Charlie C. Chen

Managing ERP Implementation Failure: A Project Management Perspective

Information technology (IT) projects are susceptible to changes in the business environment, and the increasing velocity of change in global business is challenging the management of enterprise systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP). At the same time, system success depends on the rigor of the project management processes. scope creep, poor risk management, inadequate allocation of human resources over time, and vendor management are some common problems associated with the implementation of an enterprise system. These issues pose threats to the success of a large-scale software project such as ERP. This research adopts a case study approach to examine how poor project management can imperil the implementation of an ERP system. Having learned the lessons from the failure of its first ERP implementation, the company in this case reengineered its project management practices to successfully carry out its second ERP implementation. Many critical project management factors contributed to the failure and success of this companys ERP system. This study explores and identifies critical elements of project management that contributed to the success of the second ERP implementation. For those organizations adopting ERP, the findings provide a roadmap to follow in order to avoid making critical, but often underestimated, project management mistakes.

Managing the full ERP life-cycle: Considerations of maintenance and support requirements and IT governance practice as integral elements of the formula for successful ERP adoption

Companies adopting enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have often focused primarily on implementation-related factors while neglecting those of post-implementation. As a result, the usefulness and operation of the ERP systems, once installed, are compromised. This research adopted a case study approach to demonstrate that ERP adoption efforts that fail to pay attention to post-implementation requirements (especially those relevant to maintenance and support (M&S)) from an early stage in the project lifecycle will face dire consequences. It points out that poor planning and management of M&S services can imperil the normal operations of an ERP system and the daily activities of a business. With the life span of ERP systems getting shorter, sound M&S practices can extend their life and create a stable system platform to support efficient and effective business operations. M&S issues deserve to be considered as integral elements among the critical success factors (CSF) of ERP adoption projects. In other words, ERP success requires a full lifecycle perspective to be taken by adopting companies. With lessons having been learned from the mistakes in the first project, the company in this case study revamped its ERP implementation second time out, with due consideration being given to M&S strategies and practices from project initiation onward in order to realize a stable, usable, and maintainable system. The case study explores and identifies the critical success factors (CSF) of ERP adoption, and shows that M&S must be included as a key element from the outset and throughout the system lifecycle. Our findings capture a great deal of experience for any ERP adopting companies to follow in order to avoid learning costly lessons both in implementation and subsequent M&S throughout the lifespan of the system. A set of propositions is also presented for academic researcher to consider in future ERP research endeavors.

An Empirical Evaluation Of Key Factors Contributing To Internet Abuse In The Workplace

Purpose – This study seeks to synthesize theories from communication, psychology and criminologyto examine the factors that influence the two most popular topics in industry – internet abuse andaddiction at the workplace. Design/methodology/approach – The survey results of 351 responseswere analyzed to test the proposed hypotheses and research model using structural equationmodeling. Data were collected in Southern Science Park in Taiwan.Findings – It was found that personality factors such as locus of control and self-esteem significantlyinfluence employees’ internet addictions; and internet addiction significantly impacts employees’internet abuse at the workplace. Practical implications – Employers should pay special attention toemployees’ personalities because they play important roles in internet addiction and internet abuse.Also a good internet policy will be useful especially to a panoptic working environment, which isbecoming popular. Originality/value. his study provides a comprehensive theoretical foundation tobetter understand the two controversial issues in industry. The empirical study validates theimportant theories of locus of control, self-esteem, use and gratification, control, and containment inworkplace surveillance and deviant behavior research

Key drivers for the continued use of RFID technology in the emergency room

Purpose – More hospitals and caregivers are realizing the importance of radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology in the face of increased healthcare costs, medical errors, and pressure of governmental mandates. The necessity for and awareness of RFID has yet to drive its widespread adoption in the healthcare industry. As such, this study aims to examine key factors that contribute to the intention to continue using RFID.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts the expectation‐confirmation model (ECM) to study the intention of caregivers to continue using RFID as a vehicle to deliver emergency medical services. It is theorized that perceived usefulness of front‐end interoperability and back‐end interoperability along with performance expectancy contribute to confirmation experience, which in turn leads to satisfaction and ultimately to intention to continue to use RFID. The study surveys caregivers and staffs in the emergency room department of five hospitals in Taiwan.Findings – Perceived use...

