Luke Houghton

The wicked problem of humanitarian logistics and disaster relief aid

– Some 40 years ago Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber published a seminal paper in which they discussed the “wicked problems” facing those who sought to develop solutions to urban planning challenges. Their work recognised that many of the decisions faced by modern management are multi‐faceted, and involve a plethora of stakeholders each with a diverse view of what good might look like. The aim of this paper is to consider how the ensuing rich vein of literature relating to the management of such problems might be applied to the logistic challenges of preparing for and responding to a disaster., – This paper first examines the issues, dilemmas and decisions facing the humanitarian logistician, as a key component of the preparation and response to a disaster, and concludes that they fall firmly into the ambit of a wicked problem. The paper then reviews the literature that proposes methods for management of such problems, and applies it to the humanitarian logistics field., – The paper concludes that further research is needed to understand the ways in which the three primary approaches of employing authoritative, competitive and collaborative strategies might be best evaluated and employed. In doing so, it recognises that it is essential to engage with the broader disaster management and humanitarian logistic communities in order to help operationalise this theoretical approach., – While the concept of a wicked problem and the associated broad spectrum of literature has developed over a considerable period of time, this has not previously been applied to the challenge of humanitarian logistics which, it is argued, meets all the criteria to be considered as a truly wicked problem.

Reviving praxis: stories of continual professional learning and practice architectures in a faculty-based teaching community of practice

Lave and Wenger’s conceptualisation of communities of practice (CoPs) has had a profound impact on the way many think about learning at work. In universities, CoPs have the potential to meet the continuing professional learning (CPL) needs of academics in ways that formal structured programmes cannot. However, participating in CoPs can be a disempowering experience, depending on the way power is exercised within and outside of the community. Using narrative methods here, we explore the nature of CPL in a faculty-based teaching community of practice, paying particular attention to the links between the individual and extra-individual. Although all 15 CoP members interviewed for this study spoke of becoming more innovative and confident teachers since joining the community, noteworthy differences emerged in their descriptions of their engagement. Long-term and new members’ stories were qualitatively different: old-timers told stories of praxis, of personally transformative CPL that involved them in collective action in the wider socio-cultural context of teaching, while newcomers spoke of a more individualistic and pragmatic approach focused on professional survival. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.

I just do not have time for new ideas: resistance, resonance and micro-mobilisation in a teaching community of practice

There is growing interest in the role Communities of Practice (CoPs) play in continuing professional development of academics. However, very little research has explored how CoP theory is applied in practice in academic settings. Using the concepts of resonance and micro-mobilisation from social movement theory, we explore academic engagement (and disengagement) in the online aspects of a CoP in a large, multi-campus, multi-disciplinary university business school. Our findings demonstrate that while some found this environment useful and minor patterns of micro-mobilisation emerged, there were challenges in developing resonance using online technologies. Difficulties in finding technologies fit for purpose, concerns about confidentiality online and time jealousy were key issues that need further exploration.

Mobile Commerce Adoption in Organizations: A Literature Review and Future Research Directions

The paper comprehensively reviews research conducted on mobile commerce adoption in organizations. From the literature, factors adopted form a number of adoption theories such as the diffusion of innovation theory, the technology acceptance model, etc. are identified, analyzed and tabulated together with a set of research propositions in order to demonstrate areas in need of further research. The paper proposes 15 adoption factors that may affect the intention to adopt mobile commerce in organizations. These factors are categorized into three groups, namely environmental and organizational, technological, and managerial and other factors. We conclude our argument by presenting a proposed adoption model and showing potential areas of interest to future researchers.

Improving training in enterprise resource planning systems implementation through communities of practice

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) literature suggests that effective training is one of the key reasons for success in ERP implementations. However, limited research has been conducted on what constitutes effective training in an ERP environment. A case study approach was used to explore the effectiveness of traditional training and to consider if a community based approach could enhance successful training outcomes. There were two major findings. First, the effectiveness of traditional ERP training approaches was limited due to an overreliance on simplistic transmission models and poor appreciation of the role played by organisational context. Second, Communities of Practice (CoPs) allowed ERP implementation training to be more effective through a better dissemination of the training material to the majority of staff who found formal training less effective. This was achieved through the employment of a range of spontaneous strategies including work–a–rounds to overcome perceived weaknesses in the formal information systems.

