Evaluating business value of IT towards optimisation of the application portfolio

Information technology has become heavily embedded in business operations. As business needs change over time, IT applications are expected to continue providing required support. Whether the existing IT applications are still fit for the business purpose they were intended or new IT applications should be introduced is a strategic decision for business, IT and business-aligned IT. In this article, we present a method that aims to analyse business functions and IT roles and to evaluate business-aligned IT from both social and technical perspectives. The method introduces a set of techniques that systematically supports the evaluation of the existing IT applications in relation to their technical capabilities for maximising business value. Furthermore, we discuss the evaluation process and results that are illustrated and validated through a real-life case study of a UK borough council and followed by discussion on implications for researchers and practitioners.     

基于IT治理的政府统计质量管理机制构建研究

通过对我国统计信息化发展中IT技术应用现状的分析，指出存在问题表象的背后是政府统计质量控制制度安排的缺失，基于IT治理的政府统计质量管理机制的构建有助于从战略高度重新定位IT技术的作用与价值，其通过制度在战略层面对统计信息化进行规范和操作层面对其优化，来提升政府统计的质量水平，最终实现政府统计的组织战略与技术战略协调互动，并形成持续发展的良性循环机制，从而为信息化背景下政府统计的质量管理提供新的路线图。     

信息技术在企业价值链整体环境中的应用

在波特的价值链概念基础上，将企业价值链概念进行延伸，从企业内部价值链、外部企业间价值链和客户价值链三个角度，提出企业价值链整体环境概念。指出信息技术是企业创建更具动态性、更具响应力、更柔性化价值链环境的基础。对各条价值链采用不同的信息技术，分析信息技术在企业创造价值过程中带来的效益，以及限制技术发挥的一些相关因素，并在此基础上提出了基于信息技术的企业价值链整体环境架构图。     

Intellectual Capital Profiles: An Examination of Investments and Returns*

ABSTRACT Using data collected from executives in 208 organizations, this study takes a configurational approach to examine how human, social, and organizational capital coexist to form distinct intellectual capital profiles across organizations. We then examine how investments in human resource management (HRM), information technology (IT), and research and development (R&D) differ across these intellectual capital profiles and investigate differences in financial returns and Tobin's q between the profiles. Results indicate that a relatively small group of superior performing organizations exhibit high levels of human, social, and organizational capital. Most firms, however, tend to focus primarily on only one form of intellectual capital, and a small group of underperforming organizations have very low levels of all three types of intellectual capital. At a general level, HRM and IT investments appear to influence intellectual capital development more than R&D investments. More specifically, HRM investments tend to be higher in firms with profiles high in human and social capital, while IT investments are stronger in firms with profiles high in social capital. Further, HRM, IT, and R&D investments are all very high in the group of superior performing organizations that have high levels of human, social, and organizational capital.     

基于发展周期的IT企业职业生涯管理实施策略

处于不同发展阶段的IT企业，其职业生涯管理实施策略各不相同。本文通过分析IT企业发展周期特点，针对不同发展阶段IT企业面临的发展任务与人力资源管理重点，提出了不同发展阶段IT企业的职业生涯管理实施策略。     

A Study on the Productivities of IT Capital and Computer Labor: Firm-level Evidence from Taiwan’s Banking Industry

The current paper extends the non-neutral stochastic frontier production function—which belongs to the class of a one-step procedure as defined by Wang and Schmidt (2002) and developed by Huang and Liu (1994)—from a cross-sectional setting to a panel data modeling. Using a newly-surveyed dataset from Taiwan’s commercial banks on their investments in information and communication technologies (IT), I find that IT capital and computer labor tend to exhibit higher productivities than their non-IT and non-computer counterparts, that IT capital has positive impacts on the marginal productivities of computer labor and borrowed funds, and that the mean technical efficiency is around 87.7%. Evidence is found that the total factor productivity of the banking sector grew at an average rate of 0.28% per annum, albeit fluctuating, for the past 8 years.     

