David K. Allen

Trust, power and interorganizational information systems: the case of the electronic trading community TransLease

This paper focuses on Cap Gemini’s electronic commerce system, TransLease. TransLease is an interorganizational information system (IOS), which facilitates electronic commerce between motor vehicle leasing and repair companies. During our investigation, the system was used by approximately 1000 repair agents working for seven of the UK’s leading vehicle leasing and contract hire companies. This system was originally developed by AT&T and acquired by Cap Gemini in July 1998. At the time of acquisition, the system was seen as being of high strategic value, although it was also seen as underperforming. This paper reports the results of an action research project, which formed one element of the process by which Cap Gemini investigated the former problem. In the paper, TransLease is described as a complex electronic community, dependent upon the existence of symbiotic relationships. As such, the problems that the system users and developers experienced can be attributed to factors that impeded the mutual benefit accruing from participation in the system. The efficacy of the terms of exchange and the degree to which participants mutually benefit through electronic interaction is determined by the complex interplay of a number of relational and organizational factors. The research therefore illustrates the importance of the ‘soft’ organizational issues in IOS management and development, and suggests a conceptual model of the factors relevant in this case. At the time of this study, TransLease was still in the early stages of its life cycle, having only been available in the marketplace for approximately 18 months. During this time, through recognizing the complex problems and issues detailed in this paper, Cap Gemini accordingly redressed the way in which the system was managed and maintained. TransLease is now seen as having matured into a highly successful example of an IOS – a view reflected by its position as market leader in the industry. As this paper will show, the key to improving the existing service has been the emphasis Cap Gemini now places on managing the ‘soft’ aspects of the electronic community.

Information science and information systems: conjuct subjects disjunct disciplines

The relationship between information science and information systems (IS) research is examined through analysis of the subject literature of each field and by citation and co-citation analysis of highly cited researchers in each field. The subfields of user studies (US) and information retrieval (IR) research were selected to represent information science research as these subject areas are central to information science and seemed also to represent areas in which there was most overlap of interest or subject matter. The two forms of analysis revealed that although there seemed considerable overlap or potential for overlap in research subjects that there was almost none in relation to the disciplinary fields as assessed by the co-citation analysis of the most highly cited authors in the three subject areas. An examination of the reasons for this is offered in relation to the nature of scientific disciplines, the socialization process of researchers in the different fields and with institutional pressures.

Information strategies in UK higher education institutions

Currently most UK universities and colleges of higher education (Higher Education Institutions) are re-evaluating the way they gather, process and disseminate information for teaching, research and administration, for many this will mean radical change. The Higher Education Funding Councils are encouraging all institutions to strategically plan this change by developing an institutional information strategy. This is despite the fact that no consensus exists either on the terminology or on its remit. This paper offers a coherent model for an information strategy, relating the concept of information strategy to other key strategies within the HEI. It also seeks to emphasize the importance of fitting the process of information strategy formulation into the organizational ethos of the HEI.