Ramiro Montealegre

De-escalating information technology projects: lessons from the Denver International Airport

Project failure in the information technology area is a costly problem, and troubled projects are not uncommon. In many cases, these projects seem to take on a life of their own, continuing to absorb valuable resources, while failing to deliver any real business value. While prior research has shown that managers can easily become locked into a cycle of escalating commitment to a failing course of action, there has been comparatively little research on de-escalation, or the process of breaking such a cycle. Through de-escalation, troubled projects may be successfully turned around or sensibly abandoned. This study seeks to understand the process of de-escalation and to establish a model for turning around troubled projects that has both theoretical and practical significance. Through a longitudinal case study of the IT-based baggage handling system at Denver International Airport (DIA), we gathered qualitative data on the de-escalation of commitment to a failing course of action, allowing us to inductively develop a model of the de-escalation process as it unfolded at DIA. The model reveals de-escalation as a four-phase process: (1) problem recognition, (2) re-examination of prior course of action, (3) search for alternative course of action, and (4) implementing an exit strategy. For each phase of the model, we identified key activities that may enable de-escalation to move forward. Implications of this model for both research and practice are discussed.

Trojan actor‐networks and swift translation: Bringing actor‐network theory to IT project escalation studies

This study investigates the potential of actor‐network theory (ANT) for theory development on information technology project escalation, a pervasive problem in contemporary organizations. In so doing, the study aims to contribute to the current dialogue on the potential of ANT in the information systems field. While escalation theory has been used to study “runaway” IT projects, two distinct limitations suggest a potential of using ANT: First, there is a need for research that builds process theory on escalation of IT projects. Second, the role of technology as an important factor (or actor) in the shaping of escalation has not been examined. This paper examines a well‐known case study of an IT project disaster, the computerized baggage handling system at Denver International Airport, using both escalation theory and ANT. A theory‐comparative analysis then shows how each analysis contributes differently to our knowledge about dysfunctional IT projects and how the differences between the analyses mirror characteristics of the two theories. ANT is found to offer a fruitful theoretical addition to escalation research and several conceptual extensions of ANT in the context of IT project escalation are proposed: embedded actor‐networks, host actor‐networks, swift translation and Trojan actor‐networks.

Reporting bad news about software projects: impact of organizational climate and information asymmetry in an individualistic and a collectivistic culture

The reluctance of people to report bad news can be a major contributor to the phenomenon of runaway software projects. If senior managers receive bad news sooner, they may be able to prevent runaway software projects through corrective action. Two factors that are known to impact predisposition to report bad news are organizational climate (whether reporting bad news is likely to result in reward or punishment) and information asymmetry (whether hiding bad news is likely to be possible over time). Using matching experiments in an individualistic (United States) and a collectivistic culture (Singapore), this study investigates how the individualism-collectivism dimension of national culture may moderate the impact of organizational climate and information asymmetry on human predisposition to report bad news. The results revealed that individualism appeared to amplify the impact of organizational climate on predisposition to report bad news (compared to collectivism) whereas collectivism appeared to amplify the impact of information asymmetry on predisposition to report bad news (compared to individualism). When deciding on whether to report bad news about software projects, people from an individualistic culture seemed to be more sensitive to organizational climate whereas people from a collectivistic culture seemed to pay greater attention to information asymmetry. These results have useful implications for practice and research involving cross-cultural software project teams. Beyond these implications, these results add a cultural dimension to our existing knowledge on software project management.

A case for more case study research in the implementation of information technology in less-developed countries4

While the potentially crucial role of information technology in the development of Third World countries has been widely prescribed, the evolving interaction between IT and the organization during the process of IT implementation and its implications for managers in these environments, has received little attention. This paper argues for more fieldwork to better analyze the dynamic interweaving between the new technology and the social/organizational setting in which it is being embedded.

