Databases and Information Systems Commons^™

A Systematic Method For Discovering Effective Patterns Of Virtual Project Management, Deepak Khazanchi, Ilze Zigurs

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

The effective management of virtual projects within global organizations is an inherently collaborative activity as well as an increasingly critical issue. The concept of patterns provides a useful theoretical framework by which we can study the design of effective practices for the management of virtual projects. However, a number of significant gaps exist in our knowledge of this area and one of the most important is the need for a systematic method for discovering effective patterns. We propose such a systematic method and provide a detailed example of the use of our proposed pattern discovery method.

Analysis Of Information And Communications Technology Adoption Between Small Businesses In China And The United States, Jie Xiong, Sajda Qureshi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This paper reports on two case studies, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) adoption among small businesses conducted in both United States and China. One small business from Nebraska (United States of America) and one small business from Sichuan (China) were chosen for comparison. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a comparative case study based on the ICT adoption among small businesses in China and the United States. This paper will: (i) build an understanding of small business ICT in both areas, (ii) explore the relationship between the ICT development in less cutting-edge areas of China and the …

Can Information And Communication Technologies Lead To Community Capital? An Analysis Of Development, Dave Kocsis, Sajda Qureshi, Jie Xiong

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

While it is widely accepted that the increasing interconnectedness of the world economy has been fueled by the innovative uses of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), little attention has been paid to the increasing inequalities within developed and developing countries. These inequalities manifest themselves in the form of communities in which incomes are considerably below the rest of the country and there is a rise in poverty. This paper investigates this trend by taking a community capital perspective to investigate how ICTs may or may not enable businesses to grow. As micro-enterprises are seen to contribute to the growth of …

On-Line Banking Systems: Are They Sustainable?, Satish Mahadevan Srinivasan, Sachin Pawaskar, Abhishek Tripathi, Lotfollah Najjar

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Although the trend for on-line banking has increased in recent years, the customers have not shown enthusiastic participation in the past and in present. Since the sustainability of a bank supporting on-line-banking service depends on what capacity it can attract new customers, retain already existing customers and how well can it extend its services to the current and future customer base. This investigation is focused on examining if there is any significant difference among the factors namely the transactional security, information design, navigational design, visual design, web site trust, web site satisfaction and e-loyalty over sustainability of on-line banking for …

Creating An International Joint Certificate In It Administration, Peter Wolcott

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the University of Agder (UiA), Norway, are collaborating on the creation of an undergraduate certificate in Information Technology Administration. The certificate is designed for students who are interested in managing the complex technical infrastructure of today's organizations. The certificate will consist of approximately 15 credit hours of hands-on courses, covering such areas as systems administration, network administration, database administration, security administration, and distributed systems. All courses will be offered online, using a variety of collaboration tools and teaching techniques that reflect the best of current practice. Students will take courses taught by …

Augmenting Online Learning With Real-Time Conferencing: Experiences From An International Course, Bjørn Erik Munkvold, Ilze Zigurs, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This paper reports experiences from the use of real-time conferencing to support synchronous class interaction in an international online course. Through combination of video, audio, application sharing and chat, the students and instructors engaged in weekly interactions in a virtual classroom. This created an environment for rich interaction, augmenting the traditional use of course repositories. Further, this gave the students hands-on experience with real-time conferencing tools which are increasingly common in the workplace. The paper also discusses experienced challenges related to combining the use of multiple synchronous communication channels and presents implications for further use of real-time conferencing in online …

An Empirical Investigation Of Virtual World Projects And Metaverse Technology Capabilities, Dawn Owens, Alanah Davis, Deepak Khazanchi, Ilze Zigurs

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Metaverses are immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds (VWs) where people interact with each other and their environment, using the metaphor of the real world but without its physical limitations. Unique technology capabilities of metaverses have the potential to enhance the conduct of virtual projects, but little is known about virtual worlds in this context. Virtual project teams struggle in meeting stated project outcomes due to challenges related to communication, shared understanding, and coordination. One way to address these challenges is to consider the use of emerging technologies, such as metaverses, to minimize the impact on virtual project teams. Applying a theoretical …

An Evaluation Of The Usability Of A Computerized Decision Support System For Nursing Homes, M. Fossum, M. Ehnfors, Ann L. Fruhling, A. Ehrenberg

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: Computerized decision support systems (CDSSs) have the potential to significantly improve the quality of nursing care of older people by enhancing the decision making of nursing personnel. Despite this potential, health care organizations have been slow to incorporate CDSSs into nursing home practices.

