Mauricio Marrone

Impact of IT Service Management Frameworks on the IT Organization An Empirical Study on Benefits, Challenges, and Processes

Over 90 percent of companies are estimated to use IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks, yet there is little research on their benefits to the Information Technology (IT) department and the business units. An international survey of 491 firms was conducted to assess the benefits of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the de-facto ITSM framework, specifically on how these benefits evolve as companies increase their adoption of the ITIL model. Also studied are the perception of challenges of the implementation and the number of ITIL processes implemented in relation to the progress of the adoption of ITIL. Results indicate that as the maturity of implementation increases, the perception of challenges decreases. Findings also show that as the maturity of implementation increases, the number of realized benefits increases, as well as the number of implemented ITIL processes. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.

Uncovering ITIL claims: IT executives' perception on benefits and Business-IT alignment

Over 45% of companies are estimated to use IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks, yet, these frameworks can be imitated and hence the competitive advantage gained from these will quickly become obsolete. Therefore, research on the benefits of ITSM must focus on both operational and strategic benefits. An international survey of 441 firms was conducted to examine the benefits that IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the de-facto ITSM framework, provided to the IT organizations. The research focused on how (1) operational benefits, and, (2) strategic positioning of the IT organizations, specifically how the perceived level of Business-IT alignment maturity evolved as the adoption of ITIL increased. Results indicate that as the adoption of ITIL increased, the number of realized operational benefits increased, as well as the levels of maturity of the Business-IT alignment. This indicates that the further the implementation of ITIL the greater the operational and strategic benefits to the organization. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.

Are we really innovating? An exploratory study on Innovation Management and Service Management

The paper explores the relation between innovations and standards in companies which have implemented an IT Service Management framework. Six German companies were asked which process was implemented first: the framework or the Innovation Management process. In addition, the companies were queried about the impact of IT Service Management frameworks on innovation. Research shows that the majority of companies adopted an IT Service Management framework first and implemented the Innovation Management process later. Benefits observed include a faster adoption of innovations and an enhanced ability to recognize potential for improvement. Yet, results show that most companies do not differentiate between imitating, improving and innovating.

Einfluss von IT-Service-Management-Frameworks auf die IT-Organisation

ZusammenfassungÜber 90 Prozent aller Unternehmen nutzen IT-Service-Management-Frameworks, dennoch existiert nur wenig Forschung über deren Vorteile für IT-Abteilungen und einzelne Geschäftsbereiche. Es wurde eine internationale Befragung von 491 Unternehmen durchgeführt, um die Vorteile der IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), dem de-facto ITSM-Standard, insbesondere in Bezug auf die Entstehung dieser Vorteile zu bewerten. Darüber hinaus wurden die Wahrnehmung von Herausforderungen in Rahmen der Implementierung sowie die Anzahl der implementierten ITIL-Prozesse in Bezug auf den Fortschritt der Einführung von ITIL untersucht. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Wahrnehmung von Herausforderungen sinkt, sobald die Reife der Implementierung steigt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen darüber hinaus, dass durch eine Erhöhung der Implementierungsreife auch die Anzahl der realisierten Vorteile steigt. Des Weiteren werden die Implikationen für Praxis und Forschung diskutiert.AbstractOver 90 percent of companies are estimated to use IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks, yet there is little research on their benefits to the Information Technology (IT) department and the business units. An international survey of 491 firms was conducted to assess the benefits of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the de-facto ITSM framework, specifically on how these benefits evolve as companies increase their adoption of the ITIL model. Also studied are the perception of challenges of the implementation and the number of ITIL processes implemented in relation to the progress of the adoption of ITIL. Results indicate that as the maturity of implementation increases, the perception of challenges decreases. Findings also show that as the maturity of implementation increases, the number of realized benefits increases, as well as the number of implemented ITIL processes. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.

Influence of IT Service Management on Innovation Management: First Insights from Exploratory Studies

The paper explores the relation between innovations and standards in companies that have implemented an IT Service Management framework. Six German companies were asked which process was implemented first: the framework or the Innovation Management process. In addition, the companies were queried on the impact of IT Service Management frameworks on innovation. The resultant research shows that a great majority of companies that adopted an IT Service Management framework first and later implemented the Innovation Management process. Benefits observed include a faster adoption of innovations and an enhanced ability to recognize potential for improvement.

