Diane H. Parente

Enterprise Resource Planning ERP: A Postimplementation Cross-Case Analysis

In todays intensely competitive marketplace, companies can benefit strategically and tactically from enterprise resource planning ERP systems, if implemented correctly. However, with failure rates estimated to be as high as 50% of all ERP implementations, companies can be negatively impacted by a poorly performing ERP system. The research on ERP has focused on events leading to the selection, evaluation, and implementation of the ERP system. The intent of this research is to identify new or lightly researched theories regarding the difficulties of ERP implementations that can help practitioners successfully manage ERP implementations by performing a post-ERP implementation examination of eight corporations. We examine operations management OM literature rather than information systems IS literature in order to provide IS readers with an alternative yet valuable analysis. Further, we purposely avoid well-established findings by performing a large literature review. This article is based on a qualitative research design using case-study methodology. The propositions derived from the case studies form solid insight into the considerations that may influence the success of an ERP system.

Across the manufacturing‐marketing interface Classification of significant research

This article classifies the significant research in the marketing‐manufacturing interface using a framework in three dimensions: process versus outcome, level of interaction (strategic, tactical, or operational), and consideration of situational dimensions. The classification demonstrates that research is limited in specific areas including the consideration of the situational dimensions. Aggregation of topics at the strategic level of the interaction is needed to further research in this area. In addition, it is noted that customer input or measures of either the interaction or performance are important in this literature.

Marketing and supply chain management: a collaborative research agenda

Purpose – This paper aims to establish a two‐part research agenda for marketing in supply chain management (SCM) through the application of an interdisciplinary model, using marketing, operations, logistics/purchasing, and information technology as the nodes for a model.Design/methodology/approach – After generating a list of the highly ranked and relevant journals in each of the four disciplines, an exhaustive search was conducted of the literature published from January 1999 through December 2002, using the keywords supply chain and supply chain management. The keywords were searched for in any field (i.e. title or abstract). The authors also conducted a Delphi study of experts to identify relevant journals in each field. The resulting articles were sorted by topic and mapped to one of the other remaining three functional disciplines. This yielded six intersections between functions, three of which are examined in this manuscript as dyads with marketing. Thus, it was possible to identify current overlap...

Relationship of Credit Attitude and Debt to Self-Esteem and Locus of Control in College-Age Consumers

College-age consumers are one of the groups most highly targeted by credit card marketers. While some college students use their credit cards wisely, others are unable to control their spending. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in attitude toward credit cards and the psychological factors of self-esteem and locus of control among college students who possess one or more credit cards. Attitude was operationalized to include three underlying components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. We separated credit users into subcategories based on amount of installment debt. Convenience users were defined as those consumers who paid the credit-card balance in full each month. Installment users were classified as consumers who carried a balance month-to-month. Convenience users were compared to mild and heavy installment users to assess significance of differences in attitudinal and psychological factors. There were no significant differences in the psychological factors across the credit-card user groups. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference on each of the attitude components (knowledge/beliefs, affect, and behavior) across user groups; convenience users, mild installment, and heavy installment users.

Facilitating the acquisition of strategic skills: The role of traditional and soft managerial skills

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether managers can acquire strategic skills using management education methods in lieu of experience. It demonstrates that experienced-based pedagogical methods can be effective in developing traditional skills or “hard” skills and “soft” skills such as interpersonal communication, which then facilitate the acquisition of strategic skills. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses data from questionnaires and achievement scores from capstone classes to determine whether exposure to an experiential technique called large-scale simulation can lead students to acquire traditional, soft and strategic managerial skill sets. Findings - The results show that soft and traditional skills are complementary and together lead to better acquisition of strategic skills and also imply that mastering soft skills may enhance the mastery of traditional skills. Research limitations/implications - A limitation of the research stems from the use of students as research subjects. While this limits generalizability, it is important to remember that many such students go on to be successful managers in large and small organizations, partly due to their educational background. Replicating these findings with graduate and executive students is required. Practical implications - A key practical implication is that organizations may be able to effectively supplement their own experienced-based developmental efforts for their managerial personnel with course-based learning. Originality/value - The papers findings support an option for many firms, although this has not received much direct empirical support. Additionally, the results support the increasing emphasis placed on soft skills, suggesting that development of strategic skills may help managers grasp the bigger-picture implications.

Do small IT firms benefit from higher process capability

Evidence suggests small firms can reap rewards from developing a high level of formal process capability.

The Impact of ERP Alignment on Logistics Costs: A Work System Theoretical Approach

ERP implementations have been studied on many dimensions; however, little work has been done linking logistics costs and ERP implementation factors. Taking a Work System Theoretical perspective, this paper examines the alignment success factors necessary to improve logistics cost. The authors used a two-step approach, conducting a confirmatory factor analysis CFA to assess the psychometric properties of their measures and then conducting an independent sample t-test between two groups, one which experienced decreased logistic costs and the second which experienced the same or increasing logistic costs. Organizations attempting to decrease logistics costs via an ERP implementation must consider the processes and activities involved in aligning participants, information, technology, and business process in these ERP implementations. This research has provided more insight into the practice of ERP implementations and has reemphasized the need to judge ERP success relative to impact on firm performance

Business & engineering education: A multiple stakeholder perspective

The goal of this special session is to present business and engineering education from the perspectives of various stakeholders. When we think of interdisciplinary education, by definition, it must be viewed from multiple lenses. In this session we propose comparing the perspective of the institution in terms of placement within the program, comparison of various programs, capstone experiences, student outcomes, and industry perspectives.

Electronic Reverse Auctions - Success Metrics & Dynamics

This paper describes an on-going study analyzing thousands of electronic procurement auctions conducted by a large multinational firm. We describe the challenges of developing metrics for auction success and auction dynamics and how these metrics improve our ability to model, understand, and manage this domain. Since we are in the initial stages of our study and since many of our findings are confidential, this paper is limited to describing the metrics and the relationships investigated between supplier experience, supplier participation levels, late bidding behavior, and electronic reverse auction success. By the time of the presentation, we expect to obtain permission to reveal more details about our findings.