The Importance of Having a Multidimensional View of IT End-User Relationships for the Successful Restructuring of IT Departments

2011 ◽  
pp. 241-252
Author(s):  
A. C. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Research Study ◽  
Thought Experiments ◽  
End Users ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
It Professionals ◽  
End User ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Critical Part ◽  
It Department ◽  
It Departments

The effectiveness of IT departments and the value they are adding to their organizations in many cases are hampered by poor relationships between IT professionals and their end users. This situation impacts on IT professionals’ ability to produce service and support of high quality that delivers competitive advantage for the company. This paper is based on a research study conducted to look into the working relationship between IT departments and their end users. The research was done to be means of a qualitative approach in which thought experiments were used to inductively refine the results of the research study. The paper describes IT end-user relationships as intriguing and complex, and advocates that these relationships be seen and managed as multidimensional entities. Two such dimensions, namely the physical and abstract dimensions, which form the basis of IT end-user relationships, enable one to fully describe the holistic nature of such relationships and encapsulate the important elements of a support-oriented organization, namely mutuality, belonging, and connection. The paper concluds with a brief evaluation of the recommendations made by a consulting group for the restructuring of an IT department experiencing various problems in providing quality service and support to its end users. This evaluation clearly indicates that the typical approach of the consultants was to try and solve the problems of a typical IT department merely by following a functionalistic approach. This means an approach in which the physical dimension is emphasized and in which the abstract dimension (which describes the soft issues and which forms a critical part of any IT end-user relationship environment) is basically ignored. Such an approach also ignores the holistic nature of relationships between IT professionals (IT departments) and end users (business).

scholarly journals Focusing on maturity levels for the effective management of end users involved in software project teams

2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
User Involvement ◽  
Systems Development ◽  
End Users ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
End User ◽  
It Department ◽  
It Departments ◽  
End User Involvement

This paper introduces a model of three maturity levels, which helps managers to evaluate end user involvement during systems development. This model is based on research done in terms of how relationships between IT departments and end users are constructed. The value of the three levels lies therein that it gives the IT department the advantage of understanding and supporting the end user in a more effective way during systems development. The model also enhances more efficient interaction between all participants of a project team. Furthermore, it gives management on the IT and business side the ability to establish training needs for both the end users and IT professionals of software project teams. End users on the other hand, who are aware of their level of maturity, could play a more efficient role during the systems development process.

A Multiple Case Study on the Nature and Management of Shadow Information Technology

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Zimmermann ◽  
Christopher Rentrop ◽  
Carsten Felden
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Transaction Cost Economics ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
End User ◽  
It Department ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
It Departments ◽  
Shadow It

ABSTRACT In several organizations, business workgroups autonomously implement information technology (IT) outside the purview of the IT department. Shadow IT, evolving as a type of workaround from nontransparent and unapproved end-user computing (EUC), is a term used to refer to this phenomenon, which challenges norms relative to IT controllability. This report describes shadow IT based on case studies of three companies and investigates its management. In 62 percent of cases, companies decided to reengineer detected instances or reallocate related subtasks to their IT department. Considerations of risks and transaction cost economics with regard to specificity, uncertainty, and scope explain these actions and the resulting coordination of IT responsibilities between the business workgroups and IT departments. This turns shadow IT into controlled business-managed IT activities and enhances EUC management. The results contribute to the governance of IT task responsibilities and provide a way to formalize the role of workarounds in business workgroups.

The Power of Integrated Wireless and Mobile Communication Technologies and Their Impact on the Corporate World

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara J. Durkin ◽  
Izabella V. Lokshina
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Mobile Communication ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
End Users ◽  
Acceptable Level ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
End User ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Corporate World

This paper validates the progression and expected trends of integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies. Currently, these breakthroughs have allowed for high quality end-user experience with an acceptable level of usage and efficiency in business organizations. Forthcoming mobile broadband life creates new norms and expectations for end-users from the next business generation, who can utilize integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies in their full potential. Several scenarios from different domains illustrate the power of integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies and their impact on the corporate world. The models and scenarios show that the power of integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies is certainly in several orders of magnitude greater than the simple sum of their separate individual impacts.

The Importance of the IT-End User Relationship Paradigm in Obtaining Alignment Between IT and the Business

2001 ◽  
pp. 237-257
Author(s):  
A. C. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
End Users ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Business Research ◽  
It Professionals ◽  
End User ◽  
Alignment Process

Sound relationships between IT professionals and their business counterparts (end users) could be regarded as one of many important factors playing a role during the alignment process between IT and the business. Research has, for example, shown that aligning with anything other than the customer leads to only momentary success. The chapter describes IT-end user relationships as intriguing and complex. These relationships should be seen and managed as multidimensional entities. Two such dimensions, the physical and abstract dimensions, form the basis of IT-end user relationships. These two dimensions enable one to fully describe the holistic nature of such relationships and to encapsulate the important elements of a support-oriented organization, namely mutuality, belonging and connection. The chapter describes how sound relationships can enhance alignment between the business and IT. A conceptual model for maintaining alignment is also introduced.

