The Impact of Instant Messaging in the Workplace

The use of instant messaging (IM) technology at work is controversial, due to the interruptions it may cause and the difficulties associated with quantifying its benefits. In this study, we investigate the use and impact of IM tools in the workplace. Based on the communication performance theories and social network theory, we propose that the use of IM will result in work disturbance, improved communication quality and the establishment of trust between colleagues. These mediating variables will in turn enhance group outcomes. Our research model is validated by a survey of 253 working professionals. The data suggests IM can significantly contribute to communication performance in the workplace, where the benefits overwhelm the work interruption caused. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Subverting Organisational IT Policy:A Case in China

Studies of the dark side of Information Systems are encountered with increasing frequency. In this paper, we investigate how selected hotel employees in China deliberately subvert IT Policy in order to gain access to the IT applications that they believe essential to work. Following a review of the literature on IT governance, resistance and subversion, we engage in an interpretive case study of employee practices, drawing on the Work Systems framework to analyse employees’ work practices and subversive behaviour. We suggest that subversive IT behaviour may be more common than the limited literature would suggest and encourage researchers to probe these organisational practices and solutions in depth

INVESTIGATING TRANSACTIVE MEMORY SHAPED BY KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT TOOLS – PROPOSING A LONGITUDINAL STUDY IN CHINA

Chinese firms are increasingly paying attention to the knowledge resources of their employees – and are seeking to leverage those recourses for the greater good of the firm. Based on prior research, we aim firstly to develop and test a theoretical model that explains the salient factors determining successful Knowledge Management (KM) practice in Chinese firms. We argue that the use of both formal and informal KM tools have significant impacts on shaping a firm’s transactive memory (TM), where the impacts are moderated by employees’ cultural orientation. In turn, TM has significant positive impacts on enhancing organisational performance. We will follow the theoretical validation with a case-based, action-oriented intervention. We have preliminarily identified two firms in each of the Public Relations and IT Services Offshoring industries that are interested in participating in the research. The theoretical validation will also involve survey-based data collection and statistical analysis. We aim to discover how specific KM practices influence key dimensions of organisational performance such as financial profits, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, personal productivity and employee satisfaction. We expect that this two-pronged approach will generate knowledge of significant value to both KM researchers and organisation

The Power Of Networks And Information Flows--In Circuits Of Power Perspective On Online Religion

This paper examines the tension between ICT users and legitimate authority in a network society. To explore this tension, this study reports a case study in the setting of a Taiwanese Christian church, particularly how the church authority was affected by the adoption of new technology. Drawing from a circuits of power perspective, the result of this study reveals that the intertwined relationship among information technology, social structure and users during the process of technology adoption and assimilation. The findings indicate that the implementation of Internet technologies in the church has challenged the traditional role of authority and distorted the power of information flow among stakeholders in the church. Our work shed light on how Internet technologies shape, and are shaped by the membership and belief in the context of religion

Achieving Online Relationship Marketing via Tourism Blogs: A Social Network Perspective

Drawing upon the literature on social network analysis, this research examines how part-time marketers use tourism blogs to conduct relationship marketing with their customers. The findings from an interpretive case study indicate that the network pictures of part-time blog marketers can be categorized into three distinct models: the “fan club,” the “compliance,” and the “creative outlet” models. Our findings also suggest that different network pictures lead to different network management strategies for blogs. Moreover, providing instrumental support and especially material support by blog marketers play significant roles in aggrandizing this transitivity, which helps to attract more visitors to blog sites. We believe that the innovation and the potential connections derived from the individualistic styles of some bloggers and the hedonic emotional support given to tourism blogs should not be overlooked. Our findings also indicate that more incentives and freedom should be provided to tourism business bloggers in order to prosper in their grassroots use of technology. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol5/iss4/2

Towards a Model for Building Information Awareness in Crisis Situations

In crisis situations access to information is key to reduce uncertainty and enable effective decision making. With the advent of modern information technologies there is an abundance of possibilities to obtain, process, and share information. The number of actors that can potentially provide information has grown concomitantly. The challenge therefore is no longer the availability of information but rather the ability to find and connect with actors providing information in a volatile and dynamic environment. This requires of organizations to be aware of the actors and their information potential, and actively build informational awareness. In this paper we propose a model for the development of the awareness of organizations of the information landscape during critical events. We validate this model using two case studies and extract key factors that contribute to the challenges and success of leveraging information potential of actors in a crisis

Modeling Shopping Cart Decisions

The most recent consumer propensity study by SAP indicates that online shopping cart abandonment is high and the associated reasons are complex. In order to examine this phenomenon, we construct online SCA decision as a discrete choice model (DCM) and capture consumer segments by a latent class model (LCM) in this research-in-progress (RIP) paper, grounded on the theories of product involvement, word of mouth, and consumer heterogeneity. We will apply the clickstream dataset from 78,746 consumers at a large Chinese online platform to verify the proposed models in future study. The objective of this research project is to scrutinize the heterogeneous impacts of product involvement and online reviews on shopping cart decision-making in view of individual-level sequential behavior and the associated products in the form of stock-keeping-unit items. We conclude this RIP paper with the discussion of potential theoretical contributions and managerial implications

The Professional Responsibilities of ERP Experts: A New Form of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

In this study, we examine how ERP experts engage in organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) that contribute towards work performance in the context of a manufacturing firm in China. Our interpretive case study reveals instances of OCB that correspond to salient characteristics of the Chinese culture. Key and new forms among these are: harmonious work relations and the willingness to help others plus workarounds, problem solving, job crafting, building role models and leadership. A primary driver of these instances of OCB is a strong sense of responsibility. This is implicitly associated in a morally obligatory fashion with specific job positions and leads employees at all levels to engage voluntarily in overtime work, undertaking whatever tasks are necessary, irrespective of whether these are part of their formal job descriptions. We also observe OCB’s potential for improving performance in both functional and social dimensions, as well as its impact on organizational agility