Khamis Al-Gharbi

AL-SHIFA HEALTHCARE INFORMATION SYSTEM IN OMAN: A DEBATABLE IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS

This paper presents a case study of the project management of Al‐Shifa healthcare information system (HIS) in Oman. In addition to the reports about the project made available to the researchers, the focus group methodology was used for collecting the relevant information from the main projects stakeholders. The paper describes first the evolution of the implementation of an HIS tailored by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Oman to fit the needs of the healthcare units under its supervision. The case analysis that constitutes the second element in the paper is made based on the Project Management approach developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As a matter of fact, the authors found that there was no formal project management approach adopted by the MOH for the development and implementation of the hereto‐mentioned HIS project. Moreover, the project has experienced a chronic creep in terms of features, cost and time‐schedule. The recommendations of the authors for the rescue of the project from its current dilemma, consist of technological, administrative and human resource development actions.

E-Government Initiative in the Sultanate of Oman: The Case of Ubar

There are many interesting initiatives regarding the use of internet technologies in e-government that are taking place in developing countries. A number of studies have been conducted in recent years regarding the adoption and use of internet technologies in e-government. However, most of these studies focused on the developed countries. There are many interesting initiatives regarding the use of internet technologies in e-government that are taking place in the developing countries and yet have received very little research attention. The Sultanate of Oman is currently working on a project called e-Oman to provide e-government, e-commerce, e-learning and other e-services. The hope is to enhance the quality of services offered by the government to its citizens. The purpose of this paper is to highlight e-government Initiatives in Oman.

Internet Adoption from Omani Organizations' Perspective: Motivations and Reservations

In this paper, to the authors determine the motivations and reservations for Internet/E-business adoption within the organizations in Oman. For this purpose, questionnaires were used to collect the data from the organizations that have adopted Internet and the organizations that have not adopted Internet applications. The results and analysis of the data show that the main reasons for adopting Internet applications in Oman are to simplify process, improve communication with staff, keep up with competitors, and reduce the use of paper. The lack of skill and security problems is the main reservation for not adopting the Internet.

Problems of Electronic Commerce applications in a developing country: A descriptive case study of the banking industry of Oman

Internet banking is a relatively new area and there are several issues, which have been generally untouched and are therefore open to further investigation, especially in the developing countries. Hence, this study is a step in this direction. This research has been focused on investigating to identify and highlight the main potential factors or impediments that are currently inhibiting the incorporation or adoption of electronic commerce (EC) applications expansion in the Omani banking sector. Data, obtained for the first time, were collected using semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire as well as by reviewing some bank documents. The study explores the slow uptake of EC application in the banking industry. The objectives of the research, therefore, were to identify factors enabling or inhibiting the successful adoption and use of e-commerce applications within the banking industry of Oman. The results provide a pragmatic picture of the adoption of EC applications in the countrys core financial sector domain. One of its main findings is that security and privacy issues were found to be a serious inhibiting factor. Other factors such as power relationships (as conflict between managers can often emerge during the process of IS/IT adoption). Banks adopting and implementing Internet banking services and applications face several management and social problems and challenges. Although the research context is quite specific, it is believed that the findings are of relevance to other industries and other developing countries.