Tor J. Larsen

Information systems innovation and diffusion: issues and directions

From the Book: It is more true than ever that information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) are prerequisites for business success. Business organizations are reported to be investing a considerable proportion of their free capital in IS/IT. However, it is also reported that as much as 50 per cent of these undertakings lead to IS/IT solutions judged as outright failures or deemed highly unsatisfactory. As the impressive amount of published research on IS/IT innovation and diffusion has already shown, the development and use of IS/IT requires continuous innovation and diffusion processes among an organizations line employees, internal IT experts, and external support mechanisms (e.g, research centers, consultants, software houses, and vendors). Because of the alarmingly high IS/IT investment failure rate, however, one can easily assume that this published research on IS/IT innovation and diffusion is thus far fragmented, incomplete, and has not provided clear direction to effectively understanding technology innovation and diffusion issues. Of course, practitioners may also not be applying the lessons already learned from existing research, but that is another matter. Part of the reason for this seeming disconnect between research and practice is simply that IS/IT is continuing to develop at such a rapid pace. More and more information and complex relationships are being captured, stored, processed, and transmitted to ever larger numbers of knowledge workers within and between organizations. For many industry segments, the very nature and definition of their business is undergoing continual and radical change. The way work is done, decisions are made, products are tailored, production is automated, material is distributed, and customers are satisfied is all changing on a global stage. IT stands squarely in the middle of this transformation and looks to a near future where business trends will require the use of information in ways not yet even imagined. Readers of this book should not therefore expect to find an integrated and comprehensive approach to IT innovation and diffusion issues. The chapters in this book represent the diverse and unique views of authors who approach the technology innovation and diffusion process from a wide variety of perspectives. Each, in their respective chapter, offers a piece of the whole picture. Taken together, these chapters present the careful and insightful exploration of many variables affecting the innovation and diffusion process. As such, this book, by bringing together these chapters, makes a valuable contribution to the IT innovation and diffusion literature. The continuing challenge in this field of inquiry is to persist in exploring developing trends and to assist researchers and practitioners in better grasping future challenges. The contributions in this book help address that challenge. The book concentrates on four broad innovation and diffusion areas. First, single aspects that may influence innovation and diffusion outcome are examined. These aspects are human oriented (e.g., power distribution) or technology related (e.g., a graphical simulator.) Second, diffusion theory as applied to the introduction and spreading of software application packages that are commonly found in organizations is scrutinized. Third, positive and negative aspects related to the use of formally organized diffusion facilitation mechanisms are explored. Fourth, integrated views and models describing innovation and diffusion processes and future potential are forwarded.

A cross-cultural analysis of the end-user computing satisfaction instrument: A multi-group invariance analysis

IT managers in global firms often rely on user evaluations to guide their decision-making in adopting, implementing, and monitoring the effectiveness of enterprise systems across national cultures. In these decisions, managers need instruments that provide valid comparisons across cultures. Using samples representing five nations/world regions including the US, Western Europe, Saudi Arabia, India, and Taiwan, we used multi-group invariance analysis to evaluate whether the end-user computing satisfaction (EUCS) instrument (12-item summed scale and five factors) provided equivalent measurement across cultures. The results provided evidence that the EUCS instruments 12-item scale and the five factors were equivalent across the cultures we examined. The implications of this for the global management of technology are discussed. Knowledge of the equivalence of MIS instruments across national cultures can enhance the MIS cross-cultural research agenda.

Searching for management information systems: coherence and change in the discipline

Abstract.  The now familiar and longstanding discussion on the status of the field of management information systems (MIS) consists of at least two themes – the lack of coherence in MIS and the question of rigour vs. relevance (academic vs. practical concerns). The research questions we pose here ask: what themes or ideas represent the centre of MIS or its zones of coherence – or is diversity and fragmentation the rule? and will the centre or zones change over time? Within MIS research, is there evidence of theory building that contributes to a cumulative research tradition? Using a co‐word analysis approach – to analyse the patterns in discourse by measuring the association strengths of terms representative of relevant publications – the researchers found 62 specific centres of coherence. The data documented a high degree of change in centres of coherence over time. Evidence of theory building was extremely weak. A cumulative research tradition remains elusive. MIS centres of coherence change over time – we think, partly in response to practical pressures. We suggest that MIS opens a richer and more difficult debate on its theory, practice, and identity as a discipline in the 21st century university.

