Andreja Pucihar

Contrasting ERP Absorption Between Transition and Developed Economies From Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

This article investigates Enterprise Resource Planning absorption in transition and developed economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Using absorptive capacity theory and data envelopment analysis, we view organizational transformation in Enterprise Resource Planning absorption as an economic production process. Despite converging Enterprise Resource Planning saturation levels, the data identifies gaps in absorption levels and performance. Organizations in transition face greater challenges, engage more in phased Enterprise Resource Planning absorptions, and expect higher levels of external support.

Social CRM adoption and its impact on performance outcomes: a literature review

Abstract Background and Purpose: Social customer relationship management (social CRM) is an emerging concept that integrates traditional CRM and social media in order to provide benefits for organizations and customers. Despite the benefits that social CRM can bring, many organizations are still at the early stage of adoption. To move beyond social marketing and to exploit opportunities offered by sales and customer service, organizations need to be aware of factors that drive social CRM adoption and different implications of social CRM adoption for performance outcomes. This paper aims to provide a review of scholarly literature on social CRM adoption with the focus on factors and performance outcomes. Design/Methodology/Approach: To provide a comprehensive view of social CRM adoption and its impact on performance outcomes, the publications of interest include scholarly journal papers from information systems and marketing disciplines and conference proceedings. Selected publications were reviewed, and findings classified into three categories: the extent of social CRM adoption, the factors influencing CRM adoption, and the impact of social CRM on performance outcomes. Results: It appears that several issues regarding social CRM adoption and its implications for performance outcomes as well as the actual use of social media in the context of CRM need additional empirical support. Conclusion: Our observations have confirmed that many researchers proposed social CRM models based on existing theories and concepts of traditional CRM. Nevertheless, some specifics of social media implications on CRM have been overlooked. The researchers therefore suggest further adjustment/extension of their models.

Impacts of the Implementation of a Project Management Information System – a Case Study of a Small R&D Company

Abstract Background: The problems of resources management (human, financial, time) in multi-project companies are inherently complex and need to be addressed systematically, in both small and large organizations. Furthermore, there is a need for transparent communication and collaboration within the organization as well as with partnering organizations. There are many methodologies and tools supporting project management, which are themselves complex and are therefore not widely adopted, especially among small companies. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to analyse impact of the implementation of a flexible cloud-based project management information system (PMIS) from the human resources, financial management, and collaboration points of view. Method: We have conducted a case study in a small Slovenian research and development company, that has implemented the 4PM PMIS. Results: The findings imply the importance of keeping the balance of the creative processes that are unstructured, rule free and even chaotic, with structured processes monitor and control. Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that the use of “4PM” in support of multi-project management improves human resources and financial management in a collaborative and transparent way when implemented in an open and highly motivated environment

Business Model Innovation: Insights from a Multiple Case Study of Slovenian SMEs

Abstract Background and Purpose: Business model innovation (BMI) has become increasingly important, especially in the fast changing business environment. While large enterprises approach these changes systematically, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are left to their own resourcefulness. For the purpose of developing dedicated methods and tools to support different SMEs in addressing these challenges, we have conducted a multiple case study to gain insights into factors that drive SMEs to innovate their BM, how they approach BMI and what changes they made to their BM. Design/Methodology/Approach: First the framework of analysis was developed based on BMI research frameworks identified in literature review. Then the multiple case studies were conducted following the case study protocol developed by Envision project. Results: Based on the proposed framework the results of four Slovene SME cases revealed differences between enterprises regarding the drivers behind BMI and changes in usage of the different BMI elements. Conclusion: Overall, the results suggest all four SMEs, coming from different sectors, are facing BMI challenges without systematically addressing it and without using any dedicated BM ontologies or tools.

A Comparative Study of the Impact of ERP Systems Implementation on Large Companies in Slovakia and Slovenia

Based on a literature review, it can be stated that there had been very little research published focused on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems post-implementation period. This paper tries to contribute to filling in this gap in theory. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether a significant difference in the impact of ERP systems implementation on overall IS/IT costs can be found, as well as on the proportion of the IT/IS costs attributed to IT and other departments, on efficiency as profitability, on effectiveness as productivity, and on the availability of IS/IT services. The research is based on data from large Slovak and Slovenian companies. The models control for the extent and successfulness of the ERP system implementation and for the IT focus of the company.

Actual vs. Planned ERP System Implementation Costs in Slovak and Slovenian Companies

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are still more and more common in companies, not only in large ones but also in small and medium enterprises. Although virtually nobody really doubts their importance for running business, there is a sentiment regarding their implementation – both in terms of time and cost. We focus on the latter in this paper. The research question is to what extent do ERP system implementation costs exceed the planned costs in European context, which is characterized by fixed price policy. The questionnaire research, which focused on this issue, was conducted in Slovakia and Slovenia. The dependent variable was a percentage of actual ERP system implementation costs vis-a-vis the planned ones. The independent variables were the country, company size, information strategy, and representation of the IT department on board level. According to the collected data, companies with information strategy, and small companies as opposed to large ones, are more likely to stay on budget. Overall, 68.5% of companies stayed on budget and companies, on average, spent 106.0% of what they originally planned to.

