Management Information Systems Commons^™

Business Intelligence Tools In A Developmental Environment: An Academic Module, Landon M. Hemsley

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Business Intelligence (BI), defined here as the creation and use of meaningful business information for management, has over the last 20 years shown over and over again its value to professional industry. The prevalence of BI has also demonstrated that a new brand of worker is needed to take advantage of the sophisticated tools available to modern industry. Evidence suggests modern universities have struggled to educate professionals on the tremendous impact BI can have on an organization if used properly. This work is a step in an endeavor to bridge that educational gap and generate an educational strategic advantage by …

End-User Computing Applications, Mary C. Hill, W. Alan Barnes

Faculty Articles

Businesses today rely on the work being done by staff using personal computers. The proliferation of personal computers has led to widespread implementation of end-user computing applications. As their name implies, end-user applications are designed, implemented, and controlled by users rather than by IT professionals. End-user applications can be risky for organizations, both with respect to management decision making and to financial reporting. For public companies, the risk involved in these applications has been increased by the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which call for management to document end-to-end financial operations and internal control structures. This article review …

The Impact On Organizational Performance Of Contextual Factors, Strategy And Management Control Systems, Nazmi Saeb Jarrar

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation examined antecedents of the use of contemporary management control systems (MCS) by testing the alignment of strategic and contextual variables with variables of contemporary systems of control in the organization. The study further explored the performance consequences of the implementation of these control systems, and the manner in which strategy can influence the organization’s control culture and management accounting practices. The impact of contextual factors, notably size and structural arrangements, such as decentralization and diversification, on management's choice of control systems were also examined. Hence, the study addressed the need for a better understanding of the association between …

Applying Systems Thinking To Knowledge Management Systems: The Case Of Pratt-Whitney Rocketdyne, Mark Chun, Kiho Sohn, Priscilla Arling, Nelson Granados

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

This paper describes Pratt-Whitney Rocketdyne's (PWR) use of a systems thinking methodology to define and improve knowledge management (KM) within the firm. Using systems thinking, the company identified and changed key behaviors within the KM environment and effectively established a generative learning environment. This manuscript is one of the first papers that analyzes and reports a real-world application of the systems thinking methodology to improve KM practices. We first review systems thinking concepts and adapt them to the KM context. We then present the case study of the application of systems thinking to KM at PWR. Finally, we use an …

Relative Importance, Specific Investment And Ownership In Interorganizational Systems., Kunsoo Han, Robert J. Kauffman, Barrie R. Nault

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Implementation and maintenance of interorganizational systems (IOS) require investments by all the participating firms. Compared with intraorganizational systems, however, there are additional uncertainties and risks. This is because the benefits of IOS investment depend not only on a firm's own decisions, but also on those of its business partners. Without appropriate levels of investment by all the firms participating in an IOS, they cannot reap the full benefits. Drawing upon the literature in institutional economics, we examine IOS ownership as a means to induce value-maximizing noncontractible investments. We model the impact of two factors derived from the theory of incomplete …

The Impact Of Cultural Differences In Temporal Perception On Global Software Development Teams, Richard William Egan

Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the impact of cultural differences in temporal perception on globally dispersed software development teams. Literature and anecdotal evidence suggest that these temporal differences affect individual communication quality, which in turn will affect individual satisfaction and trust within global teams. Additionally, the temporal dispersion of the team was expected to affect an individual's sense of temporal disruption which, in turn, was expected to affect individual satisfaction and trust. Differences in temporal perception were expected to moderate this impact on perceived temporal disruption. A Fortune 100 Company that carried out software testing in Ireland, the United States, China and …

Power Relationships In Information Systems Security Policy Formulation And Implementation, Michael Stephen Lapke

