Business Information Systems - Doctoral Theses
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Item A critical realist investigation of collaborative research proposals in Information Systems: towards a guiding deliberation canvas(University College Cork, 2021) McCarthy, James B.; Adam, Frederic; Murphy, CiaranThis study is focused on the information flows, communication mechanisms, and review processes that take place around the proposal phase of a research project. The study included a survey plus six focus groups with the research offices of five universities plus one large research institute. Two of these universities are based in Ireland, two in the UK, plus one in Belgium. All universities are deemed as research intensive universities. This study employs a critical realist approach based on the exploration of the literature, the survey data, and insights from the focus groups. The critical realist approach used in this study is an example of how critical realism can be applied to a mixed methods project that includes an empirical study allied to feedback from focus groups. Important findings from the survey suggested that the perceived lack of time to be the biggest barrier for researchers to engage in research proposal development. This was followed by the challenges of internal administration and bureaucracy when getting involved in research projects. The next biggest challenge was the lack of knowledge and skills which prevented their engagement with interesting research calls or topics. One finding of the empirical study suggested that researchers are more concerned with winning funding for their research project first, with research and science as a secondary motivator. The study also produced the Stages, Phases, and Gates During Scientific Collaboration model (SPG) which builds a more comprehensive process view of the research lifecycle. This model contributes to the existing body of knowledge by combining stage-gate concepts to match the rule driven environment in use by research offices in universities, major collaborative funding bodies, and industry partners. Additional contributions include the development of the Research Deliberation Canvas (RDC) which promotes a more inclusive and structured approach to the early stages of a research proposal as well as promoting a more intrusive and engaging approach to reviews of the proposal with the PI, research collaborators, and especially the research office of the university. The inclusion of difficult questions regarding the strength and suitability of the proposal raise the touchy question whether it is advisable to continue with the effort if there is little chance of success. The focus groups suggested that utilising a canvas approach in the review process could facilitate the development and sharing of best practises within the research office and with researchers. Furthermore, it was suggested that there was potential benefit to leveraging the RDC as a training aid for academics new to research.Item Towards successful e-government initiatives: exploring the adaptation strategies of public sector middle managers(University College Cork, 2018) Binsaif, Nasser; Adam, Frederic; Grace, Audrey; Saudi Electronic UniversityOver the last two decades, research on the adoption and technology acceptance of new information systems by users has provided very valuable insights. Most of this research has focused on the impact on citizens in a bid to measure improvements in the quality and speed of the services provided. However, there is still a lack of understanding of internal users' reactions to new information systems and, in particular, new e-government practices. In light of this deficit, this research draws on the coping model of user adaption “CMUA” (Beaudry & Pinsonneault, 2005) to make a qualitative examination of the adaptation strategies of middle managers in public bodies when new e-government initiatives are implemented in their workplace, focusing particularly on Saudi Arabia. The public bodies considered in this research are: (i) the Commercial Register Office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; (ii) the Department of Corporate Services, also in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; (iii) the Recruitment Department of the Ministry of Labour; and (iv) the Passport Department of the General Directorate of Passports. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted in the four public bodies referred to above to collect the data for this research. Each of the interview was analysed separately (individual level). Within-case analysis was then conducted to analyse each case study separately (at the group level). After that, cross-case analysis was conducted to analyse all the cases together (organisations level). The analysis of the case studies reveals that there is a strong relationship between the adaptation strategies followed and the success or otherwise of the adoption of the new systems in all four cases. In each case, several new elements were identified. This study contributes to theory and practice. It contributes to theory by taking the framework (i.e., the CMUA) well beyond the scope for which it was designed. The framework was originally designed to examine users’ adaptation strategies (at the individual level). This study applied the framework to evaluate the impact of adaptation strategies on the success of new systems recently implemented in the public sector, particularly e-government initiatives, by analysing at the group level. This study also contributes to theory by analysing the situation prior to the primary assessment stage of the framework, allowing us now to understand factors that might affect that initial assessment furthermore. This study contributes to theory by expanding the original CMUA framework, particularly in the outcomes column (i.e., the new outcome: seeking more enhancement,). From practice perspective, this study contributes to practice by offering five lessons to public organisations and top management that are intended to help increase the level of success of newly implemented e-government systems. First lesson is that top management and organisations should choose middle managers who have modern education and have experience of dealing with IT tools to increase the positive outcomes of the implementation of a new electronic system. The second lesson is that organisations should think seriously about designing fully automated systems that do not require interventions from the employees this will increase the possibility of initially assessing a new system positively, which will, ultimately, impact positively on the implementation outcomes. The third lesson is that organisations must mitigate against the reduction of power which some of the middle managers may experience with new IS implementations. This was a significant reason that let them escaped from the new electronic systems and didn’t want to engage positively. The fourth lesson is that providing demonstration versions of new electronic systems was found so helpful to reap the most benefit that the new systems could offer. Finally, top management and organisations should encourage the exchange of knowledge between employees about how to use new electronic systems and the benefits these systems provide. Overall, this research is proposed to help top management and public organisations to support internal system users, particularly middle managers in the public sector, in order to avoid undesirable behaviours and hence manage these internal users more effectively. Overall, the researcher believes that studying internal users' adaptation strategies when they face a new IT event is beneficial because these strategies influence the extent to which benefits arise from new electronic services provided by governments.Item IT-enabled innovation contest platforms: an exploration of the impacts and mechanisms of social capital(University College Cork, 