Anuradha Mathrani

Using enterprise systems to realize digital business strategies

– Organizations invest in enterprise systems (ESs) with an expectation to share digital information from disparate sources to improve organizational effectiveness. This study aims to examine how organizations realize digital business strategies using an ES. It does so by evaluating the ES data support activities for knowledge creation, particularly how ES data are transformed into corporate knowledge in relevance to business strategies sought. Further, how this knowledge leads to realization of the business benefits. The linkage between establishing digital business strategy, utilization of ES data in decision‐making processes, and realized or unrealized benefits provides the reason for this study., – This study develops and utilizes a transformational model of how ES data are transformed into knowledge and results to evaluate the role of digital business strategies in achieving benefits using an ES. Semi‐structured interviews are first conducted with ES vendors, consultants and IT research firms to understand the process of ES data transformation for realizing business strategies from their perspective. This is followed by three in‐depth cases (two large and one medium‐sized organization) who have implemented ESs. The empirical data are analyzed using the condensation approach. This method condenses the data into multiple groups according to pre‐defined categories, which follow the scope of the research questions., – The key findings emphasize that strategic benefit realization from an ES implementation is a holistic process that not only includes the essential data and technology factors, but also includes factors such as digital business strategy deployment, people and process management, and skills and competency development. Although many companies are mature with their ES implementation, these firms have only recently started aligning their ES capabilities with digital business strategies correlating data, decisions, and actions to maximize business value from their ES investment., – The findings reflect the views of two large and one medium‐sized organization in the manufacturing sector. Although the evidence of the benefit realization process success and its results is more prominent in larger organizations than medium‐sized, it may not be generalized that smaller firms cannot achieve these results. Exploration of these aspects in smaller firms or a different industry sector such as retail/service would be of value., – The paper highlights the importance of tools and practices for accessing relevant information through an integrated ES so that competent decisions can be established towards achieving digital business strategies, and optimizing organizational performance. Knowledge is a key factor in this process., – The paper evaluates a holistic framework for utilization of ES data in realizing digital business strategies. Thus, it develops an enhanced transformational cycle model for ES data transformation into knowledge and results, which maintains to build up the transformational process success in the long term.

Utilizing enterprise systems for managing enterprise risks

Enterprise risk management is a critical concept in the current business environment that supports use of tools and processes directed toward monitoring and mitigating organizational risks. Many organizations have embraced enterprise systems (ESs) technology for improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. ESs provide value by identifying opportunities in operations and assist in managing risks through context sensitive analyses by eliciting relevant information. This research investigates how ES data were transformed into knowledge by a hi-tech manufacturing firm from an ES implementation, and how this knowledge was used to manage risks by utilizing an ES data transformation model from existing literature. Findings indicate that the ES data transformation process resulted from knowledge-leveraging actions at both executive and operational levels. At the executive level, the use of business intelligence module in conjunction with cascades of balanced scorecards helped in assessing progress for achieving goals, and translated decisions into risk-eliminating actions at the operational level. An initial technology-push approach assisted in creating semantically rich representative process models by simulating risk scenarios, leading to a strategy-pull approach for deploying business strategies and decisions. A value assessment strategic model articulates the knowledge-leveraging processes combining human skills with ES tools to optimize enterprise risks.

Leveraging Business Intelligence to Build Meta-knowledge

Over the years, many organizations have implemented business intelligence (BI) systems as an initiative towards dynamically creating and managing information that enables real-time responses to business and process variations using focused analytical assessments. This study captures the essence of BI practices that are most responsible for optimizing organizational performance by applying analytic processes and transforming enterprise-wide system data into knowledge for decision making. Findings reveal that although organizations have been able to improve processes and rationalize the business value chain using BI, these firms often lack clarity in evaluating needs and identifying the context of information critical to their success. Companies are now extending capabilities via knowledge-based processes to simulate business scenarios and align key performance metrics with critical functions, to build meta-knowledge from data extracts using BI tools.

Work Practices to Curb Attrition in the Indian Hi-Tech Software Development Industry: A Structurational Analysis

Whilst collaborative knowledge work is gaining momentum across national borders, there are a number of issues associated with management of human resources creating this knowledge. This is especially relevant where IT professionals learn to apply present and prior work contexts together over ICT tools. But the tenure of IT professionals is often limited, leading to loss of specialist skills and continuity of knowledge flow. Indian firms have recognised the importance of human capital as a vital knowledge resource and are making efforts to reduce attrition. This paper sheds light on how hi-tech software firms overcome the challenges associated with the high attrition of IT professionals, and provides new insights on emerging practices for retaining and motivating the agents. Findings reveal that agents have the power to bring about transformation in organisational practices. New organisational routines for retaining professionals have been implemented to motivate professionals and capture contextual knowledge into project repositories. This reduces dependency of IT firms on individuals. The study illustrates empirically the dualism between IT professionals and organisational work structures for enabling each other in knowledge industries.

Management of Knowledge Transfer in Distributed Software Organizations: The Outsourcers’ Perspective

Software development is a complex iterative process, where knowledge builds as work progresses, requiring an ongoing awareness by all participants of the changing definitions and relationships in the development effort. This has resulted decentralized decision making, where knowledge workers distributed across development centers are involved in making or breaking decisions. Outsourcers who develop for overseas clients have realized the need for some measures of control to manage distributed project tasks, while at the same time motivating their knowledge workers. A study of how knowledge capital is managed in a decentralized and distributed environment during the offshore software development processes forms the basis of this study. The issues are illustrated using two case studies of offshore outsourcers in New Zealand, an’ up and coming’ outsourcing nation. The study reveals that both firms emphasize monitoring and management of knowledge transfer processes, but also raises questions about the future for New Zealand outsourcers.

