A Deeper Look at Cloud Adoption Trajectory and Dilemma

2022 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 1

Authors: Hsu, Pei-Fang

Abstract: Different from previous cloud adoption studies that focus on the benefits and co ... Expand

Abstract: Different from previous cloud adoption studies that focus on the benefits and concerns of cloud computing from a technology point of view, this study takes a deeper look at two additional firm-specific forces that could better explain firms’ cloud adoption trajectory and dilemma: Path dependency and Institutional forces. Path dependency theory argues that if a firm has invested intensively in traditional IT, it may be more capable of adopting and utilizing new IT since it has accumulated knowledge. However, the firm could also be trapped in its previous path and reluctant to migrate to cloud to avoid sunk costs and switching costs. On the other hand, institutional theory provides an external view and posit that a firm facing more institutional forces from its trading community will have more incentives, as well as pressure, to adopt cloud. We developed a cloud adoption model that features benefits, concerns, path dependency, and institutional forces as prominent antecedents to understand their competing and complementary effects, and empirically tested the proposed model using 177 firms. The results show that, path dependence is indeed an important factor affecting firms’ cloud adoption behaviors; a firm with a better IT position and more satisfying IT outsourcing experiences will have greater cloud adoption intention. Institutional forces do not directly affect cloud adoption intention. Instead, institutional forces increase perceived benefits, through which, indirectly influence cloud adoption intention. The findings delineate the trajectory and dilemma that firms face when migrating to cloud and provide insights to cloud vendors in choosing their target market. Collapse

Topics: cloud computing outsourcing IT job platform as a service software as a service

Methods: survey partial least squares regression PLS tool factor analysis case study

Theories: institutional theory

A quantitative and qualitative study of the link between business process management and digital innovation

2021 | Information & Management | Citations: 6

Authors: Van Looy, Amy

Abstract: The information revolution leaves its mark on businesses, resulting in organizat ... Expand

Abstract: The information revolution leaves its mark on businesses, resulting in organizations looking for digital inno­ vation (DI) to apply to their business processes and anticipate competitors. Since the interplay between business process management (BPM) and DI has been underdeveloped, this mixed-methods article investigates the strength and nature of the relationship. We supplement the findings of an international survey (stage 1) with explanations from an expert panel (stage 2) to generalize a positive yet moderate link because of manifold contextual factors affecting strategic decision-making. We extend the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework and profile organizations along their digital process innovation (DPI) mastery in a readiness matrix. Collapse

Topics: innovation management business process management decision making business model information systems strategy

Methods: survey qualitative interview expert panel maturity model parametric test

Theories: theory of everything management theory

Avoiding High Opportunism Is Easy, Achieving Low Opportunism Is Not: A QCA Study on Curbing Opportunism in Buyer–Supplier Relationships

2018 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Mellewigt, Thomas; Hoetker, Glenn; Lütkewitte, Martina

Abstract: Past research on how opportunism in buyer-supplier relationships can be mitigate ... Expand

Abstract: Past research on how opportunism in buyer-supplier relationships can be mitigated remains incomplete and often contradictory. Applying recent advances in qualitative comparative analysis to a sample of 137 buyer-supplier relationships in the German automotive industry, we show that there are multiple equifinal pathways to high and low opportunism. In general, our study shows that it is easier to avoid high opportunism than to consistently achieve low opportunism. On this basis, we offer new insights into countering opportunism for researchers and managers. Achieving low opportunism requires a combination of governance mechanisms, which are generally not interchangeable. In particular, relational governance mechanisms in isolation seem to be more restricted than prior research has suggested but form a powerful synergistic combination with complex contracts. Although formal governance mechanisms lack enforceability, the coordination and monitoring that they provide are critical in both avoiding high opportunism and achieving low opportunism. Performance ambiguity is especially difficult to manage. Overall, our paper shows the power of configurational approaches and encourages the development of new theory that adopts a situational contingency perspective. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2018.1227. Collapse

Topics: asset specificity interorganizational relationship procurement management anonymity fuzzy logic

Methods: survey qualitative interview post-hoc analysis regression analysis method statistical hypothesis test

Theories: fuzzy set theory transaction cost economics

Top Trends and Topics for Outsourcing Managers -A Longitudinal Study-

2017 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Gewald, Heiko; Schaefer, Leonie; Weeger, Andy