Peer assisted learning: strategies to increase student attendance and student success in accounting

It is well known that extracurricular peer-learning programs such as Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) have an impact on student retention, success, and overall student satisfaction. However, for PAL to work as intended, higher participation rates are needed as student attendance remains one of the challenges faced by program administrators. In our study, we analysed the reasons why students attend PAL, and which strategies can be followed to increase students’ interest in the program. This chapter outlines how targeted messages can encourage different cohorts to attend PAL, and assists PAL administrators with how to conduct their recruitment campaigns to be consistent with their universities’ needs.

Erratum to: Uncovering ITIL claims: IT executives' perception on benefits and Business-IT alignment

Over 45% of companies are estimated to use IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks, yet, these frameworks can be imitated and hence the competitive advantage gained from these will quickly become obsolete. Therefore, research on the benefits of ITSM must focus on both operational and strategic benefits. An international survey of 441 firms was conducted to examine the benefits that IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the de-facto ITSM framework, provided to the IT organizations. The research focused on how 1) operational benefits, and, 2) strategic positioning of the IT organizations, specifically how the perceived level of Business-IT alignment maturity evolved as the adoption of ITIL increased. Results indicate that as the adoption of ITIL increased, the number of realized operational benefits increased, as well as the levels of maturity of the Business-IT alignment. This indicates that the further the implementation of ITIL the greater the operational and strategic benefits to the organization. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.

Smart Cities: A Review and Analysis of Stakeholders’ Literature

Recent literature on smart cities stresses the role of digitization in tackling urban issues such as environmental degradation and poverty. The wicked nature of these issues gives rise to the need to understand the diverse perspectives of relevant stakeholder groups on smart cities. However, existing research that compares these perspectives tends to exclude the beliefs of those living in smart cities. Integrating these beliefs in smart city discourses is paramount to increase the likelihood that these systems will be accepted. With the view that the literature consumed by an audience will influence that audience’s perspectives, the main aim of this study is to compare and contrast the pertinent topics found in various types of literature on smart cities. Using an innovative approach of literature comparison, based on a semantic entity annotator and keyword analysis, this article extracts and compares topics in news media (for citizens), trade publications (for businesses), academic articles (for research organizations) and government reports (for governments). The findings suggest that citizens tend to be under-represented in discussions on smart cities and highlight those topics considered relevant only by smart city citizens. Increased understanding in this area can help guide discussions and policies that are relevant for all stakeholders.

Student Engagement for Student Success: Pre-commencement Strategies via KickStart

Australia’s large and diverse student cohort challenges our universities to provide innovative and integrated ways of supporting students at an appropriate scale. In response, we developed an initiative called KickStart to help students become more engaged with their unit (i.e. subject) content and feel better prepared and motivated at a critical stage of their studies. This paper investigates student uptake and perceptions of this online initiative, the delivery of which commenced 2 weeks before the start of the semester. A student survey (n = 1165) delivered evidence for a high student uptake. In addition, students reported that KickStart provided them with a useful start and helped them to understand learning outcomes. This initiative highlights the value of providing students with online resources and activities tailored to the unit content in the lead-up to the semester.

Digital storytelling and visual metaphor in lectures: a study of student engagement

ABSTRACT Digital storytelling is a multimodal instructional design framework that helps to explain complex concepts using narrative and metaphor. Drawing from conceptual metaphor theory, we explore the effect of digital storytelling on student engagement and understanding of unit material in two undergraduate units. Through a mixed methods approach, visual elements of storytelling and metaphors are found to increase student engagement. Greater increases in student engagement are found for accounting students than a comparison cohort of management students. The main contribution of this paper is in using conceptual metaphor theory to create a new understanding of student engagement regarding rich metaphors becoming cognitively aligned with accounting concepts. A storytelling approach further helps to improve student engagement by connecting multiple metaphors into a compelling overarching narrative. We present accounting education practitioners with specific recommendations for improving student engagement by introducing narrative and metaphoric elements into lectures.