| Internal IT Knowledge and Expertise as Antecedents of ERP System Effectiveness: An Empirical Investigation | | BIBA | Full-Text | 1-23 | |
| Princely Ifinedo | |||
| The literature shows that contingency factors such as organizational culture and structure, organization size, top management support, external expertise, and internal support are critical for the effectiveness of Enterprise Research Planning (ERP) systems in adopting organizations. Research on the effect of in-house computer and information technology (IT) knowledge and expertise on the success of such packages is rare. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of computer/IT skills as antecedents of ERP system effectiveness. Using relevant theoretical foundations, a research model was developed to test eight relevant hypotheses. Data was collected in a cross-sectional field survey of 109 firms in two European countries. The partial least squares (PLS) technique was used for data analysis. The PLS results confirmed six out of the eight hypotheses. The study's conceptualization supported the view that in-house computer/IT skills are indeed pertinent to ERP system success in adopting organizations. The research implications for practice and research conclude this study. | |||
| Toward Mass Customized Product Deployment in E-Commerce: The Modularization Function and Postponement Strategy | | BIBA | Full-Text | 24-49 | |
| Chuan-Jun Su; Hsin-Chi Chuang | |||
| Strategically deploying customized products in an e-commerce environment not only helps businesses respond with greater agility to customer needs and strengthen their market position, but also helps businesses gain competitive edge and increase profitability. Underlying successful mass customization within the digital marketplace, a firm needs a methodology for striking a balance between the degree of customization and product pricing and delivery time -- a critical supply chain issue. Providing either too much or too little customization can negatively impact both the business and the customer. This study introduces a decision-making method for product customization. This method takes into account the level of customization, production costs, and the product delivery time and applies the concept of postponement strategy to the product supply chain to boost overall supply chain effectiveness and customer satisfaction. Bicycle customization is used as an example to demonstrate the feasibility of the new approach to determine the optimal level of customization in product deployment. | |||
| Online Information Tools in Industrial Purchasing: An Exploratory Analysis of the Process of Business-Service | | BIBA | Full-Text | 50-70 | |
| M. José Garrido; Ana Gutiérrez; Rebeca San José | |||
| The purpose of this study is to explore how the various stages of the purchasing process, and specific aspects of purchasing, impact the use of various Internet tools during a firm's procurement process. The hypotheses of this research are applied to a business service's purchase process. Information was gathered through a survey e-mailed to a sample of 103 industrial firms in Spain. Managers responded to a series of questions related to the purchasing of a service that had been acquired by their firm. The findings reveal that the novelty of the service for the organization, pressure due to time constraints to make a service-purchase decision, and individuals' personal stake in a service-purchase decision lead to an increase in Internet use in the purchasing process. Furthermore, the results show that the buying phase has a significant impact on the intensity of Internet tool use in service procurement. When purchasing services, firms must take advantage of the benefits the Internet has to offer as a channel for distribution and communication. Firms selling their services through the Internet should focus particular attention on the design of their webpages. The work is one of the first to explore service purchasing through the Internet. Moreover, it is based on a sample of firms and on the acquisition of a wide range of differing services, and is not confined to just one, as is frequently the case. | |||
| A Conditional Role-Involved Purpose-Based Access Control Model | | BIBA | Full-Text | 71-91 | |
| Md. Enamul Kabir; Hua Wang; Elisa Bertino | |||
| This paper presents a conditional role-involved purpose-based access control (CPAC) model, where users dynamically activate conditional roles in accordance with the context attributes. Based on conditional role, access permissions are assigned that represent what can be accessed for what purpose to roles under certain conditions. On the other hand, conditional purpose is applied along with allowed purpose and prohibited purpose in the model. It allows users using some data for certain purpose with conditions (for instance, Tony agrees that his income information can be used for marketing purposes by removing his name). The structure of a CPAC model is defined and investigated. Access purpose is verified in a dynamic behavior, based on user attributes, context attributes, and authorization policies. Intended purposes are dynamically associated with the requested data object during the access decision. An algorithm is developed to achieve the compliance computation between access purposes and intended purposes and is illustrated with role-based access control (RBAC). Access purpose authorization and authentication in the model are studied with the hierarchical purpose structure. The model separates authorization of access purpose from access decision that improves the flexibility of private data control. | |||
| Partial Assimilation of Technology: Prognosis and Remedial Measures | | BIBA | Full-Text | 93-110 | |
| Probir Banerjee; Louis C. K. Ma | |||
