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Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research
Volume 11, Number 1, 2009
Editorial
Preface
Why Technology in the University
Classroom is Necessary
Daniel A. Peak, PhD
University of North Texas, USA
Research
Article One
Fueling Community-based Knowledge
Management: Matching Peer-to-Peer Technology and the Social
Architecture of Knowledge
Stefan Baldi
Munich Business School, Germany
Hauke Heier
Accenture – Strategic IT
Effectiveness
Research
Article Two
A Failure to Learn by Software
Developers: Inhibiting the Adoption of an Agile Software Development
Methodology
John McAvoy and Tom Butler
University
College Cork, Ireland
Teaching Case
Article
Integrating ERP Systems in a
Decentralized Company: A Case Study
Gee-Woo Bock
SungKyunKwan University, Seoul, Korea
Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina,
Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan and
Ronald Soeharto
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Youn Jung Kang
SungKyunKwan University, Seoul, Korea
The Expert
Opinion
An Interview
with:
Capers Jones
Chief
Scientist Emeritus and Founder Software Productivity Research
Software
Management Consultant
Conducted and Documented by Daniel
A. Peak,
PhD
University of North Texas
Book Review
Financial Intelligence
for IT
Professionals
By Karen Berman and Joe Knight with John Case
Published in 2008 by Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 978-1-4221-1914-3; 296 pages
Reviewed by Richard G. Platt, University of
West Florida, USA
Editorial
Preface
Why Technology in the University
Classroom is Necessary
Daniel A. Peak, PhD
University of North Texas, USA
ABSTRACT
Significant
changes to higher education have followed the acceptance and adoption
of internet courses, which now are being offered at a most universities
in this country. Still, the vast
majority of courses offered continue to be face-to-face, with a
comparable majority of students wanting at least some of their courses
to be face-to-face. Despite
their desire for classroom instruction, students also want the benefits
of current classroom technology and instructors who can use technology
to enhance their learning experiences.
As technology professors, I believe that we have a duty and a
responsibility to make that happen.
Research
Article One
Fueling Community-based Knowledge Management: Matching Peer-to-Peer
Technology and the Social Architecture of Knowledge
Stefan Baldi
Munich Business School, Germany
Hauke Heier
Accenture – Strategic IT
Effectiveness
ABSTRACT
Earlier research has
shown the interdependence of knowledge management systems (KMS) and
organizational factors. This study explores how peer-to-peer
(P2P)-based KMS are perceived by users and whether those perceptions
have impact on user acceptance and system usage. By employing a case
study approach we bring together the overlapping disciplines and
practices of information system architectures, knowledge management,
and organizational behavior by exploring structural analogies between
the social architecture of knowledge and the technical architecture of
decentralized KMS. Our case analysis suggests a range of potential
benefits: saved time in making knowledge available, higher levels of
reciprocity and transparency, as well as faster knowledge creation.
Research Article
Two
A Failure to Learn by Software
Developers: Inhibiting the Adoption of an Agile Software Development
Methodology
John McAvoy and Tom Butler
University
College Cork, Ireland
ABSTRACT
The adoption of an Agile software development methodology can
be impacted by many stakeholders. In the parlance of Chris Argyris, the adoption of Agile is an exercise in
learning - behavioral change created by Agile’s
values. This paper presents a case study investigating the failures
associated with the introduction of elements of a new software
development methodology by the software developers within a software
development team. Although Argyis’ work is
often portrayed at the organizational level, this case study examines
individual learning. The failure to adopt aspects of the new
methodology is seen as a failure to learn by the individual software
developers within the team. This paper posits that learning is more than
a pedagogical view of learning a new skill; learning also involves
changes in individual behaviors, attitudes and opinions. As methodology
adoption involves changes to the software developers’ activities and
values, this study investigates the introduction of an Agile Method as
a learning experience. This case study concentrates on one particular
group of stakeholders – the software developers – and examines the
affect their traits can have on the learning activity of adopting an
Agile methodology in a project. Extant research focuses on the traits
of software developers but does not incorporate influences from the
values inherent in Agile. The objective of this case study is to
examine the traits of individual programmers to determine the impact
they can have on the adoption of an Agile methodology by examining, in
depth, the introduction of Agile by the software developers in a team.
