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1 – 8 of 8Mohamed Alsudairi and Yogesh K. Dwivedi
In recent years a large number of studies have appeared on information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) outsourcing related issues but scattered in a number of distantly…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years a large number of studies have appeared on information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) outsourcing related issues but scattered in a number of distantly related publishing outlets which may hamper the use of such published resources and repetition of research conducted by various researchers. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic survey of the literature pertaining to research on IS/IT outsourcing.
Design/methodology/approach
The research aim was accomplished by extracting information on a number of relevant variables by conducting a review of 315 articles on IS/IT outsourcing published between 1992 and 2008.
Findings
The analysis is presented by listing and illustrating subject category, journals, year of publications and country, frequently published authors, productive institutions, the trend of collaborative nature (co‐author analysis) of research, the impact/influence of published research; topics/research issues and utilised methods, and the challenges and limitations of existing research.
Practical implications
Results of this research may have implications for both private and public sector organizations interested in outsourcing IS/IT services and applications, and various stakeholders of academic publishing (namely, researchers, journal editors, reviewers and universities) research on IS/IT outsourcing.
Originality/value
The primary value of this paper lies in extending the understanding of evolution and patterns of outsourcing research.
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Muhammad Mustafa Kamal and Mohamed Alsudairi
The application of enterprise application integration (EAI) technologies in integrating heterogeneous information systems (IS) has been pursued by several private and public…
Abstract
Purpose
The application of enterprise application integration (EAI) technologies in integrating heterogeneous information systems (IS) has been pursued by several private and public organisations. However, where EAI has added effectiveness and strengthened the information technology infrastructures in the private domain, local government authorities (LGAs) have been slow in adopting cost‐effective EAI solutions to significantly expand the capabilities of their conventionally inflexible IS. Despite EAI represents an attractive proposition to LGAs and offers the opportunity to leverage the IS into a seamless chain of processes, EAI has not been widely investigated in LGAs. Literature indicates several research studies mainly focusing on a number of different factors (e.g. benefits, barriers) influencing EAI adoption. However, due to plethora of different factors, it may not be sufficient for LGAs to take decisions by merely focusing on factors. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to assess and prioritise the factors influencing EAI adoption in LGAs through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique.
Design/methodology/approach
To investigate the less acknowledged phenomena like EAI adoption in LGAs, the author follows an interpretive, qualitative case study approach to conduct this research. This approach will assist in examining the phenomenon in its natural setting, examine the in‐depth complexities and processes, e.g. analysing and prioritising the importance of factors influencing the decision‐making process for EAI adoption, and provide considerable flexibility during interviews and observations.
Findings
According to the empirical findings, the proposed EAI adoption factors are appropriate for studying the research context. The analysis and study of the factors is made carefully and specifically to fit and be compatible within the context of an LGA. As a result, it is apparent from the empirical findings that most of the factors have influenced the decision‐making process for EAI adoption except two factors that are not tested.
Originality/value
The author takes into consideration the literature void and prioritise the importance the factors by introducing the AHP technique. This technique is substantial as it may enhance the analysis of EAI adoption in LGAs, tests and justifies the feasibility of AHP technique by a case study, and facilitates LGAs in realising the importance of EAI adoption factors. Hence, it significantly contributes to the body of knowledge and practice in this area and providing sufficient support to the management by speeding up the EAI adoption process.
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The purpose of this paper is to engage African subject matter experts to assist with a needs assessment of international capacity building for developing countries in Africa, to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to engage African subject matter experts to assist with a needs assessment of international capacity building for developing countries in Africa, to establish a prioritized list of capacity building keywords substantiated by a current literature review.
Design/methodology/approach
A pragmatic mixed-method research design was used which involved conducting literature reviews and applying a modified Delphi technique to determine future research needs. The credibility of these results was strengthened by selecting a Delphi subject matter expert panel from African countries including Benin, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Algeria and Nigeria. Non-parametric statistical techniques were used to objectively analyze the qualitative data and prioritize the findings.
Findings
The results clearly identified seven literature keywords which could improve future African capacity building research (in order of highest importance first): Trade Union (regional economic integration), Governance, FDI, Emigration, Education, Economic (small business stimulation), and Brain Gain. Additional keywords surfaced in the literature related to these ones, namely healthcare and brain drain (emigrating academics and scholars).
Research limitations/implications
The results of this study should generalize to government and capacity building policy administrators in Africa as well as to other researchers and practitioners in this field. The use of a novel modified Delphi technique should also be of interest to other researchers.
Originality/value
The modified Delphi technique commenced with a knowledge sharing conference where pre-selected subject matter experts collaborated to define the initial scope of questions. Another novel aspect of the customized Delphi technique was that the subject matter experts were required to conduct a literature review to substantiate their responses to questions.
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Abid Hasan, Abbas Elmualim, Raufdeen Rameezdeen, Bassam Baroudi and Andrew Marshall
The issue of low productivity has remained a very stern and chronic problem in construction projects. Previous studies have found poor communication as one of the leading causes…
Abstract
Purpose
The issue of low productivity has remained a very stern and chronic problem in construction projects. Previous studies have found poor communication as one of the leading causes of low-construction productivity. Recent advances in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to enhance communication and access to information in construction projects. However, the implications of the use of mobile ICT on construction productivity have not been investigated in sufficient depth, especially from the perspectives of its users, i.e. construction management (CM) professionals. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A focus group session involving ten experienced CM professionals from different organisations of the South Australian construction industry was moderated by a group of four researchers to gather data on mobile ICT usage and its implications for construction productivity.
