Thompson S. H. Teo

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in Internet usage

This study focuses on both intrinsic (i.e. perceived enjoyment) and extrinsic (i.e. perceived usefulness) motivation for the use of the Internet. An electronic Webpage survey was used to collect the data required for this study. A total of 1370 usable responses were obtained. Results indicated that local Internet users used the Internet mainly because they perceived the Internet to be more useful to their job tasks and secondarily, because it is enjoyable and easy to use. Findings demonstrated that while perceived usefulness had consistently strong effects on all usage dimensions (frequency of Internet usage, daily Internet usage and diversity of Internet usage), perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment affected each specific usage dimension differently.

Integration between business planning and information systems planning: an evolutionary-contingency perspective

One of the key elements of strategic planning for information systems (IS) is the integration of information systems planning (ISP) with business planning (BP). This integration enables IS to support business strategies more effectively. Although this issue has received significant attention in recent years, empirical research focusing specifically on BP-ISP integration is still relatively sparse. This research extends existing results by examining the evolution of BP-ISP integration and the contingency variables that may influence BP-ISP integration.The results confirmed the existence of an evolutionary pattern that can be defined in terms of movement through four types of BP-ISP integration: administrative integration to sequential integration to reciprocal integration to full integration. Only a few firms indicated that they had reached full integration. Bypassed phases and reverse evolution, though observed, were uncommon. Among the contingency variables, the business competence of the IS executive appeared to be a key factor in influencing the extent of integration.

Demographic and motivation variables associated with Internet usage activities

Examines demographic variables (gender, age, educational level) and motivation variables (perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness) associated with Internet usage activities (defined in terms of messaging, browsing, downloading and purchasing). A total of 1,370 usable responses were obtained using a Web page survey. Results showed that males are more likely to engage in downloading and purchasing activities while females are more likely to engage in messaging activities. Younger users engage in messaging and downloading activities to a greater extent than older users. Perceived usefulness is associated with the four activities, while perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment are associated with messaging, browsing and downloading activities.

Critical success factors in the alignment of IS plans with business plans

The alignment of IS plans with business plans is not an easy task and knowing which are the critical areas to manage will certainly enhance the success of such efforts. Although there is a large amount of research on critical success factors (CSFs), past studies usually examine CSFs of specific systems implementation (e.g., MRP) and total quality management (TQM). Relatively few studies exist on the CSFs related to aligning IS plans with business plans. This paper presents the results of an empirical study of IS executives on the relative importance of various CSFs for aligning IS plans with business plans. The results indicate that top management commitment to the strategic use of IT, IS management knowledge about business, and top management confidence in the IS department are the top three CSFs. Implications of the results are discussed.

Assimilation and Diffusion of Web Technologies in Supply-Chain Management: An Examination of Key Drivers and Performance Impacts

A key reason for the popularity of integrated supply-chain management (SCM) is that Web technologies have made supply-chain coordination a viable managerial and strategic option. Building on research in the areas of management information science, supply chains, and organizational innovation, this study explores the use of Web technologies for organizational SCM. Based on an extensive survey of North American organizations, it investigates the assimilation of Web technology systems into internal supply-chain functions and their external diffusion into interorganizational supply-chain networks, and also explores the relevant environmental determinants. The findings suggest that internal assimilation and external diffusion of Web technologies both significantly affect the benefits realized by SCM. Supplier interdependence and information technology (IT) intensity are important environmental factors affecting external diffusion. Organizational factors, such as centralization and formalization of the IT unit structure and high levels of managerial IT knowledge, are significant drivers of Web technology assimilation in the SCM function.

A contingency model of internet adoption in Singapore

The Internet has experienced tremendous growth worldwide. However, very little empirical research has been done to examine the phenomenon of businesses adopting the Internet. This study uses a contingency model to examine factors influencing Internet adoption. A questionnaire was used to survey 500 companies in Singapore, and 188 usable responses (37.6 percent) were received. The results revealed that organizational and technological factors, rather than environmental factors, play a significant role in Internet adoption. Implications of the results are discussed.

A contingency perspective on internet adoption and competitive advantage

Firms adopt the Internet for different purposes, ranging from simple Internet presence to using the Internet to transform business operations. This paper examines the contingency factors that affect levels of Internet adoption and their impact on competitive advantage. A questionnaire was used to gather data for this study; 159 usable responses were obtained from a sample of 566 firms in Singapore. Results indicate that most firms are still exploring the business use of the Internet. A proactive business technology strategy was found to be positively associated with the level of Internet adoption. Technology compatibility and top management support were found to have no significant relationships with the level of Internet adoption. Further, the level of Internet adoption had a significant positive relationship with competitive advantage. These results provide a better understanding of the contingency factors affecting the level of Internet adoption, as well as providing some evidence of the positive impact of Internet adoption on competitive advantage.

Assessing the impact of integrating business planning and IS planning

Abstract One of the key elements of strategic planning for information systems (IS) is the integration of IS planning (ISP) and business planning (BP). Although this issue has received significant attention in recent years, empirical research focusing specifically on it is still relatively sparse. Here, BP-ISP integration is considered in four ways (administrative, sequential, reciprocal, and full integration), reflecting various degrees of BP-ISP integration. The relationships between these and organizational impact (measured in terms of the extent of ISP problems and the extent of IS contributions to organizational performance) are investigated through the analysis of data gathered in a “matched pair” field survey of business planners and IS executives. The results empirically validate the importance of BP-ISP integration, since it was found to have a significant positive relationship with IS contributions to organization performance and a significant negative relationship to the extent of ISP problems.

Key dimensions of facilitators and inhibitors for the strategic use of information technology

A field survey was conducted to determine key organizational factors that facilitate and/or inhibit the development of strategic applications of information technology (IT) in business firms. A comprehensive list of potential facilitators and inhibitors for the strategic use of information technology was derived from past research and used as the basis for collecting data from 121 firms. These data were factor-analyzed to determine the key underlying dimensions of facilitators and inhibitors. On the basis of the resulting seven dimensions, stepwise discriminant analysis was used to compare companies that have used IT applications for strategic purposes and companies that have not done so. The results suggest that innovative needs, competitive position, environment, economies of scale, and top management guidance are the most important facilitators, while the lack of IT drivers, the lack of economies of scale, and the lack of innovative needs are the most important inhibitors.

Adopters and non-adopters of business-to-business electronic commerce in Singapore

Although there has been an increase in research studies of business-to-business (B2B) electronic commence (e-commerce), most studies were carried out in the United States or Europe. There are very limited studies on B2B e-commerce in the Asian context. Our effort examined Web-based B2B e-commerce initiatives in Singapore, an island of 650 km2 in South-East Asia. Data were collected from 108 firms using a mail survey, which showed that 52.8% firms have adopted B2B e-commerce; of these, two-third had a formal plan and/or task force for B2B e-commerce deployment. Customer-related applications were generally more common than supplier-related applications. Problems in B2B e-commerce adoption included the difficulty of measuring benefits, fear of granting suppliers and customers access to corporate systems and insufficient time for staff to develop new skills in e-commerce. Implications of the results are discussed.