Who Should I Approach? Knowledge Sourcing in Enterprise System Implementation

During enterprise system implementation, organizations transfer system-related knowledge to end users through training sessions and by having them involved in the system design and implementation processes. However, during actual use of the system, end users acquire informal knowledge from co-workers through their social networks. Existing research has focused on the structural features of social networks and their impact on regulating knowledge flow between end users and across the network. The personal attributes and preferences of end users that could impact their knowledge acquisition and processing capabilities have not been considered. This paper examines the expertise level of end users, their gender, and the complexity of their job tasks in influencing system-related knowledge acquisition and its impact on performance outcomes. Data for this study was collected from active users of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that had been implemented across multiple business units of diversified business conglomerate in the United States

Factors Affecting the Use of Management Accounting Information in Vietnamese Commercial and Service Enterprises

Purpose: The article analyzes the impact of factors affecting the use of management accounting information in Vietnamese commercial and service enterprises, providing more empirical evidence on factors affecting the use of management accounting information in Vietnamese commercial and service enterprises   Theoretical framework: This paper uses the Contingency theory, Theory of planned behavior, Psychological theory.   Design/methodology/approach: The research method uses a questionnaire survey of accountants, chief accountants, business managers. Using management accounting information in the enterprise, Decentralization of use, Awareness, usefulness, Qualification of accountants, Quality of information measured on a five-level Likert scale Very good, good, medium average, not good, weak.   Findings: Research results show that Decentralization of Use, Awareness, Usefulness, Qualifications of Accountants, Quality of Information have a positive impact on the use of management accounting information in commercial enterprises. Vietnamese servisse   Research, Practical   &   Social   implications: Based on the research results, the author has proposed recommendations to improve the use of management accounting information in Vietnamese commercial and service enterprises.   Originality/value:This study fills the gap in the the use of management accounting information in Vietnamese commercial and service enterprise

Social-psycho Issues of Enterprise Information System Usage among Government Outsource Vendors Comprising Malaysian Small-Medium Enterprises

This paper describes the socio-psychological issues that hinder the holistic usage of ERP system among sampled Malaysian SME’s that were the vendors through government outsourced projects. Five hundred questionnaires were sent to the pre-identified SMEs in Selangor through e-mail, 251 questionnaires were returned and only 110 were taken for data analysis, representing 44% of the response rate. The study found that the perceived benefits and social influence have positive significant relationship with the ERP system usage. The social influence has the strongest effect towards the ERP system usage among SMEs in Selangor. The system complexity does not influence the relationship between socio-psychological factors and ERP system usage among SMEs in Selangor. This study provides insight for the management of SMEs and the service providers on the factors influencing the ERP system usage. It contributes to the breadth of knowledge of the ERP system in SMEs from the perspective of a developing nation since the SMEs play an important role in the nation’s economy

Assessing the role of factors affecting the adoption of VAT-compliant accounting systems

This study explores technology adoption through the lens of Technology Acceptance Model and Technology-Organization-Environment model in the context of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the United Arab Emirates. A survey designed research was carried out at UAE SMEs, leading to a sample of 370 establishments that were included in the final analysis. Data was analyzed using partial least squares structure equation modelling technique. The main findings propose that the Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE), Compatibility (COM), significantly affect the adoption of VAT-compliant accounting systems. Further, the possible mediator relationships are partially supported. Implication and limitation of study are also discussed

Unraveling the Mystery of New Technology Use: An Investigation into the Interplay of Desire for Control, Computer Self-efficacy, and Personal Innovativeness

In this paper, we examine how intrinsically motivated competence and autonomy (two basic psychological needs derived from self-determination theory) in concert with personal innovativeness in IT motivate individuals to try new information technologies. In a study with 202 participants we found 1) competence, operationalized as general computer self-efficacy (GCSE), and 2) autonomy, operationalized as desire for control over information technology (DCIT), to positively influence individuals’ intention to use new or unfamiliar technologies. Further, we hypothesize and find evidence of an interaction effect that suggests there may be a tradeoff between these constructs. That is, individuals may be inclined to use new technologies because they perceive themselves as having high levels of ability or because they have high levels of desire; they are either competence-driven or desire-driven users. Therefore, correctly identifying potential users into the appropriate user category and providing the necessary training or control mechanisms will likely increase an individual’s intention to try new and innovative IT products

Success Factors as Critical That Shape Agile Software Development Project Success

This study has implications for positive social change because organizations that understand the critical factors may be able to improve project management strategies and cost benefits leading to higher efficiency, profitability, and productivity thus benefiting management, employees, and customers. Information technology (IT) project success depends on having a project manager with effective decision-making, leadership, and project management skills. Project success also depends on completing the project in a given budget, time, and scope. However, there is a limited understanding of the lived experiences of agile managers and the following success factors: engineering, management, organization, and stakeholders. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand these lived experiences of 10 agile software development team project managers or leaders at global workplaces based in the United States. The research questions were focused on the effect of these success factors on agile software development project success. In accordance with nonrandom purposeful sampling strategies, a snowball technique was used to find more participants. An open-ended, e-mail questionnaire was created and sent to participants to collect data. The data were coded to discern themes or patterns. According to study results, agile software development team employs automate builds, continuous integration, and design patterns help reduce technical debt; good collaboration and communication skills are core to project success; product owner helps maximize business value delivered by team and priority and engage stakeholders; and sponsors help fund the project and other resources

Factors Affecting Adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in the Kenyan Sugar Industry (A Case of Mumias Sugar Company LTD)

