A Method to Estimate High-Dimensional Synergistic Interactions: A Case Study on Information Technology Business Value

In describing cause and effect relationships, difficulties may arise when two or more factors act as causes of a particular outcome. The complication results from the possibility that any one or more of the factors modify the extent to which others provide an effect. Such complex multi-factor interactions imply that multiple causal chains have at least some part in common; thus the evaluation of the synergistic effect of two or more causes is pertinent to the study of the causal mechanisms involved. The aim of this paper is to propose a new approach to systematically analyse combinations of interacting causal factors that might lead to good outcomes. Our approach was demonstrated on data from a highly complex field; a large dataset about Information Technology impact on business value collected by the Australian Department of Communication, IT and Art. Experimental evaluation confirms that this approach is able to statistically estimate the magnitude of higher-order interactions from multiple causal factors. Hence, synergistic interactions can be hypothesised and tested between any number of factors

Guidelines and an Example of Applying ELeRS - A Framework for Scoping E-Learning Research in Healthcare

Healthcare is a large, complex industry, involving many stakeholders, involving issues at individual, organizational, inter-organizational, and/or international levels. The ELeRS framework was recently formulated to help scope e-learning research in the healthcare industry. In this paper, we describe some practical guidelines to assist researchers use this framework. These guidelines assist researchers to either formulate an independent research study or a series of related studies, using the defined framework. A summary of the framework is first presented, followed by the guidelines, and then a concrete example of how it can be applied. Our experience shows ELeRS systematize the scoping of new research in e-learning. Some lessons learnt are discussed also

Issues around firm level classification of IT investment

This paper describes two stages of research-in-progress studying the classification of IT investment from the accounting perspective. It addresses the overlooked input side of IT business value research and explores how firms report and classify IT asset and expenses. In the part of the study, we found only 8% of firms report their IT expenditure separately from other forms of expenditure, a finding inconsistent with the increased reliance on IT in modern business practice. In the second part, we further explore the accounting and financial reporting standards that lead to the first finding. The research highlights issues related to inconsistency in reporting of IT at the firm level

A Network-Based Deterministic Model for Causal Complexity

Despite the widespread use of techniques and tools for causal analysis, existing methodologies still fall short as they largely regard causal variables as independent elements, thereby failing to appreciate the significance of the interactions of causal variables. The prospect of inferring causal relationships from weaker structural assumptions compels for further research in this area. This study explores the effects of the interactions of variables in the context of causal analysis, and introduces new advancements to this area of research. In this study, we introduce a new approach for the causal complexity with the goal of making the solution set closer to deterministic by taking into consideration the underlying patterns embedded within a dataset; in particular, the interactions of causal variables. Our model follows the configurational approach, and as such, is able to account for the three major phenomena of conjunctural causation, equifinality, and causal asymmetry

Analyzing and Testing Knowledge Management Complementarity Structures

Recent research on firm level productivity and organizational performance has highlighted the importance of complementarity among organizational practices. A number of studies have developed methods to test the existence of complementarity among such organizational variables. However, despite these advances in the study of industrial organization and management, our understanding of the complementarity structures remains sketchy. In this paper, we seek to advance research on this topic by identifying different classes of complementarity structures and developing a testing procedure for each class. A three-level testing procedure is developed to find complementarity structures which can be categorized into four different classes: non-complementarity, critical complementarity, non-critical asymmetric complementarity, and non-critical symmetrical complementarity. The testing method is illustrated by using an empirical illustration of a range of knowledge management (KM) strategies as they impact on knowledge creation processes in organizations

Analysing Causal Complexities in IT Business Value Research

In the study of IT business value (ITBV), the notion of complementarities has been used to explain why firms with similar level of IT investments have received varying level of returns. Complementarities suggest that greater business value can be derived when IT investment is accompanied by other complementary organizational investments. This paper introduces a novel analytical approach called fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The method is based on principles of comparison used in the field of social and political science, and can be applied to explain the complex causality of IT business value. We have found that fsQCA was able to show that organizational factors in complex configurations may play different roles as core and periphery factors in affecting organizational performance. Such organizational practices have often been overlooked in many empirical studies but can play a non-trivial role in the organizational processes

Issues Of Unintended Consequences Of Electronic Medical Records: A Proposed Study Framework

While Electronic Medical Records (EMR) or prominent features within EMR have been hailed as an important step for advancing healthcare, a number of studies have noted that its introduction also brings unintended consequences (UCs) to healthcare organizations. According to the literature, the most disruptive type of unintended consequences is related to workflow issues, in that its occurrence will impede work efficiency. Existing literature defines UCs inconsistently and identifies discrepancies in the results addressing UCs, particularly those related to workflow issues. This paper first proposes an integration and systematization of the existing literature on the unintended consequences of EMR (including its various definitions and classifications), and then constructs a framework of studying UCs associated with workflow issues using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The main outcomes of a research based on this framework are: (1) a comprehensive understanding of workflow issues constituting the UCs pertaining to the study context, (2) a redesigned workflow addressing the workflow problems arising from the EMR implementations, and (3) suggested mitigation strategies addressing these issues The framework captures a series of phases for studying UCs relating to workflow issues. Our intended study will select a number of hospitals in a developing country as field sites and we also provide justification for our choice of the field sites

Different Perspectives on IT Business Value: An Integrative Approach

Despite growing evidence of a positive impact of Information Technology (IT) investments on firm performance, the variations in the results across organisations are still significant. This research takes a fresh approach by addressing complementarity impacts of organisational practices on three different dimensions of IT business value (ITBV). The goal is to identify important organisational practices and empirically test the synergistic relationships among them and their impacts on different dimensions of IT business value. We implemented an integrative approach to analyse the complex interactions among multiple organisational practices. First, we categorised ITBV into four dimensions based on different management objectives: strategic, informational, transactional and organisational transformation. Second, organisational configuration for each ITBV dimension is identified using regression trees. Third, a formal complementarity test was performed on each configuration pattern. Our findings indicate that the set of organisational practices affecting each dimension of ITBV is different. Hence, IT complementary factors that affect particular dimensions of ITBV do not necessarily have the same effect on other dimensions

Evaporation of Concentrated Polymer Solutions is Insensitive to Relative Humidity

A recent theory suggests that the evaporation kinetics of macromolecular solutions is insensitive to the ambient relative humidity (RH) due to the formation of a ‘polarisation layer’ of solutes at the air-solution interface. We confirm this insensitivity up to RH ≈ 80% in the evaporation of polyvinylalcohol solutions from open-ended capillaries. To explain the observed drop in evaporation rate at higher RH, we need to invoke compressive stresses due to interfacial polymer gelation. Moreover, RH-insensitive evaporation sets in earlier than theory predicts, suggesting a further role for a gelled ‘skin’. We discuss the relevance of these observations for respiratory virus transmission via aerosols