Findings
Lack of training and guidelines on effective applications of these technologies to construction projects is a major bottleneck. Results indicate that despite noticeable advances in mobile ICT, differences in usage style and user attitude have limited their overall impact on productivity.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is based on data gathered from CM professionals working in the South Australian construction industry.
Practical implications
The study highlights the importance of strategising the use of mobile ICT to achieve the desired productivity rates through policy, training, work-life balance, and deeper and wider understanding of these technologies.
Originality/value
The study examines the perceptions of CM professionals on the usefulness of mobile ICT in construction projects and its implications for construction productivity.
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The purpose of this study is to analyze how strategic planning is used as critical success factors (CSF’s) in not-for-profit (NFP) organizations. This was because many nonprofits…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze how strategic planning is used as critical success factors (CSF’s) in not-for-profit (NFP) organizations. This was because many nonprofits had to innovate their operations owing to the global fiscal crises, the continuing international economic instability, natural disasters or the increasing man-made worldwide terrorism. Additionally, the objective is to identify what successful nonprofit organizations actually do to remain effective at the national association level of analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
A constructivist research design ideology is applied (in contrast to the customary positivist philosophy to collect quantitative). The literature is critically reviewed to identify NFP CSF’s and terms such as capacity building. NFP institutions are theoretically sampled using US-based retrospective data to identify practitioner CSF activities. Applying a constructivist research design ideology, the theoretical CSF’s from the literature review are compared to practitioner activities. Representatives of NFP organizations are invited to participate in a strategic planning exercise to identify the most important CSF’s from the literature and practice that would be needed in the future.
Findings
Seven of the nine United Nations NFP capacity building CSF’s are similar to NFP nine practitioner best practices. In comparison to the general literature, NFP practitioners applied leadership, strategic planning, innovation, documented procedures/training, human/technology resource management, financial management, accountability practices, ethical standards with professional communications policies, collaborative fundraising and marketing initiatives along with performance success evaluations.
Research limitations/implications
The sample was drawn theoretically from 44 nonprofit state-centered institutions in the USA. Although statistically the results pertain strictly to US-based nonprofits, the principles should generalize to other countries as revealed by the similarity with United Nations innovation and strategic planning recommendations.
Originality/value
The authors applied a strategic planning exercise with the 44 participants at their recommendations to prioritize the CSF’s. The result was an innovative SWOT-TOWS diagram that summarized how the nine CSF’s were prioritized and grouped into the three categories of market performance, ethical responsibility and human resources.
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Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini, Francesco Ciampi, Giacomo Marzi and Beatrice Orlando
Effectively handling knowledge is crucial for any organization to survive and prosper in the turbulent environments of the modern era. Leadership is a central element for…
Abstract
Purpose
Effectively handling knowledge is crucial for any organization to survive and prosper in the turbulent environments of the modern era. Leadership is a central element for knowledge creation, acquisition, utilization and integration processes. Based on these considerations, this study aims to offer an overview of the evolution of the literature regarding the knowledge management-leadership relationship published over the past 20 years.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis coupled with a systematic literature review were performed over a data set of 488 peer-reviewed articles published from 1990 to 2018.
Findings
The authors discovered the existence of four well-polarized clusters with the following thematic focusses: human and relational aspects, systematic and performance aspects, contextual and contingent aspects and cultural and learning aspects. The authors then investigated each thematic cluster by reviewing the most relevant contributions within them.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the bibliometric analysis and the systematic literature review, the authors developed an interpretative framework aimed at uncovering several promising and little explored research areas, thus suggesting an agenda for future knowledge management-leadership research. Some steps of the paper selection process may have been biased by the interpretation of the researcher. The authors addressed this concern by performing a multiple human subject reading process whose reliability was confirmed by a Krippendorf’s alpha coefficient value >0.80.
Originality/value
To the best knowledge, this is the first study to map, systematize and discuss the literature concerned to the topic of the knowledge management-leadership relationship.
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Mariam Rehman, Vatcharaporn Esichaikul and Muhammad Kamal
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors that enable citizens to adopt e‐Government services in a society which is at a rudimentary stage of e‐Government…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors that enable citizens to adopt e‐Government services in a society which is at a rudimentary stage of e‐Government adoption. To achieve the objective of the research study, an integrated conceptual model has been proposed and validated which is based on sound theoretical conditions, keeping in view the local context of Pakistani society.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated conceptual model is proposed highlighting a comprehensive set of potential factors influencing the adoption of e‐Government services. The conceptual model was developed using related literature review and also by conducting expert reviews with government officials, academic researchers and software engineers in Pakistan.
Findings
From expert reviews, the results indicate that awareness, trust in the internet and trust in the government are the significant variables specific to the context of Pakistani society. The results of this study prove that awareness is a significant variable having influence on the citizens' intention to use e‐Government services, either to get information or to perform a transaction using the government web site. Information quality is found to be a significant variable when getting information from the government website. Perceived ease of use, service quality and transaction security are significant variables which influence the citizens' intention to perform transactions with the government.
Research limitations/implications
An integrated conceptual model is a robust way to explore the key factors that have great influence on e‐Government adoption. The target respondents for this study are internet users. In future, the research work will be extended by including technology divide citizens called offline respondents, i.e. less frequent internet users. The results of online and offline respondents are compared so that the perception of technology divide citizens may also be included to identify the factors influencing the adoption of e‐Government services.
Practical implications
The key findings are useful for policy makers and decision makers, for a real understanding of the needs of the citizens. The proposed model can be used as a guideline for e‐Government strategy formulation and implementation for the Government of Pakistan.
Originality/value
To address the originality, an integrated conceptual model is proposed to overcome the shortcomings of the previous models by adding factors and their respective variables to make the model more comprehensive. Later, the proposed conceptual model is customized and also validated according to the local context of Pakistani society.
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