The dark side of ERP implementations: narratives of domination, confusion and disruptive ambiguity

This paper explores end-user perceptions of poorly implemented enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) from the perspective of a primary frontline user. This exploration analyses three case studies – from Australia, the United Kingdom and Denmark. Through these cases, we find three areas of concern: the reaction of implemented systems to existing work processes; the suspicion among workers that management has a hidden agenda in implementing an ERP system; and the perception that the implemented system is poorly aligned and leads to process duplication. The objective of this research is to see how ERP implementations have consequences that go beyond current research which, in the main, frames ERPs in a positive light and does not critically evaluate them. Our research demonstrates that, while major work groups in an organisation may appear to accommodate the ERP implementation, many individuals are very concerned about how the ERP disrupts their work. Our research demonstrates that there may be ‘dark’ consequences arising from an ERP implementation. These are likely to include unauthorised software development to fit previous work processes, confusion and little understanding of the new business processes. The result is an overall lack of trust in the efficacy of the system.

Factors attracting online consumers to choose e-Malls for e-procurement in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT A large segment of consumers prefer e-procurement because it provides several advantages such as a variety of options and lower prices. The business-to-consumer approach is spreading on a global scale, but its role is limited in countries such as Saudi Arabia due to the size and strength of the economy. Saudi Arabia has the fourth highest level of economic growth in the Middle East and ranks 38th globally in terms of Internet infrastructure. Its rate of Internet growth is 12% yearly, and 40% of the population has access to the Internet. The volume of online trade in Saudi Arabia was USD 800 million in 2012, and 56% of this amount was for purchases through foreign websites.The end consumers are one of the most important target segments of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute 90% of Saudi Arabian companies. These companies face limitations in establishing e-procurement channels because these channels require financial support beyond their funding capabilities. Therefore, one of the best low-cost solutions is the adoption of e-Malls, which provide various benefits to consumers and are a suitable environment for SMEs to present and sell their products. The e-Mall is a modern idea in Saudi Arabia; thus, it could be beneficial to adopt the diffusion of an innovative approach to the spread of e-Malls. This article focuses on determining the requirements and obstacles facing consumers who make purchases through e-Malls. A quantitative survey was conducted on a random sample of 381 residents of all ages in Saudi Arabia who had made online purchases. The main factors influencing the adoption of e-Malls were organisational, technical and cultural elements.

Enabling Stories: Narrative, Leadership, Learning and Identity in a Faculty-Based Teaching Community of Practice

This chapter explores the potential of communities of practice (CoPs) in universities to foster academic identity and social learning through a critical, reflective account of a faculty-based teaching community of practice (T-CoP). This ‘T-CoP’ is situated in a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus business faculty in a large Australian university. Our chapter begins by situating the T-CoP within its disciplinary, faculty, institutional and national contexts, and explaining how and why we intentionally designed it in order to foster inclusion and shared ownership. Key findings from our ongoing critical participatory action research project conducted in, and with the T-CoP are interrogated in order to address the following three questions. Firstly, how can we develop leaders, and a practice of distributed leadership, appropriate to the work of CoPs in universities? Secondly, how might CoPs in universities counter the still dominant traditional paradigm of ‘professional development’ as acquisition, and encourage their members to move towards more transformational approaches to professional learning? Thirdly, how do we negotiate the tensions between the need for a CoP to develop its own distinctive identity as a community and domain of practice and yet remain open and accessible to new members?

Issues that support the creation of ICT workarounds: towards a theoretical understanding of feral information systems

enterprise system (ES) software is often supplemented independently by end users who develop personal solutions that establish connections between the required business practices and the ES. One solution is a type of information and communications technology workaround, a feral information system (FIS) – defined as a workaround designed to achieve certain requirements by using any information technology tool that an end user uses in conjunction with, or instead of, the mandated information system. To explore this, we conducted a case study at a large utility company. We conclude that feral information systems are not a behavioural deviance. FISs are by‐products of end users seeking operational efficiency, namely, to nullify additional transactional costs imposed by the ES. Our findings suggest that end users of ES will fall into one of four modes of operation: mode 1, where end users submit to the ES; mode 2, where they dismiss the ES; mode 3, where they develop an FIS that remains hidden from the ES proponents; and mode 4, where they operate the FIS in open defiance of the ES proponents. In this research, we deliberately take the practitioner view and, therefore, outline how different pressures help to create an FIS as a response to a poorly mandated ES. We also make a theoretical contribution by exploring issues that lead to workarounds and suggest that future research into these modes of operation can be theorized in future proposed studies.

Feral Information Systems Development: Managerial Implications

Management invests in large information systems in order to improve the effectiveness of their organization. However, when these systems fail to meet the needs of organizational employees, feral information systems (FIS) are created in order to assist workers with their jobs or to avoid existing organizational information systems. Feral Information Systems Development: Managerial Implications seeks to accelerate the collective understandings and implications on the management of business organizations; with an emphasis on theoretical explanations on the development of feral information systems. This book is an essential reference work aimed at providing a more clearly defined and better informed starting point for researchers, consultants, and practitioners who are eager to advance both their practical applications and theoretical understandings of complex and challenging phenomena surrounding FISs.