Nancy L. Martin

Is Project Management: Size, Practices and the Project Management Office

This research is an investigation into IS project management practices related to projects of varying size across diverse industries. Survey data on a broad range of project management issues was collected from 129 IS project managers. The relationships between project size with 13 project management practices and 3 project performance measures were analyzed. The influence of a project management office (PMO) on the use of standardized project management practices and project performance was empirically tested. Our findings suggest that IS project size influences budget and project quality and the PMO is empirically linked to project budget.

Evaluating the Financial Performance of Business Method Patent Owners

Abstract Business method patents provide legal protection for the patent owner as well as other possible advantages, but for the most part IS academicians have not examined their effects. In an effort to understand the potential for business method patents to create competitive advantage, this study compares the financial performance of business method patent owners to the performance of their nearest competitors and industries. Although limited in its findings, this study helps to demarcate important issues for future research.

A comparative study of IT/IS job skills and job definitions

Do large firms have a pattern of utilizing certain types of IT/IS skills more than others? Do individuals need to have one set of IT/IS skills for Fortune 500 companies and another set of skills for small-sized firms? Understanding the set of skills required for IT/IS jobs is of importance to professionals as it governs their employability as well as their decisions to seek professional certifications. Meanwhile, the trend of job outsourcing means that certain types of jobs are kept in-house in firms while other types are contracted out. It thus becomes paramount for professionals to know the skill set that is required to preserve their employability in the job market. This ongoing study evaluates the skills required for IT/IS jobs by analyzing a broad set of online job descriptions. An initial set of data has been gathered through an automated retrieval of jobs descriptions from online sites. This data set will be analyzed using Latent Semantic Clustering which will result in a quantitative classification system of IT/IS jobs. The comparison of job skill requirements between small and large-sized firms is another expected result of this study. The contribution of this study is expected to be the determination of patterns of skills required for IT/IS jobs, a non-judgmental and quantitatively based definition of IT/IS jobs, and the investigation of differences in hiring patterns between firms of varying sizes.

Do Project Management Tools and Outcomes Differ in Organizations of Varying Size and Sector

While studies of information systems (IS) project management are plentiful, few studies have investigated how the tools and techniques used in project management differ for varying types of organizations. In this study we surveyed members of the Project Management Institute who work as IS project managers in a variety of different organizations both public and private and large and small. Results show that the practices and tools utilized in varying organizations are largely similar even though the literature suggests that these organizations face different challenges. However, projects completed in governmental organizations in the public sector come in behindschedule more often than those completed in organizations in the private sector. These findings provide insights for project managers in a variety of organizational settings.

Knowledge-based systems development : a methodology for management

As more organizations start to consider the benefits of knowledge-based applications, they also experience the growth pains of learning how to manage knowledge-based systems projects. This article provides a context for understanding the difficulties unique to a knowledge-based systems development project and describes one methodology that offers solutions to many of the management problems confronting those responsible for knowledge-based systems development and implementation efforts.

Rebirth of IT Degree Program to Create Your Future Again

Sam Chung Info. Systems Technologies School of IS & Applied Technologies College of Applied Sciences & Arts Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL samchung@siu.edu Tom Imboden Info. Systems Technologies School of IS & Applied Technologies College of Applied Sciences & Arts Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL timboden@siu.edu Andrey Soares Info. Systems Technologies School of IS & Applied Technologies College of Applied Sciences & Arts Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL asoares@siu.edu

Exploring web user styles in B2C e-commerce

This study examines web user styles in a B2C e-commerce setting. A group of 389 upper level business students completed a survey on general user styles and participated in an online simulation using the Best Buy website. A cluster analysis was performed to better understand user styles. A two-cluster solution was defined, labelled Followers and Finders. The Mann-Whitney analysis found a significant difference between the two clusters based on intention to make a transaction with the website. Discussion and implications are presented for this exploratory study.