Objective: This study describes facilitators and barriers that impact the ability of nursing personnel to effectively use a clinical CDSS for planning and treating pressure ulcers (PUs) and malnutrition and for following the suggested risk assessment guidelines for the care of nursing home residents.

Methods: We employed a qualitative descriptive design using varied …

Trends In Phishing Attacks: Suggestions For Future Research, Ryan M. Schuetzler

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Deception in computer-mediated communication is a widespread phenomenon. Cyber criminals are exploiting technological mediums to communicate with potential targets as these channels reduce both the deception cues and the risk of detection itself. A prevalent deception-based attack in computer-mediated communication is phishing. Prior phishing research has addressed the “bait” and “hook” components of phishing attacks, the human-computer interaction that takes place as users judge the veracity of phishing emails and websites, and the development of technologies that can aid users in identifying and rejecting these attacks. Despite the extant research on this topic, phishing attacks continue to be successful as …

Role Of Cloud Computing Interventions For Micro-Enterprise Growth: Implications For Global Development, Sajda Qureshi, Mehruz Kamal

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

While the majority of businesses around the world are micro-enterprises, they are the most vulnerable and are often run by people with limited resources, and skills to be able to avail the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). These are a form of small business which employs between 1-5 people and face challenges of limited resources, skills and ability to grow. When they do adopt IT their potential to survive and grow increases as they are then able to participate in the global economy. The challenge for global development lies in enabling these micro-enterprises to adopt the appropriate IT …

Overview And Guidance On Agile Development In Large Organizations, Jordan B. Barlow, Justin Scott Giboney, Mark Jeffrey Keith, David W. Wilson, Ryan Schuetzler, Paul Benjamin Lowry, Anthony Vance

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

A continual debate surrounds the effectiveness of agile software development practices. Some organizations adopt agile practices to become more competitive, improve processes, and reduce costs. Other organizations are skeptical about whether agile development is beneficial. Large organizations face an additional challenge in integrating agile practices with existing standards and business processes. To examine the effects of agile development practices in large organizations, we review and integrate scientific literature and theory on agile software development. We further organize our theory and observations into a framework with guidelines for large organizations considering agile methodologies. Based on this framework, we present recommendations that …

Investigating Capabilities Associated With Ict Access And Use In Latino Micro-Enterprises, Travis Good, Luis Flores Morales, Sajda Qureshi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

While the process by which Information Technology enables growth in medium and large enterprises has been wellresearched, the corresponding processes in micro-enterprises are poorly understood. In fact, such micro-enterprises lie at the heart of many economies. This insight is important as information technology enables businesses to connect with each other through knowledge networking to carry out their basic business operations. There is thus a need to build our understanding of how micro-enterprises access and use technology in order to be able to assess the benefits they derive from ICT adoption. Following an analysis of two case studies of Latino micro-enterprises …

A Design Science Based Evaluation Framework For Patterns, Stacie Clarke Petter, Deepak Khazanchi, John D. Murphy

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Patterns were originally developed in the field of architecture as a mechanism for communicating good solutions to recurring classes of problems. Since then, many researchers and practitioners have created patterns to describe effective solutions to problems associated with disparate areas such as virtual project management, human-computer interaction, software development and engineering, and design science research. We believe that the development of patterns is a design science activity in which an artifact (i.e., a pattern) is created to communicate about and improve upon the current state-of-practice. Design science research has two critical components, creation and evaluation of an artifact. While many …

Can The Presence Of Online Word Of Mouth Increase Product Sales?, Alanah Mitchell, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

The power and potential impact of online word of mouth has increased substantially. Consumers have come to accept and rely upon online word of mouth, so it is important to understand how it works and what kind of impact it has on online product sales. This article provides an assessment of this question through an analysis of sales and online word of mouth data from a multi-product e-commerce retail firm.

Sense Of Place In Virtual World Learning Environments: A Conceptual Exploration, Vipin Arora, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

In this paper we conceptually explore the notion of sense of place and its potential use in the design of a ‗place for learning‘ in 3D immersive environments such as virtual worlds. We draw from earlier research in the fields of environmental psychology, social psychology and Human Computer Interaction. Our goal in this paper is to summarize the conceptual foundations that will form the basis for further empirical research aimed to inform institutions aspiring to create learning spaces in 3D virtual worlds.