Abstract: Outsourcing has been an area of academic interest for more than 25 years. This r ... Expand

Abstract: Outsourcing has been an area of academic interest for more than 25 years. This research strand has produced output of highly theoretical but also of practical value by combining rigor and relevance. As for all practically relevant research areas, it is important to align future research agendas and efforts with practitioners’ current and expected future priorities. In order to provide insights on the challenges which decision makers in large corporations face, we surveyed sourcing managers from Germany’s 500 largest corporations and the 50 largest financial services firms. We interviewed a panel of experts to identify high priority topics and added trends from contemporary outsourcing research. Based on this list we conducted two Delphi studies in 2012 and 2015 and asked senior managers to prioritize the topics. Collapse

Topics: outsourcing telephone

Methods: qualitative interview delphi study survey literature study expert panel

Discriminating IT Governance

2015 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 77

Authors: Tiwana, Amrit; Kim, Stephen K.

Abstract: The information technology (IT) governance literature predominantly explains fir ... Expand

Abstract: The information technology (IT) governance literature predominantly explains firms’ IT governance choices, but not their strategic consequences. We develop the idea that a firm’s IT governance choices induce adeptness at strategically exploiting IT only when they are discriminatingly aligned with its departments’ knowledge outside their specialty. Discriminating means that governing the two undertheorized classes of IT assets—apps and infrastructure—requires “peripheral” knowledge in different departments. Analyses of data from 105 firms support our middle-range theory. Collapse

Topics: IT governance mobile application strategic agility information technology infrastructure IT manager

Methods: statistical hypothesis test econometric modeling theory development instrumental variables estimation survey

Theories: organizational theory

Project Managers' Practical Intelligence and Project Performance in Software Offshore Outsourcing: A Field Study

2014 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 38

Authors: Langer, Nishtha; Slaughter, Sandra A.; Mukhopadhyay, Tridas

Abstract: This study examines the role of project managers' (PM) practical intelligence (P ... Expand

Abstract: This study examines the role of project managers' (PM) practical intelligence (PI) in the performance of software offshore outsourcing projects. Based on the extant literature, we conceptualize PI for PMs as their capability to resolve project related work problems, given their long-range and short-range goals; PI is targeted at resolving unexpected and difficult situations, which often cannot be resolved using established processes and frameworks. We then draw on the information processing literature to argue that software offshore outsourcing projects are prone to severe information constraints that lead to unforeseen critical incidents that must be resolved adequately for the projects to succeed. We posit that PMs can use PI to effectively address and resolve such incidents, and therefore the level of PMs' PI positively affects project performance. We further theorize that project complexity and familiarity contribute to its information constraints and the likelihood of critical incidents in a project, thereby moderating the relationship between PMs' PI and project performance. To evaluate our hypotheses, we analyze longitudinal data collected in an in-depth field study of a leading software vendor organization in India. Our data include project and personnel level archival data on 530 projects completed by 209 PMs. We employ the critical incidents methodology to assess the PI of the PMs who led these projects. Our findings indicate that PMs' PI has a significant and positive impact on project performance. Further, projects with higher complexity or lower familiarity benefit even more from PMs' PI. Our study extends the literatures on project management and outsourcing by conceptualizing and measuring PMs' PI, by theorizing its relationship with project performance, and by positing how that relationship is moderated by project complexity and familiarity. Our study provides unique empirical evidence of the importance of PMs' PI in software offshore outsourcing projects. Given that PMs with high PI are scarce resources, our findings also have practical implications for the optimal resource allocation and training of PMs in software offshore services companies. Collapse

Topics: project productivity offshoring project management outsourcing productivity

Methods: archival research longitudinal research field study descriptive statistic theory development

Theories: transaction cost economics

Toward an understanding of the nature and conceptualization of outsourcing success

2014 | Information & Management | Citations: 7

Authors: Schwarz, Colleen

Abstract: Despite the pervasiveness of outsourcing, many outsourcing ventures have been un ... Expand

Abstract: Despite the pervasiveness of outsourcing, many outsourcing ventures have been unable to achieve success. I posit that one explanation for the elusiveness of the achievement of success relates to a lack of consensus regarding what constitutes “success.” This study provides a more complete, multidimensional definition of outsourcing success, which will enable a better understanding of success with a more effective and consistent measure of outsourcing success. The results indicate that practitioners and academics agree on the top criteria used to define success. A quantitative study confirms the conceptualization of outsourcing success as a first-order construct with eight dimensions. Collapse

