Don Kerr

A qualitative case study of the adoption and use of an agricultural decision support system in the Australian cotton industry: The socio-technical view

In response to the call for research that considers the human as well as the technical aspects of information systems implementation, the authors report on an interpretive case study which explores the adoption and use of an agricultural decision support system (DSS) CottonLOGIC in the Australian cotton industry. The study was informed through the innovation-decision model by Rogers and the technology-in-practice model by Orlikowski using a socio-technical approach. It was found that participants who achieved a high level of implementation success were reflexive and resourceful in adapting the technology to their changing needs, often in ways unanticipated by DSS builders.

A collective artefact design of decision support systems: design science research perspective

Purpose – The knowledge of artefact design in design science research can have an important application in the improvement of decision support systems (DSS) development research. Recent DSS literature has identified a significant need to develop user-centric DSS method for greater relevance with respect to context of use. The purpose of this paper is to develop a collective DSS design artefact as method in a practical industry context. Design/methodology/approach – Under the influence of goal-directed interaction design principles the study outlines the innovative DSS artefact based on design science methodology to deliver a cutting-edge decision support solution, which provides user-centric provisions through the use of design environment and ontology techniques. Findings – The DSS artefact as collective information technology applications through the application of design science knowledge can effectively be designed to meet decision makers’ contextual needs in an agricultural industry context. Research...

Business co-creation for service innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry

Purpose This study aims to test a theoretical model of co-creation dynamics, service innovation and competitive advantage. The authors explore the dynamics of collaboration between travel agents and their suppliers in co-creating value for their customers. A research model is proposed to examine the relationship among six co-creation elements (co-creation dynamics), service innovation, competitive advantage and two antecedents: technology adoption and environmental change and the moderating effects of trust. Design/methodology/approach An empirical survey was performed based on travel agencies in Taiwan and Malaysia. A total of 105 valid responses from Taiwan and 102 valid responses from Malaysia were received. SPSS and partial least square were used to analyze the data. Findings A new six-element construct of co-creation dynamics was suggested. All the proposed effects were found significant in which trust enhanced the effect of elements of innovation for Taiwan travel agencies. However, in contrast to the proposed hypotheses, technology adoption had no direct effect, whereas trust had no moderating effect for Malaysia travel agencies. Practical implications This study suggests that managers should include co-creation approaches with partners and customers while developing new services. The identification of areas that may be lacking can allow managers to develop capabilities to improve business co-creation competency. Originality/value This study links the relational view with service-dominant logic that emphasizes business co-creation and service innovation as operant resources and a key fundamental source for competitive advantage. This study also looks at interpreting business co-creation and discusses whether business co-creation affects service innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Co-production of service innovations through dynamic capability enhancement

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of co-production practices with customers on service innovation. Specifically, we sought to determine whether dynamic capabilities (the specific abilities a company has to shape, reshape, configure, and reconfigure idiosyncratic assets to respond to changing technologies and markets) could mediate the effect of co-production on service innovation. In this paper, we examine the factors that could influence co-production practices and determine whether organizational commitment moderates the effect of co-production practice on an organizations dynamic capabilities. Using a survey approach of Taiwanese firms, we showed that dynamic capability fully mediates the effects of co-production practice on service innovation and that market orientation and customer matching have a significant influence on co-production practices. In addition, this study has empirically demonstrated that service firms would be well advised to engage in developing service innovation through enhancing their own dynamic capabilities.

Improving training in enterprise resource planning systems implementation through communities of practice

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) literature suggests that effective training is one of the key reasons for success in ERP implementations. However, limited research has been conducted on what constitutes effective training in an ERP environment. A case study approach was used to explore the effectiveness of traditional training and to consider if a community based approach could enhance successful training outcomes. There were two major findings. First, the effectiveness of traditional ERP training approaches was limited due to an overreliance on simplistic transmission models and poor appreciation of the role played by organisational context. Second, Communities of Practice (CoPs) allowed ERP implementation training to be more effective through a better dissemination of the training material to the majority of staff who found formal training less effective. This was achieved through the employment of a range of spontaneous strategies including work–a–rounds to overcome perceived weaknesses in the formal information systems.

