Nigel Martin

Enterprise architectures: enablers of business strategy and IS/IT alignment in government

Purpose – Drawing on established alignment and architectural theory, this paper seeks to present the argument that an organisations enterprise architecture can enable the alignment of business strategy and information systems and technology (IS/IT).Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a detailed case study of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), where a high degree of alignment and international recognition of excellence in business and enabling IS/IT performance are documented.Findings – The ABS enterprise architecture was developed in 1999‐2001 and describes the organisations physical business and IS/IT elements, and the connective relationships that inform the alignment condition. The ABS architecture is robustly holistic in form, and is characterised by a strong and equal focus on business operations, the deliberate inclusion of an IS/IT governance framework, the structuring and hosting of corporate information for business delivery, and the efficient reuse of IS/IT components.Orig...

Cybercrime: Understanding and addressing the concerns of stakeholders

Cybercrime and cybercriminal activities continue to impact communities as the steady growth of electronic information systems enables more online business. The collective views of sixty-six computer users and organizations, that have an exposure to cybercrime, were analyzed using concept analysis and mapping techniques in order to identify the major issues and areas of concern, and provide useful advice. The findings of the study show that a range of computing stakeholders have genuine concerns about the frequency of information security breaches and malware incursions (including the emergence of dangerous security and detection avoiding malware), the need for e-security awareness and education, the roles played by law and law enforcement, and the installation of current security software and systems. While not necessarily criminal in nature, some stakeholders also expressed deep concerns over the use of computers for cyberbullying, particularly where younger and school aged users are involved. The governments future directions and recommendations for the technical and administrative management of cybercriminal activity were generally observed to be consistent with stakeholder concerns, with some users also taking practical steps to reduce cybercrime risks.

Stakeholder responses to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act: An agenda setting perspective

Purpose - This paper aimed to explore the submissions made to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) policy paper by corporations and other stakeholders. It also sought to establish whether broader climate change issues were addressed in the context of the submissions. Design/methodology/approach - The agenda-setting framework was utilised to provide the theoretical perspective for the study. This research applied a combination of concept analysis and mapping, and content analysis, of the submissions using the Leximancer software tool. Findings - The study found a divergence in the responses of corporations and other stakeholders, with the former focusing primarily on the NGER policy paper, while the latter presented significant concerns over carbon pollution and climate change, an issue that was not the primary concern of the policy paper. Moreover, corporations also acknowledged the close link between the NGER process and a future emissions trading scheme, and expressed concerns over the development of a mechanism that would put a price on carbon. Research limitations/implications - The paper contributes to the limited literature on carbon accounting and reporting in relation to both the local and international context. Moreover, an agenda-setting perspective provided a suitable lens for understanding the NGER submissions process and its role within the broader climate change policy area in Australia. Practical implications - Policies are influenced by key players and their familiarity with these policies could lead to successful implementation. The establishment of the NGER legislation was deemed successful, despite concerns raised in the submissions. This was because the policy used corporate reporting as a means of assessing accountability for carbon emissions. This finding has implications for other nations seeking to develop mandatory carbon reporting. Originality/value - The paper has built further explanatory potential of the agenda-setting framework, provides direct evidence in relation to stakeholder submissions to prospective environmental legislation, and adds to the use of combination methods that can be utilised for effectively analysing stakeholder submissions on major policy questions and issues.

The Asian tsunami: An urgent case for improved government information systems and management

Purpose – This paper seeks to provide a timely consideration of how regional governments in Asia and other national governments around the world collect, manage, and share critical geo‐technical information in what is becoming an increasingly global community.Design/methodology/approach – The paper addresses the socio‐technical perspective of government information systems and management, and draws on the collection and analysis of several public reports, media articles, and expert opinions published in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004.Findings – On the basis of the published material, the paper observes how critical early warning information was handled by government authorities in the hours before the tsunami wave strike, discusses the availability of technological solutions that can provide earthquake and tsunami warning information, and poses that government bureaucracies and human relations form the weakest link in the information chain.Research limitations/implications – The pa...

