Oral History in Information Systems Research: a reconsideration of a traditional tool

Considerable research has been done on ERP implementation projects and their success in organisations of various size. Project management has been identified as one of the critical success factors of the ERP implementation. The results from IS implementation success studies cannot be generalised to the small and medium business context. Few project management studies investigate project management activities in SME ERP implementation context. Many leading scholars in recent studies recognise outcome-focused approach to projects. This applied to the context of SME ERP projects means the project is not finished until the strategic objectives of the business, which were the rationale for adopting ERP, are realised. In this research, perceived factors of ERP project success from perspective of various stakeholder groups will be investigated and contrasted with IS Model of Success. There is increasing emphasis on determining the best fit project management approach based on type project type. Using the criteria specified in one of the available project typology methods as the framework, different views on SME ERP project type will be examined to obtain greater understanding of best fit project management approach for this type projects. Finally, using PMI’s project management knowledge areas as the structure, the project management activities that could impact achieving ERP adoption objectives will be explored. Data will be collected using semi structured interviews with project managers and ERP consultants. Participants will be asked to reflect on their experiences in SME ERP projects. There are contradictory views on many issues in SME ERP projects in terms of project success, best fit project management approach, and project management practices. Critical hermeneutics as the mode of analysis will be used for interpreting the text and making sense of SME ERP project as a temporary organisation

A conceptual framework for value co-creation practices in C2C social commerce environment

The concepts of value creation and co-creation have been widely discussed, yet the contribution that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can make in this area is under-researched. The objective of this study is to investigate the nature of value creation and co-creation practices in C2C social commerce highlighting the role of ICT in the practices. This research in progress paper outlines the development of a framework which will be used to investigate the relationship between ICT and value creation in the C2C social commerce environment. The framework concentrates on four key elements in the co-creation of value: the role of ICT; relationships; actors; and types of value. The framework has been developed based on an extensive literature review of relevant research in the areas of Marketing and Information Systems. The intention is to test the framework on C2C social commerce sites in South East Asia

Investigating the Social Dimension of Alignment: Focusing on Communication and Knowledge Sharing

Strategic alignment has been viewed as one of the main concerns of management and IT executives. While the importance of alignment and the benefits that can result from it are not questioned, achieving and maintaining alignment is still a major concern facing organizations. This research focuses on the social dimension of alignment, and in particular on the two factors of communication and knowledge sharing. Five IT companies were selected for this empirical case study. The findings of the research revealed that the consistency of communication and knowledge sharing leading to alignment between IT and business objectives is of a high level. However the extent to which they can lead to alignment is affected by other factors that can inhibit or enhance their ability to achieve a seamless alignment outcome

The Sustainable Management of Used Mobile Phones: A Repertory Grid Analysis

Used mobile phones create a unique problem when it comes to managing electronic waste (E-waste).This study investigated what factors influence consumer attitudes towards adopting a more sustainable approach when dealing with their used mobile phones. A reuse, refurbish and recycle strategy (3R) was used as a lens to examine the current literature from which an initial model was developed. Using the repertory grid interview technique twelve participants in New Zealand were interviewed to try to determine their core beliefs when it came to managing their used mobile phones. The results of the study indicate that consumers care about the effect of used mobile phones on the environment and provide a direction in which to target educational messaging on sustainability and the impact of used mobile phones. Messages should focus on reusing and recycling, in order to achieve maximum value, in particular the negative effects of storing old mobile phones should be emphasized

An Exploration Of Historical Methods For Information Systems Research

This paper reports on the use of historical methods in a recent information systems doctoral research project. The paper concentrates on the use of the methodology rather than the findings themselves. The use of historical methods is rare in information systems and this paper outlines the valuable insights it can bring for researchers. Historical methods involve the collection of both primary and secondary sources of data, which are then analysed to establish relationships between cause and effect. The aim of the research project was to study the changing nature of hard information technology based networks and soft people based networks in two regions of New Zealand over a twenty year period. Historical methods enable the researcher to examine the way in which such factors develop over time. The most well known work on historical methods in information systems was carried out by Mason, McKenney & Copeland. Their seven step approach to using historical methods is explained and applied to the research problem. This research builds on their work by introducing three new aspects: firstly historical methods are applied in a regional context; secondly a conceptual framework is used for analysis, and thirdly data collection is carried out using regional newspapers

