Integrating case study and survey research methods: An example in information systems

The case for combining research methods generally, and more specifically that for combining qualitative and quantitative methods, is strong. Yet, research designs that extensively integrate both fieldwork (e.g. case studies) and survey research are rare. More¬over, some journals tend tacitly to specialize by methodology thereby encouraging purity of method. The multi-method model of research while not new, has not been appreciated. In this respect it is useful to articulate and describe its usage through example. By reference to a recently completed study of IS consultant engagement success factors this paper presents an analysis of the benefits of integrating case study and survey research methods. The emphasis is on the qualitative case study method and how it can compliment more quantitative survey research. Benefits are demonstrated through specific examples from the reference study.</i

The Role of the Doctoral Consortium: An Information Systems Signature Pedagogy?

The doctoral consortium is a well-established, widely endorsed event in the information systems (IS) discipline that occurs adjunct to mainstream IS conferences (e.g., ICIS, ECIS, PACIS, AMCIS). Anecdotal evidence suggests that PhD students’ experience of these events is almost universally positive; some have referred to the events as “life changing” or “magical”. Further, both participating students and scholars strongly perceive the events’ value. To extend the experience to more PhD students, doctoral consortia are more recently being run locally and unaffiliated with any conference. By reviewing the literature and historical documents and conducting a series of interviews and email exchanges with past conference co-chairs, we explore the merits of IS doctoral consortia (consortia). We position the IS doctoral consortium as distinct from forms of doctoral student development in other disciplines, a veritable “signature pedagogy” for IS. In examining the practices and motivations underlying doctoral consortia, we explain related phenomena to improving future consortia. In addition, by appending much historical detail, we add to the IS discipline’s organizational memory

The Information Systems Academic Discipline in Australia

This paper reports a descriptive case study of the IS academic discipline in Australia. One in a series of nine papers comprising a special issue of Communications of the AIS (CAIS) titled The Information Systems Academic Discipline in Pacific Asia, this sub-study sought to establish the beginnings of a cumulative and ongoing effort to track and report on, and reflect upon the evolution and state of the IS academic discipline in Australia (and Pacific Asia and ultimately other world regions). This paper clarifies the role of the Australian study as a preliminary to the larger Pacific Asia study, and draws upon a series of case studies of Australian states and territories to present the Australian situation. The case study protocol, based in Ridley\u27s [2006] framework on the evolution of disciplines, suggests an inverse relationship between the impact of local contingencies and a discipline\u27s degree of professionalism and maturity. Analysis of Australian data reveals considerable diversity in IS research and teaching across the nation, reflecting the wide geographic spread of universities in Australia. Although in general IS research is not highly contingent upon local exigencies and environmental pressures, the topics researched often reflected personal interests and are only weakly coordinated across research sites. At this time IS in Australia does not possess a unique symbol system that allows unambiguous communication between initiates within the field

Toward the concept of pockets of creativity in business processes

The study will cross-fertilise Information Systems (IS) and Services Marketing ideas through reconceptualising the information system as a service (ISaaS). The study addresses known limitations of arguably the two most significant dependent variables in these disciplines - Information System Success or IS-Impact, and Service Quality. Planned efforts to synthesise analogous conceptions across these disciplines, are expected to force a deeper theoretical understanding of the broad notions of success, quality, value and satisfaction and their interrelations. The aims of this research are to: (1) yield a conceptually superior and more extensively validated IS success measurement model, and (2) develop and operationalise a more rigorously validated Service Quality measurement model, while extending the ‘service’ notion to ‘operational computer-based information systems in organisations’. In the development of the new models the study will address contemporary validation issues

Major Issues with SAP Financials in Queensland Government

This short paper reports a research project that seeks to give improved understanding of client-centered ERP lifecycle support issues in order that research, management and educational resources can be allocated and implemented effectively. The paper presents (1) the study background; (2) the research context and object; (3) the research questions and aims; (4) previous literature on major IS issues employing the Delphi method; (5) the research strategy and design; (6) progress to date; (7) expected benefits and outcomes; and (8) limitations and future research suggestions

