Journal of Information Technology

The development of high quality technical systems is an ongoing important element of information systems success. This paper investigates the current practice of information technology project configuration from a management viewpoint. It is based on a series of semi-structured interviews across a range of medium to large organizations in the UK, including both users and providers of IT services. It finds that project requirements, strategic IT policies, risk management, pragmatic considerations, the managed exploitation of experience and the managed adoption of new technologies drive individual project configuration. The paper proposes a new integrated model that explicitly identifies the drivers of project configuration management. It illustrates the model using a published case study and generates directions for further research and implications for practitioners.

This study reports on the experience of the First Atlantic Bank of Nigeria as it embarked on the implementation and introduction of Internet and mobile banking services. Based on the concept of a logic of opposition the study conceptualizes the case company's effort with a specific emphasis on the mode and impact of learning that occurred intra- and inter-organizationally. The case considers how being a first mover in a given market can be crucial, not necessarily because of the immediate commercial benefit, but more because of the opportunity for developing customers’ trust in order to ensure the success of future innovations. In addition, the case illustrates the problematic nature of evaluating the success or failure of an innovation. Further, it shows how failure can be an intermediate step to future success, while making the point, counter-intuitively perhaps, that blindly listening to customers may prove to be a barrier to successful innovations. Thus, firms might capitalize from what might initially be perceived as failure, in particular through transforming an opposing force into a promoting one.

The automotive industry must significantly change its outdated and unprofitable ‘sell-from-stock’ business model to a streamlined ‘build-to-order’ model. Extra-organizational systems (EOS) enable multiple firms to share industry-level systems linked by electronic portals and hubs. Successful EOS implementation requires a coordinated effort among various stakeholders including customers, dealers, vehicle manufacturers, first- and second-tier suppliers and logistics firms. However, each of these stakeholders erects different but significant structural, managerial, user and technical barriers to EOS. This paper analyses these stakeholder barriers and prescribes how they must be managed in order to implement EOS successfully. Three recommendations raise concern over (1) the differentiation between EOS and inter-organizational systems, (2) industry dynamics, particularly the role of suppliers and customers and (3) supply topology, i.e. the importance of World Wide Web services and standards in creating electronic markets.

Case study research can be reported in different ways. This paper explores the various ways in which researchers may choose to write down their case studies and then introduces a subsequent typology of writing case studies. The typology is based on a 2 × 2 matrix, resulting in four forms of writing case studies: chronology, play, biography and voices. The four forms are characterized and discussed and some methodological issues concerning the writing of case studies are highlighted.

Using transaction costs theory this paper argues that transaction costs are almost as significant as production costs when it comes to offshore outsourcing and, moreover, that it is in the field of transaction costs where China has been unable to compete with India in the supply of information technology outsourcing. The paper outlines a framework for analysing transaction costs and uses the framework for pinpointing where China is unable to compete. The paper concludes with a review of the policy implications for the Chinese Government.