Tom R. Eikebrokk

An empirical investigation of competency factors affecting e-business success in European SMEs

In the last decade there was growing interest in strategic management literature about factors that influence a companys ability to use IT. There is general consensus that knowledge and competency are necessary in developing an IT capability, but there is very little understanding of what the necessary competencies are, and how they influence IS usage in different contexts. The small and medium-sized enterprise context is particularly interesting for two reasons: it constitutes a major part of the economy and it has been relatively unsuccessful in exploiting e-business. We explored the relationship between e-business competency and its success in European SMEs. A literature review was used to determine factors representing e-business competency, and develop hypotheses, which were tested using data collected from 339 SMEs in Europe. Our results provide evidence on the importance of certain e-business competencies on e-business success, and have implications for both research and practice in the field of SMEs.

Implementing IT Service Management: A systematic literature review

Authors version of an article in the journal: International Journal of Information Management. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2013.01.004

Co-opetition and e-Business Success in SMEs: An Empirical Investigation of European SMEs

This article examines the relationship between co-opetition, the simultaneous cooperation and competition, and the success of e-business in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this context co-opetition is understood and operationalized as a combination of sourcing and alignment capabilities of the SMEs and the cooperative orientation of the business partner. The exploratory findings from interviews followed by a survey of 339 SMEs in three European countries show that cooperation in e-business alliances is positively correlated with e-business value-creation in terms of efficiency, complementarities, lock-in and novelty. The research has implications for business managers in both small and big companies as they make decisions regarding inter-organizational cooperation.

Using the ITIL Process Reference Model for Realizing IT Governance: An Empirical Investigation

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a popular framework for IT governance, but little academic research on ITIL exists. The authors investigate the overlap between ITIL and IT governance practices to illustrate ITILs potential to stimulate IT governance. A field study shows that IT implementation success is particularly influenced by group efficacy and organizational resources, and, to a lesser extent, senior-management involvement. Findings show that ITIL, as expected, is a framework that contributes to IT governance by stimulating process management practices.

Understanding the determinants of business process modelling in organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address a theoretical gap in the business process management (BPM) literature on factors that influence the acceptance and use of business process modelling (PM) in organisations. The paper seeks to contribute to theory building and practice in BPM through better understanding of important determinants of PM adoption and use.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of literature review and 34 interviews in context was used to develop a PM acceptance model that was subsequently empirically tested using survey data from 74 companies.Findings – The paper provides empirical insights about how business PM can be influenced by many factors in the organisational context. It suggests that PM is a complex activity mandated by management, but influenced by individual and socio‐political factors.Research limitations/implications – There is a need for future research to focus on the many opposing forces that influence business PM in organisations. Future studies should ana...

Training, Competence, and Business Performance: Evidence from E-business in European Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

This article examines the relationship between training, competence and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of e-business. Literature review combined with a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods were used to investigate these relationships. Data about e-business competences and performance in 339 SMEs in three European countries was combined with data about training supply from 116 providers of e-business related training. The empirical findings document a positive relationship between training, competence and performance and show that training explains variances in e-business competences and performance in terms of efficiency, complementarities, lock-in and novelty. The research has both theoretical and practical implications. It contributes to theoretical development by lending support to the idea that methodological issues are an important reason behind the lack of empirical support frequently reported in the literature. The study has practical implications for public policy makers, training suppliers and SME managers.

Exploring Process-Modelling Practice: Towards a Conceptual Model

Despite the importance of process modelling for business process management and related tasks, there are few theories and empirical studies of process-modelling practice available that can serve as the basis for understanding and improving this important practice. To contribute to the development of better theory, this paper proposes a model of process modelling practice, focussing on the relations between process modelling purpose, process modelling process, model artefact, process modelling outcome as well as initial and eventual modelling and process maturity. The proposed model is based on the existing literature and validated in a study of 34 Norwegian process-modelling projects. Results from a combined qualitative and quantitative analysis of the empirical data indicate that the modelling process is clearly related to process-modelling outcome. Surprisingly, we were not able to relate the model artefact to any main category.

Important challenges for coordination and inter-municipal cooperation in health care services: a Delphi study

BackgroundDemographical changes have stimulated a coordination reform in the Norwegian health care sector, creating new working practices and extending coordination within and between primary and hospital care, increasing the need for inter-municipal cooperation (IMC). This study aimed to identify challenges to coordination and IMC in the Norwegian health care sector as a basis for further theorizing and managerial advice in this growing area of research and practice.MethodsA Delphi study of consensus development was used. Experts in coordination and IMC in health care services were selected by the healthcare manager or the councillor in their respective municipalities. In the first round, an expert panel received open-ended questions addressing possible challenges, and their answers were categorized and consolidated as the basis for further validation in the second round. The expert panel members were then asked to point out important statements in the third round, before the most important statements ranked by a majority of the members were rated again in the fourth round, including the option to explain the ratings. The same procedure was used in round five, with the exception that the expert panel members could view the consolidated results of their previous rankings as the basis for a new and final rating. The statements reaching consensus in round five were abstracted and themed.ResultsNineteen experts consented to participate. Nine experts (47%) completed all of the five rounds. Eight statements concerning coordination reached consensus, resulting in four themes covering these challenges: different culture, uneven balance of power, lack of the possibility to communicate electronically, and demanding tasks in relation to resources. Three statements regarding challenges to IMC reached consensus, resulting in following themes: coopetition, complex leadership, and resistance to change.ConclusionsThis study identified several important challenges for coordination and it supports previous research. IMC in health care services deals with challenges other than coordination, and these must be addressed specifically. Our study contributes to extended knowledge of theoretical and practical implications in the field of coordination and IMC in health care sector.

Understanding the ITIL Implementation Project: Conceptualization and Measurements

The purpose of this research is to contribute to the theorizing of ITIL. The paper provides a model that conceptualizes the scope and content of an ITIL implementation project, and it tests and validates measurements based on a literature study and data from a survey of 446 Nordic ITIL experts.

Strategising IT service management through ITIL implementation: model and empirical test

Research on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) lacks appropriate theories and models that capture the distinct characteristics and implications of the ITIL implementation practice. The purpose of this study is to close this gap. Based on a literature review, we develop and empirically validate a theoretical model: the ITIL Implementation Project Model. The model includes significant antecedents, which provide a foundation upon which an effective ITIL implementation project can be built, as well as the pertinent effects of implementing ITIL. The results contribute to the current research stream on the strategising of IT service management as well as to an improved understanding of the IT function in organisations. The model provides IT executives with practices for improving ITIL implementation quality and for assessing the benefits of their efforts.