Kay M. Nelson

The contribution of shared knowledge to IS group performance

A major issue facing managers of information systems organizations is the increasing pressure to demonstrate the business value of the firms investment in information technology. The working relationship between the IS department and other diverse organizational groups can have a major contribution to increasing IS performance. This paper explores the concept of shared knowledge between IS groups and their line customers as a contributor to IS performance. Shared knowledge is achieved through the mechanisms of mutual trust and influence between these groups. The relationship of mutual trust, influence, and shared knowledge with IS performance is tested empirically using path analysis in a study of 86 IS departments. The results of this study show that shared knowledge mediates the relationship between IS performance and trust and influence and that increasing levels of shared knowledge between IS and line groups leads to increased IS performance. Recommendations are given for ways managers can develop mutual trust and influence between these diverse groups and therefore achieve higher levels of shared knowledge and IS performance.

Understanding software operations support expertise: a revealed causal mapping approach

This paper utilizes a qualitative methodology, revealed causal mapping (RCM), to investigate the phenomenon of software operations support expertise. Software operations support is a large portion of the IS work performed in organizations. While we as researchers have access to generalized theories and frameworks of expertise, very little is known about expertise in this critical area. To understand software operations support expertise, a mid-range theory is evoked from interviews with experts and the construction of RCMs from those interviews. The results of this study indicate that software operation support expertise is comprised of five major constructs: personal competencies, environmental factors, support personnel motivation, IS policies, and support personnel outcomes. Additionally, this study revealed that these constructs interact differently in contexts where software support is the main activity versus contexts where the focus is development. This study demonstrates that the use of the RCM methodology yields constructs of software operations support expertise that are not suggested by generalized theory. In addition, the use of RCM as an evocative, qualitative methodology reveals the interaction and linkages between these constructs. This paper also provides a history of and tutorial to the RCM methodology for use by the research community.

Virtual Auditing Agents: The EDGAR Agent Challenge

Abstract Intelligent agents can be used as agents of organizational change. This potential exists in the domain of accounting audit, where much of what is currently done manually in batch mode could be done continuously and on-line. We discuss the use of intelligent Internet agents as a way of changing and expanding audit practices in the virtual world. A quality/service framework is presented that suggests ways that accounting firms can evolve in this era of on-line opportunities. The EDGAR Agent is presented as an example of an intelligent Internet agent that gathers financial information. The challenges involved in the development of the EDGAR Agent are analyzed, providing insight into the practical aspects of agent technology designed for a specific business domain. A test of the agent is presented, with comments and suggestions from financial practitioners that will be integrated into the research stream.

Structural change and change advocacy: a study in becoming a software engineering organization

Most organizations desire higher-quality, lower-cost IS projects. To achieve this goal, many organizations are moving to formal project management and software engineering practices. Two tools that are used to formalize processes and practices are structured development and maintenance methodologies (SDMM), and the Software Engineering Institutes Capability Maturity Model (SEI CMM). While SDMMs and the CMM are excellent tools to instill project discipline in IS organizations, they are not silver bullets. A great deal of cultural and structural change must first occur. Other changes include reward systems, online shared services and knowledge reuse. This longitudinal study examines one 500-person IS organization over a four-year time period. The results of this study confirm previous literature on change advocacy, and yield rich insight into how to change a typical ad-hoc IS organization into a software engineering organization.

Revealed causal mapping as an evocative method for information systems research

Information systems (IS) is a complex discipline constantly in need of additional operationalized theories and constructs. The need exists for methodologies that are qualitative and interpretive but result in theories and constructs that can be subjected to empirical testing. This paper proposes that revealed causal mapping (RCM) is a methodology that meets this need. This paper uses the domain of IS expertise to demonstrate the potential role of RCMs in IS research. Revealed causal maps fall in the category of evocative research methods. These methods are used where general theoretical frameworks are available but operationalization of concepts and specification of linkages among the concepts are still not available. While qualitative methods are especially useful in exploratory areas such as IS expertise, they cannot be used to test emergent theory. The theory must be transformed into testable hypotheses, and then operationalized into measurable constructs. Once this transformation is complete, the theory can be tested using established quantitative methods. Revealed causal maps can facilitate the transformation from qualitative inquiry to quantitative inquiry as an evocative research method.