| Prior research mentions that there may be technology assimilation gaps in that a technology may be cumulatively assimilated over a period of time depending on knowledge and experience from initial usage. Thus, stages of partial assimilation are indicated that, if not accounted for, could lead to erroneous understanding of technology adoption and diffusion. However, the phenomenon has not received serious academic attention, and there is still a lack of understanding as to when and why partial assimilation may occur, its consequences to organizations, and remedial steps that could be taken to minimize it. We investigate these issues in the context of assimilation of third-party business-to-business (B2B) e-market by four small firms. Our findings reveal that partial assimilation occurred because of different perceptions of benefit and risk of the two different features of the B2B e-market -- the informational (buyer/supplier and product information) and the transactional (auction, request for quote, price negotiation, message archiving, payment systems), arising from different moderating impacts of the organizational (relational norms and the type of business handled) and environmental (perceptions of competitive pressure and institutional norms of technology usage and work practices) contexts of deployment and usage of the two features. The consequences of partial assimilation were mixed; while it was found to be detrimental to firms with low relational norms with their clients, it proved to be gainful for firms with high relational norms. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. | |||
| The Impact of Social Influence on Individuals' Adoption of Innovation | | BIBA | Full-Text | 111-135 | |
| Majharul Talukder; Ali Quazi | |||
| This article empirically examines the impact of social factors (peer and social network) on attitudes toward innovation and the impact of that attitude on individual employees adopting innovation in their workplaces in Australia. This research uses quantitative research methodology and specifically multivariate statistical analysis. The research framework is based on the theory of reasoned action, the technology acceptance model, Frambach and Schillewaert's conceptual framework, and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Data were collected from employees of a tertiary institution in Australia using a structured questionnaire. The results of multiple regression analysis show that social network impacts significantly on attitudes toward an innovation which, in turn, affects the innovation adoption behavior of employees. Furthermore, social network has been found to directly influence the innovation adoption process. This outcome has strategic implications for organizations in the effective management of innovation involving employees. These implications are highlighted in the article. This research has focused on only one organization in a particular region in Australia. Future research can explore the relationship between variables by including a number of organizations across Australia and beyond to provide a deeper insight into the issues explored in this article. | |||
| Driving Goal-Directed and Experiential Online Shopping | | BIBA | Full-Text | 136-157 | |
| Hung-Pin Shih; Bih-Huang Jin | |||
| Goal-directed and experiential online shopping are two general categories of consumer behavior on the Internet. Internet stores promoting online transactions may face challenges regarding how to satisfy distinct online shoppers. This study develops a dual-state of cognitive and affective reactions to online services and flow experiences to predict goal-directed and experiential online consumer behavior. This survey mailed 300 questionnaires to a random sample of volunteers with substantial online shopping experience. Of these, 150 samples were returned for data analysis. Empirical results from the survey indicate that the dual-state of online services is more appropriate for assessing goal-directed purchase intentions than for examining the willingness to purchase experientially. In contrast, the dual-state of flow experiences is better at assessing goal-directed purchase intentions and the willingness to purchase experientially. Finally, this study features implications for academics and practitioners. | |||
| Feasibility Frontier -- A Method for Aligning Competitive Strategy with the Choice of IT Architectures | | BIBA | Full-Text | 158-175 | |
| Boris Jukic; Nenad Jukic; Dawn Harris | |||
| This article introduces an approach that addresses the challenge of aligning choices about IT architecture with the strategic goals of a corporation. This takes the form of a framework that captures how managers make IT architecture choices and how those choices impact an organization's competitive position. Based on microeconomic theory, the framework provides a set of conceptualizations for understanding alignment, plus some recommendations on how organizations should approach IT architecture adoption in a way that assures optimal alignment with strategic goals. The most important facilitating factor for the framework is the commitment to complete, accurate, and unbiased cost and quality assessment of business processes and their supporting IT infrastructure. | |||
| Evolution of Research Areas, Themes, and Methods in Electronic Commerce | | BIBA | Full-Text | 177-201 | |
| Sang M. Lee; Taewon Hwang; Dong Hyun Lee | |||
| The purpose of this study is to review the state-of-the-art of electronic commerce (EC) research by focusing on its multidisciplinary nature. Using an integrative model of EC research areas, themes, and methods, this study analyzed 1792 articles published in six EC specialty journals and four information systems (IS) journals over the 1996-2009 period. The findings provide meaningful views of current EC research. First, EC research has focused on micro-level issues such as consumers or technologies, enhancing the relevance to practice. Second, many research themes have been investigated in heterogeneous research areas through various research methods: retailing, privacy/fraud/piracy, auction, strategy/marketing/advertising, and adoption/implementation. Third, while the survey method has been predominant over the years, sophisticated methods such as laboratory experiment and secondary data analysis have also gained increasing attention. Overall, the results from an integrative model indicate two diverging EC research practices: moving toward the micro-level issues versus research from multidisciplinary perspectives. Because these two practices can be viewed as two sides of the same coin, the field of EC research should endeavor to achieve these two practices in a balanced way. In so doing, the field of EC can constantly reinvent itself and grow as an established field of research in the future. | |||
