Suprateek Sarker

ICT Innovation in Emerging Economies: A Review of the Existing Literature and a Framework for Future Research

ICT innovation is known to significantly elevate a country’s growth and to enhance productivity. It is now well-acknowledged that emerging economies are beginning to innovate at a rapid rate despite some of the challenges they face. Given that these countries with such economies now comprise a third of the world’s largest 25 economies, and that they are likely to be critical for the success of a global economy, it is important to understand how these economies innovate, what factors affect innovation in such nations, and what are the impacts. However, to the best of our knowledge, little research till date has been conducted on this topic, and the few existing studies have failed to catch the attention of the mainstream IS research community. We believe that the absence of studies is primarily due to a lack of understanding of what has been found with respect to ICT innovation in emerging economies, what needs to be studied, and how they should be studied. We attempt to contribute in this area by: (1) providing a comprehensive framework of existing research on ICT innovation in emerging economies, (2) highlighting the gaps that have been left behind, and (3) providing specific guidelines to future researchers, including a research model summarizing the salient issues that need examination. We believe that our study makes an important contribution to research on ICT innovation in emerging economies, and can be a useful resource for future researchers interested in this topic.

The Behavioral Roots of Information Systems Security: Exploring Key Factors Related to Unethical IT Use

Abstract Unethical information technology (IT) use, related to activities such as hacking, software piracy, phishing, and spoofing, has become a major security concern for individuals, organizations, and society in terms of the threat to information systems (IS) security. While there is a growing body of work on this phenomenon, we notice several gaps, limitations, and inconsistencies in the literature. In order to further understand this complex phenomenon and reconcile past findings, we conduct an exploratory study to uncover the nomological network of key constructs salient to this phenomenon, and the nature of their interrelationships. Using a scenario-based study of young adult participants, and both linear and nonlinear analyses, we uncover key nuances of this phenomenon of unethical IT use. We find that unethical IT use is a complex phenomenon, often characterized by nonlinear and idiosyncratic relationships between the constructs that capture it. Overall, ethical beliefs held by the individuals, along with economic, social, and technological considerations are found to be relevant to this phenomenon. In terms of practical implications, these results suggest that multiple interventions at various levels may be required to combat this growing threat to IS security.

How Do Mobile ICTs Enable Organizational Fluidity: Toward a Theoretical Framework

Abstract The focus of this theoretical paper is to investigate how mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) give rise to the notion of organizational fluidity. Drawing upon previous literature, five affordances of mobile ICTs − mobility, connectedness, interoperability, identifiability, and personalization − are discussed. Delving into the concept of organizational fluidity, the paper captures three dimensions of organizational fluidity, namely, team fluidity, task fluidity, and control fluidity. The paper then develops propositions on how different combinations of the mobile ICT affordances influence each of the dimensions of organizational fluidity. The contributions and implications of the paper are discussed.

Building on Davison and Martinsons’ concerns: a call for balance between contextual specificity and generality in IS research

ions and what the boundaries of applicability of the abstractions might be. This is clearly not a very desirable way to engage with context, but this pattern is often evident in studies. The second approach might be to first adapt a general theory to the given context. In our case, I believe it is best to start with a consideration of relevant omnibus and discrete contextual elements (see Figure 1 for sample contextual elements for the virtual team study), select those elements we seek to focus on (given the scope or objectives of the study), Figure 1 Selected context elements of the virtual teams in Sarker and Sahay study. Building on Davison and Martinsons’ concerns S Sarker

The Risks of Agile Software Development: Learning from Adopters

Agile software development (ASD) resulted from widespread professional discontent with traditional approaches; development projects high failure rates; and, most important, the need for speedy, responsive delivery of software for Internet businesses. Many practitioners have embraced ASD, which commentators often extol as a faster, better, and cheaper development approach. However, a recent high-profile failure of an ASD project and the discontinued use of ASD in a software company have drawn attention to ASDs possible risks. Before we can manage such risks, we must identify them and understand why they arise. Researchers conducted interviews with 112 people in 28 organizations and with 25 ASD contractors and consultants. The interviews revealed key ASD risks that require careful management to achieve the desired project outcomes.

Information system integration in mergers and acquisitions: research ahead

The broad aspiration of this special issue was to build upon, and contribute to, an emerging stream of research addressing information systems (IS) integration in the context of corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Work–Life Conflict of Globally Distributed Software Development Personnel: An Empirical Investigation Using Border Theory

While a key motivation for globally distributed software development (GDSD) is to harness appropriate human capital, ironically, scant attention has been paid to addressing the human resource manag...