Business Commons^™

Identifying Barriers To Internal Supply Chain Integration Using Systems Thinking, Franciscus Bakker, Tillmann Boehme, Dirk Pieter Van Donk

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This exploratory site-centred research investigates barriers to internal supply chain integration in practice, using systems thinking. A multi-method procedure termed the Quick Scan Audit Methodology is applied to four engineering to order case companies from two different country settings to identify and categorize the actual barriers to internal supply chain integration. The study establishes that the case-significant barriers to internal supply chain integration chiefly relate to behavioral / cultural factors and the organizational arrangement / structures imposed on employees. A cross-case comparison reveals two major clusters of supply chain integration barriers termed “fire-fighting” and “functional-silo mentalities”. The fundamental structures of …

Social Networks, Social Learning And Service Systems Improvement, Andrew Sense, Matthew Pepper

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This article illustrates and qualitatively explores the value of understanding the social networks present in a service operation through a case study of a local government service network that manages regional development applications. It also examines how social learning underpins service systems performance improvement and how it is instrumental in creating a richer environment for ongoing service network innovation and development. It is argued that gaining a better understanding of these social networks and the social learning potential in a system offers substantial and highly practitioner-friendly avenues to progress service systems capability development. These fi ndings clearly place an emphasis …

Informing Destination Recommender Systems Design And Evaluation Through Quantitative Research, Ulrike Gretzel, Yeong-Hyeon Hwang, Daniel Fesenmaier

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - Destination recommender systems need to become truly human-centric in their design and functionality. This requires a profound understanding of human interactions with technology as well as human behavior related to information search and decision-making in the context of travel and tourism. This paper seeks to review relevant theories that can support the development and evaluation of destination recommender systems and to discuss how quantitative research can inform such theory building and testing. Design/methodology/approach - Based on a review of information search and decision-making literatures, a framework for the development of destination recommender systems is proposed and the implications …

New Performance Measurement And Management Control Systems, Ted Watts, Carol J. Mcnair-Connolly

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - Focusing on how performance management systems support control, this article seeks to provide two "next-generation" performance scorecards - the Performance Wheel, suitable for most organizations and the Small Business Performance Pyramid, which acknowledges the unique requirements of small business. This development considers the historical development, increasing variety and often the poorly integrated status of performance measurement systems - one of business management's most important tools.

Design/methodology/approach - The paper considers the issues of various performance measurement models - the Performance Pyramid, the Results and Determinants mode, the Balanced Scorecard - through the integration of perspectives, metrics and terminology. …

Dynamic Pricing Support Systems For Diy Retailers - A Case Study From Austria, Martin Natter, Thomas K. Reutterer, Andreas Mild

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Merchandise managers have long dreamt of automated dynamic systems to help them make well-informed pricing decisions. However, such systems have proved as elusive as the Holy Grail - until now, that is. The story of an Austrian DIY retailer shows often undetected opportunities to use valuable information, hidden in retailers' data warehouses, on consumer reactions to previous price changes in order to make automatic pricing and promotion decisions.

Usability Testing Of Public Health Web-Based Information Systems, Sumayya Banna, Kholoud Alkayid, Helen M. Hasan, Joseph A. Meloche

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

While the Internet provides many opportunities for increased levels of care and access to information services in the area of public health, many web designers are not yet taking full advantage of its potential. This study looks at Intensive Care and Palliative Care, as important instances where health informatics could improve public web-based services, in meeting the particular information needs of family members of critically and chronically ill patients. This study is significant in adopting an approach to the usability testing of websites based on concepts from Activity Theory. This takes a realistic and practical approach, which identifies the purpose …

Management Control Systems: A Model For R&D Units, Parulian Silaen, Robert B. Williams

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a proposal for a new conceptual framework for management control systems (MCS) in R&D units. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is a descriptive study that reviews the control literature and proposes an MCS framework in the light of four key elements: desired ends, actors, control implementation, and control tools. Findings - The study found two sub-elements of desired ends (directional and yardstick) to be complementary in a low level of uncertainty, while directional should be emphasized more in a high level of uncertainty. Five sub-elements of actors are used differently along …

The Influence Of Perceived Credibility On Preferences For Recommender Systems As Sources Of Advice, Kyung Hyan Yoo, Ulrike Gretzel

