The mediating role of organizational learning between absorptive capacity and performance in companies employing enterprise resource planning software

This dissertation focuses on the acquisition of information systems technology and how the acquisition of information systems (IS) can improve the performance of a firm. The central purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the literature that explains the success of IS projects. It addresses the organizational processes that contribute to the successful implementation of IS, and explains why some organizations achieve financial returns and strategic advantages from their IS efforts while others do not. The population in this dissertation consists of top level IS executives in the US or Canada employed in firms who have implemented enterprise resource planning software. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) has the capability to join disparate data sources and make them available across enterprises in an organized, personalized, secure, and searchable fashion. ERP integrates key business and management processes to provide a comprehensive view of an organization. The term used in the literature to refer to firm readiness to technological advances is absorptive capacity. Absorptive capacity is an organizational, firm-level construct that incorporates a learning curve into the technology adoption process. Cohen and Levinthal (1990) define absorptive capacity as the firm\u27s ability to perceive value in external information, in this case an information system, and be able to adopt it, internalize it and exploit it to maximize profits. This dissertation tests the relationship between absorptive capacity and performance mediated by organizational learning. Absorptive capacity, therefore, is a measure of potential increase in performance but not a guarantee of increased performance. Several processes have to occur in order for organizations to learn. First of all, organizations have to acquire knowledge by eliciting or sharing knowledge (Argote, 1999) in the assimilation stage (Lane et al., 2001; Lane & Lubatkin, 1998). This stage is followed by a second stage named internalization or integration (Kim, 1998; Lyles & Salk, 1996). Group learning involves the processes through which members share, generate, evaluate and combine knowledge (Argote, 1999). The third stage, optimization, is where an organization reaches the point of exploitation of a learned technology (Cohen & Levinthal 1990, 1994). The relationships between absorptive capacity, organizational learning and performance represent the research framework for the dissertation. A path begins from absorptive capacity to organizational learning, but because organizational learning is divided into three stages there are three separate paths leading to each level in organizational learning: assimilation, integration and optimization. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the series of dependence relationships simultaneously

Organizational Learning Stages of Assimilation, Integration and Optimization and their Relationship with User Satisfaction of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

Literature on organizational learning suggests that various processes have to occur in order for an organization to learn. This study provides empirical evidence for measuring organizational learning in three stages: assimilation, integration and optimization. A path model of organizational learning was tested establishing the significance and magnitude of the total effect of assimilation, integration and optimization on the satisfaction level of top information executives in firms with Enterprise Resource Planning systems. The model indicates that the optimization-satisfaction path is the strongest, followed by the integration-satisfaction path. Measuring and improving the factors composing organizational learning is essential for successful implementation of complex information technology such as enterprise resource planning systems

Exploring Mexican Attitudes Toward the Front Labeling System for Food and Beverages: A Twitter Analysis

Recently, the Mexican government implemented a simple labeling system that would apply to 85% of the food products. The aim of the system is to report high amounts of calories, sugars, sodium, fats and trans fats. Labels are displayed on the front of the package individually or in groups. No studies have been conducted to analyze public attitudes toward the labeling system. In order to fill this gap, the purpose of the study is to conduct an exploratory analysis of the Mexican attitudes toward the new labeling system on Twitter. The Twitter API was used to collect tweets published between January 01, 2020 to June 30, 2021. QSR NVivo 12 software was used to conduct thematic content analysis. The emerged themes were related to consumer education, impact on the industry and businesses, and support or rejection to the labeling system. A category emerged as reflection of the unique cultural traditions

Overload depending on driving experience and situation complexity: which strategies faced with a pedestrian crossing?

The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of situation complexity and driving experience on subjective workload and driving performance, and the less costly and the most effective strategies faced with a hazard pedestrian crossing. Four groups of young drivers (15 traditionally trained novices, 12 early-trained novices, 15 with three years of experience and 15 with a minimum of five years of experience) were randomly assigned to three situations (simple, moderately complex and very complex) including unexpected pedestrian crossings, in a driving simulator. The subjective workload was collected by the NASA-TLX questionnaire after each situation. The main results confirmed that the situation complexity and the lack of experience increased the subjective workload. Moreover, the subjective workload, the avoidance strategies and the reaction times influenced the number of collisions depending on situation complexity and driving experience. These results must be taken into account to target the prevention actions

The Effect of Using E-Learning Tools in Online and Campus-based Classrooms on Student Performance

Creating an integrative research framework that extends a model frequently used in the Information Systems field, the Technology Acceptance Model, together with variables used in the Education field, this empirical study investigates the factors influencing student performance as reflected by their final course grade. The Technology Acceptance Model explains computer acceptance in general terms. The model measures the impact of external variables on internal beliefs, attitudes, and intentions. Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use, two main constructs in the model, refer to an individual\u27s perception of how the adoption of a new technology will increase their efficiency, and the individual\u27s perception of how easy the technology will be to use. The lower the perceived effort is, the easier the technology will be to adopt. Thus, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Computer Self-Efficacy, and Computer Anxiety were measured to determine their effect on student performance. The proliferation of the personal computer was possible because of the applications written for it. The continuous creation of new applications has created ample ground to test the Technology Acceptance Model to determine how a user will decide to adopt such applications. The recent escalation of delivering online education via the Internet has again sparked a new dimension of information systems. This has given rise to research using the Technology Acceptance Model for applications in the Education field. Today’s modern classroom, whether online or campus-based, uses e-learning tools and Learning Management Systems that capture student cognition and engages them in the learning process via technology, while increasing their need for self-directedness. In view of this, the present study also considers the students’ ability to work independently. The results of the statistical analysis used in this study revealed marked differences in student perceptions of e-learning tools between students who chose to take an online course and students who preferred to take the campus-based section. Additionally, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and the students’ ability to work independently were all statistically significant factors in predicting students’ final grades

Does Within-Culture Variation Matter? An Empirical Study of Computer Usage

This article examines within-culture variance in the influence of values on perceptions and use of information technology (IT). Based on cross-cultural research, we suggest that cultural values influence technology acceptance and use. Specifically, we argue that masculinity/femininity and individualism/collectivism directly influence personal innovativeness with IT, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy, and have a mediated effect on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and use of IT. Overall, analysis provides support for the research model. Our results suggest that masculinity/femininity influences computer selfefficacy, computer anxiety, and personal innovativeness with IT. We also offer implications for research and practice

Are low doses of alcohol taken at 2 pm objectively and subjectively more decrement for novices drivers than for more experienced drivers ?