| Enterprise Social Networking: Opportunities, Adoption, and Risk Mitigation | | BIBA | Full-Text | 202-220 | |
| Efraim Turban; Narasimha Bolloju; Ting-Peng Liang | |||
| Social networks on the Internet are becoming extremely popular and have begun to change the way we live and work. Many enterprises are assessing the potential of exploiting the commercial opportunities of this technology. Although social networking commercial activities may be the next big productivity booster for firms, some consider such activities to be time wasters and security traps. Therefore, it is useful to develop a framework to consolidate the issues in adopting this technology. This article reviews the opportunities provided by enterprise social networking and proposes using the fit-viability model to evaluate concerns related to the successful implementation of enterprise social networking. We also examine the major potential risks and the mechanisms for their management. | |||
| Adoption of Biometric Authentication Systems: Implications for Research and Practice in the Deployment of End-User Security Systems | | BIBA | Full-Text | 221-245 | |
| Dawn Laux; Andy Luse; Brian Mennecke; Anthony M. Townsend | |||
| Recent security lapses have demonstrated the importance of augmenting authentication protocols in sensitive areas of the economy, such as financial services and banking. In addition, new legislative requirements for secondary authentication mechanisms have highlighted the use of biometric technology as a reliable, but not required, means of authentication. The focus of this study examines the factors that influence the adoption of biometric authentication in organizations. The research model measures the relative contribution that variables in three categories (External Pressure, Readiness, and Perceived Benefits) have in the intent to adopt biometric authentication in financial services institutions. Managers of these institutions were surveyed, and the resulting model indicates that, as expected, the intent to adopt is driven by competitive factors, an organization's financial resources, and the perceived benefits associated with the technology. An important unanticipated finding from this research is that managerial support was not shown to be significantly related to adoption intent, which may be attributed to the context of biometric systems adoption. This research advances our understanding of the adoption literature by demonstrating how structural factors can influence the decisions made by organizational actors and by applying theories of adoption to a new technology -- biometrics. | |||
| A Cross-National Investigation of the Measurement Equivalence of Computerized Organizational Attitude Surveys: A Two-Study Design in Multiple Nations | | BIBA | Full-Text | 246-263 | |
| Tim Robin Wolf; Kate Hattrup; Karsten Mueller | |||
| Multinational organizations frequently administer employee surveys online. This process is accompanied, however, by concerns about the psychometric equivalence of measures administered by different modalities. Using data from a large multinational organization (N = 57,861 in Study 1; N = 105,734 in Study 2), the present research examined cross-national generalizability of the measurement equivalence of an organizational attitude survey administered by computer and paper-and-pencil. Results of multiple group confirmatory factor analysis indicated psychometric equivalence of the test modalities in disparate national samples. Implications for the cross-national use of computerized organizational attitude surveys are discussed. | |||
| Current Developments in RFID Research | | BIB | Full-Text | 265-267 | |
| Wei Zhou; Selwyn Piramuthu | |||
| The Impact of RFID Adoption on the Market Value of Firms: An Empirical Analysis | | BIBA | Full-Text | 268-294 | |
| Indranil Bose; Ariel K. H. Lui; Eric W. T. Ngai | |||
| Extant research praises the benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) on the basis of case studies and experience reports. However, empirical studies that access the strategic impact of RFID on organizations are rare, and the financial impact of RFID adoption on the firms remains unclear. This article provides empirical evidence related to the effect of RFID adoption on market value of firms by examining short-term market reaction toward RFID adoption. Based on 108 publicly traded firms that adopt RFID, we find that RFID adoption has a statistically significant negative impact on a firm's market value. The stock price of the firm decreases by at least 0.29% on the day of the announcement, indicating that the investors perceive RFID adoption announcements to be bad news for most firms. Moreover, the subsampling analysis indicates that US-based firms, late adopters, nonmanufacturing firms, less diversified firms, financially unhealthy firms, and low growth potential firms suffer more negative impact when they announce the news of RFID adoption. Overall, this article adds to the accumulating evidence about the risks that accompany a disruptive IT like RFID and provides a note of caution to firms that are interested to invest in RFID. | |||
| Performance Drivers for RFID-Generated Item-Level Information in the Oil Industry | | BIBA | Full-Text | 295-314 | |
| Sylvain Bureau; Yannick Meiller; Wei Zhou; Selwyn Piramuthu | |||
