The Improvisation Effect: A Case Study of User Improvisation and Its Effects on Information System Evolution

Few studies have examined interactions between IT change and organizational change during information systems evolution (ISE). We propose a dynamic model of ISE where change dynamics are captured in four dimensions: planned change, improvised change, organizational change and IT change. This inductively-generated model yields a rich account of ISE and its drivers by integrating the four change dimensions. The model shows how incremental adjustments in IT and organizational processes often grow into a profound change as users improvise. We demonstrate the value of the dynamic model by illustrating ISE processes in the context of two manufacturing organizations implementing the same system over a study period of five years. This paper makes its contribution by holistically characterizing improvisation in the context of IT and organizational change. Our ISE model moves research in organizational and IT change towards a common framing by showing how each affects the other’s form, function and evolution

How Information Systems Evolve by and for Use

Few studies have examined dynamic interactions between IT change and organizational change during information system evolution (ISE). We propose a dynamic model of ISE which characterizes ISE related change in four dimensions: 1) planned, 2) improvised, 3) organizational, and 4) IT related. The model- generated inductively through theory-building case studies - enables us narrate a more comprehensive explanation of ISE over time- in particular how such evolution is orchestrated by both planned and improvised change, which tacks between technical and organizational modifications. The model thus recognizes dynamic interactions between organizational and IT change by showing how incremental/improvised changes in IT or organizational processes evolve into pervasive and permanent change when organizations institutionalize these improvisations into new permanent IT designs and revised organizational routines. We demonstrate the analytical value of the proposed evolution model by investigating ISE processes in two manufacturing organizations implementing the same inter-organizational system over a period of two years. This multi-site case study research allows us to more systematically characterize significant socio-technical changes triggered by user improvisation. Our model and associated empirical analysis moves explorations of organizational and IT change towards a more unified understanding of how both mutually affect the form, function and evolution of the other

Globalization of E-Commerce: Growth and Impacts in the United States of America

The paper outlines a case study of US Ecommerce over the past 5 years. The case describes key factors that position the US for leadership in the realm of global Ecommerce, while pointing out inherent risk areas that could threaten this position. It does so utilizing a list of drivers and inhibitors as the basis for analysis in the context of an overview of the US National Environment; its inherent characteristics and their propensity to promote Ecommerce; the Governmental Policies that serve to enable the diffusion of Ecommerce; the level of Ecommerce Readiness that the US has attained through its infrastructure and societal characteristics; the resulting level of Ecommerce Diffusion and finally the Social and Economic Impacts that Ecommerce has had to date and is expected have in the future

EXPLORING THE EVOLUTION OF IS EDUCATION: A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM REVIEW

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Meeting the Challenge of IS Curriculum Modernization: A Tutorial on the Successful Overhaul and Continuous Improvement of the IS Curriculum at Ohio University

The IS department in the Ohio University College of Business recently completed a comprehensive curriculum overhaul, which spanned the last 2 years. This process involved discarding most course material and starting from scratch in the development of an entirely new curriculum, which was designed to be consistent, highly integrated, more modern and reflective of the “real world”. Through a highly collaborative and cooperative effort between department instructors, student focus groups and our executive advisory board, this project has been a tremendous success. New courses, which meet aggressive improvement goals, have been successfully rolled out in most areas over the past five quarters. The decision to move forward with this initiative was driven by consistent concerns expressed by faculty, students and the IS curriculum advisory board regarding the following: · Lack of clarity regarding the overall goals of the program, · General inconsistencies across the curriculum, · Use of outdated course materials, · Methodologies, tools and deliverables for system development that did not reflect the “real world”. Therefore, the goal of this project was to develop an overall vision for the IS program, and to use it to drive the development of a curriculum in which all courses were consistent, highly integrated, more modern and reflective of actual industry development methodologies, tools and deliverables. Our preliminary research has validated the new curriculum, as we have seen elevated course evaluations and highly positive feedback from students, employers and the executive advisory board. It is our expectation that enrollment in the IS major will also increase significantly as a result of this project. In this tutorial, we plan to describe the details of our curriculum overhaul process, the resulting System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) curriculum model and descriptions of the new courses. We will also present in detail, two of our marquis courses: MIS 201 – Information Analysis and Design and MIS 420 - Advanced System Development, sharing course content, deliverables, sample projects and innovative ideas. Throughout this tutorial, we will offer anecdotes and contextual quotes to make the session lively and real. Our goal in conducting this tutorial is to share our success story in the hopes that other IS departments will benefit from our lessons learned

