A global perspective on pallet life-cycle management practices and a research agenda

The purpose of this paper is to understand the complexity of pallet life cycle management practices in the context of resource scarcity, rising costs and different regulatory environments. The paper integrates a detailed examination of current pallet life cycle management practices around the globe with the lenses of stakeholder theory, ecological modernization theory and the dynamic capabilities perspective to develop a research agenda. It provides a theoretical basis for research in a complex area of practice that has received limited attention in the logistics and supply chain literature

An Action Research Approach to Strategic Information Systems Planning in a Non-Profit Organisation

Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) in non-profit organisations (NPOs) has not received adequate attention in the research literature. This study addressed questions of how (and how well) Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) could be employed for conducting SISP in an NPO. Action Research (AR) was used as the primary research method in this study, supplemented by a survey of participants at the end. This paper exemplifies AR through the description and analysis of the use of SSM and other tools both for the provision of benefit to the organisation and for qualitative data collection and analysis in support of the research

Transforming Organizations Through the Implementation of Processes, Structures and Relational Mechanisms for Governing IT: A Leadership Role for IS Departments in Institutions of Higher Education in Australia

Over the past decade, IT governance has become a key issue of concern for senior IT decision makers around the world. This exploratory study examines how central IS departments in four institutions of higher education in Australia are transforming organizational attitudes and approaches to governing IT by implementing structural and processes changes and establishing relational mechanisms. This paper will focus particularly on the implementation of IT governance processes in these institutions and examine how internationally recognized standards such as COBIT, ITIL and ISO17799 are being utilized. The study reveals a number of findings in the context of the implementation of IT governance in the higher education environment

An Exploration of the Implementation and Effectiveness of IT Governance Processes in Institutions of Higher Education in Australia

Over the past decade, IT governance has become a key issue of concern for senior IT decision makers around the world. This exploratory study examined how IT governance is being implemented through a number of processes, structures and relational mechanisms in four leading institutions of higher education in Australia. This paper will focus particularly on the implementation of IT governance processes in these institutions and examine how internationally recognized standards such as COBIT, ITIL and ISO17799 are being utilized in this implementation. The study reveals a number of findings in the context of the implementation of IT governance processes in the higher education environment

The emergence of interactions as strategic entities in value chain networks

Purpose: The article analyses the interactions that are engaged in when specialist organisations collaborate in value chain networks. It aims to bridge the gap between existing theory and emerging practices and identify a conceptual foundation for future research and practical application. Interaction costs are described as including transaction costs plus the costs for exchanging ideas and information. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopts a conceptual approach, and introduces the basic elements of an interaction theory based on past theory and current practices. Findings: In an increasingly global economy, reducing risks while maximizing returns for emerging business models are a key concern. The article puts forward the view that as interaction costs decrease, potential business partners have greater scope to interlink their business strategies and operations to co-create value. It discusses the nature of interactions and highlights three factors that are either reducing interaction costs or increasing the effectiveness or frequency of interactions, thus increasing their facility for business purposes: the convergence of technologies, the delineation of roles within value chain business networks, and the emergence of innovative interaction strategies among network participants. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of an interactions strategy through an analysis of IKEA’s business model from an interactions perspective. Originality/value: The paper provides the basis of an interactions framework for researchers and practitioners to analyse value adding activities and to develop strategies in value chain networks

A modified product life cycle becomes a useful basis for a new product-service strategy model

The recent financial problems of the 2008/10 GFC and the likelihood of similar events occurring in 2012/13 has ‘spooked’ business and consumer confidence and has resulted in fierce competition in both B2C and in the derived demand companies in B2B markets. The problems are exacerbated by the very slow recovery response of developed economy business organisations, many facing competition from Asian companies whose business models have become sophisticated and are moving rapidly away from their traditional “high volume/low value” manufacturing expertise towards a “low volume/high value” value proposition thereby threatening well established traditional western companies; some are moving away from tangible/hardware products towards becoming solution providers

Adapting soft systems methodology for strategic information systems planning: An action research study in a non-profit organisation in Australia

Non-profit organisations provide a large number of services of public interest and play an important role in the Australian society and economy. These organisations can very often improve or expand the services they provide to the public through the implementation of appropriate information systems and technologies. Effective choice and implementation of IS and IT benefits from undertaking strategic information systems planning (SISP). This study investigates the adaptation and use of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to conduct an SISP process in a non-profit organisation. SSM is a flexible methodology, based on systems thinking, which can be adapted to a particular organisational situation and is capable of taking into account the internal and external social and political contexts of an organisation. The study shows that SSM can be successfully adapted to suit the culture and situation of a non-profit organisation. Adaptations made included ways in which the IS planner interacted with organisational stakeholders and the addition of CSF, SWOT, problematiques, use cases, and a specialised form of CATWOE and Root Definitions. The study showed that the adapted form of the SSM for SISP process can be utilised effectively for SISP, was found to be valuable by organisational stakeholders, and provided help in renewing the focus on improving services to the community through the use of technology

Value creation using social media in a virtual business model: how Amazon approaches customer service on twitter

With the growing popularity of social media sites, consumer-focused businesses across industry sectors have started conducting both promotional activities and customer service related interactions via the same platforms. Companies can no longer hope to keep expressions of customer dissatisfaction hidden from the public eye. This preliminary qualitative study examines the exchanges between Amazon and their customers on the micro blogging platform Twitter from over a period of 18 days. 2385 conversations involving 6518 tweets were analyzed and coded to achieve an understanding of how an online shopping site is approaching promotions and customer service issues. The study provides insight on how Amazon uses Twitter to interact with customers in relation to their enquiries, suggestions, and negative and positive feedback

Creation of unstructured big data from customer service: The case of parcel shipping companies on Twitter

Purpose - Customer service provision is a growing phenomenon on social media and parcel shipping companies have been among the most prominent adopters. This has coincided with greater interest in the development of analysis techniques for unstructured big data from social media platforms, such as the micro-blogging platform, Twitter. Given the growing use of dedicated customer service accounts on Twitter, this paper investigates the effectiveness with which parcel shipping companies use the platform. Design/methodology/approach – This paper demonstrates the use of a combination of tools for retrieving, processing and analysing large volumes of customer service related conversations generated between parcel shipping companies and their customers in Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. Extant studies using data from Twitter tend to focus on the contributions of individual entities and are unable to capture the insights provided by a holistic examination of the interactions. Findings – This study identifies the key issues that trigger customer contact with parcel shipping companies on Twitter. It identifies similarities and differences in the approaches that these companies bring to customer engagement and identifies opportunities for using the medium more effectively. Originality/value – The development of consumer-centric supply chains and relevant theories require researchers and practitioners to have the ability to include insights from growing quantities of unstructured data gathered from consumer engagement. This study makes a methodological contribution by demonstrating the use of a set of tools to gather insight from a large volume of conversations on a social media platform