This leads to the research question which asks if and how the traits of
software developers can negatively impact on the behavioral changes
required for the learning inherent in an Agile adoption?
Teaching Case
Article
Integrating ERP Systems in a
Decentralized Company: A Case Study
Gee-Woo Bock
SungKyunKwan University, Seoul, Korea
Emilia Flores, Donald Latumahina,
Harry Cheng, Vu Tung Lam, Stephanie Chan and
Ronald Soeharto
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Youn Jung Kang
SungKyunKwan University, Seoul, Korea
ABSTRACT
System integration
across regions is essential for global operations, especially in
business-to business (B2B) transactions. Medical Device Corporation[1] (MDC), a medical-device manufacturer, aims to
implement an e-procurement system to increase efficiency in group
purchasing transactions and to enhance customer service. However, the
company needed to standardize work processes in its various regions and
integrate disparate regional ERP systems prior to the implementation of
an e-procurement system. To achieve this objective, MDC is currently conducting a two-phase system
integration strategy. This study describes MDC’s system integration promotion strategy in the
context of the unique features of the medical supply industry and an
environment in which work processes vary enormously with distinct
regional environmental characteristics.
The Expert
Opinion
An Interview with:
Capers Jones
Chief
Scientist Emeritus and Founder Software Productivity Research
Software
Management Consultant
Conducted and Documented by Daniel
A. Peak,
PhD
University of North Texas
ABSTRACT
Capers Jones, an
internationally recognized consultant, speaker, author and seminar
leader in the field of software management, is Chief Scientist Emeritus
of Software Productivity Research LLC
(SPR). Mr. Jones is the
designer of many software cost and quality estimation tools. He is also well-known as a speaker
for his company’s research programs into critical software issues, such
as:
·
Software Project Management: A Survey of
the State of the Art
·
Software Cost Estimating: A Survey of
the State of the Art
·
Software Quality: What Works and What
Doesn’t?
·
Empirical Results of Software Process
Improvements
Book Review
Financial Intelligence
for IT
Professionals
By Karen Berman and Joe Knight with John Case
Published in 2008 by Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 978-1-4221-1914-3; 296 pages
Reviewed by Richard G. Platt, University of
West Florida, USA
In A Sense of Urgency
(reviewed in JITCAR 10:3), Kotter describes
the frustrations of one head of technology who spent considerable time
developing the business case for overhauling his company’s antiquated systems.
Ultimately, the project failed, but not due to any lack of completeness
in the business case proposal for the system changes. The failure had
to do with the lack of commitment to the project. Lack of commitment
was one of Kotter’s key points in A Sense of Urgency, but that is
not why this reviewer introduces this example. In the description of
that less-than-successful IT project, Kotter
actually praises the quantitative analysis performed by the technology
officer, especially the financial analysis that was necessary to
persuade the board of directors to approve the project.
How many IT professionals are capable of performing a detailed
financial analysis of a long-term project such as the one described by Kotter? How
many IT professionals know how to read the financial statements of an
organization and make decisions based on their content? While recent
MBA grads should have that knowledge, how many MBA grads are working in
the IT departments of organizations?
How many recent graduates of undergraduate computing programs,
even those from schools of business, can really decipher the key
concepts locked within financial statements? With more than three
decades of teaching experience, this reviewer concedes the answer to
all of these questions is a resounding “Not nearly enough.” And, again
based on anecdotal evidence, most business computing majors loath
accounting and finance courses and try to forget them as quickly as
possible. The resulting situation is that by the time financial
analysis similar to the situation above is needed, most IT
professionals find themselves having forgotten all but the very basics
of what they learned in the classroom.
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