Meeting the Challenge of IS Curriculum Modernization: A Guide to Overhaul, Integration, and Continuous Improvement

Information Systems (IS) departments are facing challenging times as enrollments decline and the field evolves, thus necessitating large-scale curriculum changes. Our experience shows that many IS departments are in such a predicament as they have not evolved content quickly enough to keep it relevant, they do a poor job coordinating curriculum development, and they do not market the major well. For these very reasons, our IS department was on the verge of extinction, as enrollment was down over 56% (down from 475 to 208 students) over a two-year period (2001-2003), while college enrollment remained constant at approximately 1900 students. We submit that these issues can and must be addressed proactively in order for IS programs to survive. This paper conveys the approach we used to revamp our IS curriculum. We present the curriculum overhaul process and lessons learned in our successful revamp project that enabled us to transform our program into one of the most successful in our business college. Through our efforts, we have increased enrollment 75% from 2003. We hope that our lessons learned will help others facing similar challenges

Diffusion and Impacts of E-Commerce in the United States of America: Results from an Industry Survey

The paper provides baseline conditions of U.S. e-commerce in the post-dot.com era. The article examines the key factors that act as determinants of e-commerce diffusion. It is based on qualitative analysis of U.S. industry survey data, matched to a similar data and analyses from other countries. It presents data taken from one of the most comprehensive sample surveys of U.S. firm activity in e-commerce. The paper analyzes differences among three industry sectors, and between small/medium and large firms using both qualitative interpretations and direct observations from the survey data, as well as use of structural equation modeling of e-commerce diffusion and impacts. Some differences in e-commerce orientation and experience were found across the three industry sectors studied in the survey. These differences are related largely to the nature of the tasks done in the respective industries, and to prior industry-level investment and learning related to e-commerce. There were also differences found in e-commerce attitudes and experience between small/medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and large establishments. Only modest differences were found between U.S. and non-U.S. establishments. Quantitative analysis revealed significant regression relationships with their level of statistical significance. Results show that e-commerce adoption is path dependent (i.e., establishments follow earlier investment patterns), and that each industry\u27s market and institutional context play a significant role in adoption

Globalization and E-Commerce VII: Environment and Policy in the U.S.

The United States is a global leader in both Business-to-Customer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) electronic commerce. This leadership comes in part from the historical US strengths in information technology, telecommunications, financial services, and transportation - all of which are essential enabling components of e-commerce. The size and strength of the US economy, the wealth of its consumer base, and the relatively open access to venture capital creates an attractive environment for e-commerce investment. Official US Government policy toward e-commerce is to let the private sector take the lead, with government helping to make the business climate right for innovation and investment. Prior US Government investments in essential e-commerce infrastructure for military purposes (e.g., digital computing, the Internet) and for civilian purposes (e.g., interstate highways, air transport) played an important role in the US lead in e-commerce. US Government policies favoring widespread economic liberalization since the 1970\u27s in areas such as financial services, transportation, and telecommunications helped enable and stimulate private sector investment and innovation in e-commerce. The collapse of the dot.com era in the late 1990\u27s hit key sectors of e-commerce hard, suggesting that some of the more dramatic and positive predictions of e-commerce growth and impact will either be delayed substantially or will not come to pass. The strength of surviving e-commerce companies (e.g., Amazon and eBay), as well as the relative stability of the technology sector (e.g., Cisco Systems, Dell, Intel, IBM) and the continued investment of large industry sectors (e.g., autos, finance) suggest that e-commerce is still growing and is here to stay. Consumers are intrigued by B2C e-commerce, and many have used such services, but serious concerns related to privacy and transaction security remain obstacles to universal adoption of B2C e-commerce

Meeting dynamic IS market demands: Leveraging consulting practices to guide curriculum reform. Issues is Information Systems,

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