Vanessa A. Cooper

The Green IT Readiness (G-Readiness) of Organizations: An Exploratory Analysis of a Construct and Instrument

The realization that legacy information technology (IT) systems have environmental footprint has elevated the sustainability of IT (Green IT) as a significant IT management issue. However, there is a lack of empirical research to explain Green IT capabilities of organizations and the maturity of those capabilities. This article reports a Green IT Readiness framework to capture the input, transformational and output capabilities that organizations need to nurture in sustainable management of IT. It identifies five components of G-readiness and provides an exploratory framework and a research-ready instrument. The instrument is validated based on data collected from a cross-sectional and cross-country survey of IT managers.

Green IT beliefs and pro-environmental IT practices among IT professionals

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the beliefs and attitudinal factors that affect the private sphere pro-environmental behavior of information technology (IT) professionals in using personal computers. , – A research framework that draws from the belief-action-outcome (BAO) framework and that consisted of 11 hypotheses was developed. Data were collected from a sample of 322 IT professionals and analyzed using structural equation modeling. , – The results identify the pro-environmental personal computing actions that IT professionals are taking and how their Green IT beliefs, attitudes, information acquisition capability, and organizational fields influence their behavior. , – The sample was limited to Australian respondents. The measurement of IT-specific environmental practices was not exhaustive nor were the measures of macro- and micro-antecedents of Green IT belief and attitude. , – National, regional, and international professional associations such as the Association of Information Systems can influence pro-environmental behavior among IT professionals through the creation and dissemination of information that shape both general and IT-specific environmental beliefs. , – The novelty of this work lies in: first, proposing and testing a research framework that can be leveraged in future studies; second, establishing how organizational fields and availability of information contribute to the formation of IT professionals’ environmental beliefs and attitudes; third, applying and suggesting potential extension to the BAO framework to evaluate the association between IT practices and environmental sustainability among IT professionals.

Knowledge transfer in enterprise information technology support using web-based self-service systems

This paper explores Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in the transfer of after-sales support-oriented knowledge from Information Technology (IT) support organisations to enterprise customers, using Web-based Self-service Systems (WSS). As it appears that best-in-class companies are ahead of the academic work in this area, we approached the topic through an exploratory CSF study of a best-in-class multinational IT services firm and identified 26 CSFs. Key findings from the study indicate that best-in-class IT service organisations may be cognisant of a range of factors relating to supporting customers, but are less aware of what is needed to support their own frontline support agents. Such organisations also lack an understanding of what is needed to provide enterprise support in the later stages of knowledge transfer, where enterprise customers can experience problems attempting to integrate resolutions. The study further showed that many aspects that might be characterised as encompassing socio-technical issues relating to the provision of web-based self-service are still poorly understood.

Inter-Cultural Student Interaction in Post-Graduate Business and Information Technology Programs: The Potentialities of Global Study Tours.

Extant academic literature, the media and views expressed by staff and students report that both local and international students are experiencing dissatisfaction with the lack of inter‐cultural student interaction occurring in classrooms, group discussions and teamwork in post‐graduate studies in the Australian higher education sector. It has been argued that increased interaction between local and international students may improve the overall student experience. This interpretive empirical study explores the potential of global study tours to increase inter‐cultural student interaction through the provision of opportunities for greater cultural understandings.

Successful web-based IT support services : service provider perceptions of stakeholder-oriented challenges

Web-based self-service systems (WSSs) are increasingly leveraged for the delivery of after-sales information technology (IT) support services. Such services are offered by IT service providers to customer firms and increasingly involve business partners. However little is known of the challenges faced by IT service providers as a result of the involvement of the other firms and their employees (end-users). This paper reports related findings from an interpretive study of IT service provider perceptions in six multinational IT service provider firms (Cooper, 2007). The findings highlight that, for IT service providers, (1) it is important to consider and resolve the needs and concerns of other key stakeholders, and (2) significant challenges exist in doing so. The main contribution of the paper is the identification of the key challenges involved. Important implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Supporting knowledge transfer in web‐based managed IT support

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance and complexities of the knowledge transfer process in the provision of effective managed after‐sales IT support, when the web is used for service delivery.Design/methodology/approach – The paper features an interpretive case study of a multi‐national Managed Service Provider (MSP) and a focus group of representatives from five comparable MSPs.Findings – The paper finds that MSPs that use web‐based channels for the provision of after‐sales IT support services need to address a range of important social and organisational issues in order to realise cost and efficiency‐based benefits.Research limitations/implications – The paper provides a four stage processual model of knowledge transfer in the provision of web‐based managed after‐sales IT support services. The barriers and enablers of knowledge transfer at each stage are identified. The paper adopts a MSP perspective and suggests that further research from the customer perspective is requir...

