Konrad Peszynski

The Use of E-Business in Agribusiness: Investigating the Influence of E-Readiness and OTE Factors

Abstract This study explores antecedents to sector based e-business use. Sectoral e-business studies are valuable to understand the absorption of e-business in different economic sectors, the specific challenges of using e-business across different sectors and the potential of different sectors to integrate into the global digital value chain. Drawing from the perceived e-readiness model (PERM) and the Organizational, Technological and Environmental (OTE) framework, an integrated e-business use model is proposed. Data were collected from a survey of firms in the horticulture sector in Australia. Empirical analysis of the integrated model show that e-business use within the horticulture sector is at the initial state of maturity. In terms of the antecedent factors, this research shows that technology competence, financial commitment, perceived environmental e-readiness and organizational size are influential factors that directly affect e-business use. Perceived organizational e-readiness has an indirect influence on e-business use. The implications of these findings to both global IT management and e-business research are discussed. Practitioners such as governments, horticulture associations, growers and growers associations and digital marketplace operators, through understanding these factors affecting e-business use, can make effective decisions to develop their support, capabilities and offerings respectively.

Politics, complexity, and systems implementation : Critically exposing power

This article identifies the role of power and politics in systems implementation under a critical epistemology. Research in information systems has typically adopted a positivist or interpretive approach. This article highlights the use of the critical epistemology, providing a case study exploring the power and politics in the systems implementation process. Previous implementation studies that have investigated human and political factors involved in systems implementation have taken a simplistic view of power and politics. A critical, poststructuralist view of power provides a lens for observing the selection and implementation of an enterprise-wide learning management system. Such an approach has important implications for research methods as the critical epistemology needed is challenged by acceptance of bias and the need to expose it as an important factor in explaining success and/or failure in systems implementation. This article illustrates how useful a critical approach is in seeking out the real impact of power and politics in systems implementation and offers an alternative perspective that provides more insight into the observed process.

E-Business in Agribusiness: Investigating the E-Readiness of Australian Horticulture Firms

This paper explores the e-readiness of firms in the Australian horticulture supply chain. The paper draws from the perceived e-readiness model (PERM) and relies on data collected from a survey of firms in the horticulture sector in Australia. The results indicate that while horticulture firms demonstrate relative organizational preparation for the conduct of e-business, the value network within which they operate does not appear to encourage and support their endeavour. In particular, government and industry associations do not appear to play supportive roles in encouraging the use of e-business among members of the horticulture supply chain. This paper highlights factors that are likely to facilitate or inhibit e-business in agribusiness, an area lacking in research globally. Practitioners such as governments, horticulture associations, growers and growers’ associations, and digital marketplace operators, through understanding the e-readiness factors affecting e-business, can make effective decisions to develop their support, capabilities and offerings respectively.

Innovation in communication: an actor network analysis of social websites,

This paper analyses the dimensions of social websites to establish communication innovation using the Actor Network Theory. Social websites are also referred to as social network sites and social media sites which reflect technology, users, content and linguistic issues as heterogeneous combination of entities for interaction and communication via this media.

Global logistics city concept: a cluster-led strategy under the belt and road initiative

ABSTRACT This paper develops a cluster-led strategic policy framework to assess the strategic positioning of key global logistics cities in Asia, most of which are affected by the ‘Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative.’ One of the key challenges that the B&R Initiative is facing is underdeveloped logistics infrastructure in Asia, not to mention road congestion, dilapidated infrastructure, incessant supply chain disruptions, and capacity constraint, which imposes significant economic costs. Global logistics cities are evaluated on logistics infrastructure capacity and service responsiveness. This involves selecting the key global logistics cities, identifying key indicators, standardising and indexing, mapping dimensions of global logistics cities, and developing the cluster-led strategic policy framework. The results indicate the prevalence of a multi-tier system wherein Shanghai and Hong Kong have attained the maturity of a global logistics city, whilst Manila, Jakarta, and Bangalore are making slow but steady progress in that direction. In contrast, Dhaka, Phnom Penh, and Ho Chi Minh City are showing potential but require further enhancement through significant investment in infrastructure and service delivery improvement. The cluster-led strategic policy framework formulates actions and strategies through which emergent logistics networks can be strategically aligned and functionally integrated with B&R-oriented global trading hubs and transport corridors..