The Importance of Business Model Factors for Cloud Computing Adoption: Role of Previous Experiences

Abstract Background and Purpose: Bringing several opportunities for more effective and efficient IT governance and service exploitation, cloud computing is expected to impact the European and global economies significantly. Market data show that despite many advantages and promised benefits the adoption of cloud computing is not as fast and widespread as foreseen. This situation shows the need for further exploration of the potentials of cloud computing and its implementation on the market. The purpose of this research was to identify individual business model factors with the highest impact on cloud computing adoption. In addition, the aim was to identify the differences in opinion regarding the importance of business model factors on cloud computing adoption according to companies’ previous experiences with cloud computing services. Methodology: Based on literature review, prior research results, and interviews with cloud computing providers and users, a research model was developed. Statistical analysis focused on identification of factors’ importance on cloud computing adoption and differences in opinions according to respondents’ previous experiences with cloud computing services. The study was done among 80 companies and five major cloud computing providers in Slovenia. Results: The research results reveal statistically significant differences in opinions on the importance of cloud computing business model factors according to respondents’ previous experiences with cloud computing services. The results can provide orientation for redesign or innovation of existing business models towards the creation of a customer-oriented business model for the more successful exploitation of cloud computing services and business opportunities. For potential users, the findings represent guidelines for the successful adoption of cloud computing services. Conclusions: In our research, the investigated business model factors could be classified into so-called “business model organizational factors”, as they primarily need to be considered by cloud service providers when defining or innovating their business models. For future research, the model should also include the impact of environmental factors, such as Competition, Business Partners, Legislation, Economic Situation, in order to investigate their impact on cloud adoption.

30TH Bled eConference: Digital Transformation – From Connecting Things to Transforming Our Lives : (June 18 – 21, 2017, Bled, Slovenia) (Conference Proceedings)

Bled eConference, organized by University of Maribor, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, has been shaping electronic interactions since 1988 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2017. Bled eConference is the oldest, most traditional and well renowned conference in the field. It attracts speakers and delegates from business, government, information technology providers and universities and is the major venue for researchers working in all aspects of “e”. The theme of this year’s conference is dedicated to “Digital Transformation – From Connecting Things to Transforming Our Lives”. The evolution of digital technologies and solutions (e.g. Internet of things, mobile technology, social media, cloud and high performance computing, artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, big data & big data analytics, service architecture, digital technology platforms, 3D printing, robotics etc. …) has significantly impacted on the way how business is conducted and had big implications on our lives. The nowadays digital economy calls for transformation of businesses, governments, education and societies as whole. It also calls for enabling policies and politics for cross border and global digital business. Digital transformation is reflected in the organizations’ ability of comprehensive transformation of business activities, processes, competencies and business models in order to take advantage of digital technologies. Digital technologies require changes in our mind set, culture and functioning and have strategic impact on both the organization itself and its business ecosystems. In this year’s conference, we address various aspects of digital transformation and provide directions and guidelines for organizations to overcome challenges on their way of successful digital transformation. Themes covered in the papers of these proceedings are focused to digital transformation challenges, opportunities and cesses, furthermore to business model innovation, social media and big data analytics implementation, e-health, digital wellness and wellbeing experiences, new applications and organizational models, and novel approaches and cases in education in digital economy.Recently, there has been a tremendous rise in the growth of social media platforms all over the world. Most social media platforms are created for worldwide consumption and it is usually a significant challenge to develop these platforms for users from various cultural backgrounds. While culturally centric user behaviour of social media platforms has been well-documented, the cultural values inherent within the design of these platforms has not been thoroughly explored. This study proposes a conceptual cultural values model to examine the cultural characteristics inherent within WeChat, a Chinese social media platform. We use a research model based on Chinese cultural values to validate the model for the full scale study.The purpose of this paper is to take a look at the current state of the research related to consumer emotions in the context of electronic commerce (e-commerce). As the popularity of online shopping is constantly growing, the author performed an integrative literature review of 66 journal articles on e-emotions (consumer emotions visible in an online environment) and classified the articles into four groups. According to the analysis of the groups, consumer emotions are present at various points of the e-commerce relationship from pre-purchase intentions to postconsumption behavior. Based on this literature review, directions for future research in e-emotions are also introduced

User-Centered Design of a Web-Based Platform for the Sustainable Development of Tourism Services in a Living Lab Context

The tourism sector in the Gorenjska region, where outstanding natural, historical and geographical potentials are supported by national and regional policies, still faces many challenges in terms of attracting more tourists for longer periods. We address this problem with an open innovation approach, bringing together tourism service providers, end-users (tourists), information and communication technology providers and policy makers; and with the establishing of a regional tourism living lab, which is a real life environment in which researchers, developers and users are co-creating new products or services. We describe the process and experiences of the user-centered design of the web-based platform for sustainable development of tourism services in a living lab context. The phases of the co-design process of web platform development are described, from idea formation through prototype development, testing, and gathering user feedback through several workshops. The final outcome, the “GoGorenjska” web platform, is presented, and further research is outlined. Based on the feedback from tourism service providers and tourists, we can conclude that the platform itself has vast open innovation potential, providing a critical mass of users in the phase of full production on the market.