User Developed Applications: Evaluation of Success From the DP Department Perspective

User development of computer-based applications (UDA) is a new phenomenon in organizations, and can provide benefits for both users and for data processing departments. The benefits of UDA to DP departments are consi.dered in this paper. The UDA literature suggests that the DP departments can expect to receive two major types of benefits: the backlog of DP appl ication devel opment projects shoul d decrease, and the proportion of DP resources spent on application maintenance should be reduced. However, this study, which was carried out in ten 1 arge Canadian business fi rms, ,found that in no instances were these factors cited by senior.pP managers as primary success considerations. In most cases, these managers felt that UDA might have some effect on the amount of DP resources devoted to perfective maintenance or on the porti on of the backl og which consi sts of smaller, one-shot appl ications. However, in ng instances had the DP managers attempted to measure these factors. More importantly, the decrease of the appl ications backl og and the decrease of the maintenance load were not perceived by the DP executives as being important components of UDA success. Rather, these DP managers were mainly interested in being able to demonstrate that the appl ications devel oped by users are of demonstrabl e, tangi bl e benefit to the organization, and that the users themselves are satisfied with the UDA services made avail abl e to them via the DP department. These findings are summarized in Table 1. This study also found that the eval uation of the tangibl e benefits to be derived from UDA activities was a critical issue for DP managers. In the paper, a simple evaluation framework, derived from an earlier model by Keen, is proposed and illustrated with experiential data drawn from the companies studied. The framework is useful in explaining why some DP departments are successful in their evaluations . Finally, an argument is presented that users themselves, not the DP department staf f, shoul d be hel d di rectly responsible for demonstrating that the appl ications they develop are cost beneficial to the firm. Implications of this argument include: (1) that DP departments charge users for the use of computing resources; (2) the proper rol e of the DP department in UDA eval uati on is that of advisor

The Information Systems Academic Discipline in New Zealand

This paper examines the background and development of academic information systems as a field of teaching and research in universities in New Zealand, from its roots in the late 1970s until the present time. Interviews were held with key informants within the information systems departments in every university in the country, as well as one polytechnic institution which has recently applied for university status. Based on the interview data along with other data drawn from the universities\u27 Web sites and elsewhere, as well as the personal knowledge of the authors, individual case studies of each institution were prepared and validated by the key informants. The paper begins with an overview analysis of the current situation and recent past, with a special emphasis on the student enrolment issue. The information systems discipline is reviewed across the nine institutions through a detailed cross-case analysis including a number of summary tables comparing various statistics across all New Zealand institutions. The cross-case analysis addresses issues such as the role of international students in IS, the comparative location of IS in the various institutions, and the overall nature of IS across the country. The results of this study and analysis provide a unique perspective on the past, present, and future of academic information systems in New Zealand

A taxonomy of dependencies in agile software development

Dependencies in a software project can contribute to unsatisfactory progress if they constrain or block the flow of work. Various studies highlight the importance of dependencies in the organisation of work; however dependencies in agile software development projects have not previously been a research focus. Drawing on three case studies of agile software projects, and the IS literature, this paper develops an initial taxonomy of agile software project dependencies. Three distinct categories of dependency are found: task, resource, and knowledge dependencies. This paper contributes to theory by providing a taxonomy of dependency types occurring in the area of agile software development. Practitioners can use this taxonomy as sensitising device to ensure they consider dependencies they might face that could hinder their projects, enabling them to take appropriate and timely mitigating action.<br /

INVESTIGATING INFORMATION SYSTEMS STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

Although strategic alignment is an important theoretical concept, and achieving alignment or fit among organizational elements would seem to be an important business objective, empirical demonstrations of the importance of alignment have been uncommon (White 1986). This study attempted to provide an empirical assessment of the nature and importance of information systems strategic alignlnen

Chief Information Officer Influence: An Exploratory Study

Effective initiation and execution of IS/T projects and systems has become a critical core competence for many organizations. One key to this is the influence of the senior executive responsible for IS/T, often called the Chief Information Officer (CIO). This paper explores the notions of influence and influence behaviors, top executive influence behaviors, how CIOs influence peers in the top management team, and reports the findings from an exploratory study. Contrary to some of the extant literature, the findings suggest that CIO influence can vary both in terms of how it is utilized and its effectiveness. Furthermore, CIO influence is exercised for the initiation of information systems projects, the implementation of these projects, and on overall business strategy. The paper concludes with a series of observations that summarize the findings