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that organizational power impacts the development and implementation of Information Systems (IS) Security policy. The motivation for this research stems from the continuing concern of ineffective security in organizations, leading to significant monetary losses. IS researchers have contended that ineffective IS Security policy is a precursor to ineffective IS Security (Loch et al. 1992; Whitman et al. 2001; David 2002; Solms and Solms 2004). Beyond this pragmatic aspect, there is a gap in the literature concerning power relationships and IS Security policy. This research intends to bridge the gap. The dissertation is a two phased study whereby …

Assessing The Performance Impacts Of Information Systems From The Resource-Based Perspective: An Empirical Test Of The Indirect Effect Of The Is, Michael J. Zhang

WCBT Faculty Publications

Research into the strategic impacts of information systems (IS) from the resource-based view of competitive advantage has increasingly embraced the indirect effect of IS on firm performance; that is, IS interact with other complementary organizational resources in influencing firm performance. Using both survey and archival data, this study set out to test the indirect effect of IS and determine the complementary organizational resources contributing to IS impacts on firm performance. The results provide additional evidence in support of the indirect performance effect of IS. Specifically, the study found that the performance impacts of IS arose from their interactions with firm-specific …

Improving Disaster Response Efforts With Decision Support Systems, Steven M. Thompson, Nezih Altay, Walter G. Green Iii, Joanne Lapetina

Management Faculty Publications

As evidenced by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005, disaster response efforts are hindered by a lack of coordination, poor information flows, and the inability of disaster response managers to validate and process relevant information and make decisions in a timely fashion. A number of factors contribute to current lackluster response efforts. Some are inherent to the complex, rapidly changing decision-making environments that characterize most disaster response settings. Others reflect systematic flaws in how decisions are made within the organizational hierarchies of the many agencies involved in a disaster response. Slow, ineffective strategies for gathering, processing, and analyzing data can also …

Journey To The Center Of The Core: Computers And The Internet In The Core Curriculum, Jorge Pérez, Meg C. Murray

Faculty Articles

Computers, digitalization and the Internet have transformed modern society. Commerce, education, communication and socialization will never be the same. Surprisingly, many universities do not require a computing course in the core curriculum. Critical information technology (IT) competencies are often taken for granted, to the detriment of students who lack computing and Internet skills. This paper describes an initiative undertaken by a computer science and information systems department to assess and remediate IT skills needed by all university students, regardless of major. The project is evolving along several dimensions: identification of discipline-independent IT competencies, assessment of IT skills among current and …

Supporting Individual Time Management Through The Capture And Display Of Temporal Structures, Dezhi Wu

Dissertations

This thesis work examines the time management strategies of individuals in an academic institution and gathers information on the complex temporal structures they experience and manage. Its focus is on understanding the relationship between the quality of individual time management and an individual's understanding and use of temporal structures. This work consists of an exploratory field study to gather data on how people use temporal structures with electronic tools. It is followed by a survey that is given to a larger group of respondents in the same subject population examined with the field study. The survey examines the hypotheses developed …

Service Quality From The Other Side: Information Systems Management At Duquesne Light, Pratyush Bharati, Daniel Berg

Management Science and Information Systems Faculty Publication Series

Service organizations are continuously endeavoring to improve their quality of service as it is of paramount importance to them. Despite the importance of understanding the relationship of service quality and information systems, this research has not been pursued extensively. This study has addressed this gap in the research literature and studied how information systems impacts service quality. A research model is developed based on IS success model. System quality, information quality, user IT characteristics, employee IT performance and technical support are identified as important elements that influence service quality. An in-depth case study from the electric utility industry is used …

Collaborative Examinations In Asyncronous Learning Networks : Field Experiments On Collaborative Learning Through Online Assessments, Jia Shen

Dissertations

With the proliferation of computer networks and the emergence of virtual teams, learning and knowledge sharing in the online environment has become an increasingly important topic. Applying constructivism and collaborative learning theories to assessment, the collaborative online exam is designed featuring students' active participation in various phases of the exam process through small group activities online. A participatory online exam process is designed featuring similar procedures except that students' involvement in each phase of the exam is individual. The collaborative online exam and the participatory online exam are investigated regarding student exam study strategies, group process, exam outcomes, faculty satisfaction, …

