“I’ll use IT the way I feel like it” – The influence of user emotions on ERP usage

Due to the growing importance of complex information systems (IS) such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), organizations spend millions of dollars to IS implementations. Implementation of ERP triggers a wide range of end user behaviors, which are strongly tied to ERP’s success and benefits. Despite the progress that has been made in understanding the acceptance and resistance towards voluntary IS usage, less is known about the role of end user behaviors in mandatory IS usage context. Drawing from coping theory and human-material agency perspective, this paper argues that users can show different behaviors in their ERP usage depending on how they feel about the ERP. Thus, we investigate the influence of both negative and positive emotions of users on their behaviors and how these behaviors affect usage satisfaction and frequency of the ERP. We develop a theoretical framework that classifies user behaviors into two distinct types: end user maneuver, and counterproductive work behavior. The role of these user behaviors on the relationship between both positive and negative emotions and ERP usage is studied through a survey of 271 ERP end users in the U.S. The results show that user behaviors positively mediate the relationship between emotions and ERP usage

Ambidexterity: The Interplay of Supply Chain Management Competencies and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems on Organizational Performance

Understanding the business value of information systems (IS) is one of the key issues among practitioners. Specifically, the role of IS in supply chain management (SCM) is one of the main areas that practitioners focus, as the largest portion of production costs are traceable back to supply chain costs. Hence, inter-organizational systems (IOS) gain importance as a result of the increased competition between supply chain networks. Particularly, implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP), which is a type of IOS, becomes the new trend among organizations. Although organizations use similar ERP, some gained significant benefits by using them, while others struggled to achieve the same level of success. The performance differences among ERP using organizations illustrate that ERP accrues several indirect benefits to organizational performance via intermediating organizational capabilities. SCM explorative and exploitative competencies are two such capabilities. Although, previous research indicates that ERP needs to be supported by mature SCM processes to maximize the benefits of ERP, there is still a lack of knowledge of how ERP is used to improve SCM competencies and increase performance. Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate the indirect benefits that accrue to organizations via the mediating effect of SCM competencies on the relationship between effective ERP usage for SCM and organizational performance. Customer relationship management (CRM), customer service management (CSM), supplier relationship management (SRM) are adopted as the three key ERP based SCM processes, and profitability, market value, and productivity are utilized as the three main aspects of overall organizational performance. PLS-SEM is used to investigate this relationship. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates that effective ERP usage for SCM improves SCM competencies, which leads to higher organizational performance. Specifically, the results suggest that although effective ERP usage for CRM is related to both SCM explorative and exploitative competence, effective ERP usage for CSM experience better SCM explorative competence, and effective ERP usage achieves better SCM exploitative competence. The results also indicate that, while SCM exploitative competence influences all three aspects of organizational performance, SCM explorative competence affects only the market value and organizations that manage to balance SCM explorative and exploitative competence efforts outperform their competitors

How to Generate More Value from IT: The Interplay of IT Investment, Decision Making Structure, and Senior Management Involvement in IT Governance

Information technology (IT) represents a large portion of an organization’s investments. Prior research has identified the linkage between IT investment and productivity. Numerous factors affect the value an organization can derive from its IT investment. However, extant literature has insufficiently studied IT governance’s impact on IT’s business value. In this study, we help to fill this gap by investigating the effects of IT decision making structure mechanisms and senior management’s IT governance involvement on the relationship between IT investment and organizational performance. This study builds on a novel framework that integrates two theories on IT in an organizational setting: strategic choice theory and contingency theory. We pool organization-level IT investment and IT governance practice data with other organization characteristics to investigate the moderating effects of IT governance practices. The empirical analyses reveal a positive moderating effect of IT decision marking structure mechanisms on the IT investment–organization performance relationship. Nevertheless, the results indicate that senior management’s IT involvement has no significant effect on this relationship. This study shows the importance of IT governance for organizations to effectively leverage their IT investment

Business Value of IT: Revisiting Productivity Paradox through Three Theoretical Lenses and Empirical Evidence

IT productivity paradox is one of the biggest debates in the IS literature. Even though, recent studies have identified the theoretical and methodological errors that cause this paradox, we still don’t fully understand how IT investment influences overall firm performance. This paper presents an empirical study that examines the influences of IT investment on firm performance. More importantly, this study investigates the impact of IT governance and knowledge sharing on IT investment and firm performance relationship. The paper builds on (1) resource-based view, (2) knowledge-based view, and (3) contingency theory. The findings confirm the influences of IT investment on firm performance and the time lag in this relationship. Moreover, findings of this study suggest that the interaction of IT investment and IT governance has positive and significant impact on firm performance

Role of Effective Internal Control Structure in Achievement of Targeted Success in Businesses

Due to economic relations evolving over time, technology and changing business environments, the way in which one of the management functions, “control”, is executed has undergone a number of changes. Accordingly, the management of a business has become unable to control operations directly, making it a necessity for businesses to obtain timely and reliable data for a number of purposes, including protecting assets, and eliminating or minimizing errors and frauds. Internal control structures, formed within the business to serve this purpose, have become more relevant in terms of protecting business assets, identifying the way operations are executed and ensuring execution of operations at the desired level of efficiency. Internal control is defined as a structure in businesses which is directed by board of directors, managers and employees, aims to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reliability of the financial reporting system, and compliance with laws, and is designed to provide reasonable assurance in these aims. Depending on the position they assume, officials at every level have responsibilities in the context of ensuring effective and efficient execution of the internal control structure in businesses, and accordingly, of corporate management, and attaining expected goals. This study will examine development of an effective internal control structure in terms of attaining expected success by businesses and the impact thereof on the business

