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Volume 10, Number 2, 2008
Editorial Preface
(Available as full text: Click on link below)
Definition, Domain, and Identity of
the IT Discipline
Shailendra C. Jain Palvia, Long Island University, Brookville, NY, USA
Research Article One
A Methodology to Evaluate the
Organizational Impact of IT on Knowledge Management: An Italian Case
Study
Michele Grimaldi , DIMSAT, University of Cassino, Cassino,
Italy
Pierluigi Rippa, DIEG, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Massimo Ruffolo, EXEURA, Cosenza, Italy
Research Article Two
Opportunistic Bargains: Exploring an
Unusual B2C E-Commerce Model
Brian Harmer and Pak Yoong
School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington,
New Zealand
Teaching Case Article
Hilton Hotels Corporation Self-Service
Technology
Charla Griffy-Brown and Mark W.S. Chun
Pepperdine University, Los Ángeles, CA, USA
Robert Machen, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
The Expert Opinion
An Interview with William
Schauffler, IT Director, Cognex Corporation, USA
Conducted and Documented by:
Daniel A. Peak, University of North Texas, Texas, USA
Book Review
Case Study Methodology in Business
Research
by Jan
Dul and Tony Hak
Published
in 2008 by Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN:
978-0-7506-8196-4; 302 pages.
Reviewed by Richard G. Platt, University of West Florida, USA
Editorial Preface
Definition, Domain, and Identity of
the IT Discipline
Shailendra C. Jain Palvia, Long Island University, Brookville, NY, USA
ABSTRACT
On November 5, 2007 at 3:18 PM (New York Time), I sent an e-mail
message to professors around the world on AISworld listserv attempting
to get answers to some critical issues facing the MIS discipline. I received few responses. I did get some private messages
also. The three issues I
addressed are: Organizational Location of the MIS Discipline,
Reengineering of MIS (IT Management) Curriculum, and Strategies and
Tactics to Spur MIS (IT Management) Enrollment. However, another issue that emerged
from the ensuing discussion was the Definition, Domain and Identity of
the MIS (IT) Discipline. I also
found relevant e-mail messages on this theme from such discussions in
2006 on the AISworld listserv.
In this preface, I am going to focus only on this overarching
issue. An earlier Editorial
Preface (Teng, 2003) had also touched upon this theme. Much of the material that follows has
been derived from e-mail messages on the AISworld listserv during
2006-2008. Names and e-mail
addresses of these senders are included under the heading of
Bibliography.
Research Article One
A Methodology to Evaluate the
Organizational Impact of IT on Knowledge Management: An Italian Case
Study
Michele Grimaldi , DIMSAT, University of Cassino, Cassino,
Italy
Pierluigi Rippa, DIEG, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Massimo Ruffolo, EXEURA, Cosenza, Italy
ABSTRACT
The important role played by Information Technology (IT) for
Knowledge Management (KM) within many companies has been widely
recognized. However, the relationship between IT investment and firm
performance is complex and multifaceted and the evaluation of the
impact of IT for KM on organizational performance has proved to be a
difficult task. This has made it difficult to demonstrate that IT for
KM may be used to leverage other firm advantages and opportunities and
to justify spending on IT projects in support of KM.
Research Article Two
Opportunistic Bargains: Exploring an
Unusual B2C E-Commerce Model
Brian Harmer and Pak Yoong
School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington,
New Zealand
ABSTRACT
This case study explores the thinking and motivation behind the
creation of an atypical e-commerce business model, and the aspirations
of the entrepreneurs behind this creation. Unlike most B2C e-commerce
providers, a small New Zealand company called Firstin, selling products
of a mostly technological nature, does not give its customers the
opportunity to fulfil a specific time-bound need. Each day, with no
forewarning of what is to be sold, it offers a small range of products
at a price that is usually lower than is available at any other local
provider. After twenty four hours, or if the product is sold out
earlier, the offer lapses, and customers must wait until the next day
for a new and different set of bargains. The operational business model
depends upon the availability of a range of attractively priced
products of relevance to its chosen market, and a significant body of
loyal watchers with the ability to make opportunistic purchase
decisions if a particular offering meets a need at an attractive price.
In the middle of its fourth year in business in the small New Zealand
market, this organization continues to evolve, but retains the key
features of its unusual operational business model. This research asks
what lessons the Firstin case offers that will benefit other
entrepreneurs who propose to invest in a B2C e-commerce venture on the
basis of similarly unconventional business models.
Teaching Case Article
Hilton Hotels Corporation Self-Service
Technology
Charla Griffy-Brown and Mark W.S. Chun
Pepperdine University, Los Ángeles, CA, USA
Robert Machen, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Beverly Hills, CA, USA
ABSTRACT
The main inflection point of this case is that the students must
jump into the “shoes” of the VP for Customer-Facing Technology, Bill,
and decide whether or not to again roll-out a technology that was a
complete failure when it was initially rolled-out in 1997. Importantly, this technology is
customer-facing which means that a failure engenders even more risks
because it could result in lost customers. Not only is there a chance of another
failure, if previous mistakes aren’t corrected, but there is still the
issue of timing. While the
customer-base might be ready to adopt this technology, this roll-out
could risk obsolescence given the rise of web-based self-service. This case uses the experiences of the
Hilton Hotels Corporation to complement and extend the current
understanding of technology implementation particularly in the
customer-facing realm.
The Expert Opinion
An Interview with William
Schauffler, IT Director, Cognex Corporation, USA
Conducted and Documented by:
Daniel A. Peak, University of North Texas, Texas, USA
ABSTRACT
Bill Schauffler has been the IT Director of the Cognex Corporation
since 2001. Early in his career, he managed IT projects in Asia,
Africa, and the mid-East for the U.S. Agency for International
Development. His later consulting work for CSC and other companies
involved introducing new technologies, privatization, staff
development, and global project management including systems
integration work at some of Saudi Aramco’s largest processing
facilities. As the former IT Director for WR Grace Performance
Chemicals division, Schauffler oversaw a global SAP implementation and
the ongoing IT work in support of divestures and acquisitions. He
received an A.B. degree from Brown University and did graduate work in
Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed the
Greater Boston Executive Program at MIT’s Sloan School.
Book Review
Case Study Methodology in Business
Research
by Jan
Dul and Tony Hak
Published
in 2008 by Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN:
978-0-7506-8196-4; 302 pages.
Reviewed by Richard G. Platt, University of West Florida, USA
What a wonderfully appropriate book title for this journal and for
its readers! The Journal of Information Technology Case and Application
Research is a journal dedicated to the publication of research in
information technology dealing with cases and applications. Quoting
from the mission statement of JITCAR, the journal “will focus on cases
and applications that explain existing theories and concepts or that
help in building new theories and frameworks.” Given the mission of
JITCAR and this reviewer’s passion and experience with developing,
publishing, and using case studies based on the applications of
information systems and technology within organizations, Case Study
Methodology in Business Research appeared to ideally suited for a book
review uniquely positioned to support the JITCAR readership and
mission.
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