CIOs\u27 Influence on Business Strategy Formulation and Realization

This paper examines chief information officers\u27 (CIOs\u27) influence on the IT component of business level strategy formulation and realization. A literature review summarizes definitions of power and organizational politics and reviews the ways the (IS) literature has treated these concepts. A research model, with specific research propositions, is then presented. The model contends that CIO influence is: 1) derived from many sources (e.g. inclusion in the top management team, level of IT expertise etc.), 2) used to shape the IT component of business strategy formulation, and 3) used to ensure the IT component of business strategy is realized

Rethinking Lurking: Invisible Leading and Following in a Knowledge Transfer Ecosystem

The term lurker connotes a low-value role in online communities. Despite making up the majority of members, these invisible individuals are often cast as peripheral players who should be encouraged to participate more fully. We argue that the lurker concept is problematic and that online communities, and the roles associated with them, need to be reconceptualized. We report on a study of online communities in a New Zealand professional development program. We found that two knowledge broker types played key roles in transferring knowledge: connector-leaders, who had a strong online presence, and follower-feeders, who communicated largely invisibly, via side-channels. Despite their different online profiles, both brokers used “lurking” purposively to perform two sets of invisible online activities: managing the knowledge agenda, and mentoring/being mentored. These activities supported their roles as leaders and followers, and sustained a symbiotic relationship. Decisions to “lurk” arose from the need for these brokers to negotiate diverse boundaries: the boundaries of micro-culture associated with communication contexts, the theory-practice boundary, role boundaries, and the online-offline boundary. Combining the concept of polycontextuality with boundary spanning theory, we propose an alternative way of understanding both lurking and online communities: the three-tier knowledge transfer ecosystem (KTE), a system of engagement spaces comprising diverse online and offline contexts in which individuals make continual decisions to cross between less- or more-visible settings. The study illustrates how key phenomena may remain invisible without a shift in level of analysis, and how using an anachronistic concept to frame a study can unintentionally constrain its value

How CIOs Can Effectively Use Influence Behaviors

To accomplish their objectives, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) must rely on their abilities to influence members of top management. Effective use of influence behaviors can make the difference between successful and less successful CIOs. But aspiring senior managers are rarely formally taught how to influence others. They learn informally on the job. This article explores influence behaviors and their appropriate use by CIOs. It first describes 11 common influence behaviors—rational persuasion (logical arguments), apprising (emphasizing expected benefits), inspirational appeal, consultation, collaboration, personal appeal, ingratiation, exchange, legitimating (connected to precedent), coalition (asking others to persuade), and pressure. Then this article discusses which of the 11 are most effective in four scenarios that CIOs face: when the CIO is viewed either as a true peer of top management or as a supportive subordinate, and when the CIO is presenting either a high-stakes strategic initiative or a lower-stakes incremental one

CIO Lateral Influence Behaviors: Gaining Peers\u27 Commitment to Strategic Information Systems

In order to develop and bring to fruition strategic information systems (SIS) projects, chief information officers (CIOs) must be able to effectively influence their peers. This research examines the relationship between CIO influence behaviors and the successfulness of influence outcomes, utilizing a revised model initially developed by Yukl (1994). Focused interviews were first conducted with CIOs and their peers to gain insights into the phenomenon. A survey instrument was then developed and distributed to a sample of CIO and peer executive pairs to gather data with which to test a research model. A total of 69 pairs of surveys were eventually used for data analysis. The research model was found to be generally meaningful in the CIO–top management context. Furthermore, the influence behaviors rational per- suasion and personal appeal exhibited significant relationships with peer commitment, whereas exchange and pressure were significantly related to peer resistance. These results provide useful guidance to CIOs who wish to propose strategic information systems to peers

Determination of the Alignment between Information Systems and Marketing

This paper addresses the challenge of measuring alignment. Two different approaches are developed: one based on seven dimensions of strategic orientation; and one based on eight dimensions of market orientation. A formula is developed for the calculation of alignment. The formula is applied to a survey of 175 large New Zealand companies. Analyses of the results suggest overall similarity between the strategic orientation and market orientation approaches, yet with distinct differences which might impact on business performance