Ojelanki K. Ngwenyama

Communication richness in electronic mail: critical social theory and the contextuality of meaning

Information Richness Theory (IRT) has enjoyed acceptance by information systems researchers throughout the last decade, but recent unfavorable empirical evidence has precipitated a shift away from it and a search for a new theory. Because of this shift, a new definition of communication richness is needed to succeed the IRT definition. Since its inception, IS research on communication richness has been limited to the perspective of positivism and, more recently, interpretivism. In this study, a new perspective to the study of communication richness in computer mediated communication, critical social theory (CST), is introduced. This paper outlines (1) a CST-based definition of communication richness and compares it with positivist and interpretivist definitions of communication richness and (2) a CST-based social action framework for empirical study of organizational communication in any media use situation. The CST definition and framework are used in an intensive investigation of an episode of the managerial use of electronic mail in a company to illustrate how research on communication richness can be conducted from the CST perspective. This illustration also points out the usefulness of the CST perspective in recognizing instances of communication richness in electronic mail communications that would escape detection in not just the IRT perspective in particular, but also positivist and interpretive perspectives in general. Finally, the paper concludes by outlining the potential for future IS research on organizational communication and information technology from the CST perspective. In addition to the specific contribution to the development of a new theory of communication richness in electronic media, this study also contributes an example of CST research on IS and extends the domain of the CST-IS research program.

Making the information systems outsourcing decision: A transaction cost approach to analyzing outsourcing decision problems

Abstract During the last several years outsourcing has emerged as a major issue in information systems management. As competitive forces impinge on business firms, senior managers are re-structuring their organizations with an eye on attaining or maintaining competitive advantage. Various strategies to IS outsourcing have emerged, for example, some outsourcers contract with a sole vendor while others contract with several. To date no studies have been done to determine which strategies are appropriate under what conditions. And while some firms have achieved varying degrees of success with any of these strategies, many have encountered significant difficulties. How then are managers to choose from a set of options that which is most appropriate for their firm? Outsourcing problems are complex and entail considerable implications for the strategy of the firm. A wrong decision can result in loss of core competencies and capabilities, and exposure to unexpected risks. Although many articles have appeared on outsourcing, few have extended the discussion beyond simple cost–benefit analysis. In this paper we discuss a transaction cost theory approach to the analysis of outsourcing decision making. Our approach provides managers with a strategy and techniques for analyzing some of the more subtle issues they may face when dealing with complex outsourcing decisions problems.

Virtual team collaboration: building shared meaning, resolving breakdowns and creating translucence

Managing international teams with geographically distributed participants is a complex task. The risk of communication breakdowns increases due to cultural and organizational differences grounded in the geographical distribution of the participants. Such breakdowns indicate general misunderstandings and a lack of shared meaning between participants. In this paper, we address the complexity of building shared meaning. We examine the communication breakdowns that occurred in two globally distributed virtual teams by providing an analytical distinction of the organizational context as the foundation for building shared meaning at three levels. Also we investigate communication breakdowns that can be attributed to differences in lifeworld structures, organizational structures, and work process structures within a virtual team. We find that all communication breakdowns are manifested and experienced by the participants at the work process level; however, resolving breakdowns may require critical reflection at other levels. Where previous research argues that face‐to‐face interaction is an important variable for virtual team performance, our empirical observations reveal that communication breakdowns related to a lack of shared meaning at the lifeworld level often becomes more salient when the participants are co‐located than when geographically distributed. Last, we argue that creating translucence in communication structures is essential for building shared meanings at all three levels.

Competing values in software process improvement: an assumption analysis of CMM from an organizational culture perspective

The capability maturity model (CMM) approach to software process improvement is the most dominant paradigm of organizational change that software organizations implement. While some organizations have achieved various levels of success with the CMM, the vast majority have failed. In this paper, we investigate the assumptions about organizational culture embedded in the CMM models and we discuss their implications for software process improvement (SPI) initiatives. In this paper, we utilize the well-known competing values model to surface and analyze the assumptions underlying the CMM. Our analysis reveals contradictory sets of assumptions about organizational culture in the CMM approach. We believe that an understanding of these contradictions can help researchers address some of the difficulties that have been observed in implementing and institutionalizing SPI programs in organizations. Further, this research can help to open up a much-needed line of research that would examine the organization theory assumptions that underpin CMM. This type of research is important if CMM is to evolve as an effective organizational change paradigm for software organizations.

Managing risks in information systems outsourcing: An approach to analyzing outsourcing risks and structuring incentive contracts

Information systems outsourcing is now almost standard practice for many companies. Outsourcing the information processing activities is a complex issue that entails considerable implications for the strategy of the firm. An important mechanism for managing the performance of outsourcing vendors is incentive contracts. But to develop an outsourcing contract the IS manager must quantify risks and benefits. However methods and tools for analyzing and quantifying outsourcing risks that IS managers have at their disposal are rudimentary. In this paper we offer a method and some mathematical models for analyzing risks and constructing incentive contracts for IS outsourcing. We are aware that most managers do not like to use mathematical models, consequently we have minimized the technical discussion and have illustrated how this model could be implemented using spreadsheet software for ease of use.