The impact of supply-side electronic integration on customer service performance

Although information technologies have been expected to directly enhance firm performance in specific value chain activities (e.g., supplier performance or customer service performance), their advanced capabilities offer the promise of organizational integration and spill-over benefits. Enterprise systems provide firms with platforms for electronically integrating their supplier and demand chain activities. Spill-over benefits refer to the impacts that occur when IT investments in one organizational domain benefit performance in a different value chain side of the firm. Supply-side electronic integration (SEI) refers to the use of electronic means to integrate the exchange of information and transactions with suppliers through enterprise systems. In our research, we examine whether SEI generates spill-over effects on customer service performance, over and beyond firms’ direct investments in customer-side digitization. We also examine whether structural attributes of the firm (e.g., vertical integration, diversification, and centralization) moderate the effects of supply-side electronic integration on customer service performance. Our analysis of a secondary dataset of InformationWeek 500 firms shows that SEI helps firms realize cost-savings in their customer service performance, especially if they are less vertically integrated. In addition, SEI investments help diversified and centralized firms achieve cross-selling with their customers. We also find that SEI is more likely to help decentralized and diversified firms achieve customization in their customer service activities. These results suggest that SEI helps firms achieve twin goals in customer service: cost reduction and revenue expansion. Overall, our research reveals how supply-side electronic integration could generate benefits in customer service performance in firms.     

HR and IT capabilities and complementarities in knowledge-intensive services

The main premise of this article is that human resources (HR) and information technologies (IT) are central rather than support functions in knowledge-intensive services. By building management capabilities in both HR and IT, knowledge-intensive services can transform their business processes that, in turn, enable them to provide exemplary services to the customers. Our arguments are grounded in the three related theoretical frameworks of the resource-based view, organizational capabilities, and the theory of complementarities. We suggest that the research and practice in HR and IT fields may have to focus on HR and IT capabilities rather than HR practices or IT investments as the sources of sustainable competitive advantage since capabilities better fit the definition of a ‘resource’ than HR practices or IT investments. Further, organizational capabilities in both HR and IT may enable knowledge-intensive services to transcend the inherent tradeoff between cost and responsiveness. We also discuss the role of HR and IT in knowledge management.     

IT商业价值实现范式研究及其延伸探析

IT商业价值是信息系统管理领域最为热门的研究课题之一，然而现有文献囿于一种固有的研究范式，即从IT投资、经过一些中间因素到IT影响，再到企业绩效。通过对此研究范式的研究，发现其中存在的一些不足之处。在此基础上，从供应链、流程和信息价值等方面提出一个新的研究范式，作为对现有研究的一个延伸和补充。     

Enhancing hospital supply chain performance: A relational view and empirical test

Improving hospital supply chain performance has become increasingly important as healthcare organizations strive to improve operational efficiency and to reduce cost. In this study, we propose a research model based on a relational view, delineating the factors that influence hospital supply chain performance: trust, knowledge exchange, IT integration between the hospital and its suppliers, and hospital–supplier integration. Testing results of the research model based on data from a sample of 117 supply chain executives from U.S. hospitals show positive direct effects: (1) from trust and from IT integration to knowledge exchange respectively; (2) from knowledge exchange and from IT integration to hospital–supplier integration respectively; and (3) from hospital–supplier integration to hospital supply chain performance. The results also show the following indirect effects: (1) the influences of knowledge exchange and IT integration on hospital supply chain performance are partially and fully mediated by hospital–supplier integration, respectively and (2) the influences of trust and IT integration on hospital–supplier integration are fully and partially mediated by knowledge exchange, respectively. In addition, the results show the following moderating effects: (1) hospital system membership moderates the relationships between IT integration and knowledge exchange and between trust and knowledge exchange; (2) hospital environmental uncertainty moderates the relationship between trust and knowledge exchange; and (3) trust moderates the relationship between knowledge exchange and hospital–supplier integration. Implications of the study findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

Ambidexterity and IT competence can improve supply chain flexibility? A resource orchestration approach

