Dirk Basten

Process-Driven Data Quality Management -- An Application of the Combined Conceptual Life Cycle Model

Process-driven data quality management, which allows sustaining data quality improvements within and beyond the IS domain, is increasingly important. The emphasis on and the integration of data quality into process models allows for a detailed, context-specific definition as well as understanding of data quality (dimensions) and, thus, supports communication across stakeholders. Extant process modeling approaches lack an explicit reference from data quality dimensions to context-specific information product (IP) production. Therefore, we provide a process-driven application of the combined conceptual life cycle (CCLC) model for process exploration and data quality improvement. The paper presents an interpretive, in-depth case study in a medium-sized company, which launched a process optimization initiative to improve data quality. The results show benefits and limitations of the approach, allowing practitioners to tailor the approach to their needs. Based on our insights, suggestions for further improvements of the CCLC model for a process-driven IP production approach are provided.

Do Daily Scrums Have to Take Place Each Day? A Case Study of Customized Scrum Principles at an E-commerce Company

Agile development approaches, such as Scrum, continue to gain importance in todays world. Since previous research has predominantly treated development approaches as a black box, we answer the call for empirical research concerning adoption of agile methods. The studys aim is to assess the adoption or adaption of Scrum principles at an e-commerce company. The findings of our in-depth single case study reveal that not all Scrum principles are suitable in each context. By discussing the reasons for adopting or adapting the principles, we contribute to a deeper understanding of agile methods and help to open the black box of development approaches in information systems research. The in-depth insights gained at our case company provide practitioners a useful reference for adapting agile methods to their specific contexts.

Effort of EAI Projects: A Repertory Grid Investigation of Influencing Factors

Many companies struggle with effective and efficient accomplishment of enterprise application integration (EAI), resulting in significant time and budget overruns. Concerning project management, a major reason for failure is considered to be effort underestimation. This underestimation is an aftermath of applying estimation methods that do not account for all relevant factors influencing EAI project effort. Applying the Repertory Grid Technique, we explore factors affecting the effort of such projects by conducting 22 semi-structured expert interviews. We provide an extensive overview of 91 effort-influencing factors and their classification in nine categories, which can be used as a checklist in EAI projects.

Applications of the Viable Systems Model in IS Research -- A Comprehensive Overview and Analysis

The interwovenness of information technology and organizational structures suggests an understanding of organizations as systems of high complexity. The Viable Systems model (VSM), grounded on cybernetic principles, is a popular approach enabling researchers to assess the complexity of organizations heavily relying on information systems (IS). Although IS scholars have increasingly applied the VSM in recent years, the different studies lack a common ground in terms of a systematic approach. By conducting a concept-driven systematic literature review, we investigate the state of the art of IS research applying VSM in a real-world setting. We analyze and systematically compare the identified studies to direct future research on applications of the VSM. We identify a set of VSM specific benefits. While the VSM provides an innovative perspective to common IS topics, its application mostly lacks a rigorous evaluation and fails to exhaustively derive the identified benefits.

Guidelines for Software Development Effort Estimation

An analysis of 32 accuracy factors yields a list of useful guidelines for improving software development effort estimation accuracy.

Closing the Stakeholder Expectation Gap: Managing Customer Expectations toward the Process of Developing Information Systems:

Whereas expectations concerning both process and product are essential for information system development (ISD) project success, research has focused on end-user expectations toward the product. Based on semi-structured interviews, we shed light on the relevance of process expectations for customer satisfaction in ISD projects, concrete customer expectations toward the process, and approaches for managing these expectations. Our study provides means to manage customer expectations and thus increase the likelihood of customer satisfaction.

Influence of Communication on Client Satisfaction in Information System Projects – A Quantitative Field Study

This study illuminates the role of client–vendor communication in relation to project performance and client satisfaction in information system projects. Results from a field study with managers on the client side suggest that both process and product performance positively influence the confirmation of expectations; however, process expectations do not, which might be due to the normality of budget and schedule overruns. Furthermore, client–vendor communication wields an important influence on client satisfaction. Future research should address the contributions of different communication mediums and contrast agile and non-agile projects.

Codification, Personalisation, or in Between? Exploring Knowledge Characteristics to Guide Knowledge Management System Design

The effectiveness of information technology (IT) depends on its embeddedness into its contingent context. Thus, enabling adequate knowledge management (KM) system design requires awareness of the characteristics of the knowledge that is created. Since related insights are missing, we explore what software developers learn on their projects by conducting interviews based on the Repertory Grid Technique. We assess the characteristics of the identified knowledge and skills and derive suggestions for KM system design accordingly. Our study gives rise to challenge the common idea that KM design should be chosen according to the type of knowledge (explicit versus tacit) to be managed. Incorporating further knowledge characteristics (task domain and volatility of knowledge), our results indicate that organisations should implement a codification strategy or a strategy between codification and personalisation, depending on the knowledge at hand.

How Knowledge Management Systems Support Organizational Knowledge Creation -- An In-depth Case Study

Having recognized knowledges relevance as a strategic resource and thus its importance for competitiveness, organizations aim at transforming individual knowledge into organizational knowledge to provide information for all types of technical and managerial decisions. Considering the four processes of organizational knowledge creation theory, we conduct a case study of one of the worldwide leading medium-sized consultancies in the field of supply chain management and procurement and analyze how organizational knowledge creation is supported by knowledge management (KM) systems. While identifying KM system features for each of the four knowledge-creating processes, we also highlight shortcomings of the KM system that should be addressed for efficient organizational knowledge creation. We thus advance the theoretical understanding in this research discipline and guide future system developments towards an ideal fit between information technology and the organization.

Approaches for Organizational Learning: A Literature Review

Organizational learning (OL) enables organizations to transform individual knowledge into organizational knowledge. Organizations struggle to implement practical approaches due to the lack of concrete prescriptions. We performed a literature review to identify OL approaches and linked these approaches to OL theories. We synthesized 18 OL approaches across three domains: people (seven approaches), processes (nine), and technologies (two). Furthermore, we suggest two directions for future research: referring to the evaluation of our results and addressing the contingencies of OL effectiveness. Our mapping guides organizations in the design of learning processes to improve long-term performance. Although relying on a single approach is unlikely to comprehensively enable OL, our mapping facilitates the combination of several approaches aligned with organizational culture and processes.