Accelerating supply chain management learning: identifying enablers from a university-industry collaboration

Purpose There is an acknowledged need to advance the supply chain management (SCM) learning agenda, with an emphasis on integration. This paper discuss an Australian university–industry collaboration aimed at accelerating SCM learning and offers some insight into models for building a forward-looking SCM. Design/methodology/approach The research is an exploratory case study of the industry–university collaboration, using grounded theory procedures. The primary data involved 25 interviews with key participants from the university and industry partners, and from the first cohort of students in the undergraduate program developed within the collaboration. Findings A theoretical framework for accelerating SCM learning was developed from the case study data; it comprises six constructs that influence, at strategic and operational levels, the acceleration of SCM learning. Four cross-construct concepts from the framework that form the cornerstones of accelerated learning are discussed in some detail. Research limitations/implications The framework facilitates an examination of successes and shortfalls in the case study collaboration and generates a deeper understanding of critical elements for progressing the SCM learning agenda, and expanding SCM education. As with all qualitative research, the results may not be generalisable; testing the relevance and usefulness of the framework with the field will be an important next step. Practical implications As the framework identifies conditions, characteristics and capacities of organisations and individuals that support the acceleration of SCM learning, it can provide assistance in designing future university–industry collaborations for advancing SCM learning. Originality/value The framework identifies critical success factors for alliances and partnerships aimed at accelerating learning in an emerging body of knowledge such as SCM.

The effectiveness of various robotic technologies in assisting older adults

There is concern about the expanding size of the ageing population and burgeoning care costs for older adults. Robotic technology could assist older adults. In this study, the effectiveness of the robotic technologies is evaluated. A systematic literature review was undertaken of peer-reviewed literature. An initial set of 8533 studies was evaluated for relevance; these were reduced to a final subset of 58 studies finally subjected to analysis. This study categorised the problems encountered by older adults, identified robot types deployed to overcome them and derived a subjective effectiveness score. The most used and most effective robots were companion robots followed by telepresence robots. The findings imply positive effects of robotic technologies in helping elderly people’s problems. Although robotic technologies could bring some innovation into aged care, more research is needed to design and develop robots to be of assistance and support elderly in having an independent lifestyle.

The dark side of ERP implementations: narratives of domination, confusion and disruptive ambiguity

This paper explores end-user perceptions of poorly implemented enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) from the perspective of a primary frontline user. This exploration analyses three case studies – from Australia, the United Kingdom and Denmark. Through these cases, we find three areas of concern: the reaction of implemented systems to existing work processes; the suspicion among workers that management has a hidden agenda in implementing an ERP system; and the perception that the implemented system is poorly aligned and leads to process duplication. The objective of this research is to see how ERP implementations have consequences that go beyond current research which, in the main, frames ERPs in a positive light and does not critically evaluate them. Our research demonstrates that, while major work groups in an organisation may appear to accommodate the ERP implementation, many individuals are very concerned about how the ERP disrupts their work. Our research demonstrates that there may be ‘dark’ consequences arising from an ERP implementation. These are likely to include unauthorised software development to fit previous work processes, confusion and little understanding of the new business processes. The result is an overall lack of trust in the efficacy of the system.

Automated solutions to incomplete jigsaw puzzles

The jigsaw puzzle re-assembly problem has been investigated only intermittently in the research literature. One potential theoretical line of research concerns jigsaw puzzles that do not have a complete set of puzzle pieces. These incomplete puzzles represent a difficult aspect of this problem that is outlined but can not be resolved in the current research. The computational experiments conducted in this paper demonstrate that the proposed re-assembly algorithm being optimised to re-assemble the complete jigsaw puzzles is not efficient when applied to the puzzles with missing pieces. Further work was undertaken to modify the proposed algorithm to enable efficient re-assembly of incomplete jigsaw puzzles. Consequently, a heuristic strategy, termed Empty Slot Prediction, was developed to support the proposed algorithm, and proved successful when applied to certain sub-classes of this problem. The results obtained indicate that no one algorithm can be used to solve the multitude of possible scenarios involved in the re-assembly of incomplete jigsaw puzzles. Other variations of the jigsaw puzzle problem that still remain unsolved are presented as avenues for future research.

Elderly’s Perception about The Value of Assistive Technologies for their Daily Living: Impacting Factors and Theoretical Support

This paper presents a review of relevant studies found in a systematic search for research on the elderly’s perception about the value of assistive technologies. We found that the majority of papers did not use any theory to frame the research question or explain their results. We suggest that invariably occurs in benefits realization through the use of empowering technologies designed to provide training to help older people maintain their functional capabilities. Maintaining these functional capabilities is important for people to live independently for longer and in order to assess the benefits more quickly; we suggest researchers use the capability approach. The existing theories of adoption appear to be much more suited to supportive technologies that aid elderly in their functional disabilities. This is mainly due to the fact that the immediate benefits i.e. usefulness of these technologies can be seen more easily compared to empowering technologies.; ;