http://hdl.handle.net/10468/438 2017-09-08T10:18:35Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3861 Exploring the role of core IS capabilities throughout the IS/IT service co-production lifecycle Kasraian, Laleh The main challenge in service co-production is how a firm’s project team may accomplish service design and modifications efficiently and quickly enough to meet the customers’ expectations within a definite timeframe. With respect to the extant literature, there is a paucity of research on how the firm’s core capabilities support and enable IS/IT service co-production. In response to this research gap and in order to consider and elevate the level of firm’s service co-production efforts, this study explores the role of project team’s core IS capabilities throughout the IS/IT service co-production lifecycle stages. This study adopts a ‘qualitative multiple case study’ approach to address its research objective. Based on within and crosscase analysis of three case studies of IS/IT service co-production, this study presents C²SLC - as a matrix model of core IS capabilities and co-production characteristics across four IS/IT service lifecycle stages, namely: planning, provisioning, operation and enhancement. This matrix model (C²SLC) reveals the study’s research outcomes that highlight the significant roles played by six core IS capabilities (out of nine) throughout the different stages of the IS/IT service co-production lifecycle. The study contributes to both theory and practice by focusing on the co-production lifecycle stages, highlighting key characteristics of co-production as well as the core IS capabilities and examines their importance during IS/IT service co-production. Furthermore, the study’s matrix model (C²SLC) illustrates how these core IS capabilities enable such co-production and may inform firms who are looking to enhance their in-house capabilities within a particular lifecycle stage of IS/IT service co-production. 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/4016 The decision to study abroad: evidence from international students based in Ireland Xiong, Wei Foreign study is an emerging trend in the education market. Increasingly, students choose to leave their home country to study abroad. This decision is not only coupled with financial and time costs, but also involves the challenges of new cultures. This thesis examined push and pull factors, investments and expected returns on foreign education, and parental influences on the decision to study abroad for international students in one Irish university. A concurrent triangulation design was used to collect data, which involved quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis at the same time. To collect quantitative data, the research used an online questionnaire with 216 responses. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data. 24 international students agreed to be interviewed. Quantitative data results indicated that personal factors, which included satisfying language and academic requirements, were the most important factor in international students’ foreign study decision. Destination university’s programme availability was also a popular factor influencing the foreign study decision. Qualitative data showed that the push factors discussed most frequently in the interviews were, lack of programme availability in the home country, and the length of time to study for certain programmes in the home country. The thesis explored factors that were not present in previous literature, such as international students’ attitudes towards competition and university’s ranking. Destination universities should promote their high ranking, as many students preferred high but not top-ranking universities, as they felt that their applications would more successful. The results also showed that destination universities should consider parents’ role in the foreign study decision when promoting programmes in Asian, and particularly, East Asian countries. Moreover, the thesis showed the different priorities for international students from different regions. Destination universities should tailor their promotions to the region/continent that they wish to target. 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/4054 Exploring the Information behaviour of expectant and new mothers: a longitudinal study Mahony, Carolanne The rise in online information-seeking raises important questions for information systems researchers, such as how can we tailor information resources to meet the needs of diverse user groups? The study of information behaviour may be able to provide the answers. Information behaviour is the study of human interaction with information resources, the influencers of that interaction, and how information is processed and used. Information behaviour studies place the user at the centre of the investigation. To-date, information processing and use is one area of information behaviour where uncertainty exists, caused by inconsistent defining terminology and a dearth of empirical investigation. This thesis presents an adapted health information behaviour model, a revised version of Wilson (1997). The model highlights the iterative nature of information behaviour while explicating information processing and use. The model is evaluated using a prospective longitudinal case study of expectant and new mothers. As a user group, they are a challenge for information providers attempting to judge their information resource requirements. Expectant and new mothers seek and consume a diverse range of topics from a variety of resources. They do not just seek information for themselves, expectant and new mothers also seek information concerning the health and well-being of their families. The objective of this thesis is identifying design guidelines for eHealth information resources for expectant and new mothers. This is achieved by understanding how expectant and new mothers process information resources. For the purpose of this research, information processing is determined through an analysis of the subjective assessment criteria used to evaluate and compare different information resources. This thesis illustrates connections between subjective assessment criteria and other areas of information behaviour, such as information use outcomes and task type. The longitudinal nature of the study affords the opportunity to observe changes in information behaviour over time. 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/4639 Food supply chain management and contracting: improving conditions for small-scale paprika farmers in Central Malawi Repar, Lana A. Global population growth and increasing incomes across the world are resulting in consumers’ rising demand for quality and diverse foods. Trade liberalisation and modernisation of production, processing and distribution systems enable agro-food companies to quickly access raw materials from farmers. Thus, efficient supply chains have a key role to play in the global marketing of foods. They also significantly contribute to satisfying consumers’ needs and responding to emerging food trends. The organisation of the product flow among farmers, buyers, processors and customers through contracts represents an increasingly important marketing channel in modern food supply chains due to its potential to decrease costs and increase profits for the participants in the chain. However, vulnerable small-scale farmers in developing countries such as Malawi are often excluded from the benefits of the transformed food industry. Contract farming is recognised as one of the tools linking farmers with modern agro-food supply chains, which enables Malawian small-scale farmers to improve their livelihoods. This study explored, examined and addressed the key challenges in contract farming arrangements in the paprika supply chain in Central Malawi. A mixed methods approach was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. A total of 428 household questionnaires were administered to contracted small-scale paprika farmers in two Malawian districts. These were supplemented with ten focus group interviews with small-scale farmers, 21 semistructured stakeholder interviews, ten expert semi-structured interviews, field observations and two focus group discussions with stakeholders. The study found that the quality of communication among the key participants in the paprika supply chain was low. Furthermore, the enabling environment provided limited access to input and services for small-scale farmers. The paprika contract secured quality seeds and extension services to contracted small-scale farmers. Nevertheless, the provision of fertilisers, pesticides, chemicals, storage and transportation services were not part of the Malawian contract. Poor contract design and side-selling practices posed a threat to the chain’s efficiency and sustainability. Small-scale farmers gained benefits from the contracted production but contracting itself was not a sufficient strategy to sustain their livelihoods throughout the year. More dedicated involvement of farmers’ organisations and NGOs in empowering small-scale farmers, and the Government’s presence through the national Contract Farming Strategy could contribute to better efficiency and sustainability of the chain. The study’s main contributions include: adding new evidence on contract farming performance in developing countries; highlighting the importance of contract design and the issue of side-selling for improved contracting conditions, and demonstrating how dissemination of the study’s findings can be incorporated into study design to increase the validity, rigour and impact of the research. 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z