Organizational Information Systems in the Context of Globalization

Acknowledgements. Conference Chairs. Program Committee. Additional Reviewers. 1. Perspectives and Challenges of Organizational Information Systems in the Context of Globalization M. Korpela, R. Montealegre, A. Poulymenakou. Part 1: Work Practices and Their Transformation. 2. ICTs Supporting Targetmania: How the UK Health Sector is Trying to Modernise K McGrath. 3. Counter Networks, Communication and Health Information Systems: A Case Study from Mozambique E. Mosse, S. Sahay. 4. Coordinating Work with Groupware: The Challenge of Integrating Protocol and Artefact J. Pors, J. Simonsen. 5. CRM in Call Centres: The Logic of Practice H. Richardson. 6. Back to Basics: Sharing Goals and Developing Trust in Global Virtual Teams R. Tucker, N. Panteli. Part 2: Organizations, Corporations and Institutions. 7. Have You Got Anything to Declare? Neo-Colonialism, Information Systems, and the Imposition of Customs and Duties in a Third World Country M. Adam, M. Myers. 8. Innovation Theories in Retrospect: The Case of Electronic Commerce Adoption in Small Business in New Zealand N.A. Al-Qirim. 9. Organizational and National Issues of an ERP Implementation in a Portuguese Company J. Esteves, J. Pastor, J. Carvalho. 10. ICTs and Organizational Control Across Cultures: The Case of a UK Multinational Operating in China Wei Liu, C. Westrup. 11. On the Implementation of an Information System in the Mozambican Context: The EDM Case E. Macome. 12. Implementing Global Information Technology Product in a Localized Context: An Exploratory Study of ERP System Implementation in China G. Pan, Shan Pan, Xin-Xin Chen, D. Flynn. Part 3: ICT Industries and Systems Development. 13. The Process of Offshore Software Development: Preliminary Studies of UK Companies in Malaysia A. Aman, B. Nicholson. 14. China Telecommunications Transformation in Globalization Context: A Structuration Perspective Ping Gao, K. Lyytinen. 15. Factors Influencing Irelands Software Industry: Lessons for Economic Development through IT C. Heavin, B. Fitzerald, E. Trauth. 16. Russian High-Speed Software Development: Overcoming the Challenges of Globalization J. Pries-Heje, R. Baskerville, G. Hansen. 17. Institutional Structures and Participation: Comparative Case Studies from India S.K. Puri, S. Sahay. Part 4: Societal Dynamics. 18. Social Exclusion and Information Systems in Community Healthcare T. Cornford, E. Klecun-Dabrowska. 19. Knowledge, NGOs and Networks: Applying Epistemology to the Work of Development J. Johnstone. 20. Less Cyber, More Cafe: Design Implications for Easing the Digital Divide with Locally Social Cyber Cafes T. Salvador, J. Sherry, A. Urrutia. 21. Can E-Marketplaces Bridge the Digital Divide? C. Standing, I. Sims, R. Stockdale, A. Wassenaar. 22. The Footprint of Regulation: How Information Systems are Affecting the Sources of Control in a Global Economy P. Tsiavos, I. Hosein, E. Whitley. Part 5: Cultural, Philosophical and Policy Issues. 23. The Link Between ICT and Economic Growth in the Discourse of Development C. Avgerou. 24. Good Governance and Development Aid: Risks and Challenges of E-Government in Jordan C. CiborrErnie Jordan is Professor of Management at Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney, Australia where he is the Director of the Electronic Commerce Programs and board member of the Macquarie Risk Competence Centre. Ernie was born and educated in the UK, completed his PhD in Hong Kong, and has spent most of his working life in Australia. His major research interests are in electronic commerce, risk management, the strategic management of IT, with particular emphasis on management support systems, and knowledge management systems.There are many studies of information technology outsourcing but very few discuss in depth the process of offshore software development outsourcing. The aim of this research is to understand the important issues and strategies in managing activities and relationships among software development teams involved in offshore outsourcing. The study involves UK companies who are engaged in offshore outsourcing of software development to Malaysia either through joint ventures or fully owned subsidiaries. There are an increasing number of software firms choosing Malaysia as a venue for software development. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on offshore software development outsourcing by building a synthesized conceptual framework for global software outsourcing. This is derived from concepts found to be important in previous studies. The framework is illustrated using data from two ongoing case studies.