Using e-Mental Health Services for the Benefit of Consumers in Saudi Arabia

In the past decade, the popularity of adapting advances in Information Systems and Information Technology (IS/IT) has been steadily growing to improve and complement the traditional mental health services. IS/IT can assist mental health providers and governments facilitate their mental health services delivery as well as improve the mental health literacy to better early intervention and treatment. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in e-health and aiming to build a complete one patient electronic record by 2020. IS/IT can also increase accessibility and availability of mental health services for consumers and reduce the stigma associated with psychology clinics. In the past decade, Australia has become one of the leading countries in providing e-mental health services and so this research in progress outlined in this chapter proffers the possibilities to transform e-mental health services of Australia to Saudi Arabia context.

The influence of foreign investment on Malaysian Bumiputera technology firms: 1957-2016

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the historical influences and chronological development of foreign investors on Malaysian Bumiputera (indigenous) new technology-based small firms (NTBSFs). Design/methodology/approach Weick’s (1989) conceptual theory building approach is used to conduct a critical historical documentary analysis of the international, local, academic and government inward foreign investments literature from prior Malaysia’s independence (1957) through to 2016. Findings Increased foreign investment between 1957 and 2016 proved to be effective for Malaysia to transform its economy from a reliance on primary production to a focus on innovation and value-added industries such as the biotechnology and the information and communication and technology sectors. Research limitations/implications Local and international literature addressing inward foreign investments towards host countries yielded four key research implications: employment effects, strategic alliances, technology transfer and knowledge transfer. Creation of firm-specific resources in addition to government assistance, particularly through grants and advisory services, significantly contribute to the sustainability of Bumiputera NTBSFs. Practical implications Inward foreign investment through subsidiary multi-national companies (MNCs) leads to the formation of strategic alliances between MNCs and Bumiputera NTBSFs, generating employment opportunities, contributing to Malaysia’s development aims. Social implications Charting the chronological development and historical influence of foreign investment from a Malay-Bumiputera perspective provides an in-depth understanding of the evolution of what is now a multi-cultural Malaysian society. Originality/value This study provides a chronological development and discussion of the historical influences and implications of foreign investment towards the evolution and sustainability of Malaysian Bumiputera NTBSFs.

Organizational involvement and structural position: Determining the impact of structural embeddedness in supply networks

A supply network is complex as buyer-supplier organizations are embedded in multiple relationships and exchanges. The complexity complicates the management of the supply network. Social network scholars have argued that understanding a network also concern the deliberation of the embeddedness aspects of organizations in the network. Structural embeddedness theorists have argued that the structural position resulting from the embeddedness in a complex network may actually present opportunities and constraints to the managers. Thus, what created the complexity may offers economic returns. Management of supply chain then requires a social network lens to improve understandings o supply network structural embeddedness. Hence, in this paper, using the social network research approach we investigate to what extent does the degree of involvement of buyersupplier organizations in the supply network are influence by the type of buyer-supplier relationships. The finding is hoped to illuminate the management strategy of the supply network and relationships.

Understanding Human Factors in Systems Selection and Implementation: Exploring the Role of Power and Politics

This study examines the role of power and politics in systems implementation. Current literature misses the complexities involved in systems implementation through human factors and the political nature of systems implementation and is simplistic in nature. The concept of power relations, as proposed by Foucault 1977, 1978, has been utilised by the authors to identify the dynamic nature of power and politics. A case study of the implementation of an enterprise-wide learning management system at Newlands University is presented and analysed using social dramas to distinguish between the front stage issues of power and hidden discourses. Challenges for power are acted out in the front stage, or public forums between various actors. The social dramas, as they have been described here, are superfluous to the discourse underpinning the front stage. Furthermore, the enactment of policy legitimises power and establishes the discourse, limiting resistance.