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Recommender systems promise to support travelers in complex decision-making processes; however, whether a recommendation is seen as credible advice and actually taken into account not only depends on travelers' perceptions of the recommendation but also of the system as the advice giver. A scale to measure recommender system credibility was developed and tested. The results confirm that credibility has two dimensions: expertise and trustworthiness. Further, significant gender differences in credibility perceptions were found. The findings also indicate that respondents prefer humans as recommendation sources and that this preference is influenced by perceptions of lack of credibility of recommender systems as …

Optimising User Acceptance Of Mandated Mobile Health Systems (Mhs): The Epoc (Electronic Point-Of-Care) Project Experience, Lois Burgess, Joan Cooper, Jason P. Sargent

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

From a clinical perspective, the use of mobile technologies such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) within hospital environments is not new. A paradigm shift however, is underway towards the acceptance and utility of such systems within community-based healthcare environments. Notwithstanding, introducing new technologies and associated work practices has intrinsic risks which must be addressed. In situations where end-users of a system are traditionally averse to technology through entrenched paper-based work practices (for example, community health workers), the process of managing change bears considerable determination in system implementation success. The authors propose a novel approach to end user acceptance within the …

Systems Dynamics Modelling Of Human And Information Aspects Of Network-Centric Configurations, Helen M. Hasan

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper is based on the definition of a network-centric structure as one which enables members of an organisation to create and leverage information to increase competitive advantage through the joint efforts of creative individuals and independent teams. While the technical components of this environment are enabling, the organisational and behavioural components generate value as traditionally competitive workers strive to cooperate in self-directed, distributed teams. Many organisations are now complex hybrids of hierarchical and network-centric configurations and there is a need to increase our understanding of their human and informational aspects. Due to its suitability for managing complexity without reducing …

N-Gens Of Change: Personal Response Systems And Net-Generation Students, Brian Murphy, Ciorstan J. Smark

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Personal Response Systems are a technology similar to use to a television remote control or a mobile telephone for sending SMS messages. They enable almost instant communication between student and instructor in lecture situations. This paper examines the claims made by Personal Response Systems and considers whether they may be especially appropriate to the preferences and expectations of Net- Generation students. The Net-Generation (also known as N-Gens) is made up of students born between 1981 and 2001. They now make up the bulk of finance students in universities across our region. But have we really adapted our lecturing styles to …

Globalization And National Industrial Relations Systems: Theoretical Implications From The Singapore Case, Tan Ern Ser, Balakrishnan Parasuraman

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

In the 1960’s, Kerr and his associates (1973[1960]) — Dunlop, Harbison, and Myers— proposed the convergence thesis, which resonates with the “end of ideology” thesis propounded by Bell (1962). Not surprisingly, the thesis about the inevitability of societal convergence prompted some scholars to look for continuing diversity, an oft-cited prime example being Japan (Dore, 1973). Indeed, until the late 1980’s, Japan was still touted as a critical case which not only defied the convergence thesis, but could also serve as a growth model worthy of emulation by developing countries aspiring to First World living standards and, paradoxically, even developed countries …

Hoglex Demand Systems And Welfare Policy In Major Asean Developing Countries: A Bayesian Analysis Using Expenditure Unit Records, Hikaru Hasegawa, Rebecca Valenzuela, Tran Van Hoa

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

the explicit and estimable HOGLEX demand system ( Tran Van Hoa, 1983, 1985 and Jerison and Jersion 1984) links for the first time an important aspect of economic theory and the statisticals of Box-Cox transformation analysis.

Implementing Systems In Complex Work Organisations, Wannapa Suratmethakul, Helen M. Hasan

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper describes research on a case of the introduction, into a large educational institution, of a complex timetabling system that was already well established in other similar organisations. The research has used a grounded theory approach to reveal details within complex phenomena in an organisation when a substantial new system was implemented. The study revealed three critical issues: Knowledge Transfer, System Capability, and Organisational Context that appeared to be related to the problems of implementing the new information system in the organisation. This research adds to the understanding of a common situation where management have an over simplified view …

Systems Resemblance And Workpractice Evolution: Implications For Work Activity (Re)Design, Rodney J. Clarke

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper is concerned with addressing the question of how apparently disparate and unconnected systems can resemble each other. The question of what counts as a systems resemblance necessitates developing contextual workpractice descriptions associated with the systems features and ultimately entire systems. Using systemic semiotics an apparent ontogenetic convergence between entirely different systems is used to show that systems resemblance can be inferred when the constituent workpractices of information systems consist of comparable register features and especially if they exhibit comparable generic features. The implications of these findings for a new class of work activity (re)design practices are considered.

