Journal of Enterprise Information Management

Performance measures and metrics for e-supply chains : Table of Contents

Murali Sambasivan, Zainal Abidin Mohamed, Tamizarasu Nandan — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – e-Supply chains are fast becoming a reality. In order to manage such supply chains efficiently and effectively, traditional measures of supply chain performance are not adequate. The literature search revealed lack of measures and metrics for e-supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to develop new measures and metrics for monitoring the performance of e-supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – A framework based on the benefits of e-supply chains has been used to develop the metrics and measures. The study makes use of focus group discussion by assembling eight experts and practitioners in the field of e-supply chain to come up with the measures and metrics. A questionnaire is designed with these measures and metrics and is sent to about 300 electronic component manufacturing companies in Malaysia to obtain feedback from the industry practitioners. Appropriate reliability and validity tests are conducted to measure the reliability of the instrument and validity of the constructs. Findings – Through the focus group discussion, this study identifies six metrics and 21 measures. Further validation through the industry practitioners, reveals that these measures are important and some are in use by the industries. The six metrics are: web-enabled service, data reliability, time and cost, e-response, invoice presentation and payment and e-document management metrics. Originality/value – The study uses a simple framework and a sound methodology to develop new measures and metrics that are relevant for e-supply chains.

Current trends in modeling inter-organizational cooperation : Table of Contents

Antonia Albani, Jan L.G. Dietz — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – Modern enterprises face a strong economical pressure to increase competitiveness, to operate on a global market, and to engage in alliances of several kinds. In order to meet the requirements and challenges of participating in such alliances, companies must be able to cooperate effectively and efficiently. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some major directions in inter-organizational cooperation. Design/methodology/approach – In order to cope with the challenges of inter-organizational cooperation, to share innovative research issues and to facilitate profound discussions about them, the authors organized a series of workshops on Modeling Inter-Organizational Systems (MIOS-CIAO!) starting at the annual OTM Federated Conference and Continuing at the Annual CAiSE Conference. This paper summarizes the results of the workshops. Findings – This paper provides an overview of what has been established and what is going on regarding the cooperation of enterprises in networks. The focus has been on the modeling of cooperation, from the business level down to the implementation level. Practical implications – This overview is a useful source of knowledge for those who want to have a quick insight in the relevant aspects of cooperation, and in many well-known modeling approaches and techniques. It is also an inspiring source for those who want to investigate yet unsolved or unsatisfactorily solved problems. Although developments, both in theory and in practice, will go on, no landslides are expected. Particularly for practice, the value of this report will therefore last for a considerable time. Originality/value – Several core notions in the area of inter-organizational cooperation are clarified, such as collaboration, cooperation, enterprise network, choreography, and orchestration. The whole process of developing or investigating an enterprise network is covered.

An exploratory study of alignment ERP implementation and organizational development activities in a newly established firm : Table of Contents

Jau-Rong Chen — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – The importance of alignment of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation for organizational strategies has been widely recognized. However, ERP implementation in the context of new ventures has not yet been convincingly demonstrated. Furthermore, how to align ERP implementation with organizational development in new ventures deserves further examination as new ventures are in the emergency or early growth stage and thus have distinct concerns in adopting ERP. Against this background, the main purpose of this paper is to explore how ERP implementation can facilitate the organization development of new ventures. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts an in-depth case study method for gathering and analyzing data. The case research strategy allows the exploration of unforeseen phenomena and offers insights into the inter-dependencies among the factors captured in the study. It is believed that case study research will be most appropriate in gaining in-depth knowledge of the practices of ERP implementation in new venture development. Findings – Drawing on an in-depth case study from a Taiwanese IC design house, this study shows that, to leverage the value of ERP system, the implementation should consider the firm's growth stages, the unique industrial characteristics, the influences from the business group, and the alignment of the internal control and audit function, corporate governance, and information technology governance. Practical implications – The findings of this study contribute to the literature on ERP implementation and organization development in new ventures. The implications and future research directions are also discussed. Originality/value – This single case study has provided valuable insights into the practice of ERP implementation. Furthermore, data analysis of this study provides a set of vocabularies that researchers and practitioners could employ in similar organizational processes as in new ventures. Accordingly, future ERP implementation processes can be compared and benchmarked.

Quantifying coordination work as a function of the task uncertainty and interdependence : Table of Contents

Alba N. Nuñez, Ronald E. Giachetti, Giacomo Boria — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of coordination in business processes by quantifying how the coordination load is affected by changes in task structure and task characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – A model is presented that quantifies the amount of coordination work as a function of the task characteristics analyzability and variability and the task structure factor of interdependence. To test the model, a management simulation game is used with a full factorial design of experiments. Two replications are conducted for each treatment. Validated questionnaires and time studies are used to obtain the data. Findings – Analyses of the experimental results indicate that as task analyzability decreases and task interdependence increases then the coordination load increases. The increase in coordination load is greater for changes in task interdependence than for changes in task analyzability. Practical implications – The experimental results indicate the time savings from doing tasks in parallel versus sequential are less than what would expected due to the increased interdependence between tasks and the resulting requirements for coordination. These results can be used to understand the trade-offs of different process configurations, primarily how coordination load changes when a process is changed from sequential to parallel. Originality/value – This research deviates from previous research in that the coordination load difference is measured when going from a sequential process to a parallel process. Most previous studies have shown differences but not the magnitude of the difference. Moreover, most previous studies have been at the organization level, while this research focuses on the business process level.