Live, Virtual, And Constructive Environments For Performance Support, John Michael Lacontora

Dissertations

As military systems become more complex, the operation and support of these systems becomes intrinsically more difficult. The U.S. Army's current procurement process relies on industry to provide embedded training and performance support tools for the systems they produce. These tools are relatively new and in the early stages of development. As yet, they have failed to meet the needs of the technicians that are required to support these complex systems. Current efforts to provide enabling technologies that enhance the capabilities of automotive maintenance technicians are concentrated in three professional communities. First is the Performance Improvement community where work is …

Antecedents Of Information Systems Backsourcing, Natalia Veltri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines backsourcing of corporate IS activities, and why IS outsourcing clients decide to backsource. Information Systems (IS) backsourcing is a business practice in which a company takes back in-house assets, activities, and skills that are part of its IS operations and were previously outsourced to one or more outside information service suppliers. Focusing on economic, strategic and relationship motives, a number of theoretical backsourcing factors is derived from transaction cost theory, agency theory, core competency perspective, IOR theory and marketing channels literature. To identify factors salient in IS backsourcing and to examine the process of backsourcing this dissertation …

The Evolution Of Research On Information Systems: A Fiftieth Year Survey Of The Literature In Management Science, Rajiv D. Banker, Robert J. Kauffman

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The development of the information systems (IS) literature in Management Science during the past 50 years reflects the inception, growth, and maturation of several different research streams. The five research streams we identify incorporate different definitions of the managerial problems that relate to IS, the alternate theoretical perspectives and different methodological paradigms to study them, and the levels of the organization at which their primary results impact managerial practice. The decision support and design science research stream studies the application of computers in decision support, control, and managerial decision making. The value of information research stream reflects relationships established based …

The Mediating Role Of Organizational Learning Between Absorptive Capacity And Performance In Companies Employing Enterprise Resource Planning Software, Edith Galy

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation focuses on the acquisition of information systems technology and how the acquisition of information systems (IS) can improve the performance of a firm. The central purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the literature that explains the success of IS projects. It addresses the organizational processes that contribute to the successful implementation of IS, and explains why some organizations achieve financial returns and strategic advantages from their IS efforts while others do not.

The population in this dissertation consists of top level IS executives in the US or Canada employed in firms who have implemented enterprise resource …

The Information Systems Environment Of Time-Based Competitors, Patrick Rondeau, T. S. Ragu-Nathan, M. A. Vonderembse

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

Time-based competitors create product development and manufacturing practices that reduce response-time and enhance customization capabilities. These practices require an information-rich, internal environment capable of flexible resource deployment and direct and continuous feedback. These firms should have enhanced information systems planning capabilities, cross-functional involvement in information systems related activities, responsiveness to organizational computing demands, high levels of end-user development, and high levels of information systems performance. Data were collected from 265 manufacturers to develop measures for these information systems variables and to determine if there are relationships between the use of time-based practices and the levels of these variables. Results indicate …

A New Construct Of Is Performance Measurement: Consonance Approach, Michael Weldon Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to create a subjective measurement system that can assist in the successful creation of new information systems (IS). That entails moving from the commonly used objective measures of success (time and money constraints) to subjective measures (people's perceptions). Literature in the social perception area and goal congruence area has provided a basis for changing the measurement of success. Due to major differences in how people react to stimuli and perceived outcomes the objective measures must evolve to include subjective observations.