Topics: outsourcing database system IT manager brainstorming search engine

Methods: survey delphi study expert panel literature study triangulation

Comparing senior executive and project manager perceptions of IT project risk: a Chinese Delphi study

2010 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 48

Authors: Liu, Shan; Zhang, Jinlong; Keil, Mark; Chen, Tao

Abstract: The success rate for information technology (IT) projects continues to be low. W ... Expand

Abstract: The success rate for information technology (IT) projects continues to be low. With an increasing number of IT projects in developing countries such as China, it is important to understand the risks they are experiencing on IT projects. To date, there has been little research documenting Asian perceptions of IT project risk. In this research, we examine the risks identified by Chinese senior executives (SEs) and project managers (PMs), and compare these two groups. The importance of top management support in IT projects is well documented. Prior research has shown that from the perspective of IT PMs, lack of support from SEs is the number one risk in IT projects. Surprisingly, senior executives' perceptions towards IT project risk have never been systematically examined. One reason why lack of support from senior executives continues to represent a major risk may be that senior executives themselves do not realize the critical role that they can play in helping to deliver successful projects. In this study, we use the Delphi method to compare the risk perceptions of senior executives and project managers. By comparing risk factors selected by each group, zones of concordance and discordance are identified. In terms of perceived importance ascribed to risk factors, PMs tend to focus on lower-level risks with particular emphasis on risks associated with requirements and user involvement, whereas SEs tend to focus on higher-level risks such as those risks involving politics, organization structure, process, and culture. Finally, approaches for dealing with risk factors that are seen as important by both SEs and PMs are provided. Collapse

Topics: IT project project management participatory design organizational change risk management

Methods: delphi study survey design methodology triangulation Student's t-test

An Empirical Analysis of Contract Structures in IT Outsourcing

2009 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 106

Authors: Chen, Yuanyuan; Bharadwaj, Anandhi

Abstract: Outsourcing of information technology (IT) services has received much attention ... Expand

Abstract: Outsourcing of information technology (IT) services has received much attention in the information systems (IS) literature. However, considerably less attention has been paid to actual contract structures used in IT outsourcing (ITO). Examining contract structures yields important insights into how the contracting parties structure the governance provisions and the factors or transaction risks that influence them. Based on insights from prior literature, from practicing legal experts, and through in-depth content analysis of actual contracts, we develop a comprehensive coding scheme to capture contract provisions across four major dimensions: monitoring, dispute resolution, property rights protection, and contingency provisions. We then develop an empirical data set describing the contract structures across these distinct dimensions, using a sample of 112 ITO contracts from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) database from 1993 to 2003. Drawing on transaction cost, agency, and relational exchange theories, we hypothesize the effects of transaction and relational characteristics on the specific contractual provisions, as well as on overall contract extensiveness. Furthermore, we examine how these associations vary under conditions of fixed price and time and materials pricing structures. The results provide good support for the main hypotheses of the study and yield interesting insights about contractual governance of ITO arrangements. Collapse

Topics: price management database system outsourcing asset specificity offshoring

Methods: qualitative coding qualitative content analysis robustness check econometric modeling regression analysis method

Theories: transaction cost economics social exchange theory game theory

A comparative study of important risk factors involved in offshore and domestic outsourcing of software development projects: A two-panel Delphi study

2009 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Nakatsu, Robbie T.; Iacovou, Charalambos L.

Abstract: We investigated the risk factors of outsourced software development. Our first o ... Expand

Abstract: We investigated the risk factors of outsourced software development. Our first objective was to create empirically generated lists of risk factors for both domestically- and offshore-outsourced projects. Our second objective was to compare these two contexts: how do the risk factors change and which ones are most important in each. To address these objectives, we conducted two Delphi surveys to identify the important risk factors from a client perspective, in domestic and offshore settings. We qualitatively compared the results of the surveys to identify similarities and differences across their risk profiles. We identified three types of risks: those that appeared in both contexts; those that appeared in both but were exacerbated in the offshore context; and those that were unique to the offshore context. Our findings suggested that traditional project management risks were important in both contexts; however, the offshore context seemed to be more vulnerable to some traditional risks as well as factors that were unique to it. Collapse

Topics: offshoring outsourcing project management IT manager IT project

Methods: survey delphi study scale validation qualitative interview case study