Francis Gacenga

Extending the IT service quality measurement framework through a systematic literature review

Continuous improvement of service quality results in enhanced customer satisfaction, increased efficiency and maximisation of business value of the service within the company. Decision-making on the course of service quality improvement is based on the current status of the measurable service quality attributes. The aim of the paper is to describe the IT service quality attributes that could be measured to improve IT service quality. We report on a systematic literature review of IT service quality measurement. The review was based on 134 relevant journal articles related to IT service quality management. Of these, 91 articles were selected for analysis. We propose a detailed and comprehensive quality measurement framework for IT services using the results of the systematic literature review to extend previous work. The framework presents six common issue areas with their associated measurement categories, measures, and indicators. IT service providers can choose the measures to satisfy their specific information needs from the proposed IT service quality measurement framework. We conclude that IT service quality improvement efforts could benefit from considering the internal IT service quality attributes from the viewpoint of the value the provided IT service could bring to both the customer and the provider.

An International Analysis of IT Service Management Benefits and Performance Measurement

Abstract It is widely accepted by Information Technology service managers that frameworks such as the IT Infrastructure Library can deliver real operational efficiencies but there are few empirical studies that investigate the benefits realised and performance metrics gathered. The objective of this paper is to provide an international analysis of IT service management benefits and performance measurement by comparing the findings from a recent Australian survey with results from a similar survey conducted in the United Kingdom and United States of America. International literature on Information Systems (IS) effectiveness and performance measurement specifically related to ITSM is reviewed and used to guide the development of the Australian survey. Both surveys report rapid uptake of ITIL® Version 3. There are many reported benefits supported by metrics at the process level. However, the comparative analysis of the Australian and UK/USA studies reveals that there is limited awareness of performance measurement frameworks.

Navigating, Negotiating and Nullifying Education Research Mazes: Successful Strategies for Mobilising Contextual, Conceptual, Methodological and Transformational Challenges and Opportunities

This chapter articulates three possible approaches to engaging with education research mazes: navigating (by heading towards, away from and/or around selected points of scholarly reference), negotiating (through interacting with research frameworks, technologies, participants, gatekeepers and other stakeholders), and nullifying (in the sense of understanding and where appropriate diminishing and/or enhancing what is puzzling or troubling about the research). The authors illustrate these three approaches to mobilising education research mazes with targeted accounts drawn from their respective research projects. In doing so, the chapter demonstrates theoretically framed and experientially grounded strategies for embracing the contextual, conceptual, methodological and transformational research challenges and opportunities presented in the subsequent chapters in the book. From this perspective, education research mazes emerge as integral components of the broader research enterprise.

The Compass, Navigation and the Journey: A Role for eResearch in Navigating the Research Maze

Research journeys though unique have a common aspect of the experience being akin to navigating a maze. As researchers navigate the metaphorical maze, the research defines the experience as much as the experience defines the research. The researcher in the middle of the research journey, like a sailor navigating a ship on the seas, needs to constantly change direction and ideas and rely on a research compass to stay the course or chart a new course. Aspects of the journey like the sea or the context of research are ever changing as new knowledge is added and as new research leads to boundary shifting discovery and improvements on conducting research. Other aspects of the journey are fixed and provide guiding principles and reference points for navigation much like the boundaries of the seas there are principles of research that are accepted reference points. To effectively navigate the journey, researchers are reliant on tools and technologies that aid them in the entire research cycle through iterations of design, analysis, synthesis, and communication.