The objective was to evaluate subjective estimation and objective performance of drivers depending on Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) and driving experience. Assuming that during monotonous driving performance should be impaired with alcohol at a moment of alertness decrease, the hypothesis was that this impairment would be significant greater for Young Novice Drivers (YND) than for Young Experienced Drivers (YED). 16 YND (18 years, two months of driving) and 15 YED (21 years, 3 years of driving) participated in three simulated driving sessions in which BACs were randomly assigned (0.0, 0.2 and 0.5 g/L). Every session took place between 2 and 4 pm, around one hour after the drink. The circuit represented a typical highway road, the task was to drive during 45 min and to maintain a steady speed (110 Km/h) and a stable position on the lane. After each driving session participants estimated their workload (NASA-TLX questionnaire) and their subjective alertness (Thayer checklist). Driving performance was analysed for steps of 5 min. Globally, placebo session produced higher estimation of alertness, lower estimation of time pressure, physical demand, frustration and effort than BAC sessions. Driving performance was also worse with alcohol. A decrease of alertness and an increase of physical and mental effort were noted with the time-on-task. Thus, evaluation of alertness and effort during monotonous driving task were relatively well correlated with objective performance under the influence of alcohol and with time-on-task. YND had a lower subjective alertness level and estimate to have higher mental and physical workload than YED, their subjective performance and objective driving performance showed an effect of alcohol. YED performance and subjective evaluation are clearly sensitive to alcohol but also to time-on-task (combined effect)

ALCOol, vigiLAnce, Charge de travail : facteurs d'accident chez les jeunes conducteurs. Rapport intermédiaire N°1

Convention 2013/MP/03 - Fondation Sécurité routièreL’âge et le sexe des conducteurs représentent les principaux facteurs d’implication dans les accidents [source ONISR, 2011]. Les études épidémiologiques montrent ainsi que les jeunes ont une probabilité d'être impliqués dans un accident largement plus importante que celle des autres conducteurs à l'exclusion des conducteurs les plus âgés et les jeunes conducteurs masculins âgés de moins de 24 ans présentent un risque plus élevé d’accidents. De plus, les statistiques mensuelles d’accidents après l’obtention du permis de conduire montrent que le taux initial très élevé d’accidents décroît rapidement pendant les premiers mois de conduite. Par ailleurs, d’après le modèle de courbe en U renversé d’Ansseau et Timsit-Berthier, le niveau de performance augmente avec celui de la vigilance jusqu’à un optimum, au-delà de cet optimum l’augmentation de la vigilance entraîne au contraire une baisse de la performance. L’excès de vigilance que représentent le stress ou l’hyperexcitation a un pouvoir de dégradation plus rapide sur les activités complexes que sur les activités les plus simples. Il y a donc un niveau optimal de vigilance pour chaque type de tâche réalisée et la dégradation de la performance peut être liée à de l’hypovigilance ou de l’hypervigilance. La charge de travail est ainsi également en lien avec la vigilance. Une augmentation de cette charge entraîne en effet une hausse de la vigilance mais la tendance s’inverse lorsque les tâches difficiles et précises entraînent une surcharge, avec dans ce cas une diminution de la vigilance. De plus, lorsque la tension reflétant l’évaluation du danger relatif aux activités [Thayer, 1989 ; in Kosćec & Radosević-Vidacek, 2004] est élevée, cela entraîne une hausse de la charge de travail subjective [Ucelli et al., 2011] et une baisse de vigilance [Thayer, 1986]. L’objet du travail est donc de manipuler ces facteurs de variations de la vigilance afin d’estimer en quoi leurs effets peuvent s’avérer délétères sur la conduite, notamment chez de très jeunes conducteurs novices

Recall Performance in Air Traffic Controllers Across the 24-hr Day: Influence of Alertness and Task Demands on Recall Strategies

International audience; The aim of the present contribution is to test whether and to what extent cognitive load theory may account for working memory performance in the field of ergonomics. We will briefly present the theoretical and methodological principles of cognitive load theory, developed initially by Sweller (1988) in the field of educational psychology, and some of the more critical issues addressed recently. Thereafter, we report three experiments exploring the relations between the three load categories defined by cognitive load theory, by using working memory tasks. The influence of intrinsic and extrinsic cognitive load categories was explored by manipulating respectively task difficulty and time pressure. The consequences of the less documented germane load were proposed to depend on participants alertness that varies spontaneously across the day (Galy, Cariou, and Mélan, 2012). In order to test for additive effects between load categories, effects of intrinsic and extrinsic load were explored both separately and simultaneously, and when participants alertness level was either high or low. This procedure was tested in a mental arithmetic task and in a recall task performed by participants in controlled laboratory conditions and when the same arithmetic task was performed by air traffic controllers in a real-job situation. Results led to the conclusion of an additive interaction between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load factors, in addition to modulatory effects by germane load. Document type: Part of book or chapter of boo