User Developed Applications

2002 ◽  
pp. 289-303
Author(s):  
Tanya J. McGill
Keyword(s):  
End Users ◽  
System Quality ◽  
End User ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Independent Expert ◽  
Quality Assessments ◽  
And Training

Organizations rely heavily on applications developed by end users yet lack of experience and training may compromise the ability of end users to make objective judgments about the quality of their applications. This study investigated the ability of end users to assess the quality of applications they develop. The results confirm that there are differences between the system quality assessments of end user developers and independent expert assessors. In particular, the results of this study suggest that end users with little experience may erroneously consider the applications they develop to be of high quality. Some implications of these results are discussed.

Facilitating End User Database Development by Working with Users' Natural Representations of Data

2002 ◽  
pp. 271-288
Author(s):  
Valerie J. Hobbs ◽  
Diarmuid J. Pigott
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Relational Database ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Database Design ◽  
End Users ◽  
End User ◽  
Problem Domain ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Database Development ◽  
It Expert

One of the main advantages of user-developed applications is considered to be the greater familiarity the users themselves have with the problem domain, and hence the greater likelihood of their creating an application that meets their needs. However, it is equally frequently reported that many end users lack the skills to develop applications that are of a high quality. Database modelling and relational database design, in particular, are known to be problematic for novices. We present two case studies in which the first stage of the development process was completed entirely by the end user, making use of their own understanding of the dataset, the problem domain, and tools that were familiar to them. In each case, they had represented the data in the form of lists. An IT expert then facilitated the conversion of the dataset to a relational database, with the participation of the end users throughout the process. The end users were able to see the concepts of database design emerge naturally from a problem that was already familiar to them, and to understand their importance in a practical manner.

How to Successfully Manage an IT Department under Turbulent Conditions

2011 ◽  
pp. 488-503
Author(s):  
A. C. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
South African ◽  
End Users ◽  
Management Team ◽  
It Professionals ◽  
It Department ◽  
History Of

The case study describes the history of the IT department of a South African bank and how it started to introduce information technology to gain competitive advantage. Apart from explaining how the IT department made progress through the years, the case study explains the problems and frustrations end users and IT professionals experienced with regard to wrong decisions made by management. Furthermore, the case study describes how a new management team was appointed to solve the serious situation in the IT department and as such in the bank as a whole. It also describes the strategies followed, and the policies and actions introduced to overcome the problems. Special management models for problem management and project management that were used by the management team to organize and direct the actions of IT specialists are introduced.

How to Successfully Manage an IT Department Under Turbulent Conditions

2006 ◽  
pp. 130-145
Author(s):  
A. C. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
South African ◽  
End Users ◽  
Management Team ◽  
It Professionals ◽  
It Department ◽  
History Of

The case study describes the history of the IT department of a South African bank and how it started to introduce information technology to gain competitive advantage. Apart from explaining how the IT department made progress through the years, the case study explains the problems and frustrations end users and IT professionals experienced with regard to wrong decisions made by management. Furthermore, the case study describes how a new management team was appointed to solve the serious situation in the IT department and as such in the bank as a whole. It also describes the strategies followed, and the policies and actions introduced to overcome the problems. Special management models for problem management and project management that were used by the management team to organize and direct the actions of IT specialists are introduced.

A Comparison of End User and Expert Systems Quality Assessments

2011 ◽  
pp. 105-124
Author(s):  
Tanya J. McGill
Keyword(s):  
Expert Systems ◽  
End Users ◽  
System Quality ◽  
End User ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Independent Expert ◽  
Systems Quality ◽  
Quality Assessments ◽  
And Training

Organizations rely heavily on applications developed by end users, yet lack of experience and training may compromise the ability of end users to make objective judgments about the quality of their applications. The study reported on in this chapter investigated the ability of end users to assess the quality of applications they develop. The results confirm that there are differences between the system quality assessments of end user developers and independent expert assessors. In particular, the results of this study suggest that end users with little experience may erroneously consider the applications they develop to be of high quality. Some implications of these results are discussed.

scholarly journals The impact of end-userś participation (cancer patients) during the optimization process

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Houwaart
Keyword(s):  
End Users ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Optimization Process ◽  
Patient Organization ◽  
End User ◽  
The Public ◽  
Patient Organizations ◽  
Crucial Information ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Abstract End-user (e.g. patients or the public) testing of information material is becoming more common in the German public health care system. However, including the end-user (in this case patients) in an optimisation process and thus enabling a close collaboration while developing PIMs is still rare. This is surprising, given the fact that patients provide the exact perspective one is trying to address. Within the isPO project, a patient organization is included as a legal project partner to act as the patient representative and provide the patient's perspective. As such, the patient organization was included in the PHR approach as part of the PIM-optimisation team. During the optimisation process, the patients gave practical insights into the procedures of diagnosing and treating different types of cancer as well as into the patient's changing priorities and challenges at different time points. This was crucial information for the envisioned application of the individual PIMs and their hierarchical overview. Moreover, the developed PIM-checklist enabled the patients to give detailed feedback to the PIMs. With their experience of being in the exact situation in which the PIMs will be applied, their recommendations, especially on the wording and layout of the materials, have been a valuable contribution to the PIM optimisation process. In this part of the seminar, we will take a closer look at the following skill building aspects: What is gained from including patients as end-users in the development and optimization of PIM?How can we reach patients to contribute to a PIM optimization process? Which requirements and prerequisites do patients have to provide to successfully work on an optimisation team?How to compromise and weigh opinions when different ideas occur? Altogether, this part will construct a structured path of productive patient involvement and help to overcome uncertainties regarding a collaboration with patient organizations.

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