Information systems absorptive capacity for environmentally driven IS-enabled transformation

The potential of information systems (IS) to enable environmental sustainability necessitates an understanding of how organisations can realise this potential. In this study, building on the absorptive capacity theory and following a multi‐disciplinary and multi‐method approach, we propose that developing IS‐environmental absorptive capacity is a significant mechanism to deliver IS‐enabled change that addresses environmental issues. We commenced with a literature review and exploratory interviews to define the IS‐environmental absorptive capacity construct. We then developed a model that proposes that sustainable IS triggers, knowledge exposure and prior experience influence IS‐environmental absorptive capacity, which in turn contributes to the level of environmentally sustainable IS assimilation as well as to the cost saving, operational performance and reputation of organisations. The model was first tested through an international survey of 148 senior IS managers. The findings support our model regarding the antecedents and value of IS‐environmental absorptive capacity. A follow‐up case study corroborated the survey results and provided additional insights into the nature and causes of IS‐environmental absorptive capacity and its value. This study, in addition to presenting empirical evidence, defines and operationalises the IS‐environmental absorptive capacity construct in a theoretically and operationally meaningful way.

Critical dimensions for the effective design and use of simulation exercises for emergency management in higher education

Purpose There is a need to provide more effective learning experiences for higher education (HE) students in transdisciplinary contexts such as disasters and emergency management. While much has been written on the value of simulation exercises (SEs) for emergency management practitioners, research has focussed less on their value for HE students. The purpose of this paper is to identify how a practitioner-oriented framework for the design and use of SEs in emergency management is relevant to the HE context and how this framework may need to be adapted to support effective learning by HE students. Design/methodology/approach An interpretive approach based on a qualitative content analysis of 16 semi-structured interviews with emergency management practitioners and educators is used to enable an in-depth understanding of the social phenomena to be obtained. Findings The paper highlights that a framework for the design and use of SEs for emergency management practitioners is potentially valuable in the HE context but should be applied in a nuanced way. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on a small number of interviews and future studies could usefully analyse a wider set of perspectives (e.g. students), using a variety of alternative methods (e.g. surveys), to further test and/or enrich the framework. Practical implications Insights from the paper can inform the design and use of SEs in the HE context with a view to supporting more effective learning that better prepares students to operate during disaster events when they enter the emergency management workforce. Originality/value This is the first paper that has investigated the value of a practitioner-oriented framework for the design and use of disaster SEs in the HE context. In so doing, the paper has highlighted how the dimensions of the framework apply in the HE context and has revealed other issues that need to be addressed to support effective learning by HE students.

Critical success factors for knowledge transfer via a Malaysian government education website

This paper presents the critical success factors (CSFs) for knowledge transfer via a Malaysian government education website, from the perspective of provider. The research explores CSFs from a case study at Department of Education in Malaysia that is known as MASED. The research adapted Szulanskis four stages, namely initiation, implementation, ramp-up and integration that is known as intra-organisational knowledge transfer model to identify CSFs for knowledge transfer via government education website. The research has employed an interpretive case study approach, applying qualitative data capture and analysis methods. Primary data were derived from the interviews with 15 government officers that are involved in the development and management of government education website. Qualitative content analysis by inductive approach was used as analysis technique. From the analysis, 14 CSFs were identified and grouped into six themes, namely management role, user focus, employee focus, content focus, technology focus and organisational focus. Then these CSFs were validated in a focus group with the same 15 respondents to finalise the CSFs for knowledge transfer via Malaysian government education website. This research used a single study of one government agency in Malaysia. The research provides practical guidance to practitioners particularly to the government website providers. In order to increase the level of knowledge transfer to users, the CSFs can support government website providers in taking strategic decisions related to the internal operation of their websites content development and delivery activities.

Web-Based Self-Service Systems for Managed IT Support: Service Provider Perspectives of Stakeholder-Based Issues

This chapter explores the provision of after-sales information technology (IT) support services using Web-based self-service systems (WSSs) in a business-to-business (B2B) context. A recent study conducted at six large multi-national IT support organisations revealed a number of critical success factors (CSFs) and stakeholder-based issues. To better identify and understand these important enablers and barriers, we explain how WSSs should be considered within a complex network of service providers, business partners and customer firms. The CSFs and stakeholder-based issues are discussed. The chapter highlights that for more successful service provision using WSSs, IT service providers should collaborate more effectively with enterprise customers and business partners and should better integrate their WSSs.