Building the IT Workforce of the Future: The Demand for More Complex, Abstract, and Strategic Knowledge

The software development process has undergone a considerable amount of change from the early days of spaghetti code to the present state of the art of development using strategic patterns. This has caused not only changes in the toolkits that developers use, but also a change in their mindset-the way that they approach and think about software development. This study uses revealed causal mapping techniques to examine the change in mindset that occurs across the procedural to OO development transition, and lays the foundation for future studies of the OO/ pattern cognitive transition. The results indicate that there is not only increasing complexity in the cognitive maps of the OO developers, but also that there is a need for the developer to shift from routine, assembly line coding to more abstract thought processes.

Evaluating the CMM Level 3 KPA of Intergroup Coordination: A theory-based approach

This paper examines the Intergroup Coordination key process area (KPA) for theoretical significance and measurability. The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) has developed a framework called the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) which enables organizations to measure their “maturity” in doing software engineering. The CMM is not theoretically derived. It is, however, a result of years of anecdotal evidence collected from practitioners. This paper compares the Intergroup Coordination KPA to the body of literature on coordination and measures it using theoretically derived determinants. These determinants are then evaluated for possible relationships to productivity factors that indicate business process support.

Managing the context issues of non-financial accounting information on the Internet: an intelligent agent approach

The paper addresses the context issue in interpreting Internet based non-financial information that may indicate the financial health of a company. Context is defined as the collection of implicit assumptions about the context definition (i.e., meaning) and context characteristics (i.e., quality) of the information. This research examines corporate Web sites for explicit and implicit non-financial information that may indicate the financial health of a company. This is done to understand the magnitude of the context problem and to suggest possible ways around the problem when building intelligent agents.

MOTIVATION TO CREATE FREE AND OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS AND HOW DECISIONS IMPACT SUCCESS

As a consequence of the success of free and open source software such as Linux, organizations started to rethink development practices and opensource their applications. To opensource software means to release its source code open to the general public in the Internet. That has become an increasingly common strategy in the industry over the last years (e.g., Netscape-Navigator, IBM-Eclipse, and CAIXA-Curupira). However, what motivates organizations to commit their resources to publicize proprietary software is yet to be fully understood; and it is only after this motivation is comprehended that it will become possible to define, measure, and study success. This paper fulfills this gap in the literature by proposing a theoretical model that satisfies technical (software quality) and organizational (business value) requirements at the same time, defining what would be, thus, return on investment and how to achieve it. Specifically, the model proposes that, in opensourcing software, organizations should attempt (1) to attract users and developers, and (2) to receive contributions from them, mainly because achieving these goals makes it more likely to expand the user base and build an active community that constantly improves the software. To work towards these goals, this paper develops awareness of how (a) software architecture (modularity and interdependence), (b) programming language and integrated development environment, and (c) sponsor’s reputation and degree of commitment can influence a project’s dynamics. Key-words: open source software; free software; software development; technology adoption; business strategy; software quality; software industry; software engineering.

Mini track: creating business value through business-IT alignment, shared knowledge, commitment and accountability

Responsibility for realizing the benefits of IT investments and the success of these benefits is not just the responsibility of the IT organization. An IT project can be completed perfectly, ontime, and on-budget, and still fail to succeed and realize the intended business benefits that justified initial the investment. True IT benefits realization and investment return only occurs when Business Units and IT work as partners with shared knowledge, joint commitment, and shared accountability for the success or failure for the project. Benefits also occur when they are measured, calling for jointly agreed on measures of success that are actually demonstrated at the end of an IT project. The IT literature contains a great deal of knowledge on IT-Business alignment and shared knowledge, but is “light” on shared commitment and accountability, especially when tied to actual benefits realization (dependent variables). This Mini-track showcases theoretically sound and ground-breaking research that reflects, interprets, and leads the realities of IT organizations as an integral part of businesses. The seven research papers included in this Mini-track provide a broad array of topics that explore how business value is created. The results as well as the conclusions that the authors draw are intriguing and will help provide a greater understanding of issues surrounding how IT is aligned with business strategies. Likewise, the results suggest that when there exists shared knowledge, joint commitment, and shared accountability between business and IT leaders, alignment provides IT-enabled results for the overall business. In addition, the expansion of theoretical models into industry specific terms provides additional contributions for academics and industry practitioners. Proceedings of the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2004