The impact of ICT-enabled offshoring announcements on share prices : Table of Contents

Elizabeth Daniel, Devendra Kodwani, Sanjukta Datta — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of announcements regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs)-enabled offshoring on the share prices of public companies. Design/methodology/approach – The study is carried out by means of an event study. Findings – The finding from this research is that investors do not tend to reward offshoring announcements. It is most likely that the value of the firm will be perceived as unchanged or if there is a reaction, it is most likely to reduce the value of the firm. A positive relation between size of firm and the size of the offshoring contract is found. Also, US investors are found to be more likely to react negatively than UK investors. Research limitations/implications – This study extends the use of event studies in the information systems domain to ICT-enabled offshoring. Owing to the relatively nascent state of offshoring, and consistent with previous event studies, the data set used in this study is relatively modest. Practical implications – Managers in many types of organisations are currently undertaking or considering offshoring, this study will enable them to understand the possible reactions of shareholders and other stakeholders. Originality/value – This study provides an empirical contribution by undertaking the first event study of offshoring announcements. It is also one of the very few event studies that considers both UK and US-based companies. Its use of transaction cost economics perspective also adds to the theoretical understanding of offshoring, by demonstrating that investors appear to consider increased transaction costs involved in offshoring will outweigh lower purchasing or production costs.

Practice-oriented toolkits for virtual communities of practice : Table of Contents

Demosthenes Akoumianakis — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the collaborative practices of virtual teams carrying out knowledge-based work and the tools required/used to assemble “collective” artefacts. Design/methodology/approach – The vast majority of recent work on communities of practice is devoted to community management (i.e. discovering, building, and maintaining communities), dismissing or undermining community practices and how they are technologically mediated (i.e. the practice-specific tools and artefacts involved). This paper investigates existing practices and makes use of scenarios to envision new distributed collective practices in a designated application domain. The instruments used include both empirical tools (i.e. survey of current practice and expert interviews) and analytical tools (i.e. scenarios of use, walkthroughs, and virtual prototyping) to provide insight towards the design of practice-oriented toolkits. Findings – The proposed approach is validated in the context of an electronic village of local interest with a thematic focus on regional tourism, highlighting the key role of “collective” knowledge management in information-based industries whose products are non-material (intangible) and knowledge is central to gaining competitive advantage. The results include a general model for practice-oriented toolkits conceived of as separate software components from (but interoperable to) the community support system and devised to establish a place for engaging in the practice the community is about. This model is then used to build an operational toolkit for assembling vacation packages by cross-organization virtual communities of practice. Practical implications – Virtual communities of practice (or partnerships) necessitate smooth integration of community management and practice-specific tasks and tools. Community management tasks can be supported by augmenting capabilities of existing community portals to allow for community registration, role undertaking, declaration of virtual assets, etc. Practice-oriented tasks should be designed in such a way so as to capture and accommodate domain-specific vocabulary. Originality/value – Model-based techniques and domain-specific design languages are used as the unifying mechanism (i.e. software factory) for integrating community management and practice-oriented artefacts. These techniques are designed and implemented into a software platform so as to facilitate the systematic accumulation and reuse of knowledge towards the construction of collective artefacts.

Homeworkers' usage of mobile phones; social isolation in the home-workplace : Table of Contents

Banita Lal, Yogesh K. Dwivedi — Sun Apr 26 14:15:03 BST 2009

Abstract:
Purpose – When working remotely, homeworkers are provided with various technologies which may help them to avoid experiencing feelings of social isolation from colleagues. These include the mobile phone, which provides homeworkers with the means of engaging in interaction with colleagues irrespective of time and location. This paper aims to investigate how the mobile phone is used by homeworkers for social interaction purposes. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected from 25 respondents working in a telecommunications organisation using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings – Upon analysis, it emerges that a significant number of respondents use their mobile phone for retaining social interaction with colleagues outside of their designated work time and space. It also emerges that certain organisational factors help to explain why interaction is maintained in this way. Practical implications – Implications for organisations employing homeworking are also presented, together with how the limitations of the paper can be overcome in future research. Originality/value – The results challenge the common assertions concerning social isolation made within homeworking literature; these are discussed within the paper, which also addresses how the findings of this paper aim to aid, as well as to direct, theoretical progression within this area.