The Access, Influences and Motivations of Women Studying Information Technology in New Zealand

This study aimed at investigating the different factors that influence men and women to study IT in New Zealand. A comparison of the type of access, influential people and personal motivations was made between men and women studying IT in New Zealand. The data for this study was collected from 148 participants, 42 of which were women. The results show that there are specific people namely friends, fathers, brothers, teachers and partners in women’s lives and friends and fathers in men’s lives that influence their decision to study IT. The access men and women had to computers was found to be largely the same across genders. The majority of men and women were introduced to computers at home between the ages of 6 and 12 and both genders reported having high access at home and university and limited access at primary and secondary school. The nature of their access differed between genders and age groups. Finally, in terms of motivation, men and women were found to have different weightings of motivation for studying a career in IT. Men tended to have more intrinsic motivations, for example interest and enjoyment, whereas women had more extrinsic motivations, for example job opportunities

Strategies for Dealing with End-User Resistance

User resistance is a common occurrence when new information systems are implemented and can contribute to implementation failure. This research reviewed the literature on the reasons for end-user resistance and identified a number of strategies that could be used for dealing with end-user resistance, such as end-user support, participation, communication, training and consultant involvement on a project. The research investigated the effectiveness of these strategies for dealing with end-user resistance based on the opinions of IT project managers in New Zealand. The results of this research showed that IT project managers use all identified strategies on their IT projects. Among identified strategies various forms of communication, end-user participation and support have been rated as the most frequently used strategies. The results also showed that IT project managers rated end-user participation and communication strategies as the most effective for dealing with end-user resistance. The research also revealed some unexpected results, for example participants who use one-off and stage-wise training techniques experience more end-user resistance on their projects; and participants whose companies have external IT support in place to support users, also experience more resistance

Why customers participate in social commerce activities? – A laddering analysis

A new phenomenon emerging within virtual communities is a blurring between social and commercial activities. This paper explores the motivations of customers who participate in social commerce, The chosen context is micro-businesses operated by members of a virtual community of Malay lifestyle bloggers. Observations were carried out and 21 participants were interviewed in order to build an understanding of the community. We used laddering techniques in order to answer the research questions, which is “what is the relationship between participation in virtual communities and their participation in social commerce?” We found that virtual community relationship was the main influential factor, and that virtual community relationship contributed to the sense of social support as well as customers’ trust in social commerce

Collaborative Consumption: A New Zealand Case study

In a world where there are increasing concerns of resource scarcity, the emergent phenomenon of ICT enabled Collaborative Consumption Services (CCS), is becoming relevant as it presents a more efficient allocation of resources and is associated with the generation of social capital. There has been little research on CCS and how social capital is generated. This study aimed to address this gap in research through the use of a provisional unifying model to explore how social capital outcomes are generated amongst individuals participating in peer-to-peer CCS. Using an interpretivist world view, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight CCS users. Forms of bonding and bridging social capital were found to have been formed as a result of various interactions amongst CCS users, which produced different benefits such as connectedness, informational benefits and more efficient future transactions. This benefits spurred the CCS users to return to using the CCS or other CCS, amplifying social capital outcomes and thus creating a virtuous cycle. Technology was found to have performed two important roles during this process, one of gatekeeper and of relationship maintainer. This research project aimed to generate greater awareness and understanding of CCS which will hold implications for academics, local government and CCS designers

Implications of Environmental Uncertainty for Business-IT Alignment: A Comparative Study of SMEs and Large Organizations

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the influence of environmental uncertainty on business-IT alignment. The existing literature postulates environmental uncertainty as a key challenge to achieving business-IT alignment. Hence, the first objective of this study is to identify the extent of the impact of environmental uncertainty on business-IT alignment, and to determine its relative impact in the light of the other antecedents. Furthermore, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) differ fundamentally from large firms in many ways. Thus this paper also aims to investigate the variation between SMEs and large firms with regard to the antecedents for strategic alignment. Based on data collected from 212 firms, a conceptual model is tested against the research objectives. The findings provide important contributions to both research and practice by demonstrating the relative impact of environmental uncertainty, and showing how the antecedents of alignment vary between SMEs and large firms