Anne-Marie Croteau

An information technology trilogy: business strategy, technological deployment and organizational performance

The objective of this empirical study is to identify various profiles of technological deployment specific to various types of business strategy that best support organizational performance. Top managers from 223 organizations completed two questionnaizres analyzed using a Partial Least Squares tool (PLS graph). Profiles of technological deployment based on the strategic impact of the information system department, the technological architecture, the information system performance evaluation and technological scanning were identified. Using Miles and Snows typology to characterize business strategy, an outward technological profile contributes directly to organizational performance for the analyzer strategic activities, while an inward profile of technological deployment contributes indirectly to organizational performance for the prospector strategic activities.

Performance outcomes of strategic and IT competencies alignment

This study empirically evaluates the business performance outcomes of aligning an organizations information technology (IT) competencies with its strategic competencies. Strategic competencies include components such as shared vision, cooperation, empowerment, and innovation, whereas IT competencies comprise connectivity, flexibility, and technological scanning. Top managers from 104 organizations completed a questionnaire analyzed with EQS, a structural equation modeling tool. Based on a covariation approach to alignment, results confirm that strategic and IT competencies alignment significantly enhances perceived business performance.

Enabling the strategic development of SMEs through advanced manufacturing systems: A configurational perspective

Purpose – In order to deepen knowledge and further build theory on the use of advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) in SMEs, the present research seeks to explore the following questions: are the AMS used by SMEs aligned with their network, product and market development strategies? And does the alignment of AMS contribute to the successful outcome of these strategies, that is, to the business performance of manufacturing SMEs?Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 248 Canadian manufacturers was used to collect data that were analyzed through cluster analysis and analysis of variance.Findings – Three alignment patterns of strategic development were identified and named local SMEs, transition SMEs, and world‐class SMEs. World‐class firms were found to clearly outperform local firms in terms of growth and profitability whereas transition SMEs did not perform significantly better or worse than the other two groups.Research limitations/implications – The nature of the sample imposes care in generalizing the...

Organizational and technological infrastructures alignment

The objective of this empirical study is to find ways that best support business performance through the alignment of organizational and technological infrastructures. Adapting D. Tapscott and A. Castons (1993) infrastructure themes, the organizational infrastructure includes components such as common vision, cooperation, empowerment, adaptability and learning, and the technological infrastructure addresses dimensions such as user involvement, connectivity, distributed computing, flexibility and technology awareness. Top managers from 104 organizations completed a questionnaire. The data analysis is performed using structural equation modeling techniques. The results indicate that the alignment of organizational and technological infrastructure enhances business performance.

Antecedents of computer self-efficacy: A study of the role of personality traits and gender

Empirical evidence suggests that computer self-efficacy plays an important role in ones acceptance and use of new information technology. Little is however known about the antecedents of computer self-efficacy. This paper reports on a study of 143 non-users of a self-checkout library system available at a large Canadian university which was conducted to investigate the relationships between stable personality traits and gender with computer self-efficacy. Results indicate that four of the five stable personality traits, as measured by the Big-5 factors of personality, contribute to explain computer self-efficacy. Taking gender into account, results show that the traits of neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness are significantly related to computer self-efficacy for women but not for men. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Manufacturing Strategy and Business Strategy in Medium-Sized Enterprises: Performance Effects of Strategic Alignment

It is generally recognized that a firms manufacturing strategy is effective to the extent that it is ldquoalignedrdquo with the business strategy and provides the firm with a competitive advantage. Given a conceptualization of business strategy through Miles and Snows typology (prospectors, analyzers, and defenders), the aim of this research is threefold. First, one seeks to identify the performance outcomes of strategic alignment in terms of the productivity and profitability of medium-sized enterprises (ME). Second, this research aims to verify if these outcomes are valid for all strategic types or only for some. Third, to find out what manufacturing strategy is the most appropriate for each business strategy type. A research model and hypothesis are tested with survey data obtained from 150 Canadian MEs. Significant performance outcomes of alignment are found, thus validating the research model and confirming the main research proposition. Differences between strategic types are also found in terms of performance outcomes. Results indicate that each type of business strategy deploys advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) differently by assimilating and integrating various types of manufacturing technologies. Results suggest that ME owner-managers must assess their firms level of AMS assimilation in light of their strategic objectives.

Firm strategic profile and IT outsourcing

IT outsourcing research has often been at the transaction level, focusing on the role of the characteristics of the IT activities as the antecedents of outsourcing decisions. The present study extends past research efforts examining the relationships between organizational level variables—in particular the business strategy—and the decision to outsource. Results show that prospectors and analyzers are more aggressive in their use of outsourcing for IT operations. However, no differences between the behaviour of the different strategic groups were found for maintenance activities, suggesting that these activities are too far from the core of the organization to be influenced by strategic profile.

Interorganizational Governance of Information Technology

This study aims at better understanding how information technology (IT) governance supports organizations in their business exchanges with other organizations. Its main objective is to define the various modes of IT governance contributing to successful interorganizational relationships. Borrowing from the network governance area, three major constructs - structure, processes, and participants - are considered to study these modes. The maturity state of the interorganizational relationships is also taken into account to better explain the level of success of each observed relation. Through pilot cases, we want to provide both practitioners and academics with an enriched understanding of the challenges related to the governance of IT during interorganizational relationships.

Innovation Capability and Performance Of Manufacturing SMEs: The Paradoxical Effect of IT Integration

In theory, IT integration through applications such as enterprise resource planning, manufacturing resource planning, and electronic data interchange provides an organization with the ability to exploit innovation capabilities. Based on survey data obtained from 309 Canadian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this study aims to identify the enabling effect of IT integration on the innovation capability of manufacturing SMEs—in terms of growth and productivity outcomes—and to verify if this effect is subject to industry influences. While the firms innovation capability was found, as expected, to be positively related to the growth and productivity of manufacturing SMEs, the results underline paradoxical effects of IT integration in this regard. While IT integration was not seen to enable the innovation capability of manufacturing SMEs in terms of growth, it was seen to have a disabling effect on this same capability with regard to productivity.

Employee Reactions to Paper and Electronic Surveys: An Experimental Comparison

Using a within-subjects field experiment, we tested the differences between paper-based and electronic employee surveys. Employees of a large organization were invited to respond to a paper survey as well as an identical electronic survey. Results from 134 employees who completed both questionnaires indicated that electronic surveys were seen as marginally easier to use and more enjoyable than paper surveys. However, the paper-based questionnaires produced a higher response rate. The self-reported likelihood that participants would respond to similar questionnaires in the future did not differ between the two formats. After comparing the answers on survey items that measured feelings of well-being and spending patterns, data quality also appeared to be equivalent across the two formats. Conceptual issues, as well as the implications for managers who are administering employee surveys, are discussed.