| Radio frequency identification (RFID)-generated item-level information provides interesting perspectives to increase operational performance in the oil and natural gas industry. However, costs and benefits of information systems with low-granular item-level information can be very different depending on various factors. We consider item-level information applications, especially RFID solutions, within the oil industry. We discuss why the incorporation of RFID tags in this system cannot be isolated and studied and how several related dimensions need to be considered. Among them, we detail characteristics like item-level identification, the rewritable and contact-less information functions, the existence of distributed sensors, and the overall network architecture. We consider the solutions used or potentially useful in the oil industry and evaluate three types of performance drivers (technical, operational, and strategic) related to these systems. Based on these, we propose five typologies -- related to tubes, containers, other items, processes, and people -- to characterize various critical empirical scenarios to identify the conditions under which item-level information is valuable in the oil industry. We then illustrate these typologies through potential applications. | |||
| RFID Tag Cost Sharing in the Retail Supply Chain | | BIBA | Full-Text | 315-331 | |
| Gary M. Gaukler | |||
| In this research, we study some of the operational benefits of item-level radio frequency identification (RFID), and how these benefits may affect the dynamics of the retailer-manufacturer interaction. We describe a retail operation with backroom and shelf stock under the assumption of multiple replenishment and sales periods, where backroom stock is replenished according to a periodic review order-up to policy and shelf stock is replenished continually from the backroom. In this environment, retail shelves are outfitted with RFID readers to continually monitor the remaining stock on the shelves and issue low-stock and replenishment alerts to store personnel so that shelves can be replenished from the store backroom before actual sales are lost at the shelf. We are interested in the dynamics between retailer and manufacturer with respect to the cost of item-level tagging the products. Of interest is the way in which the cost of tagging the product is divided among the two supply chain partners. To do this, we investigate a supply chain in which power is distributed asymmetrically among manufacturer and retailer. This interaction is modeled using the Stackelberg game framework. From an analysis of this framework, we derive several properties of interest, relating to the appropriate division of tagging cost as well as to a life-cycle centric view of RFID implementations. | |||
| RFID Technology and its Application to Port-Based Container Logistics | | BIBA | Full-Text | 332-347 | |
| Xiaoning Shi; Dongkai Tao; Stefan Voß | |||
| Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is among the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that have been proposed for substantially improving performance of container port operations. In addition, more implementation is to be expected in the field of container yard and depot as well as in logistics-related activities. Seaports, especially container terminals, are expected to become one of the efficient nodes among all logistics activities with the help of IoT technology in the operation practice of sea port, which plays an essential role in transportation; there is a trend that IoT technology, including RFID technology, is to be adopted to fulfill future electronic identity verification and remote location and control over cargo. A goal of this article is to critically evaluate RFID application for operational procedures in port-based container logistics. Based on that, some previously used technologies are briefly introduced with their effectiveness and efficiencies so that comparison can be made. We also discuss current application of RFID technology in the field of container logistics. Furthermore, RFID application trend from wider perspectives is also observed. That is to say, applications derived from cargo demand side and supply chain/network management side can also be triggers that lead to increase in the number of application in the near future. | |||
| Understanding and Predicting Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Adoption in Supply Chains | | BIBA | Full-Text | 348-367 | |
| Xiaoran Wu; Chandrasekar Subramaniam | |||
| As an emerging and a promising technology for supply chain management, radio frequency identification (RFID) has generated a significant amount of interest from both practitioners and researchers in recent years. However, the factors important for RFID's adoption in supply chains have not been well understood. Many organizations are reluctant to participate in supply-chain level RFID projects because of this lack of understanding. Drawing on innovation diffusion theory and technology-organization-environment framework, we developed a conceptual model for RFID adoption in supply chains. Survey data were collected worldwide and included different players in supply chains, such as manufacturers, transporters, wholesalers, and retailers. Our analysis based on logistic regression demonstrated that technology complexity, technology maturity, top management support, trading partner power, and trading partner readiness were significant predictors for RFID adoption in supply chain activities. This study is the first empirical study to test and validate technology maturity as an important factor for technology adoption. We conclude the article by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our research findings. | |||
| Mixed Strategy Multiple-Channel Retailing With RFID Information | | BIBA | Full-Text | 368-383 | |
| Eun Jung Yoon; Wei Zhou | |||
| We propose a mixed recommendation retail system based on RFID item-level information to facilitate the information exchange of multiple retail channels in order to achieve optimized operations and sales in the retailing industry. Specifically, we investigate the mechanism through which a retailer with both Internet and Brick & Mortar retailing channels can use IS/IT to enhance its competitiveness in comparison to single-format retailers by integrating the information from both channels. We provide several example case studies of current industrial practice in this field and conclude with a discussion on the strategic implications of the proposed strategies. | |||