Louis C. K. Ma

From government to e‐government: a transition model

Purpose – To develop a model that can explain the “government to e‐government” transition process.Design/methodology/approach – Reviews the literature on and practice of e‐government, as well as the related literature of strategic alignment and maturity models for technology adoption. Offers evidence for the models validity through case‐type material from the web sites of e‐governments worldwide.Findings – Six transition paths can be identified, four of which are more likely to result in effective e‐government transition.Research limitations/implications – Further work is needed to test the validity of the model. This could involve historical and longitudinal studies of the government to e‐government transition process in different governments around the world.Practical implications – The transition model should be of value to e‐government strategic planners who are seeking possible transition paths towards the effective development of e‐government.Originality/value – The paper tackles the little investi...

A method for repairing the inconsistency of fuzzy preference relations

This paper investigates the inconsistency problems of preference information about alternatives expressed as a fuzzy preference relation by a decision maker. An analysis method is presented to identify the inconsistency and weak transitivity of a fuzzy preference relation and to repair its inconsistency to reach weak transitivity. First, several definitions are given on additive consistency, inconsistency and weak transitivity of a fuzzy preference relation. Next, two methods derived from graph theory are presented to judge whether a fuzzy preference relation has weak transitivity or not. Then, an algorithm is developed to repair an inconsistent fuzzy preference relation and to make it become one with weak transitivity, via a synthesis matrix which reflects the relationship between the fuzzy preference relation with additive consistency and the initial one given by a decision maker. A convergence theorem is also given for the algorithm. Lastly, two numerical examples are shown to illustrate the proposed method.

A goal programming approach to group decision making based on multiplicative preference relations and fuzzy preference relations

Abstract This paper proposes a goal programming approach to solve group decision-making (GDM) problems where the preference information on alternatives provided by decision makers is represented in two different formats, i.e. multiplicative preference relations and fuzzy preference relations. In order to narrow the gap between the collective opinion and each decision maker’s opinion, a linear goal programming model is constructed to integrate the two different formats of preference relations and to compute the collective ranking values of the alternatives. Thus, the ranking of alternatives or selection of the most desirable alternative(s) is obtained directly from the computed collective ranking values. A numerical example is also used to illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach.

Motivating IT professionals: the Hong Kong challenge

Abstract The brain drain problem in Hong Kong is causing chaos in its IT profession. The reasons for this are mainly assumed to be political. Whilst a decrease of confidence is undoubtedly a major factor, there are also factors related to the satisfaction that can be obtained by professionals from the job itself. This paper describes the results of an international research study investigating the motivation potential of jobs in the computing profession. The high mismatch between the motivation potential in computing jobs in Hong Kong and the growth needs of practicing professionals would seem to be a major contributor to the exceptionally high turnover in staff; it must also contribute to reduced productivity within the computing community. The challenge for MIS managers is to develop a long term strategic IT plan involving re-organisation of services, training, investment and, especially ‘people strategy’, including job design, future staff development programmes, and compensation packages in the industry. Furthermore, Hong Kong is not a singular phenomenon: results from Korea and Thailand suggest the presence of a unique Asian factor related to the need for social growth.

Student-directed learning: Hong Kong experiences

Education is facing multiple challenges as we approach the next century. As faculties broaden the range of instructional methods and approaches, increased attention is being given to student-directed learning and effective use of technology in the learning process. This paper explains and explores the concept of student-directed learning through development and use of a prototype environment for a graduate course at the City University of Hong Kong. Experiences and student feedback data are reported. The paper concludes with a discussion of learning environment domain factors and future directions.