A configuration-based approach to integrating dynamic capabilities and market transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve firm performance

This article develops and tests a model integrating dynamic organisational capabilities, market transformation arrangements and firm performance. This model addresses weaknesses in previous empirical research by integrating accumulation and path dependency in measures of dynamic capabilities. Using a sample of 444 small and medium-sized Australian manufacturing firms, the study finds that performance is driven by the successful deployment of dynamic capabilities; such performance is mediated by purposeful market transformation strategies.

The Garnaut Review: What do emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries really think about emerging climate change policies?

Purpose – Following the Australian Governments Garnaut Climate Change Review (CCR), the implementation of a joint business and climate change agenda is weighing heavily on the minds of those executives whose firms fit within the Emissions‐Intensive Trade‐Exposed Industry (EITEI) sectors. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and explain the major concerns that confront EITEI firms as the government moves Australia towards a low carbon economy.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts an economic regulation perspective that focuses on public and private interests, coupled with the leximancer software package, which was used to analyse submissions made by EITEI firms to the Garnaut CCR.Findings – The authors observed that the impact of costs on business and trade performance, future emissions trading schemes, investment in low emissions technologies, world greenhouse gas production levels in emissions‐intensive industries, and conflicting government policies form the foundations of serious corporate...

Building better government IT: understanding community beliefs and attitudes toward smart card technologies

Government smart cards have promised substantial improvements in public services delivery, yet they often seem to encounter great public suspicion, distrust and hostility. Very few contemporary studies have addressed the issue of understanding the actual beliefs and attitudes toward such initiatives. In this study, we investigate the beliefs and attitudes surrounding the ill-fated Australian Governments Health and Social Services Smart Card. We apply a proven electronic business theory model to address the research question: what are the general beliefs and attitudes of the Australian community and industry toward the introduction and use of the smart card? The study uses a composite concept mapping and content analysis technique to reveal that information security, personal privacy and the spectre of a national identification card engender serious community concerns over the proposed introduction of the smart card. The article brings further empirical understanding of the use of public smart cards, while highlighting the importance of political transparency, broad ranging community consultations, and sound technical design in electronic government projects.

Emergency communications and warning systems: Determining critical capacities in the Australian context

Purpose – The frequent occurrence of emergencies and disasters continues to threaten community safety and security. Emergency communications and warning systems (ECWS) allow people to make decisions and take actions before, during and after the emergency or disaster. The critical objective of this study is to determine the critical capacities of ECWS in the Australian context.Design/methodology/approach – This study used stakeholder analysis in which written submissions from individuals, and public and private organizations collected by the Australian federal government were subjected to structured coding techniques in order to identify major ECWS capacity issues. The summary of findings were generating by axially collapsing and summarizing the coded statements.Findings – Findings showed that a broad range of ECWS are deployed in the Australian context. These ECWS come with social and/or technical limitations that suggest the importance of adopting an integrated or systems based approach for their constru...

Using a common architecture in Australian e-Government: the case of smart service Queensland

In this paper, we present the findings of a case study which examines the use of enterprise architectures in the context of the development and implementation of an Electronic Government (e-Government) Services Delivery initiative by the Queensland State government of Australia. The paper employs strategic alignment theory to critically examine the progress of the initiative from the development of public policy and business case documents, through to the pilot program, and progressive implementation of an electronic government environment that includes a number of redesigned Internet gateways, integrated contact (call) centres, electronic kiosks, and web-enabled customer service counters. The case is also compared with similar e-Government initiatives and provides an interesting example of how governments can use the electronic domain to service a diverse range of clients in a large and wide spread community.

The role of the market in transforming training and knowledge to superior performance: evidence from the Australian manufacturing sector

Training and development of employees increases the value and breadth of employee capabilities and knowledge, although this improvement, we suggest, cannot drive improved competitive performance in the absence of effective commercialisation of these capabilities. We propose and test a model of training and organisational performance, mediated by effective market engagement and transformation by firms. We find, as we anticipate, no direct link between training and performance, although there is a significant and positive path between training and performance when mediated through effective and contemporaneous market engagement.