Evolving digital divides in information literacy and learning outcomes: A BYOD journey in a secondary school

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to seek answers to questions on how equity of information literacy and learning outcomes have evolved with the ongoing advances in technologies in teaching and learning across schools. The authors’ report on a five-year long bring your own device (BYOD) journey of one school, which was one of the earliest adopters of one-to-one learning devices in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach Using a socio-cultural ecological lens for analysis, a longitudinal study has investigated aspects of how digital/information literacy, computer self-efficacy, and nature of technology usage are transforming school and classroom curriculum practices. Findings Findings of this study reveal a significant shift in social and academic boundaries between formal and informal learning spaces. One-to-one learning devices provide the link between school and home, as students take more ownership of their learning, and teachers become facilitators. Curricula changes and proper technological support systems introduced in the school structures have given agency to students resulting in greater acceptance of the BYOD policy and extensions to learning beyond formal classroom spaces. Digital divide amongst learners has evolved beyond equity in access and equity in capabilities to become more inclusive, thereby paving the way for equity in learning outcomes. Research limitations/implications This study has been conducted in a school which is located in a relatively high socio-economic region. To achieve a more holistic view, there is a need for further studies to be conducted in schools from low socio-economic communities. Originality/value This paper adds to the existing literature by sharing teacher reflections on their use of innovative pedagogies to bring changes to classroom curricular practice.

Managing meta‐learning in offshore software development environments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current glocal (global and local) environment to answer the following research questions: How does the glocal environment influence software exporting industries in India? How is the evolving “sticky” knowledge from individuals and teams assimilated into organizational knowledge repositories? What management practices have been learnt and applied for advancement of knowledge portfolios in the offshore software business market?Design/methodology/approach – An interpretivist research design is used to gain insights into organizational learning processes adopted by offshore software vendors for assimilating evolving knowledge into knowledge repositories.Findings – This paper describes the influence of the current glocal environment on software exporting industries in India and presents a model for organizational learning to assimilate knowledge and build effective representations of emerging knowledge artifacts. The authors employ the concept of meta‐...

Workgroup structures in offshore software development projects: A vendor case study

Studies have shown that offshore development of software projects is not without its challenges, as development teams try to make sense of the organisational artefacts sent to them from distributed sites. These challenges are associated with; lack of implicit knowledge related to the clients functional work processes, inadequate coordination and control mechanisms, and lack of trust across dissimilarities. This paper describes how a vendors organisational structures have been used to overcome the struggle associated with knowledge sharing in a virtual environment. The vendor has developed workgroup structures involving new boundary roles for building relationships with clients and coordination of project schedules at offshore development sites. Vendor employees located at the client country interpret the implicit knowledge related to the clients functional work processes, which are then translated over a centralised organisational portal to offshore development locations. Regular updates are maintained in the organisational portal to provide information on current project tasks to both clients and distributed team members. English language training is also provided to developers to improve trans-global communications.

Bring Your Own Devices Classroom: Exploring the Issue of Digital Divide in the Teaching and Learning Contexts.

Over the past few years, technology-mediated learning has established itself as a valuable pathway towards learners’ academic and social development. However, within the adoption stages of information and communications technology-enabled education, further questions have been raised in terms of equity of information literacy and learning outcomes. For the past three years, the authors have been working with one of the earliest secondary schools in New Zealand to introduce a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. In this paper, the authors present the findings of a longitudinal investigation into the BYOD project, which offers new insights into the digital divide issues in the context of evolving teaching and learning practices across three levels, namely, digital access, digital capability and digital outcome.,This study is an empirically grounded longitudinal case research conducted over a three-year period in one secondary school in New Zealand. This research has included a number of methods, including surveys, interviews and classroom observations, to gather qualitative data from various stakeholders (teachers, students and parents).,The findings from the study of the BYOD project inform of digital divide issues in the context of evolving teaching and learning practices across formal and informal spaces. The authors explored how the BYOD policy has influenced existing divides in the learning process across three levels, namely, digital access, digital capability and digital outcome. The result sheds light on key issues affecting the learning process to contextualise factors in the three-level digital divide for the BYOD technology adoption process in classroom settings.,The study presents findings from an ongoing investigation of one secondary school, an early adopter of the BYOD policy. While the authors have followed the school for three years, more in-depth studies on how teaching and learning practices are evolving across formal and informal spaces will be further qualified in the next stages of data collection.,The study contributes to new knowledge on how digital inclusion can be supported beyond mere access to meaningful use of technology to reinforce student learning and their overall skill development.

Design from detail

ContextCoderetreats are reflective communities of practice, where participants congregate informally to apply their coding abilities to a clearly defined problem setting with the aim of developing their software design skills. One of these events is the global day of coderetreat (GDCR) involving more than two thousand software developers worldwide. ObjectiveThe GDCR provided an opportunity to explore the ways that the coderetreat activity is perceived by its participants as a medium for reflective practice, and to suggest ways that we can enhance the design of coderetreats for improving both the experience and learning outcomes. MethodWe conducted both quantitative and qualitative surveys from a number of participants in the GDCR to understand how software developers hone their craft in the context of a coderetreat. ResultsOur study indicates that future coderetreats, particularly those that are likely to attract less experienced developers, should consider providing more structural scaffolding to the initial processes of test driven development. ConclusionWe believe that all coderetreats should more explicitly encourage practice and reflection on the four elements of simple design. We suggest a more sustained approach throughout the coderetreat with provision of more structural scaffolding. Accordingly, we have derived a set of recommended practices to make the coderetreat more effective for less experienced developers.