This research uses a questionnaire to gather data about the perceptions of the stakeholders …

The Importance Of Communication Skills: Perceptions Of Is Professionals, Is Managers, And Users, Ruth A. Spurlock Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Information systems (IS) research has shown that communication skills tend to be more important than technical skills to IS staff in project development activities. Yet, research findings indicate that IS staff are lacking in the communication skills they need to interact successfully with users and managers during systems development. Thus, the two purposes of this research were (1) to determine whether IS staff, IS managers, and IS users differ in their perceptions of important communication skills that IS staff need and (2) if differences do exist, to assess the impact of the differences on user satisfaction with IS product and …

Mis Legitimacy And The Proposition Of A New Multi-Dimensional Model Of Mis, Gondy Leroy, Paul Benjamin Lowry, H. Wayne Anderson, Dennis C. Wilson, Lin Lin

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

This paper addresses the definition of MIS and the legitimacy of MIS as an academic discipline. Both sides of the MIS legitimacy debate are presented, with the authors embracing the diversity of MIS as a strength that enhances the legitimacy of the MIS discipline. Based on the diversity theory of MIS, the authors propose a new-multidimensional model of MIS that presents a new way of looking at the discipline and the researchers who work in it.

An Examination Of Information Technology Valuation Models For The Air Force, Todd A. Peachey

Theses and Dissertations

Information technology investment has become a significant part of the Department of Defense's budget. The Information Technology Management Reform Act requires that government quantitatively evaluate future information technology investments. Quantitative evaluation of IT investments present special problems for agencies that do not generate incoming cash flows. This thesis is designed to examine models that are currently being used in the public and private sector of the economy to evaluate Information Technology investments to learn which ones might serve the needs of the United States Air Force. The methodology is an exploratory study based on Criterion based Congruence Analysis. This technique …

Technology Acceptance: A Fusion Of Human-Computer Interaction And Management Information Systems Constructs, Patrick W. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, information technology has advanced at a pace that few would have anticipated. It has been estimated that the computing power of the modem desktop computer has been increasing at the rate of 1000% per decade. In combination with the development of personal computers, the advent of networks and the world wide web provide unprecedented access to information and computing power. However, the problem of developing useful user interfaces remains a problem. In many military and commercial settings, the increased computing power offered by current information technology remains unexploited because of user interfaces that are difficult to use. …

A Case History Of An Unsuccessful Submission To A Research Journal In The Information-Systems Discipline: The Nolan Stage Hypothesis, Falsifiability, And Hermeneutics, Allen S. Lee

Information Systems Publications

This case history of an unsuccessful submission to a research journal in the information-systems discipline consists of the papers that were submitted, the review packages received, and correspondence with the editors. The research topic was the Nolan Stage Hypothesis and how it was unfalsifiable.

Use Of Expert Systems In Harmonizing International Accounting Reports, Mohammad S. Bazaz, Ravi Parameswaran

Journal of International Information Management

A significant problem in international accounting is the presence of a variety of accounting and disclosure standards that have been adopted by various countries as they match their national information needs to specific formats. Efforts at harmonization of world-wide financial statements have been less than successful. The needs in the 1990s suggest the need for an expedient solution to this problem. The current paper addresses this problem and suggests an information systems approach—a new approach—namely the development of an expert system which would be capable of translating disclosure in a particular country standard to one that meets internationally acceptable accounting …

Software Project Management - There Is Never Enough Time To Do It Right!, Brian Mcnamara, James Uigen, John Tarjan

Journal of International Information Management

Efficiency in software development projects is examined. Project management tools— GANTT charts, program evaluation and review technique (PERT), and critical path method (CPM) are defined and discussed. Of these productivity tools GANTT charts and PERT are the most relevant. Based on an analysis by Shelmerdine (1989), six steps that pro\ide guidelines for software development are presented. These steps provide the project manager with an opportunity to produce efficiency and deliver a software development project on time. Selected project management software packages are presented.

How To Arrive At Computer Integrated Manufacturing: A 3-Year Survey, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The large majority of modern production companies have at their disposal a multitude of computer systems. The immediate challenge for these companies consists of integrating these computer systems and databases. How will one arrive at this integration? On the basis of a questionnaire administered in 1985, 1986 and 1987 among a group of large European manufacturers, one comes to the conclusion that this integration is one of the immediate priorities for this group of companies. They do not intend to implement turnkey systems. but instead will integrate the different databases and computer systems gradually. One can see emerging islands of …