A cross‐cultural investigation of situational information security awareness programs

Purpose – The aim of this research is to make users aware of the importance surrounding the issue of security and security awareness while at the same time making educators as well as other individuals aware of the differing effects of cultural dimensions into the learning process.Design/methodology/approach – An inter-cultural study was conducted to investigate if users from the USA and Taiwan exposed to the same situational awareness learning would have different performance in those security awareness outcomes.Findings – The findings confirm that American users who received the situational learning outperformed those users who received the traditional face-to-face instruction. Taiwanese users did not perform significantly differently between these two treatments.Research limitations/implications – The study was only focused on two countries and therefore may limit its implications worldwide. But the study does show that global citizens also react differently to security awareness as would be expected due to differing cultures. Certainly, awareness of the risks and safeguards is the first line of defense that can be employed by any individual, but how individuals address these risks can be very dissimilar in different cultures. Therefore, the implications are apparent that the issue of security awareness should be studied from different cultural perspectives.Originality/value – This paper offers original findings and value into the investigation of whether or not situational security awareness training is culturally-bounded

Online privacy control via anonymity and pseudonym: Cross-cultural implications

Privacys exact nature needs to reflect the contemporary view of a society. A growing number of online users demand the protection of their personal privacy via anonymity and pseudonym. The efficacy of these two privacy controls in different online environments is unknown. This study applies social psychology theories to explore the relationship between these personal sentiments—authoritative personality, empathy, fear of negative evaluation, self-esteem, and motives of online privacy rights. We conducted a quasi-experiment by manipulating four online environments (personal e-mail exchange, members-only newsgroup, public newsgroup, and online chat room), and three user identification modes (real name, anonymity and pseudonym). More than 600 subjects from the USA and Taiwan participated in the experimental study. The results of path analysis confirm the effects of some personal sentiments on the motives of online privacy rights. The study concludes with theoretical and practical implications for the roles of privacy in the online society.

Obstacles to the adoption of radio frequency identification technology in the emergency rooms of hospitals.

The Emergency Room (ER) receives patients in critical conditions. The operation of many emergency service chains is hampered because the required medical equipment is not always conveniently available and patient vital signs are manually monitored, but not automatically tracked on a real-time basis. This has resulted in medical errors, increased stress levels of medical teams, and poor utilisation of staff and equipment. Our research investigates factors that contribute to the adoption of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies by the medical team in ERs. We propose a theoretical framework to address this issue based upon the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) theory.

The Efficacy Of Online Cooperative Learning Systems

Purpose – This study investigates the impact of online synchronous audio and video systems on the performance of cooperative learning in decision making and intellective tasks.Design/methodology/approach – In total, 156 subjects, divided into 46 groups, were invited to resolve decision and intellective tasks in text messaging and audio conferencing e‐learning environments.Findings – For decision‐making tasks, audio conferencing has a significant impact on cooperative learning satisfaction but not on learning performance; while for intellective tasks, neither audio conferencing nor text messaging has an impact on cooperative learning outcomes. There are no cross‐effects between platforms and task types on cooperative learning outcomes. The results indicate that the main effects of platforms and task types are independent. In other words, the impact of platforms on group discussion processes can be examined without the need of considering task types, since the latter will not affect the impacts of platforms...

What drives electronic word-of-mouth on social networking sites? Perspectives of social capital and self-determination

Social-network-based communication is becoming a necessity for companies to stay competitive.We study eWOM in social networking sites from social capital and self-determination perspectives.The factors of tie strength and innovativeness directly influence eWOM in social networking sites. An increasing number of customers make purchase decisions according to social media referrals. Social-network-based communication is becoming a necessity for companies to stay competitive. However, using social networks to effectively promote electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) remains challenging. Managers in general are unfamiliar with the key factors that can encourage online social network members to engage in eWOM. This study used social capital and self-determination theories to identify three social capital factors and two individual factors on eWOM. A survey of 238 social network users was conducted to determine the relative influence of these five factors on eWOM among the users. The partial least square analysis results indicate that tie strength and innovativeness directly influence eWOM in virtual social networks. Trust, shared language, and voluntary self-disclosure do not exhibit a significant influence. Theoretical and practical implications of the five factors for promoting eWOM in social networks are drawn from these findings.

The Efficacy of Case Method Teaching in an Online Asynchronous Learning Environment

Case method teaching is a method of instruction that can improve the cognitive learning process. This method is used extensively in face-to-face classes. However, when it is applied to a distance education class in an online asynchronous environment, learning outcomes may differ. This article reports on a study that compares the use of case method teaching in face-toface and online asynchronous environments. Four hypotheses on student performance were proposed. Correlation analysis supported all of the hypotheses. Other interesting findings regarding online learning also were reported as a result of the data analysis. Overall, an online asynchronous environment can promote students’ participation in certain cases; however, cognitive learning gains do not seem to be as high as in the face-to-face environment. With distance education becoming more prevalent, this is a rich area for future research.