The Perception of Managers on the Impacts of the Internet in Brazilian Hotels

The present study has an exploratory nature and aims to analyze the perception of managers on the efficiency, access importance, use as a communication tool, benefits and difficulties of Internet use in Brazilian hotels and also its effects according to the facilities rank and property size plus managers’ age and experience time. It has been used as a questionnaire to collect data from the managers of 35 hotels in the city of Natal, RN, Brazil. By using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test, results showed that there is almost no significant difference on the perception of managers on the impact of Internet use in hotels. However, those variables that were different show that for younger and less experienced managers and luxurious hotels with more than 50 rooms, there is a more favorable perception on the impacts of the Internet.

A Framework for Narrowing the Digital Divide

The bridging of the so-called digital divide is an important issue in today’s development efforts of international and non-governmental organizations and developing countries. This does not only concern access to new information and communication technology (ICT) such as the Internet, but also access to the knowledge how to use these technologies for economic development. This chapter outlines the business model framework and the business model handbook that shall help to develop a knowledgeable class of e-entrepreneurs that are able to use ICT and to detect the opportunities of the Internet era.

Culture and E-Business in Thailand

Surveys of Western literature identify law, infrastructure, tax, payment processes, consumers, suppliers, education and business culture, as the key factors in the successful adoption of e-business. A survey of Thai business executives confirmed that culture and society are additional factors. Twenty of these factors were identified and examined. Organizational infrastructure and English literacy were also found to be major internal and external barriers respectively. The research findings provide the foundation for future research aimed at developing a holistic framework to guide business in Thailand and other countries, to successfully implement the new generation of e-business activities. The new generation of e-business activities include operation-centric e-business, virtual business and Application Service Providers (ASPs).

Harmonizing IT and Business Strategies

This chapter proposes that all business strategies should be harmonized into a single strategy, rather than attempt to align IT strategy with business strategy. It focuses on two hypotheses: firstly, that IT strategy is not widely aligned with business strategy; and secondly, that IT is still thought of as “something different” in businesses. The chapter proposes that rather than attempt to align IT strategy with business strategy, the strategies should be harmonized into a single strategy. The chapter attempts to use lessons from geese to outline the process of strategic development.

Analysis of the Cross-Cultural Dimensions of National Web Portals

When new technologies become available and cultures adopt them, the result can be convergence or divergence when cultures adopt technology in different ways that maintain or even further accentuate their differences. An analysis of full-service national web portals from different countries, typically offering a search engine, directories of links on a set of selected topics, news items (including weather, sports, entertainment, and stock market results), advertisements and shopping, and free e-mail, shows evidence of both trends. While most national portals closely resemble the basic structure of Yahoo!, the original free full-service portal, there are also differences in appearance and features offered that can be attributed to cultural variations based on Hofstede’s framework.

Adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning Software by Organizations in India

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are designed to integrate various functions and processes, and are used by organizations as the first-level transaction processing systems in their information architecture. Although many studies have been conducted and reported on ERP implementation cases in the developed countries, there is not much literature on the experiences of companies in Asia and other parts of the developing world. These organizations confront issues that are significantly different from those faced by companies in the developed world, because of differences in the sophistication of IT use, and cultural and social contexts. This chapter describes a three-stage model for analyzing the deployment of ERP in developing countries, based on an empirical study of ERP implementation exercises in Indian organizations. Each stage describes a specific aspect of the implementation process. The specific characteristics of each stage and their implications for managers have also been discussed.

Information Technology Project Management to Achieve Efficiency in Brazilian Companies

This chapter focuses on applying the best practices in Information Technology (IT) project management in Brazil. The theoretical models adopted to discuss this issue are the Capability Maturity Model - CMM (Humphrey, 1989; Paulk et al., 1995), Project Management Maturity Model – PMMM (Kerzner, 2000 and 2001); the Project Management Body of Knowledge - PMBoK (PMI, 2000), and Quality Systems for software - ISO9000-3 (2001) and ISO 12207 (1995). Several problems have been discussed regarding the efficiency of IT projects. Evaluation of efficiency is a controversial issue, and meeting project efficiency goals involves balancing scope expectations and the available resources. This chapter presents IT project cases in Brazilian companies and a comparative analysis of their IT projects management models. The study is based on multiple cases: financial services, telecommunications and building materials companies. Interviews with the main actors from different levels of the organisational hierarchy have been done.

Job Satisfaction in the Information and Communication Sector

The information and communication technology industry is growing worldwide, penetrating all sectors and services. Therefore, organizations are formulating different formulas and mechanisms to provide a competitive and challenging working environment to attract the best human resources around the globe to join their infrastructure build-up in terms of humanware. Egypt, as a developing country, has been investing heavily in building its information and communication technology infrastructure with a focus on human resources. However, many organizations are continually faced with various challenges to keep their key human resources due to the emerging offerings and opportunities at various levels locally, regionally and internationally. This chapter presents the findings of a research that was conducted in Egypt in 2001 with a primary objective to understand the overall level of job satisfaction among employees in the ICT sector in Egypt. The research aimed at identifying the major factors that affect their satisfaction and highlighting the driving forces leading to the “brain drain” of skilled ICT professionals to jobs overseas. The research assesses the major aspects affecting job satisfaction and ranks them by importance. Moreover, the empirical evidence illustrates the willingness of ICT professionals to seek job opportunities abroad, and the major forces leading to brain drain. Within the scope of the research, job satisfaction is studied as a function of four groups of job aspects, namely, economic, social, training and development, and psychological aspects. Economic aspects cover variables such as pay, rewards and benefits. Social aspects include relationships with colleagues, teamwork and working conditions. Training and development covers the amount of training received by employees and their access to technologies. Psychological aspects include factors such as interest and scope of work, challenges and disciplinary procedures. The survey was conducted among ICT professionals employed in key ICT companies operating in Egypt, as well as companies in other sectors including financial institutions including organizations from the private sector, governmental organizations and multinational firms. The research is important to assess the problems faced by many organizations in Egypt due to the brain drain of its skilled ICT professionals to jobs overseas due to clearer career paths and advancement opportunities, better access to new technologies and higher pay. Respectively, the findings of the research represent important guidelines for various organizations to be able to retain its ICT skilled professionals in Egypt and similar environments.

Software Outsourcing Prospects for Small Developing Countries

Developing countries have been utilizing information and communication technologies in the management of their business and administrative affairs to improve efficiency and effectiveness; at the national level also, they have been innovative with the establishment of information services sectors. From the initial provision of data entry services some developing countries, as participants in the global software outsourcing movement, have embarked on the development of software for export. Many challenges ranging from insufficient skilled personnel to becoming competitive in a fierce marketplace will be faced. This chapter examines the participation of two small Caribbean countries and describes education and training initiatives and other policy approaches taken by them. The consensus is that, while they will hardly ever make a significant impact on global outsourcing, such small developing countries can achieve substantial economic benefits, stimulate their domestic Information Technology environment and attain an enhanced technological capability.

The Leapfrog Effect

Developing countries have special needs for information and communication. In the rush towards globalization of economies and communications, there is a danger that developing nations will get left behind. If we are to close the gap between the “information rich” and “information poor,” then we must take these specific needs into account. This chapter gives an account of some development problems and current initiatives and describes ways in which advancing technology can be manipulated by the developing world to gain social advantage. The term “leapfrog effect” is introduced to explain how advancement can be made in a revolutionary fashion, not incrementally. The chapter draws on the author’s direct experiences in Papua New Guinea, but many of the examples given and lessons learnt are applicable to many other developing nations.