Environmentally Sustainable ICT: A Critical Topic for IS Research?

This paper aims to increase awareness and understanding of the environmental sustainability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and to highlight the opportunities for timely action by Information Systems (IS) researchers and practitioners in this field. Through examples from a diversity of literature sources this paper defines the problems and the scope of ICT environmental sustainability. The potential for inclusion of this topic in the mainstream of Information Systems (IS) research is evaluated by testing the definition, scope and examples against both Barki et al.’s (1993) Keyword Classification Scheme for IS Research Literature and a current test for classification as IS research. This paper concludes that: the issue of environmental sustainability of ICT is applicable to the mainstream of IS research; the research issue is sustainable; and warrants urgent action by IS researchers. Contributions include: review of multi-disciplinary literature to better inform the reader; proposal of a definition of the environmental sustainability of ICT derived from the literature; description of the scope; presentation of a rationale for IS researchers to contribute to resolution of the issue; and submission of a research taxonomy to facilitate IS research activity into aspects of the environmental sustainability of ICT

Developing Organizational Capabilities in SMEs: Enabling Environmentally Sustainable ICT

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have made significant contributions to business innovation and wealth generation for organisations, societies and nations. ICT have also made significant contributions to environmental degradation. Confronted by the necessity to respond to growing environmental concerns in society, regulatory imperatives and market pressure, many business leaders express uncertainty about how best to proceed. The challenges of environmental sustainability are particularly acute for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) due to their limited capabilities to initiate significant change without external assistance. With a track record of investigating diverse aspects of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) applications and practices in organizations, Information Systems (IS) researchers appear well placed to provide such assistance. Unfortunately, IS researchers have failed to engage with environmental sustainability of ICT as either a problem requiring resolution or as an opportunity to present innovative solutions.This paper aims to facilitate development of SME business practice in the environmental sustainability of ICT and promotion of an industry-relevant IS research agenda. Contributions are: identification and categorization of a diversity of literature sources to inform SMEs on the topic; proposal of a stages of development framework for building SME capabilities in ICT environmental sustainability based on current literature and a case study of leading SME practice; and proposal of an industry-relevant IS research agenda. Implications of the framework for SMEs and for IS research are discussed

A comprehensive IS-enabled framework and IS research agenda to improve contributions to environmental sustainability by universities

For more than 25 years, universities have been acknowledged as having the potential to make crucial contributions to addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability. During this time, many universities have undertaken activities in support of sustainability, although few have succeeded in realizing their potential to make significant contributions in research and education or as adopters of sustainable practices within their institutions.This paper aims to assist universities to improve their contributions to the challenges of environmental sustainability by: reviewing current literature guiding universities to support sustainability; identifying gaps in the literature; and, proposing a composite framework to facilitate contributions by IS-enabled innovations that significantly improve the level of sustainability behaviours and practices in universities. An IS research agenda integrated with the Composite Framework is proposed.<br /

Transforming University Contributions to the Challenges of Environmental Sustainability: A Field Study

In 1987, the United Nation’s Brundtland Commission on Environment and Development appealed for educational institutions to put the world onto the paths to sustainability. Since the 1980s, many universities have attempted to make crucial contributions to addressing the challenges of sustainability, at some level. Unfortunately, despite considerable activity, few universities have succeeded in realizing their potential to make significant contributions to environmental sustainability in research or education or as adopters of sustainable practices within their institutions. This paper aims to assist universities in achieving greater contributions to the challenges of sustainability by examining drivers, inhibitors, activities and outcomes in a longitudinal field study of sustainability initiatives at a single university over a period of 20 years. Insights include the key role for IS-enabled innovation and integrated roles for IS scholars

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ICT: DEVELOPING CORPORATE CAPABILITIES AND AN INDUSTRY-RELEVANT IS RESEARCH AGENDA

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have made significant contributions to business innovation and wealth generation for organisations, societies and nations. ICT have also made significant contributions to environmental degradation. Confronted by the necessity to respond to growing environmental concerns in society, regulatory imperatives and market pressure, many executives express uncertainty about how best to proceed. IS researchers have investigated diverse aspects of ICT applications and practices in organizations over the last 30 years but IS research literature, to date, has provided little assistance to those organizations unsure about how, where and when to respond to imperatives for their ICT applications and practices to become \u27Green\u27. This paper aims to facilitate the development of corporate practice in the environmental sustainability of ICT and to promote an industry-relevant Information Systems research agenda. Its contributions are: an overview of the topic from a diversity of literature sources; proposal of a stages of development framework for corporate capabilities in ICT environmental sustainability based on the literature and on the experiences of a global ICT services corporation recognised as a leader in its environmental sustainability activities; and proposal of an industry-relevant IS research agenda. Implications of the framework for corporate practice and for IS research are discussed

Is-Enabled Innovation To Overcome Resistance And Improve Contributions To Sustainability By Universities: An Is Research Agenda

Since 1987, universities have been acknowledged as having the potential to make a crucial contribution to addressing the challenges of sustainability. Although many universities have attempted to make contributions towards sustainability at some level, few have succeeded in realizing their potential to make significant contributions in research, education or as adopters of sustainable practices within their institutions. This paper aims to assist universities to improve their contributions to the challenges of sustainability by clarifying the drivers and inhibitors of organizational initiatives and by proposing a model of IS- enabled innovation for universities to promote renewed efforts. An IS research agenda is proposed that is integrated with the model of IS-enabled organizational innovation to support adoption and diffusion of IS-enabled innovation in this domain

World-Class IS-Enabled Business Innovation: A Case Study of IS Leadership, Strategy & Governance

While many global corporations acknowledge they lack corporate capabilities for successful technology-enabled business innovation, an Australian financial services provider has been ranked by an international ratings agency in its highest categories due to the capabilities of its Information Systems. Its Loan Processing system has been commended by the ratings agency as the principal reason for its high ranking and for the organization’s inclusion on a global list of selected service providers. This paper presents a longitudinal case study of how an organization with 750 employees located in rural Australia came to develop world-class strategic Information Systems. From its first system nearly 30 years ago, this paper shows how the organization has grown in-house capabilities to devise, develop, implement and manage applications of technology from operational systems that automate specific functions to systems that inform and enable enterprise strategy. The implications for theory and practice are discussed

Disruptive Transformation of Enterprise Supply Chain Performance: Strategic Business Networks to Improve Business Value

In a dynamically changing world, business must transform to survive. Although the necessity for change may be apparent, how to change is not. A useful approach can be to learn how successful pioneers transform a core business function such as procurement: how organisations acquire assets and inputs including facilities, materials and people. Traditionally, the business objective for procurement has been to increase availability of purchased materials and to reduce costs. Subsequently, the objective became more tactical. Leading procurement practice today is disruptive; beyond cost to creating value. The strategy for market leaders has also transformed; from competition to collaboration. Technology-enabled procurement networks are now key to driving business disruption globally. Through a rigorous field study of two world-class pioneering corporations, this paper explores how digital disruption is transforming procurement functions. The impact on Enterprise Supply Chains, contributions and implications for current IS theory and practice are discussed