An experimental comparison of abstract and concrete representations in systems analysis

Abstract The process of information requirements determination requires effective communication between systems analysts and users of the system to be developed. The analysts ability to discover user requirements is partially determined by the analysts familiarity with and ability to communicate in the users domain of knowledge and discourse. One such aspect of the user knowledge domain is concrete terminology versus more abstract, conceptual understanding. This paper documents the results of an experiment which compared knowledge representation used by analysts in a systems development discovery task. We hypothesized that the discovery task would be more effective when the analysts representation was biased toward the concrete. We found that systems analysts whose initial representation was a physical data flow diagram (concrete) made more correct modifications and fewer errors than systems analysts who started with a logical data flow diagram (abstract). The two groups used the same amount of time for each of the sub-tasks. These results indicate that analyst knowledge and use of concrete terms in the user knowledge domain is of more utility in the discovery task than abstract, conceptual domain knowledge.

An exploratory field study of differences in information technology use between more- and less-innovative middle managers

Based on data collected in 1988, this research explored the differences between more- and less-innovative middle managers in their use of information and information technology (IT). It involved a field study of ninety-nine middle managers in a division of a major defense contracting manufacturing organization in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area of the USA. Results suggest that the more-innovative middle managers are inclined to use data drawn from personal experience and insights rather than historical data and found IT generally important. Apparently, innovative middle managers use less complex programs, and when in-depth analyses are needed, their execution was generally delegated. The prime interpretation of the results is that innovative middle managers use IT as a vehicle for networking. They distribute more of their IT output to others. Even though they do not use IT more, they frequently contact local and expert support functions. These findings indicate that future research efforts should address the issues of how managerial business and IT innovativeness are related to IT use and networking behaviors.

The role of modelling in achieving information systems success: UML to the rescue?

Much computer science literature addresses the mechanics of the Unified Modelling Language (UML) and requirements modelling, but little research has addressed the role of UML in the broader organizational and project development context. This study uses a socio‐technical approach to consider UML as a technology embedded in a social environment. In this study, project developers were interviewed in detail about their use of UML along with influences on their decisions to use this approach and the results of using it. Data were analyzed using causal mapping. Major findings included: (1) that definitions of success may differ by unit of analysis (e.g., developer, project, organization) and that the relationship among these definitions are complex; (2) a very large number of variables impacting project success were identified; (3) a number of important variables exist in complex (non‐linear) relationships with project success; and (4) the majority of interviewees linked the use of UML to project success.

The Transfer and Diffusion of Information Technology for Organizational Resilience

