Michael L. Gibson

IT Power and the Postemptive Strike

A postemptive strike strategy positions a firm to quickly catch up with or surpass an industry leaders successful application of technology, thereby reducing the risks associated with pioneering efforts while increasing the chances for long-term profitability. Information and technology serve complementary roles in the strategy: information internal and external to the firm lays the groundwork for devising the strategy and advanced IT provides the power to enact it.

A technology‐centric framework for investigating business operations

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore the necessity to incorporate technology as a key component in studying business operations of industrial entities.Design/methodology/approach – Reviews of key management theories that shaped organization‐centric and process‐centric views in industrial management research are conducted. The paper then identifies the limitations of these two schools of thinking and develops a technology‐centric framework that integrates technology, organization, and process in general. A series of case studies that apply the framework at multiple levels of observations are presented. The research concludes with theoretical and managerial implications.Findings – This paper presents a “trinity” framework that includes three core constructs that can simultaneously develop into variants. Technology as a holistic concept must be taken into consideration when researchers or practitioners take a dynamic view to study business entities. A multi‐dimensional, technology‐centric framework acknowle...

E-Business Experiences of Practitioners and Consultants

Abstract This issue of ISM examines todays E-business opportunities and begins with a look at the lessons learned from well-known E-business successes and failures. This article examines the leaders and losers in E-business and lists the factors that have contributed to success and failure. One important finding is that most successes leveraged existing knowledge and strategies for their entry into cyber-markets.

ENTERPRISE MODELING FOR STRATEGIC SUPPORT

The risks of large–scale business redesign are well known, but they can be reduced through enterprise modeling, a tool that allows strategic planners to assess an organizations current position before establishing the means to accomplish goals and objectives. This article analyzes the capabilities of enterprise modeling as a diagnostic tool in support of strategic business engineering.

Implementing a Corporatewide Information Strategy Through CASE

A new technology has emerged in recent years to assist in modeling all facets of a business enterprise and in the design and development of information systems. This technology, computer-aided software engineering (CASE), has caused much confusion in the IS community about its exact purpose. This article provides a detailed definition of CASE, distinguishes between CASE and integrated CASE (ICASE), and provides several strategies for ICASE implementation.

Tools and Techniques for Use in Decision Support Systems

Managers at all levels find decision support systems (DSSs) difficult to understand and employ and often inconsistent with the primary functions of management. This article presents a selection of tools and techniques for use in afunctional DSS and identifies which tools best support each of the three levels of management — operational, tactical, and strategic

The career of the technical professional: a look at the career path and reward system in technical polish companies

Managing a career in the information technology (IT) industry presents varying opportunities for IT workers. A major question for technical workers is whether or not to move to a managerial career in order to advance. This research study addresses the perception of IT career paths among IT personnel Poland. Poland was used because of its historical leadership in the struggle to gain freedom from the former Soviet Union and its accelerated march to a free-enterprise system since 1989. The findings of this research should have implications for managers of information technology (IT) workers in other countries liberated from the former Soviet Union. The study surveyed 112 IT personnel and managers in Poland. An ANOVA procedure was performed to evaluate differences in perceptions among IT managers, IT personnel, and individuals whose job spanned both areas. Areas considered in the study included career ladder issues, technical career path, and the technical knowledge needs of IT managers.

COMPUTER AIDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: FACILITATING THE PATH FOR TRUE SOFTWARE AND KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING

An emerging enterprise-wide orientation evidenced by comprehensive enterprise modeling supported by a technological architecture that includes computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools may empower knowledge and software engineers greater than ever before. An enterprise-wide orientation seeks to carry the strategy of an organization throughout its operations. Enterprise modeling makes it possible to have this panoramic view of the enterprise. An advanced technological architecture that includes CASE empowers enterprise functional personnel, knowledge engineers, and software engineers with the methodological and technological platform required to produce a comprehensive enterprise model. Current environmental trends are influencing how well organizations implement this enterprise-wide orientation, modeling perspective, and the methodological and technological platform.

Dinosaurs of the Information World

Millions of years ago, the dinosaur, a doomed species, roamed the earth. Today, three doomed MIS practices hold sway in MIS departments across the country: EBCDIC coding, nine-track tape storage, and excessive backup. It may be time for their extinction — or at least, planned retirement.