Sensemaking in Enterprise Resource Planning Project Deescalation: An Empirical Study

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects, a type of complex information technology project, are very challenging and expensive to implement. Past research recognizes that escalation, defined as the commitment to a failing course of action, is common in such projects. While the factors that contribute to escalation (e.g., project conditions, psychological, organizational, and social factors) have been extensively examined, the literature on deescalation of projects is very limited. Motivated by this gap in the literature, this research examines deescalation, that is, on breaking the commitment to the failing course of action with a particular focus on ERP projects. This study is organized as a single-case study of a complex ERP project that was undertaken after a merger of two organizations. It examines how the project team members’ sensemaking is implicated in deescalation. Applying sensemaking as a theoretical lens, this engaged scholarship research contributes to practice by providing recommendations on how to better manage ERP project deescalation. It contributes to theory by providing a nuanced understanding of ERP project deescalation through project team members’ sensemaking activities

Preventing dentures and putting aside the fry bread: A systematic review of micro, mezzo, and macro conditions for dental health and obesity interventions for Native American youth

This systematic literature review was focused on childhood obesity and dental health interventions which have relevance to Native American communities. Childhood oral health and obesity have become significant problems across North America and among Nati

Teeth and heavyset kids: Intervention similarities between childhood obesity and oral health interventions within Native American societies

A systematic literature review was conducted focusing on childhood obesity and oral health interventions which may have relevance to Native American children, their families, and their communities. Childhood obesity and oral health have become a significant problem across Indian Country. Subsequently, a number of oral health and obesity interventions are emerging developed for ethnic minority populations including Native Americans. The objective of this review was to determine best practices of various obesity and oral health interventions used with Native youth. The review found a number of prevalence related studies showing both health conditions were concerns within Native American societies (n=94). A small portion of these studies were intervention studies linking these co-occurring conditions (n=26). Findings also discovered a dearth of oral health interventions whereas the majority was obesity focused. Findings indicated that interventions focused on multi-year environmental modifications. These included culturally tailored adaptations to intervention techniques and environmental medications that promoted healthy eating in school based delivery systems. These included food preparation education, inclusion of family, and structured physical education. Other findings showed policy intervention in both oral health and obesity arena were helpful at the community level

Reconceptualization of information technology flexibility for supply chain management: an empirical study

IT flexibility is an increasingly important factor in today's dynamic business environment. However, earlier research lacks 1) an integrated framework that corresponds to diverse processes for supply chain management and 2) an explanation of how IT flexibility affects firms’ performance in the supply chain context. To fill these gaps, our study theorised a research model by integrating disparate streams of IT flexibility research with three types of IT flexibility, namely, operational, transactional, and strategic, and tested both the direct and indirect effects of the three IT flexibility types on firm performance. Our theoretical model uses an extended resource-based view to highlight the role of IT flexibility in managing interdependent firm relationships in supply chains. Using a partial least squares approach to structured equation modelling analysis on 162 questionnaires from supply chain practitioners, we found two significant relationships: (1) transactional IT flexibility affects operational IT flexibility, and (2) operational IT flexibility affects strategic IT flexibility. Transactional IT flexibility also affects strategic IT flexibility, thus playing a pivotal role in the effectiveness of the other two flexibility types. In addition, it was identified that transactional and operational flexibilities affect firm performance indirectly, via process integration capability, while strategic flexibility directly affects firm performance. By classifying diverse IT flexibility attributes into three types, a comprehensive and explicit concept of IT flexibility in inter-organisational relationships is attained, which allows practitioners to target key resource investments to realise the full potential of IT in the supply chain

Forgiveness as a factor in marriage and in conflict resolution following an extramarital affair

This dissertation is the result of research studying the utilization of forgiveness to help achieve marital conflict resolution following an extramarital affair. The study consisted of interviews of married couples in Eastern Nebraska where at least one partner had been involved in an extramarital sexual relationship. These couples all decided to stay married after the affair was revealed. The interviews inquired as to why the couple stayed together, and how forgiveness was a factor in staying together and resolving conflict. The research study was a qualitative study aimed at developing a grounded theory of forgiveness following an extramarital affair. The study utilized principles of interviewing borrowed from ethnographic interviewing; questions were asked in a Socratic-questioning format. The computer program QSR NUDIST Version 3.0.4 was used to code and index the textual data. Forgiveness was a significant factor in couples staying together. Forgiveness was implemented both as a part of and as a result of the resolution of certain interceding conditions. These interceding conditions included, first of all, the couples\u27 motivations to stay in the marriage for various reasons, such as for financial, legal, or family reasons. Second, couples needed to develop a unique combination of strategies to implement forgiveness appropriately. These strategies included action, interaction, acceptance, repentance, and various other unique strategies. Third, couples needed to resolve the issues of trust, forgetting, and the passing of time. With the passing of these interceding conditions, couples were able to effectively utilize forgiveness to resolve marital conflict as a result of the affair. Literature review was used to validate concepts and relationships of the grounded theory. The findings helped develop a theory that not only provides a useful theoretical basis for further research, but also contains ideas that may be useful in developing clinical treatment with couples in similar situations

How to Turn Around a Failing ERP Implementation:Project Management Routines as Boundary Objects

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are very challenging and expensive to implement and past research recognizes that these projects continue to suffer from high failure rates. While the factors that contribute to these failures have been extensively examined, we know little about how to turn failing projects around. In response, this research presents a study of a failing ERP implementation project that was successfully turned around over a twelve-month period. Adapting theory of sensemaking through boundary objects, we explain how a new project manager helped the team members share their individual perspectives on the problematic situation and together develop new directions through mindful enactment of project management routines. As a result, we offer a detailed empirical account of the ERP project turnaround; practical lessons managers can use to intervene into failing ERP projects; and, a theoretical model of how project management routines as boundary objects can help participants make sense of cooperative work in the absence of consensus