Supply chain flexibility (SCF) has become an important competitive weapon for companies in the current dynamic environment. This paper explores the influence of ambidexterity on supply chain flexibility (SCF) and theorizes the moderating effect of information technology (IT) competence on that relationship. Whereas prior research focuses on the positive results of SCF for business performance, little empirical research has studied its facilitators, leaving the gap this study seeks to fill. We draw on resource orchestration theory to develop our research model. According to this theory, a firm can exploit the full potential of its resources and capabilities only when these are deployed in a complementary manner. This study proposes that ambidexterity impacts SCF positively and that its effect is amplified when the firm possesses IT competence. In order to test our hypotheses we have employed a hierarchical regression methodology and put into service data collected from manufacturing enterprises. The study confirms that ambidexterity, as the ability to explore and exploit SC resources, enables their orchestration, making SC resources flexible, and a high IT competence facilitates that orchestration.     

基于风险驱动的IT服务管理体系构建

当前，许多组织常常借鉴ISO20000服务管理体系来管理组织的IT服务。然而，由于ISO20000是新生事物，组织难以构建适合自身需要的IT服务管理体系。为此，可从组织实现IT服务可能面临的风险入手，通过管理的体系控制、过程的方法控制、业务的流程控制和价值链的关系控制来处理IT服务风险，进而构建符合实践标准的IT服务管理体系，确保组织业务的正常开展。     

IT企业的成长与人力资本效应——基于扩展的内生增长模型与实证研究

基于IT企业成长的特点,本文将人力资本分为集约型人力资本与增量型人力资本,它们之间存在着相互转化。首次运用新增长理论,从人力资本单个维度和多个维度构建了IT企业成长的模型,并以我国IT上市公司为例开展了实证分析。分析结果表明:在满足一定条件下,人力资本及其溢出对促进IT企业保持持续增长发挥着关键性的作用;同时,IT企业的成长是企业技术创新能力、人力资本的集约性程度、网络外部性强度、生产资源量对产出的弹性系数等人力资本的多个维度因素共同博弈的结果,只有在它们之间建立好协调机制,IT企业的成长才能得到保证。     

企业信息安全问题及解决方案

企业信息安全是目前我国企业普遍存在的问题,企业信息系统的安全成为企业信息化建设的一个重要课题,文章从企业网络防护体系、操作系统防护体系、防病毒体系等方面论述、探讨了如何将企业的信息安全提高到一个较高的水平。     

ITIL管理标准在医院IT运维服务管理中的实践探讨

医院多种IT软件系统和网络设备的并存,使得IT运维管理变得越来越复杂、技术难度也越来越高,因而有效利用现有资源,提高运维工作效率,不断提高IT运维管理人员和技术人员的业务能力,正逐渐成为医院IT部门高效运行的关键因素。本文结合课题组正在进行的研究,导入ITIL标准进行医院IT运维服务管理实践应用,旨在打通IT部门和业务部门之间的结构性障碍,全面系统地实施IT运维服务管理,规范IT服务管理工作,提高IT管理工作的效率。     

Critical success factors for mutual collaboration with suppliers in IT outsourcing industry: a case study of a top IT outsourcing company in Korea

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, information technology (IT) outsourcing companies face enduring demands to reduce cost while increasing productivity. This pressure leads many IT outsourcing companies to rely on outsourcing arrangements with IT personnel suppliers. In order to maximise efficiency, outsourcing companies have focused on fostering high-performing suppliers through improved collaboration and mutual relations. However, it is very difficult to advance to a long-term partnership using the existing outsourcing process because of insufficient collaboration between IT outsourcing companies and their suppliers. Based on collaboration perspective of supply chain management (SCM), this study identifies the critical success factors for collaborative strategic partnerships and presents an evaluation framework for assessing and managing suppliers. We have developed an organisational process model for Supplier relationship management (SRM)-based collaboration which includes some of the key constructs from the previous studies and interviews with the IT outsourcing industry people. In this study, we will identify four types of strategic suppliers and suggest approaches for improving collaborative relationship between an IT outsourcing company and its partner companies. In addition, to validate the feasibility of the proposed model, we applied it to a well-known Korean IT outsourcing company ‘A’.     