Contextual influences on user satisfaction with mobile computing: findings from two healthcare organizations

Mobile information technologies (IT) are transforming individual work practices and organizations. These devices are extending not only the boundaries of the ‘office’ in space and time, but also the social context within which use occurs. In this paper, we investigate how extra-organizational influences can impact user satisfaction with mobile systems. The findings from our longitudinal study highlight the interrelatedness of different use contexts and their importance in perceptions of user satisfaction. The data indicate that varying social contexts of individual use (individual as employee, as professional, as private user, and as member of society) result in different social influences that affect the individuals perceptions of user satisfaction with the mobile technology. While existing theories explain user satisfaction with IT within the organizational context, our findings suggest that future studies of mobile IT in organizations should accommodate such extra-organizational contextual influences.

Is There A Relationship Between ICT, Health, Education And Development? An Empirical Analysis of five West African Countries from 1997-2003.

For more than a decade, key international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the UN and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) have argued that investment in information communication and telecommunication (ICT) infrastructure is a prerequisite for the development of poor countries. However, dissenting voices of the international development community argue that African governments should focus their attention on building schools, delivering basic health care, electricity and clean water rather than on the building of costly ICT infrastructure with their limited financial resources. In this paper, we present an analysis of the relationships among investments in ICT, Health Care and Education and the human development index on five West African nations. We use a Stepwise regression analysis to help unravel the complex relationships among these variables. Our results provide evidence that complementary investments in ICT, health and education can significantly increase development. Given that developing nations are making considerable investments in healthcare, education and ICT and that there are concerns over the type of investments they should make, our findings are a significant contribution to the literature.

Groupware, social action and organizational emergence: On the process dynamics of computer mediated distributed work

Abstract The last decade has seen the development of new information technology for work computerization commonly called groupware. Groupware applications support organizational computing and communications, and enable the distribution of work without regard to time and geographic barriers. As more of these applications are implemented in work settings they are precipitating profound changes in organizational processes. Although some studies have illuminated aspects of the technology–organization interaction process, more work is still needed to understand and articulate the dynamics of it. This research takes an emergence theory approach to analyzing and articulating some of the technology–organization interaction dynamics. The paper reports on a longitudinal field study of implementation and use of a groupware application in a distributed work environment. It discusses the continuing emergence of the groupware application and the organizational process it supports. The research builds upon a stream of social action and process theory research that have examined the interaction of information technology and organizational processes. This work makes several important contributions to IS research. It extends the reach of technology–organization interaction studies. It develops a descriptive model of some of the interaction dynamics of IT applications and organizational processes, upon which future empirical studies can be based. It provides an exemplar of intensive research into organizational processes and proposes that groupware applications are themselves data for the study of organizations.

Groupware Environments as Action Constitutive Resources: A Social Action Framework for Analyzing Groupware Technologies

Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) is a relatively new and dynamic field dealing with the development and use of groupware technologies in organizations. Several frameworks and models have been proposed for studying CSCW, each conveying a different perspective and theoretical basis. Although these frameworks have contributed much to our understanding of the field, they can be criticized for a lack of holistic understanding of the complex social activity that is constitutive of groupwork. This often leads to the failure of otherwise well designed CSCW applications. In this paper we take up this challenge and propose a social action framework for analyzing groupware technologies. The framework is based on Habermass theory of social action and four action categories, and the idea that groupware applications serve as sets of rules and resources which mediate group interactions. We demonstrate the value of the framework by analyzing a wide range of existing groupware technologies for their appropriateness to specific groupwork situations in terms of their espoused or implicit assumptions of groupwork, and the action constitutive resources they provide. Our analysis points out that a host of current groupware applications can be fairly easily classified and examined by the way they are configured to support different types of social action. It also suggests that, when implementing groupware applications, developers should critically evaluate: (a) the need for supporting a rich variety of action types, (b) the possible role of computer support in the specific groupwork situations, and (c) the underlying assumptions of groupwork embedded in the groupware platform. Finally, we will discuss how the framework can inform future research and development in the field.

A critical analysis of media discourse on information technology: preliminary results of a proposed method for critical discourse analysis

Since the 1980s, there has been a growing body of critical theory in information systems research. A central theoretical foundation of this research is Habermas’ theory of communicative action, which focuses on implications of speech and proposes general normative standards for communication. Habermas also places particular emphasis on the importance of the public sphere in a democratic society, critiquing the role of the media and other actors in shaping public discourse. While there has been growing emphasis on critical discourse analysis (CDA), there has been limited effort to systematically apply Habermas’ validity claims to empirical research. Moreover, while critical research in information systems has examined communication within the organizational context, public discourse on information technology has received little attention. The paper makes three primary contributions: (1) it responds to Habermas’ call for empirical research to ground and extend his theory of communication in every day critical practice; (2) it proposes an approach to applying Habermas’ theory of communication to CDA; and (3) it extends the reach of critical research in information systems beyond micro‐level organizational concerns and opens up to critical reflection and debate on the impact of systematically distorted communication about technology in the public sphere.