Measuring IS-Support: A Conceptual Model

This paper reports on a conceptual model of a larger research effort proceeding from a central interest in the importance of assessing the IS-Support provided to key-user groups. This study conceptualised a new multidimensional IS-Support construct with four dimensions: training, documentation, assistance and authorisation, which form the overarching construct – IS-Support. We argue that a holistic measure for assessing IS-Support should consist of dimensions, and measures, that together assess the variety of the support provided to IS key-user groups. The proposed IS-Support construct is defined as the support the IS key-user groups receive to increase their capabilities in utilising information systems within the organisation. With two interrelated phases, conceptualisation phase and validation phase, to rigorously hypothesise and validate a measurement model, the IS-Support model, proposed in this study, is intended to include the characteristics of analytic theory

The State of the IS Academic Discipline in Pacific Asia: Methodological Learnings

This is the last in a series of nine papers making up a special issue of Communications of the AIS (CAIS) titled The State of the Information Systems Academic Discipline in Pacific Asia (IS-in-PA). This paper reports on knowledge gleaned from the conduct of the sub-studies that comprise the IS-in PA project. In particular, there is analysis of the specific research artifacts developed for the individual sub-studies reported in this special edition. It is proposed that the methodological learnings derived from this project will be of benefit in the replication and extension of this project to other regions of the world. The paper addresses a key aim of the IS-in-PA, involving the development and application of a process of evidence collection and review transferable to other studies tracking diffusion of the IS discipline

A TYPOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGICAL ENABLERS OF WEBSITE SERVICE FAILURE PREVENTION

An increasing range of services are now offered via online applications and e-commerce websites. However, problems with online services still occur at times, even for the best service providers due to the technical failures, informational failures, or lack of required website functionalities. Also, the widespread and increasing implementation of web services means that service failures are both more likely to occur, and more likely to have serious consequences. In this paper we first develop a digital service value chain framework based on existing service delivery models adapted for digital services. We then review current literature on service failure prevention, and provide a typology of technolo- gies and approaches that can be used to prevent failures of different types (functional, informational, system), that can occur at different stages in the web service delivery. This makes a contribution to theory by relating specific technologies and technological approaches to the point in the value chain framework where they will have the maximum impact. Our typology can also be used to guide the planning, justification and design of robust, reliable web services

Maintaining ERP Packaged Software – a Revelatory Case Study

For many organizations, maintaining and upgrading enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems (large packaged application software) is often far more costly than the initial implementation. Systematic planning and knowledge of the fundamental maintenance processes and maintenance-related management data are required in order to effectively and efficiently administer maintenance activities. This paper reports a revelatory case study of Government Services Provider (GSP), a high-performing ERP service provider to government agencies in Australia. GSP ERP maintenance-process and maintenance-data standards are compared with the IEEE/EIA 12207 software engineering standard for custom software, also drawing upon published research, to identify how practices in the ERP context diverge from the IEEE standard. While the results show that many best practices reflected in the IEEE standard have broad relevance to software generally, divergent practices in the ERP context necessitate a shift in management focus, additional responsibilities, and different maintenance decision criteria. Study findings may provide useful guidance to practitioners, as well as input to the IEEE and other related standards

Re-conceptualizing Information System Success: The IS-Impact Measurement Model

This paper re-conceptualizes ¡°information system success¡± as a formative, multidimensional index. Such a validated and widely accepted index would facilitate cumulative research on the impacts of IS, while at the same time provide a benchmark for organizations to track their IS performance. The proposed IS-Impact measurement model represents the stream of net benefits from an Information System (IS), to date and anticipated, as perceived by all key user groups. Model measures are formulated to be robust, economical, and simple, yielding results that are comparable across diverse systems and contexts, and from multiple user perspectives. The model includes four dimensions in two halves. The ¡°impact¡± half measures benefits to date, or Individual- and Organizational Impact; the ¡°quality¡± half uses System Quality and Information Quality as proxies for probable future impacts. Study findings evidence the necessity, additivity, and completeness of these four dimensions. The validation study involved three separate surveys, including exploratory and confirmatory phases preceded by an identification survey. Content analysis of 485 qualitative impacts cited by 137 respondents from across 27 Australian Government Agencies that implemented SAP Financials in the late 90s, identified salient dimensions and measures. The resultant a-priori model (¡°pool¡± of 37 measures) was operationalized in the subsequent specification survey, yielding 310 responses across the same 27 agencies. The confirmation survey, employing 27 validated measures from the specification survey, was next conducted in a large university that had implemented ORACLE Financials. Confirmatory analysis of the 153 responses provides further strong evidence of model validity