Networks.- Complex Network-Based Information Systems (CNIS) Standards: Toward an Adoption Model.- Knowledge Exchange in Electronic Networks of Practice: Toward a Conceptual Framework.- The Impacts of Information Technology and Managerial Proactiveness in Building Net-Enabled Organizational Resilience.- IT Adoption and Diffusion.- The Role of Value Compatibility in Information Technology Adoption.- The Politics of Information and Communication Technology Diffusion: A Case Study in a UK Primary Health Care Trust.- Product Development Cases.- Leveraging Information Technology for Organizational Resilience in Design of Complex Products: A Case Study.- An Integral Approach to Information Technology Diffusion: Innovation in the Product Life Cycles of a Large Technology Company.- The Development of a Knowledge Framework Through Innovation Between an SME and a Multinational Corporation.- Strategic Perspectives.- Ten Strategies for Successful Distributed Development.- Improvisation as Strategy: Building an Information Technology Capability.- The challenge of Managing Knowledge in Innovative Organizations: Internal Versus External Knowledge Acquisition.- Resilience and Competitive Advantage.- Resilience as a Source of Competitive Advantage for Small Information Technology Companies.- Analysis of Outsourcing and the Impact on Business Resilience.- The Wizard of Oz: Instilling a Resilient Heart into Self-Service Business Applications.- Innovation Studies.- ConferenceXP: An Enabling Technology for Organizational Resilience.- Aspects on Information Systems Curriculum: A Study Program in Business Informatics.- The Rise of the Phoenix: Methodological Innovation as a Discourse of Renewal.- Organizational Impact of IS.- The Impact of Enterprise Systems on Organizational Resilience.- The Rise and Descent of Visions for E-Government.- The Role of Extreme Programming in a Plan-Driven Organization.- Innovation Cases.- UML: A Complex Technology Embedded in Complex Organizational Issues.- The Dialectics of Resilience: A Multilevel Analysis of a Telehealth Innovation.- Keynotes.- Strategizing for Agility: Confronting Information Systems Inflexibility in Dynamic Environments.- Business Resilience in a Global Economy.

Impact of Personal Innovativeness on the Use of the Internet Among Employees at Work

Examining Internet use among employees, this research investigated the theoretical proposition that personal IT innovativeness will positively impact the use of novel computer technologies. The research model included the individual traits of age, gender, experience with IT, and educational level. The article discusses the categories of organizationally relevant versus personal use of the Internet. Using a questionnaire, data was collected from 328 respondents in one organization. The results indicated that users perceive structural differences across various types of Internet use areas, although no clear support for a distinction between organizationally relevant and personal use was found. Additionally, the analyses indicated that personal use is considerably lower than organizationally relevant use of the Internet. However, employees may not distinguish clearly between these two categories. Personal IT innovativeness was the best predictor of organizationally relevant use of the Internet. Age contributed negatively to Internet use. Males appear to use the Internet more frequently than females. Educational level had no impact on Internet use.

The Phenomenon of Diffusion

Diffusion is at the core of WG 8.6.2 Employing Rogers’ diffusion theory while in principle addressing other sorts of phenomena is an historic research problem. The applicability of Rogers’ theory is discussed using the perspectives of mechanic and organic organizational settings, reaching the conclusion that Rogers’ diffusion theory has only limited validity. Diffusion is defined generically as the spread of IS/IT among almost any organizational unit and its constituencies. No theory of diffusion has been developed as yet. Hence, diffusion, at best, might is an umbrella for strategy, innovation, network theory, social structural theory, and a host of other approaches to understanding change in organizational settings. Researchers need to clearly define their research scope and theory base, if we as a group are to contribute to the cumulative research, the principal prerequisite for ensuring value for practice. No doubt, in the near future, more IS/IT products, frameworks, and methods will be seen. Organizations must embark on multiple change processes that require other business, managerial, and methods approaches than are in place today while at the same time maintaining the use of well established and understood practices. These are issues that WG8.6 should address.

Innovating strategically in information and knowledge management: Applications of organizational behavior theory

Abstract A business school declares its strategy as becoming a leading European institution. As main vehicle for achieving recognition is the implementation of a top-down strategy naming five academic fields as key – (a) finance, (b) economics, (c) marketing, (d) law, accounting, and auditing, and (e) organizational behavior (OB). Top management allocates resources for research, academic activities, and positions to these five strategically chosen areas. Academic areas that are not strategically named must generate their own income through educational programs and research grants. Can OB serve as the platform to ensure the survival of IS/KMS? In our analysis, we found no other business school formulating a strategy along these lines; dominating strategic themes are internationalization, research excellence, and student environment. No academic field is singled out as strategic. We argue that selecting a few academic areas as a strategy is dysfunctional. We also found that OB is not very actively employed in research, be it positioning, theory, research model, analysis, or discussion. Hence, we do not find that OB offers any theorizing help to IS/KMS – this in contrast to innovation and change theories, for which we propose an framework as a means of defining IS/KMS research projects.