一种基于AHP的联网审计绩效评价方法

IT绩效审计是目前审计领域研究的热点问题,联网审计是IT审计的一个重要研究方向,研究联网审计的绩效评价问题具有重要意义。针对目前我国开展联网审计的现状、特点以及需要提出的一种基于AHP的联网审计绩效评价方法可分为四个步骤进行:基于对联网审计的实施成本、效益、审计风险控制等因素的分析建立联网审计绩效评价的AHP层次结构模型;构造判断矩阵,确定各评价指标的权重;在此基础上建立联网审计的绩效评价模型;通过算例分析该方法的有效性,为评价联网审计的绩效提供一种有效的方法。     

The relationship between information technology capability,inventory efficiency,and shareholder wealth: A firm-level empirical analysis

Inventories represent an important strategic resource for firms, with implications for shareholder wealth. As such, firms expend considerable effort in managing their inventories efficiently. Among other factors, information technology (IT) capability can play an important role in enabling inventory efficiency and financial performance. However, insight into the chain-of-effects linking IT capability, inventory efficiency, and stock market returns and risk remains limited. In this paper, we provide a conceptual model outlining the relationships between these constructs. Next, we evaluate the model using secondary information on firms from multiple industries across the 10-year time period of 2000–2009. Our analysis confirms that firms’ IT capability plays a significant role in enhancing their inventory efficiency, which, in turn, is observed to increase stock market returns. Our results also reveal that firms’ IT capability directly reduces their stock market risk and enhances their stock market returns. Taken together, these findings, along with the conceptual model that we advance, have important research and managerial implications.     

Understanding information exchange in healthcare operations: Evidence from hospitals and patients

Coordination – or the information exchange among physicians and hospital staff – is necessary for desirable patient outcomes in healthcare delivery. However, coordination is difficult because healthcare delivery processes are information intensive, complex and require interactions of hospitals with autonomous physicians working in multiple operational systems (i.e. multiple hospitals). We examine how three important variables distinctive of the healthcare operations context – use of IT for dissemination of test results (ITDR) (i.e. electronic health records systems) by physicians and hospital staff, social interaction ties among them, and physician employment – influence information exchange and patient perceptions of their care. Drawing from the literature on process inter-dependencies and coordination, vertical integration and social exchange, we develop and test research hypotheses linking ITDR, social interaction ties and physician employment to information exchange relationship, and information exchange relationship to provider–patient communication. Using a paired sample of primary survey data and secondary archival data from CMS HCAHPS for 173 hospitals in the USA, we find that increased information exchange relationship drives provider–patient communication, and increased social interaction ties drives information exchange relationship. Social interaction ties fully mediates the relationship between ITDR and information exchange relationship. Physician employment amplifies the link between ITDR and social interaction ties, but does not have an effect on the link between ITDR and information exchange. We do not find a direct relationship between ITDR, and information exchange relationship or provider–patient communication.     

The complementarity of IT and HRM capabilities for competitive performance: a configurational analysis of manufacturing and industrial service SMEs

ABSTRACT

Building on the resource-based view (RBV) perspective, we analyse the combined effects of two highly-valued organizational resources, namely information technology (IT) capabilities and human resource management (HRM) capabilities, on the competitive performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Three resource configurations are derived from data on 227 SMEs (121 from the manufacturing sector and 106 from the industrial services sector) through a cluster analysis. These resource configurations are labelled IT Capabilities-dominant Configuration (ITC), e-Business Capabilities-dominant Configuration (e-BC), and HRM Capabilities-dominant Configuration (HRC). This last configuration is the best-performing, followed by the e-BC, with the ITC as the worst-performing. The results also show that manufacturing and service firms are very unevenly distributed within HRC and ITC configurations, suggesting notable differences between the two sectors regarding their respective IT and non-IT capability-building. The fact that service SMEs are overwhelmingly represented (93%) in the worst-performing configuration and completely absent (0%) in the most effective configuration while displaying the strongest IT infrastructure capabilities confirms that the IT productivity paradox is aggravated in service SMEs and calls for further research on this issue.