A Pda Intervention To Sustain Smoking Cessation In Clients With Socioeconomic Vulnerability, Lynne Buchanan, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

This article describes a pilot study to explore use of a personal digital assistant (PDA) to sustain smoking cessation after discharge in clients with socioeconomic vulnerability. The major aim is to describe technology acceptance (perceived ease of use, usefulness, and attitude), portability, technical difficulty, satisfaction, and use time. The sample includes 31 medical surgical clients with average age of 47.35 (±13.3), average household income of $13,629 (±8,204), average number in the household of 2.67 (±2.22), and average education of 11th grade. The results demonstrate mean use time of 9.28 (±3.23) hr, or about 1 hr over 8 weeks. Technology acceptance …

The Role Of An Effective It Intervention For Microenterprises, Changsoo Song, Sajda Qureshi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Information technology (IT) interventions for micro-enterprises are fragmented and their approach lacks theoretical foundations. While various researchers have conducted studies on the effects of IT adoption in micro-enterprises, little research has been conducted to explain critical aspects of an effective IT intervention for micro-enterprises from a theoretical perspective. This study aims to fill this gap and empirically investigate how IT interventions can effectively facilitate the process of IT adoption by micro-enterprises. This paper suggests that effective IT interventions may have considerable potential for facilitating IT adoption among micro-enterprises across the United States and the world. Following an analysis of four …

Information Technology Adoption In Latin American Microenterprises, Travis Good, Mehruz Kamal, Sajda Qureshi, Nancy Jimenez

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The majority of businesses in developing regions across the world are microenterprises. In recent years, this form of business has been particularly resilient to economic downturns. While microenterprises are the least likely to succeed, when they do, their growth increases by a factor of 3.4% when they adopt technology. However, the challenges faced by microenterprises make it very difficult for them to adopt technology successfully. Existing theoretical models of ICT adoption have centered on intent to adopt in large organizations, and thus lack applicability to microenterprises, wherein the intent to adopt is an individual decision. This paper builds on prior …

My Guild, My Team: Applying The Technology Capabilities Of Massively Multiplayer Online Games To Virtual Project Teams, Dawn Owens, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Millions of people are playing Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs), a computer game genre where thousands of players interact daily in highly complex virtual world environments. These players self-organize, develop skills, and acquire various roles. MMOGs appear to mirror the complexity of the business context while offering unique technology capabilities that appear to encourage group participation and emergent leadership. Managing a remote workforce across different time zones, geography and culture requires effective virtual collaboration and management of communication, coordination challenges and control issues. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the unique technology capabilities of MMOGs and propose …

Information Technology (It) Investment Decisions Under Asymmetric Information: A Modified Rational Expectation Model, Jinlan Ni, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

In this paper, we propose that information technology (IT) managers make investment decisions about new IT initiatives based on a modified rational expectation model. Unlike traditional rational expectation models, we emphasize the relevance of market uncertainty and its impact on the return of new IT investment. This results in information acquisition decisions by managers that can cause information asymmetry. This information asymmetry is endogenous and so the IT manager can become well informed if and only if it is beneficial to do so. We also capture different levels of IT investment across managers by introducing heterogeneity across managers in terms …

Moving First Life Into Secondlife: Real World Opportunities For Virtual Teams And Virtual World Project Management, Dawn Owens, Alanah Davis, John D. Murphy, Deepak Khazanchi, Ilze Zigurs

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Consider a world where you can: conduct training sessions and bring together experts from around the globe in a single, common environment where learning is possible; hold effective meetings in a shared space where distant resources and people can come together to communicate, laugh, and create artifacts quickly and easily; and, coordinate a project with ease and overcome cultural barriers to team effectiveness. These scenarios can be realized with virtual world (VW) technology.

Avatars, People, And Virtual Worlds: Foundations For Research In Metaverses, Alanah Davis, John D. Murphy, Dawn Owens, Deepak Khazanchi, Ilze Zigurs

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Metaverses are immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds in which people interact as avatars with each other and with software agents, using the metaphor of the real world but without its physical limitations. The ubiquitous availability of high speed Internet access has spurred enormous interest in virtual worlds like Second Life and World of Warcraft, both in terms of user gaming and as a new technological platform for global virtual collaboration. These environments have potential for richer, more engaging collaboration, but their capabilities have yet to be examined in depth. Of particular interest in this paper is the use of metaverses for …

The Influence Of Affect, Attitude And Usefulness In The Acceptance Of Telemedicine Systems, Soussan Djamasbi,, Ann L. Fruhling, Eleanor T. Loiacono

