implementation and attempt to suggest implications. Our findings center upon cultural differences, especially in the reported context surrounding ERP implementation in the two cultures. Moreover, we report that there is evidence for differences in ERP complexity and implementation extensiveness in the two cultures. Finally, we find some evidence for differences in reported outcomes. We include suggestions for future research