Routinisation of B2B E-commerce by small firms: A process perspective

Prior research on e-business based on the TOE framework and the factor based variance approach have yielded mixed results in that differences exist in terms of the identified technology, organisation and environmental factors and their influence at different steps of the routinisation trajectory. In this research we probe deeper into the routinisation phenomenon and investigate the process in a bid to understand ‘when’ and ‘why’ certain TOE factors become crucial determinants at different stages of the routinisation process. The context of our study is integration of B2B e-markets by four small firms. Our findings from interpretive case studies indicate that changes in organisational characteristic (such as IT infrastructure), environmental characteristics (such as e-business usage in the industry), and perceptions of e-business (risk and benefit) over time influenced movement along the routinisation trajectory. There is evidence that in high risk e-business, the ability to conduct trials with controlled risk is a crucial determinant of progression from initial to continued usage. Also, contrary to the independent effects of the organisation, environment and technology characteristics assumed in prior research, we found that it is the interaction effect of the three factors that determined initial attitude, initial usage and continued usage. Based on our findings we develop a process model of e-business routinisation and discuss the theoretical and practical implications.

Role of trialability in B2B e-business adoption: theoretical insights from two case studies

Trialability has been conceptualised in prior research as a belief signifying opportunity to experiment with a technical innovation would facilitate its adoption. It has been found to be a weak predictor and though indications exist of possible significant impact in situations of high perceived risk, it has not received serious academic attention. In this research we argue that in situations of high perceived risk, the belief-based concept of trialability without actual evaluation of experimental outcomes is questionable. Based on the Theory of Trying, Expectancy Disconfirmation theory and prior research on risk and trust in e-business, we develop and validate propositions in the context of B2B e-market transactions by two small firms. Our findings indicate that due to high perceived risk of B2B e-market transactions, in contrast to the received notion of trialability as a belief-based factor, it was in the nature of an active post-intent recursive process of experimentation involving ‘Trying’ for trial transactions with controlled risk, execution of ‘Trial’ transactions and ‘Assessment of Trial Outcomes’. Also, in contrast to weak impacts observed in prior research, the trialability process was found to be a necessary condition for translation of initial intent to adoption. Other implications of the findings are discussed.

Job expectations of IS professionals in Hong Kong

This paper reviews the job expectations of 200 IS professionals in Hong Kong, all of whom have entered the job market over the last 5 years with professional degree qualifications. The issues related to IS career development are explored in a worldwide context before they are specifically examined within the Hong Kong environment. A critical issue of concern for Hong Kong organizations is IS staff recruitment and retention. This is reflected by a growing commitment from Hong Kong tertiary institutes to develop academic programs which more closely support market needs. The paper describes the first part of a research model used and analyses the results within Hong Kong but also compares these with the findings from a number of other international studies. Finally, the implications for Hong Kong are discussed and extended into global concerns with respect to job expectations within multinational corporations and academic developments for a global IT society. Note: In this paper, IS professionals cover all those involved in the implementation of new business processes built around information technology. With respect to their academic qualifications this may be in IS, Computing or IT.

Mining Trading Partners' Preferences for Efficient Multi-Issue Bargaining in E-Business

Classical negotiation models are weak in supporting real-world business negotiations because these models often assume that the preference information of each negotiator is made public. Although parametric learning methods have been proposed for acquiring the preference information of negotiation opponents, these methods suffer from the strong assumptions about the specific utility function and negotiation mechanism employed by the opponents. Consequently, it is difficult to apply these learning methods to the heterogeneous negotiation agents participating in e-marketplaces. This paper illustrates the design, development, and evaluation of a nonparametric negotiation knowledge discovery method which is underpinned by the well-known Bayesian learning paradigm. According to our empirical testing, the novel knowledge discovery method can speed up the negotiation processes while maintaining negotiation effectiveness. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first nonparametric negotiation knowledge discovery method developed and evaluated in the context of multi-issue bargaining over e-marketplaces.

Strategies for successfully deploying e-markets: lessons from the China context

Several e-marketplaces, operating from the US, Hong Kong (HK) and China cater exclusively to China related trade. Amidst conflicting reports on Chinas B2B growth forecasts and uncertain survival prospects of e-markets, strategies for successful deployment become important. In this study we analyse the characteristics and deployment strategy of 4 e-markets that cater to China trade. Based on our analysis of these e-markets and review of extant research and frameworks that address the issues of e-market participation and deployment, we conclude that existing IS frameworks that help managers effectively deploy e-markets must be revised and augmented. A new framework for successful deployment of e-markets is developed. We conclude with a summary of our research and directions for further research.