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Grounded in current theories of affect this study examines the role positive and negative moods play on the acceptance of a specialized telemedicine system for microbiology consultation and diagnostics, referred to as telepathology. From a laboratory experiment using microbiology laboratory assistants, the notion that healthcare users’ attitude is an important factor in the acceptance behavior of a healthcare information system is supported. A regression analysis of the data revealed the need to tailor the IS Technology Acceptance Model for the healthcare field. Specifically, our results show that ease of use which is thought to be a main antecedent of end-user …

Knowledge Management And Organizational Learning, William R. King, Sajda Qureshi, Mehruz Kamal, Peter Keen

Faculty Books and Monographs

Editor: William R. King

Chapter, Knowledge Networking to Overcome the Digital Divide, co-authored by Sajda Qureshi, UNO faculty member.

As organizations become increasingly extended across global boundaries, their reliance on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support their processes increases. The use of ICTs to activate dispersed knowledge within complex webs of human networks can enable the gap between the information rich and information poor to be overcome. This paper develops a new concept called knowledge networking and investigates how this process enables the digital divide to be overcome. Following a phenomenological analysis of knowledge networking using a selection of …

How Can Information And Communication Technology Bring About Development? An Information Architecture For Guiding Interventions In Developing Regions, Mehruz Kamal, Sajda Qureshi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

While a great deal is known about how Information and Communication Technologies are used in developing and underserved communities, there are still gaps as to how ICTs may enable development outcomes to be achieved. It appears that the majority of businesses in developing regions are micro-enterprises which employ between 1-5 people and face challenges of limited resources. This research investigates what is known about how ICTs bring about development and uses these insights to develop an information architecture adapted from the Zachman Framework that integrates the different perspectives. In this research, the key stakeholders are the micro-entrepreneurs who adopt technology …

Information Technology’S Influence On Productivity, Jason Smith

Student Work

Previous research has had mixed results correlating information technology investments to increases in productivity. This research surveyed the perceptions of information technology managers to determine the impact that information technology, decentralized decision making, and improved business processes have on productivity. It concluded that information technology’s influence on productivity is to magnify the effect of decentralized decision making and improved business processes.

Guidelines For Evaluating Patterns In The Is Domain, Deepak Khazanchi, John D. Murphy, Stacie Clarke Petter

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Patterns were originally developed in the field of architecture as a mechanism for communicating good solutions to recurring classes of problems. Since then researchers have created patterns to provide guidance and solutions associated with virtual project management, software development and engineering, human computer interaction, and design science research. However, there has been limited emphasis on developing guidelines for evaluating the validity of patterns. In this paper, we propose an evaluation framework for patterns that draws upon the literature associated with patterns, philosophy of science and research methods. The evaluation framework can be used to validate patterns in a more consistent …

Risk Analysis In Extended Enterprise Environments: Identification Of Critical Risk Factors In B2b E-Commerce Relationships, Steve G. Sutton, Clark Hampton, Deepak Khazanchi, Vicky Arnold

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

The focus of this study is to identify the critical risk factors that can be used to assess the impact of B2B e-commerce on overall enterprise risk. We apply the Khazanchi and Sutton (2001) framework for B2B e-commerce assurance is applied as the organizing conceptual model for the study. The framework focuses on three primary risk components: (1) technical risks, (2) application-user risks, and (3) business risks. To identify a critical set of B2B risk factors, structured focus groups applying a nominal group technique were conducted with three internal constituency groups (corporate groups consisting of IS security, internal IT audit, …

From Profiles To Patterns: A New View Of Task-Technology Fit, Ilze Zigurs, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Continuing advances in the capabilities of communication and information technologies provide a wide array of interesting ways for people to collaborate across space, time, cultures, and organizational boundaries. While the use of collaboration technologies spreads, researchers seek answers to understanding how best to match different technology capabilities with the tasks that teams need to accomplish. Different theories of task-technology fit have been promoted and these theories help to identify key issues of interest to both researchers and practitioners who seek the answer to the best technology support for collaboration. We examine existing theories of fit for collaboration technology and propose …

Information Technology Adoption By Small Businesses In Minority And Ethnic Communities, Sajda Qureshi, Anne S. York

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Information systems adoption by small businesses often is viewed as a basic building block of economic development. Yet, the components that impact business success and thus economic development are mostly unexplored, especially within the context of minority and ethnic communities, both domestically and internationally. Given that IT adoption in small businesses is very often the domain of the business owner, an investigation of how the attributes of individual business owners and the context in which they are embedded is essential. This paper develops an integrative model of the role that IT adoption plays in business success and the economic development …