The interplay of information technology and the social milieu

Reviews the influence of Giddens’ structuration theory on information technology and implementation studies, highlighting how the interaction between the technology and the wider social setting have often been neglected. Offers Giddens’ conception of plural structural rules and resources as a possible framework for analyzing this interaction. Uses the proposed framework to analyze the introduction of computers into an agro‐industrial organization in a less‐developed country. Shows that different social and organizational conditions influence the process of IT implementation, but at the same time this process reinforces or transforms the structural configurations over time. Thus, highlights the role that IT plays in social setting transformation.

Waves of change in adopting the Internet: Lessons from four Latin American countries

The popularity and explosive growth of the Internet during the past few years have convinced many countries to take a closer look at its potential for aiding economic development. The existing literature presents an aggregate story of success, but the ways in which different countries are adopting these new technologies have received little critical attention. This empirical study of four Latin American countries ‐ Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru ‐ delineates a five‐phase development process during which each country sustained the momentum of its evolving strategy, grew in competence to forge technological solutions, and gained access to the Internet. The four countries’ original goals changed over time, but through experience they perceived new opportunities and established evolving Internet strategies that form the bases of new technological services provided at the national level.

Information technology use as a learning mechanism: the impact of it use on knowledge transfer effectiveness, absorptive capacity, and franchisee performance

This study aims to contribute to the literature through the theoretical development and empirical investigation of the role of information technology use in organizational learning. We develop a theoretical framework that unpacks organizational learning into mechanisms and outcomes. The outcomes of organizational learning are distinguished at two levels: first-order and second-order. Based on the framework, we propose a research model set in the franchising context. We conceptualize franchisee use of IT provided by the franchisor as an important learning mechanism that impacts knowledge transfer effectiveness (first-order outcome) and absorptive capacity (second-order outcome). Further, the influence of IT use on financial performance is mediated through absorptive capacity. The model was tested on a sample of 783 independently owned real-estate franchisees using a comprehensive dataset comprised of primary and secondary data. The results indicate that IT use is an important learning mechanism for franchisees by impacting knowledge transfer effectiveness and absorptive capacity. In turn, absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between IT use and financial performance. The empirical support for the research model serves to affirm the underlying learning mechanisms--outcomes framework. The results are stable across the choice of statistical method and the operationalization of financial performance. Theoretical contributions, implications for practice, and limitations of the study are discussed.

Implications of electronic commerce for managers in less‐developed countries

Abstract Commercial connections are the fastest‐growing component of the Internet today, as more and more companies move to establish closer links with customers, business partners, vendors, and information resources via the network. The implications of the emerging electronic commerce for managers in less‐developed countries are examined here. This paper focuses on the managerial need to (1) understand the evolution of countries’ and companies’ approaches to electronic commerce, (2) gain insight into development phases and type of commercial activity that exist today, and (3) track changes that suggest where development may be headed.

Extending Chakravarthy's strategy framework to cope with constrained and unstable environments: imitative catching-up e-commerce at Patagon.com

Most of the extant electronic commerce (EC) models implicitly assume a developed country environment that is technologically advanced and information rich, with a stable, nondisruptive political and economic climate that favors free markets, and with unconstrained access to technological, financial, and human resources. These are not features found in most less-developed country environments. This study empirically analyzes the history of Patagon.com, a pioneer in Latin American Internet-based financial services. Its primary contribution is to extend Chakravarthys strategy framework for coping with turbulence to conceptualizing imitative catch-up EC strategy in constrained and unstable environments, such as those in less-developed countries. The case analysis also suggests some practical implications that should help to better understand how organizations that are not pioneers of novel breakthroughs in developed countries can participate in EC.