Determinants of the Use of Knowledge Sources in the Adoption of Open Source Server Software

Previous research suggests that the adoption of open source server software (OSSS) may be subject to knowledge barriers. In order to overcome these barriers, organizations should engage in a process of organizational learning. This learning process is facilitated by exposure to external knowledge sources. Unfortunately, this leaves open the question of which factors determine which knowledge sources are used by organizations. In this study, the authors have performed an exploratory study on the determinants of the use of knowledge sources in the adoption of OSSS. The conceptual model developed in this study was based on the absorptive capacity theory. Data was gathered from 95 organizations to empirically investigate this model. Results provide a quite consistent view on how external knowledge sources are used by organizations in the adoption of OSSS. Moreover, results provide more insight into the context in which the adoption of OSSS takes place.

Human Talent Forecasting using Data Mining Classification Techniques

Talent management is a very crucial task and demands close attention from human resource (HR) professionals. Recently, among the challenges for HR professionals is how to manage organization’s talents, particularly to ensure the right job for the right person at the right time. Some employee’s talent patterns can be identified through existing knowledge in HR databases, which data mining can be applied to handle this issue. The hidden and useful knowledge that exists in databases can be discovered through classification task and has been widely used in many fields. However, this approach has not successfully attracted people in HR especially in talent management. In this regard, the authors attempt to present an overview of talent management problems that can be solved by using this approach. This paper uses that approach for one of the talent management tasks, i.e., predicting potential talent using previous existing knowledge. Future employee’s performances can be predicted based on past experience knowledge discovered from existing databases by using classification techniques. Finally, this study proposes a framework for talent forecasting using the potential Data Mining classification techniques.

Traditional Job-Related Factors and Career Salience in IT-Based Workplace

Despite growing academic and practical concerns about IT-transformed workplaces, little research empirically investigates these concerns. This paper adopts a unique approach to address these concerns by evaluating the appropriateness of traditional drivers of career salience in high IT working environments. Building on established measures of role stress, participation in decision making, job involvement and career salience, questionnaires were distributed to staff working in high IT organizations in Nigeria. Multiple regressions were run from a valid response of 223, resulting in the three traditional drivers accounting for 25% of the variance in career salience. Similarly, standardized ß coefficients indicate on job involvement (0.46) makes unique significant contribution to career salience. This finding is in line with sociotechnical theory—that changes in technical sub-system affect the social sub-system and vice versa. The finding also provides indirect exploratory support for the decreasing importance of non-IT factors in the evolving digital workplace. Other implications, limitations and direction for future research are highlighted.

Supply Chain Management Practices and Firm Performance

Supply chain management (SCM) is the integration and strategic alliance involving all the value-creating elements in the supply, manufacturing, and distribution processes from raw material extraction, the transformation process, and end user consumption. This paper explores the SCM activities carried out by electronic manufacturing organizations in Malaysia and determines the correlation between SCM practices and firm performance. A self-administrated questionnaire based survey technique was employed to ascertain the status of SCM adoption and the practices in SCM that are significant for Malaysian electronics manufacturers. The findings suggest that the adoption of SCM activities is reasonably moderate.

Mobile Commerce Use among UK Mobile Users

In this paper, the authors examine UK mobile users’ perceptions of m-commerce utilization. For this purpose, the authors devise a Mobile Network Utilization Model empirically tested in experimental settings. The empirical findings reveal strong support for the capability of the proposed utilization model in measuring the concept of Mobile Task-Technology Fit (MTTF) and explaining the utilization of m-commerce services among UK mobile users. In particular, their research finds that MTTF and m-commerce utilization are dependent on the interactions between the key components of a wider mobile network, namely mobile users, mobile devices, mobile tasks, mobile operators, as well as mobile vendors. The authors identify 15 factors as a result of such interaction and the importance of these factors in explaining MTTF and the utilization of m-commerce services.

