Exploring the Downside of IT Outsourcing: Outsourcing Tactics, Layoffs, and Organizational Outcomes

The beginning of the new millennium has been characterized by increased outsourcing and off-shoring of IT work. One outcome of this spurge has been massive layoffs of IT workers, with different companies following different approaches to downsizing IT workers. There is very limited empirical research examining layoff approaches accompanying IT outsourcing decisions and resultant organizational outcomes. Addressing this gap, this research study seeks to: (i) understand downsizing approaches accompanying IT outsourcing efforts and propose a conceptual typology for IT personnel layoffs, (ii) identify key factors that determine a firm’s choice of layoff approach while carrying out their IT outsourcing initiatives and, (iii) examine the organizational outcomes that result from IT outsourcing and accompanied IT personnel layoffs. We discuss our conceptual model linking outsourcing, layoff approaches and organizational outcomes and present details of our on-going research project

LEAPing forward: A Case Study Employing High Impact Practices in Undergraduate Education

In support of a major curriculum association initiative adopted by a large Midwestern business college, faculty adopted a hands-on community service-based project in an undergraduate business project management course. The project was developed in order to incorporate the specific High-Impact Educational Practice (HIP) of service or community-based learning, as defined by the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative. This research describes (1) how the project management faculty revised the course to incorporate service and community-based learning, (2) related student activities, (3) preliminary results, and (4) next steps

Project Management with a Purpose: Delivering Project Management Education through Service Learning

This research describes the development of an introduction to project management (IPM) course taught in the business college of a Midwestern University. Due in part to an educational initiative launched by the University, the IPM was revised to follow a service-learning model. Following an overview of service-learning pedagogy, related theoretical perspectives, benefits, and practical considerations, we describe the prior learnings on implementing service-learning in project-based courses and in particular, the development of the IPM course and our intentions to develop a model of student outcomes of service-learning for project management education. We collected surveys from 85 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the course to examine student attitudes toward service-learning, impacts of service-learning, and adoption of project management career skills due to participation in the service-learning project. We intend to analyze the student data in order to identify the key constructs and relationships that affect learning outcomes

Panel: Service-Learning in Information Systems Education

This panel discussion will explore service-learning in Information Systems (IS) education. Service-learning or community-based learning is a High Impact Practice promoted through the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative. Service-learning or community-based learning, as defined by LEAP, is a teaching approach that combines community service with formal classroom instruction, enabling students to apply course topics in a real-world environment and to reflect on their experiences within the classroom. Topics that will be addressed include reasons for introducing service learning experiences into the IS curriculum, challenges with implementing service-learning projects in IS courses, and critical success factors. Faculty belonging to institutions that have or are in the process of adopting the LEAP initiative as well as individuals that have an interest in incorporating real-world projects in the classroom are encouraged to attend

Life After IT Outsourcing: Lessons Learned from Resizing the IT Workforce

IT outsourcing typically leads to a readjustment in terms of size, roles, and responsibilities of IT employees in client firms, referred to here as IT resizing. In this study, we focused on the usage of three common approaches to resizingâ€â€downsizing (layoffs), outplacement (transferring employees to a vendor), and inplacement (internal transfer)â€â€and the impacts of these approaches on retained IT workers. We apply the concept of “psychological contracts†to highlight the issues that arise in executing these three approaches. Based on our study of 12 firms, we provide guidelines for IT managers to help them not only achieve their IT resizing goals, but to restore and renew their psychological contracts with their retained IT employees

Meeting the eDiscovery Challenge: Information Technology and Compliance at KMCO Gaming

With the advent of federal regulations such as the Sarbanes Oxley act and the amended Federal Rules for Civil Procedure guidelines, KMCO Gaming, a leading casino gaming firm, is grappling with managing electronic data and records in compliance with legal requirements. In the midst of a major lawsuit against a rival company, KMCO has decided to purchase an electronic discovery (E-Discovery) solution. E-Discovery is the process of finding and producing digital information needed as evidence for legal matters. To implement such a solution, KMCO would need to develop a formal governance structure, processes for electronic file storage and sharing, and technology tools to support the new E-Discovery system. This case provides an overview of the regulatory landscape that impacts management of electronic records and highlights some of the organizational challenges that may impede the ability for IT management to successfully deliver IT compliance initiatives

Enterprise Architecture, IT Effectiveness and the Mediating Role of IT Alignment in US Hospitals

Despite the possible benefits of implementing healthcare information technologies, successful implementation of effective healthcare information technology is constrained by cultural and regulatory concerns and technical obstacles encountered when establishing or upgrading an organisation\u27s enterprise infrastructure. In this paper, we advance Ross\u27 four-stage model of enterprise architecture maturity as a valuable IT resource for helping healthcare organisations sustain a competitive advantage. We use partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling to analyse survey data from 164 US hospitals at different stages of EA maturity. Our results provide evidence that enterprise architecture maturity directly influences the effectiveness of hospitals\u27 IT resources for achieving strategic goals. Further, enterprise architecture maturity indirectly influences the effectiveness of IT resources when IT alignment is incorporated as a mediating variable. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice and suggest opportunities for future research