Application Of Human Reasoning In Question Answering Systems, Farhad Oroumchian, E. Darudi, M. Rahgozar, B. Ofogi

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Executive Information Systems And The Top-Officers' Roles: An Exploratory Study Of User-Behaviour Model And Lessons Learnt, Emmanuel Ikart

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

In recent years a number of organisations have implemented executive information systems (EIS) in order to improve the performance of their executives’ jobs. Although the use of EIS is important in executives’ work, the majority of executives are unwilling to use EIS applications because of their design flaws. By using social factors, habits and facilitation condition variables from Triandis’ framework, this paper extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to derive useful variables to address the problem of the low usage of EIS by executives. This paper reports on research in progress in Australia on the adoption and usage of EIS …

Towards Executive Information Systems Adoptions By Knowledge Workers: An Extension Of The Technology Acceptance Model To Account For Social-Cultural Factors, Emmanuel Ikart

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

In recent years a number of organisations have implemented executive information systems (EIS) in order to improve the performance gains on their executives’ job. Although the use of EIS is important to executives, majority of executives are unwilling to use EIS because of their design failures. By using social factors, habits and facilitation conditions variables from Triandis’ framework, this paper extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to derive useful variables to address the problem of the low usage of EIS by executives. This paper reports on the research in progress in Australia on the adoption and usage of EIS by …

Restructuring Help Systems Using Formal Concept Analysis, Peter W. Eklund, Bastian Wormuth

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper extends standard help system technology to demonstrate the suitability of Formal Concept Analysis in displaying, searching and navigating help content. The paper introduces a method for building suitable scales directly from the help system index by computing a keyword extension set. The keyword extension technique is generalisable in any document collection where a hand-crafted index of terms is available.

Socio-Technical Systems: From Individual Transactions To Situated Community Activity, Helen M. Hasan

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Although basic concepts of Activity Theory were articulated almost a century ago, they have stood the test of time and are proving to be appropriate for research into modem situation involving the use of socio-technical systems. Over the past decades the field of Information Systems has advanced from a focus on routine transaction processing systems to more sophisticated applications that support situated community activity. This chapter will describe how Activity Theory is becoming increasing relevant to these types of systems and can be complemented by other approaches such as Complexity Theory and a particular Knowledge Lens. Research is presented that …

Personal Response Systems Workshop, Brian Murphy, Ciorstan J. Smark

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Personal response systems (PRS) are known under several names. "Clickers"; "Audience Response Systems"; "Group Response Systems"; and "Classroom Performance Systems"; all of these are systems where the audience can respond to questions or give feedback to the presenter of a lecture or workshop whilst that presentation is taking place. This allows for immediate, and (if wished) anonymous feedback to the presenter and to the class.

Increasing Acceptance Of Managers For The Use Of Marketing Decision Support Systems, Danielle Stern

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

There have been many investigations into decision support systems and the range of benefits they can provide to an organisation. Despite the increased use of these systems in professional practice, there remains a lack of acceptance towards marketing decision models, with many managers resisting their full implementation. This paper presents results of a task designed to explore the extent to which decision models are understood. Although findings show low levels of understanding, it appears that relevant ability and skill can be learned. Educational programs could use the task to raise awareness of problems related to human misjudgment and to demonstrate …

A Framework For Case-Based Reasoning Integration On Knowledge Management Systems, Seung Hwan Kang, Sim K. Lau

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

To support the sharing and reusing of well-defined knowledge among knowledge management systems, it is useful to use standardised formalisation. It is also common effort to difficulty of knowledge acquisition known as knowledge acquisition bottleneck. In this paper investigates the feasibility of using techniques in case-based reasoning of artificial intelligence for the knowledge acquisition phase in knowledge management systems. The need of an ontological approach of the semantic web for well-defined set of domain knowledge is proposed in order to avoid knowledge acquisition bottleneck. Our viewpoint of this approach is that the ontology-driven mechanism allows us to provide standardised structured …

Rehabilitation Of Mining Sites: Do Taxation And Accounting Systems Legitimize The Privileged Or Serve Community Interests?, Natalie P. Stoianoff, Mary A. Kaidonis

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Accounting and taxation systems are considered as two coexisting institutional practices which claim to be neutral and to function for the benefit of society. These claims are examined with reference to the natural resources industry and the treatment of rehabilitation costs in Australia, as the impact of this industry, both economic and environmental, is significant. By comparing the practice of accounting in financial reporting and in taxation, the use of calculative and representational practices is exposed to identify contradictions, conflicts and disparities.