It was found necessary to undertake this study so as to bridge the knowledge gap as concerns the factors that affect the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning systems. The specific objectives of the study were: to establish the role of Perceived Ease of Use of Enterprise Resource Planning in its adoption; to evaluate the effect of Perceived Usefulness of Enterprise Resource Planning on its adoption; and to determine the effects of individual perception towards the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning. The study focused on Mumias Sugar Company. The population of interest was the employees of the company who are current users of the Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning, drawn from the three categories of staff as presented in the organizational structure - Heads of departments, Managers and Supervisors, whose number stood at 200 as at 31st December 2009. A semi-structured questionnaire was the main data collection instrument. The researcher also used interview schedules with open questions, aimed at meeting the objectives of the study. Primary data were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics such as percentages. The responses indicate that perceived ease of use was a key factor in determining adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning in Mumias Sugar Company. The employees embraced change of technology with anticipation for better performance, which further enhanced the adoption of Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning in the company. In line with perceived ease of use, the other factors that influenced the adoption of Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning in Mumias Sugar Company include the perceived feeling of comfort when using Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning, the user friendliness of Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning, the speed with which Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning processed transactions and the ability of the users to get support when using Systems Applications Product Enterprise Resource Planning. The findings also show that Perceived Usefulness is an important factor in determining the adaptation of innovations. The higher the perceived usefulness of the Enterprise Resource Planning system, the higher the chances that it would be adopted. Moreover, the degree to which an individual believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance enhances the chances of adopting the system and the more the suitable the system is to the work ethic of the users the higher the acceptance rate. Further, the findings show that attitudes are a significant predictor of behavior. In addition, though individual attitude is necessary in determining adoption of new technologies, it is not sufficient condition for success. Certainly attitude may not strongly determine the intentions of an individual at the workplace regarding performance when additional factors e.g. usefulness are taken into account independently. Keywords: Enterprise Resource Planning, Perceived Ease of Use, Systems Applications Product, Legacy Systems, Perceived Usefulness, Material Requirements Planning, Business Processe

Change Management Practices: A Case of Introduction of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database System at the Ministry of Medical Services, Nairobi Kenya

Purpose: The impetus for this study was attempt to bridge the knowledge gap as concerns the factors that affect the adoption of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD) s. The specific objectives of the study were: to establish the role of PEOU of IPPD in its adoption; to evaluate the effect of PU of IPPD on its adoption; and to determine the effects of individual perception towards the adoption of IPPD.Methodology: The study focused on Ministry of Medical Services. The population of interest was the employees of the company who are current users of the IPPD, drawn from the human resources department, whose number stood at 150 as at 30th June 2010. A semi-structured questionnaire was the main data collection instrument. The researcher also used interview schedules with open questions, aimed at meeting the objectives of the study. Primary data were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics such as percentages. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used as an aid in the analysis. Findings and Discussions: The findings indicate that perceived ease of use was a key factor in determining adoption of IPPD in Ministry of Medical Services. The employees embraced change of technology with anticipation for better performance, which further enhanced the adoption of IPPD in the company. In line with perceived ease of use, the other factors that influenced the adoption of IPPD in Ministry of Medical Services include the perceived feeling of comfort when using IPPD, the user friendliness of IPPD, the speed with which IPPD processed transactions and the ability of the users to get support when using IPPD. The findings also show that Perceived Usefulness is an important factor in determining the adaptation of innovations. The higher the perceived usefulness of the IPPD system, the higher the chances that it would be adopted. Moreover, the degree to which an individual believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance enhances the chances of adopting the system and the more the suitable the system is to the work ethic of the users the higher the acceptance rate. Further, the findings show that attitudes are a significant predictor of behavior. In addition, though individual attitude is necessary in determining adoption of new technologies, it is not sufficient condition for success. Certainly attitude may not strongly determine the intentions of an individual at the workplace regarding performance when additional factors e.g. usefulness are taken into account independently. Keywords: Change Management; Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database; Business Processes; Adoption; Perceived Ease of Use; Perceived Usefulness; Legacy Systems

The determinants of customer internet banking resistance and the role of mediating variables in Yemeni Universities

Although internet banking has been widely adopted in developed countries, there is still a low percentage of internet banking adoption in Yemen, indicating a probable high resistance to internet banking. Hence, the objective of this research was to determine the direct predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavior control (PBC), credibility, trust, compatibility, self-efficacy and government support) of customer resistance, attitude, subjective norm, PBC and credibility towards internet banking. Additionally, this study examined the mediating effects of attitude, subjective norm, PBC, and credibility on the relationship between predictors and customer resistance to internet-banking behavior using Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB). A quantitative research survey was used whereby 900 questionnaires were distributed randomly to University employees. 451questionnaires were returned, representing a 50% response rate. After screening, 372 useable data sets were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study found five significant predictors of customer resistance (attitude, credibility, compatibility, selfefficacy, and government support); three significant factors predicting attitude (government support, subjective norm and PBC); two significant predictors of SN (government support and self-efficacy); two significant predictors of PBC (compatibility and self-efficacy); and three predictors of credibility (trust, government support and PBC). It was also found that attitude fully mediated the relationship between subjective norm and customer resistance as well as between PBC and customer resistance. Contrastingly, attitude was a partial mediator between the relationship of government support and customer resistance. Likewise, credibility is a full mediator on the relationship between trust and customer resistance; PBC and customer resistance. Credibility also partially mediated the relationship between government support and customer resistance. Finally, the study contributes empirically by validating DTBP as an effective underpinning theory in explaining the internet banking resistance and that government should enact more stringent laws and policies to control the internet banking in Yemen