Harnessing Information and Communication Technologies for Diffusing Connected Government Applications in Developing Countries

Improving information management practices is a key focus for many organisations across both the public and private sectors. An information society begins with a connected government and ICTs are the bedrock and founding pillars of such societies. To assist public administrators think beyond traditional e-government, this study describes a concept of connected government, whose philosophy rests on the integration story that happens behind the scenes of the visible web interface as well as the collaboration among government agencies. Diffusion of Innovations theory is the conceptual framework underpinning this study. The connected government phenomenon is also put into perspective by the systems theory that is explained in this study. This article describes a case study of an organisation in a developing country environment where even the basic e-government services are barely extant. This study was done to determine the connectedness within and across government agencies, with the idea of stimulating some thinking within and among public administrators, around the possibility that a connected government can indeed be established in a developing country setting. The study exposes shortcomings to e-government diffusion not only of the organisation under investigation, but also of other similar enterprises in developing countries within the same context. The paper concludes by proposing a set of recommendations toward diffusing connected government applications as an antidote to identified problems.

The Impact of Technology Anxiety on the Use of Mobile Financial Applications

Mobile Commerce activities will not expand without the proper support of mobile financial applications (MFA), including mobile banking, mobile brokerage service, mobile money transfer, and mobile micro-payments. MFA is expected to have a great impact on the future of mobile commerce industries and makes purchasing activities more flexible and convenient, also creating new markets. However, despite the advent of these MFA technologies and the availability of various mobile services, the adoption of mobile financial applications across the globe is still relatively low. In this regard, this study investigates the role of technology anxiety (TA) in the adoption of MFA and resolves the discrepancy between the apparent interest in and low adoption of MFA. The results of a broad survey of 595 mobile payment users in Korea indicate TA negatively moderates the influence of intention on actual usage in addition to the direct negative influence on intention to use MFA. Also, the author found that TA significantly differs depending on the frequency of use and gender. However, contrary to a common notion that older people are more anxious in context to new technologies, TA has been found to be higher among young people.

Electronic Training Methods

This study comparatively examines the relative effectiveness and frequency of use of modern and conventional training methods, as much rhetoric has surrounded the use of techniques like distance learning and computer-based training methods. The responses from 200 employees suggest that no significant difference exists with respect to frequency of use, but a significant difference exists in terms of effectiveness. The result shows that on-the-job training (OJT) methods are widely used and are perceived as the most effective method, whereas distance learning is not widely used because it is perceived as less effective. This study also reveals that a significant difference exists between modern training methods and conventional training methods in terms of attaining training objectives. OJT is given the highest rating for attaining training objectives.

Adoption of Short Messaging Service (SMS) in Malaysia

Short Messaging Service (SMS) being an almost instantaneous communication medium that connects people is now a phenomenon that has grown and spread around the globe at an amazing speed. Given the current trend of SMS usage and its potential growth, this paper provides an insight into SMS adoption. The study attempts to delineate the demographics and usage profile of SMS users in Malaysia, as well as explaining the factors influencing SMS adoption in Malaysia by using a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was originally introduced by Davis (1989). The study presents the demographic and usage profile in terms of gender, age, occupation, monthly personal income, extent of SMS usage and so forth of 489 SMS users from four institutions of education in the Klang Valley and Selangor. The present research uses and validates the scales for variables developed by earlier studies, namely perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and perceived fees, which are hypothesized to be fundamental determinants of behavioural intention. The scale items for the said variables were tested for reliability, correlation and regression. The application of correlation analysis reveals a significant relationship among the independent variables, namely, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived ease of use with the dependent variable that is behavioural intention. With regards to the level of importance derived from regression analysis, usefulness ranks the highest, followed by ease of use and enjoyment in explaining SMS adoption in Malaysia. Perceived fees do not seem to have a significant relationship with behavioural intention. Some implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Thirst for Business Value of Information Technology

For years information technology (IT) has helped companies improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Today’s IT plays a more strategic role in building capabilities for sustaining and creating competitive advantages. The increasing importance of IT has led many organizations to integrate it into their daily operations. To justify the ever-increasing spending on IT, organizations have been searching for evaluation methods to prove the business value of IT. However, this is a challenging undertaking, as there are contradictory answers to questions on whether it is worthwhile to pay substantial sums for IT. To gain insight into the reasons behind the contradictory answers, this paper first reviews conflicting research results of past studies on IT business value. It then explains the term IT productivity paradox. Last, it provides five reasons why IT business value is not fully reflected in the way business managers expect it to be.