ANALYSES OF MULTI-EDGE FOOTINGS RESTED ON LOOSE AND DENSE SAND

Shallow footings are generally designed as square, rectangular, strip, circular or ring in geotechnical engineering. In some cases, different shallow footing geometries (irregular footing geometries) also can be selected because of the static, architectural and economical reasons. Multi-edge shallow footings are irregular shaped footings having the number of the edges and sides greater than four. They are used to transmit the loads from the irregular shaped structures to the underlying soils safely and economically. The study presented herein describes the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and multi-linear regression model (MLR) for prediction of ultimate loads of multi-edge shallow footings. The data used in running of network models have been obtained from extensive series of laboratory model tests. The parameters investigated are the footing width, the footing length and the density of sand soil. A total of fifty tests were performed using the parameters of the footing geometry (H, +, T and square shaped), the footing size and the soil type (loose sand, dense sand) on the bearing capacity characteristics. The results of the experimental study proved that the soil density and the footing size had considerable eects on the load of and the ANN model serves as simple and reliable tool for predicting the behavior of the multi-edge footings

Internal Services Brand Orientation: Comparing the Perspectives of Managers, Employees, and Customers

Brand orientation plays an important role in creating competitive advantage. The success of a brand depends on the extent of the harmony between managerially advocated brand orientation, effective implementation of the brand orientation by staff, and appreciation of the brand orientation by customers. This requires brand orientation to be implemented during each touch point of the service delivery process, as the delivery of the brand is experienced by consumers in a process of co-creation with the service provider. To have a successful brand orientation, it is necessary to examine the perceptions of management, contact personnel, and consumers to discover if there is a consistent understanding of the brand orientation by these three parties. Perceptions of brand orientation should be aligned among these three groups because inconsistencies might have a negative effect on building a strong brand that would in turn impact brand performance, ultimately leading to a weaker service brand. Drawing from the literature, this research develops scale measurements to examine the relationships among internal brand orientation and its antecedent dimensions from the perspectives of contact personnel, managers, and customers of a service firm. The dimensions included to measure brand orientation are brand commitment, brand citizenship, positive word-of-mouth, affective brand commitment, brand image, attitude toward brand, and customer perceptions of brand performance. A seven-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree) was utilized. Because the data were collected for a convenience store chain and from its managers, personnel, and customers, the statements were modified accordingly. Positive relationships were hypothesized between the perceptions of brand orientation and its dimensions and perceptions of brand performance and customer outcome. After building a survey instrument and pre-testing it, the researchers administered the final survey to the contact personnel, managers, and customers of the family-owned convenience store chain. The finalized survey for customers was administered online through invitations on the social media channels of the convenience store chain (Facebook and Twitter), which were linked Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings March 2018 2 Copyright of the Author(s) and published under a Creative Commons License Agreement http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ to the survey. Employees were contacted directly with an e-mail invitation and link. A total of 2,738 customer and 232 employee surveys were appropriately completed and used in the data analysis. The SEM-PLS analyses reveal significant relationships among the brand orientation dimensions. Based on the Three Promises and Services Branding Triangle framework that suggested comparisons of perceptions between managers and contact personnel (internal), managers and customers (external), and contact personnel and customers (interactive), an ANOVA test was utilized. The results revealed that external and interactive brand orientation gaps exist in the perceptions of personnel, managers, and customers, but not between managers and personnel. The study helps to fill an existing void in the brand orientation literature

PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNATURES IN THE RETINA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND BIPOLAR DISORDER: AN OPTIC COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY STUDY

Background: Retina is considered as a window to the brain due to the similarities in terms of development and pathologies. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can perform quantitative examinations in the retina. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of drugs used in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD) on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness. Subjects and methods: The study included schizophrenia (n=35) and euthymic BD (n=46) patients on various medications, and age, gender matched healthy control group (n=31). For retinal evaluation, measurements of RNFL and macula were performed with Optovue RTVue Premier OCT. Results: In the schizophrenia group, chlorpromazine equivalent dose of antipsychotics was a statistically significant negative predictor of left RNFL nasal superior region thickness. In the BD group, serum valproate level was a significant positive predictor of thickness in the right macular inferior outer, left macular nasal outer region, right RNFL inferotemporal, left temporal and inferotemporal regions. Conclusion: Since the retina consists of neurons, morphological or functional examination of retina may be beneficial for the evaluation of the effects of psychopharmalogical treatments in schizophrenia and BD. The outcome of this study implies that valproate has neuroprotective effects on the optic nerve and macula, and this finding is consistent with the literature implying neurotrophic effects of valproate

An Examination of the effects of Fan-Based Brand Associations of a Professional Soccer League on League Brand Equity

The main objectives of this study are to 1) identify the relevant dimensions of the fan-based brand associations (FBBA) of a sports league and develop a measurement scale for FBBA, and 2) investigate the relationship between brand equity and its components (brand associations and internalization). Data are collected from 227 soccer fans and a partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis is conducted. The results indicate that player, referee, head coach, stadium, team success, (team) management, and soccer federation are significant dimensions of the sports league FBBA and that the FBBA and internalization can be applied to investigate the brand equity of professional sports leagues. The findings also suggest that league managers can collaborate with other key members of the industry (e.g., players, head coaches, or team managers) to develop a strong professional sports league

Hydatid cyst disease of the lung as an unusual cause of massive hemoptysis: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Echinococcosis and/or hydatidosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases in the world. In Turkey, echinococcosis is an endemic disease, however, hydatid disease of the lung is uncommon and usually caused by <it>Echinococcus granulosus</it>.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>In this report we describe a 17-year-old male patient who presented with massive hemoptysis due to hydatid disease of the lung.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although it is one of the less common causes of massive hemoptysis, hydatid disease of the lung requires greater attention in countries, such as Turkey, in which hydatid cyst disease is common.</p