2016) Treacy, Stephen; Feller, Joseph; O'Flaherty, Brian; Nagle, TadhgIT-enabled innovation contest platforms are quickly growing in prominence due their provision of a cost effective, yet far reaching method of allowing organisations to connect with a global network of innovation solvers. Borne of the open innovation movement, this phenomenon and the research surrounding it have emerged suddenly and proliferated rapidly. Although conceptual support for the relevance of social capital as an antecedent of innovation seems compelling, there is a distinct lack of research to support this in existing literature. The result is that little is understood by scholars and practitioners in terms of its influence in the overall contest setting. This research study explores the heretofore unexplored influences of social capital toward these contests. Empirical data was gathered through two rounds of data collection, a pilot study of Trend Micro along with case studies of 15 separate IT-enabled innovation contest platforms. Through this analysis, three theoretical models emerged from the findings, which in turn formed: i. A preliminary theory of social capital for innovation contest platforms ii A preliminary theory of social capital for competitive markets iii A preliminary theory of social capital for collaborative communities The study contributes to IS theory and practice in several ways. Firstly, it provides the first investigation of social capital theory within the innovation contest domain. Through the research strategy implemented, social capital theory is revealed to be a valid and appropriate theoretical lens that can be implemented by future researchers. Secondly, this investigation provides a solid foundation for further investigations, and the academic community is encouraged to validate and refine the theorisations presented herein. Thirdly, the findings serve to identify the strategic value of social capital constructs, while also presenting the mechanisms used to facilitate their development. Fourthly, the findings of this study highlight the need for an understanding of appropriate management strategies towards social capital within the innovation contest platforms.Item The framework for REVIEWS: an exploration into design principles for an electronic medical early warning system observation chart(University College Cork, 2016) Creedon, Frederick; O'Kane, Tom; Woodworth, Simon; O'Donoghue, John; Science Foundation IrelandThe observation chart is for many health professionals (HPs) the primary source of objective information relating to the health of a patient. Information Systems (IS) research has demonstrated the positive impact of good interface design on decision making and it is logical that good observation chart design can positively impact healthcare decision making. Despite the potential for good observation chart design, there is a paucity of observation chart design literature, with the primary source of literature leveraging Human Computer Interaction (HCI) literature to design better charts. While this approach has been successful, this design approach introduces a gap between understanding of the tasks performed by HPs when using charts and the design features implemented in the chart. Good IS allow for the collection and manipulation of data so that it can be presented in a timely manner that support specific tasks. Good interface design should therefore consider the specific tasks being performed prior to designing the interface. This research adopts a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to formalise a framework of design principles that incorporates knowledge of the tasks performed by HPs when using observation charts and knowledge pertaining to visual representations of data and semiology of graphics. This research is presented in three phases, the initial two phases seek to discover and formalise design knowledge embedded in two situated observation charts: the paper-based NEWS chart developed by the Health Service Executive in Ireland and the electronically generated eNEWS chart developed by the Health Information Systems Research Centre in University College Cork. A comparative evaluation of each chart is also presented in the respective phases. Throughout each of these phases, tentative versions of a design framework for electronic vital sign observation charts are presented, with each subsequent iteration of the framework (versions Alpha, Beta, V0.1 and V1.0) representing a refinement of the design knowledge. The design framework will be named the framework for the Retrospective Evaluation of Vital Sign Information from Early Warning Systems (REVIEWS). Phase 3 of the research presents the deductive process for designing and implementing V0.1 of the framework, with evaluation of the instantiation allowing for the final iteration V1.0 of the framework. This study makes a number of contributions to academic research. First the research demonstrates that the cognitive tasks performed by nurses during clinical reasoning can be supported through good observation chart design. Secondly the research establishes the utility of electronic vital sign observation charts in terms of supporting the cognitive tasks performed by nurses during clinical reasoning. Third the framework for REVIEWS represents a comprehensive set of design principles which if applied to chart design will improve the usefulness of the chart in terms of supporting clinical reasoning. Fourth the electronic observation chart that emerges from this research is demonstrated to be significantly more useful than previously designed charts and represents a significant contribution to practice. Finally the research presents a research design that employs a combination of inductive and deductive design activities to iterate on the design of situated artefacts.Item Towards a model for exploring the relationship between managerial decision problems and decision support opportunities(University College Cork, 2014) Daly, Mary Frances; Adam, FredericThe organisational decision making environment is complex, and decision makers must deal with uncertainty and ambiguity on a continuous basis. Managing and handling decision problems and implementing a solution, requires an understanding of the complexity of the decision domain to the point where the problem and its complexity, as well as the requirements for supporting decision makers, can be described. Research in the Decision Support Systems domain has been extensive over the last thirty years with an emphasis on the development of further technology and better applications on the one hand, and on the other hand, a social approach focusing on understanding what decision making is about and how developers and users should interact. This research project considers a combined approach that endeavours to understand the thinking behind managers’ decision making, as well as their informational and decisional guidance and decision support requirements. This research utilises a cognitive framework, developed in 1985 by Humphreys and Berkeley that juxtaposes the mental processes and ideas of decision problem definition and problem solution that are developed in tandem through cognitive refinement of the problem, based on the analysis and judgement of the decision maker. The framework facilitates the separation of what is essentially a continuous process, into five distinct levels of abstraction of manager’s thinking, and suggests a structure for the underlying cognitive activities. Alter (2004) argues that decision support provides a richer basis than decision support systems, in both practice and research. The constituent literature on decision support, especially in regard to modern high profile systems, including Business Intelligence and Business analytics, can give the impression that all ‘smart’ organisations utilise decision support and data analytics capabilities for all of their key decision making activities. However this empirical investigation indicates a very different reality.