Journal of Systems and Information Technology

Hannu Saarijärvi; Heikki Karjaluoto; Hannu Kuusela

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/13287261311328877

Purpose – The focus of customer relationship management (CRM) literature has been predominantly on the firm perspective and on IT, not on customer or service orientation and value co‐creation. This paper seeks to explore and analyse contemporary CRM frameworks and suggests future research directions. To achieve this, a thorough literature review on CRM is conducted focusing on recent advances within CRM. This provides a good basis for critically analysing the current status of both CRM theory and practice. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews CRM literature published 2003‐2011. Based on the literature review, it introduces a conceptual framework of the changing role of customer data in the CRM framework. Findings – Literature has not adequately addressed the role of the emerging service orientation, value co‐creation and the opportunities provided by new technology and communication channels. Drawing on a thorough CRM literature review, we argue that a fundamental change in CRM thinking is needed to shift the focus of CRM from empowering firms to empowering customers. Research limitations/implications – The paper is conceptual in nature and presents only a few empirical examples of the changing role of customer data within the CRM framework. The paper calls for more research on the emerging service orientation, value co‐creation and the impact of new media on the contemporary CRM framework. Practical implications – Customer data remain, and will remain, a critically important input resource informing a firm's processes. However, using customer data for the benefit of the customer too, to serve customers better, is clearly an emerging phenomenon. Refining and giving customer data back to customers may represent a future mechanism through which companies deepen and develop their customer relationship management to a whole new level. Originality/value – The study is among the first attempting to critically evaluate the contemporary CRM framework from the perspective of empowering customers.

Erastus Karanja; Jigish Zaveri

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/13287261311328886

Purpose – MIS researchers have consistently adopted survey‐based research method while investigating MIS and related phenomenon, making survey‐based research method one of the widely used research method in MIS research. This study seeks to revisit some of the inherent characteristics of survey‐based research method with the aim of improving the quality, replication, and validation of results in MIS survey‐based studies. Additionally, this study provides information on the most prevalent analytical and statistical tools used in MIS survey research studies. Design/methodology/approach – In this research, the authors adopt the content analysis technique. The choice of content analysis is premised on the desire to investigate the sources of survey data, units of analysis, research methods, and statistical tools used in MIS research with the aim of improving empirical research in the MIS discipline. Findings – The results show the prevalent sources of data, the dominant units of analysis, the most commonly used analytical research methods, and the statistical tools adopted by many MIS researchers. The results indicate that many MIS researchers get their data from US sources, although researchers are increasingly acquiring data from other countries. Also, the results reveal that most MIS survey researchers are using SEM, LISREL, and PLS statistical methods and tools. Practical implications – The paper concludes with recommendations and implications on how to inform and retool upcoming and existing researchers on the current and future MIS research tools and methods. Editors should ensure that MIS researchers provide as much information as possible about the sources of data, the dominant units of analysis, the analytical research methods used, and the statistical tools adopted; these will demonstrate the rigor of the research process and enable replication, validation, and extension of the research works. Originality/value – The paper presents the results of a content analysis of 749 survey‐based research articles published between 1990 and 2010 in nine mainstream MIS Journals. Prior studies have broadly addressed aspects of MIS research methodologies like investigating MIS research methods, ranking them, and generated a taxonomy of MIS research methodology. The results of this study make a case for the reporting of, both, the analytical method(s) and statistical tools used by MIS researchers to aid in replicating, validating, and extending the resultant findings of their survey‐based research.

Sarah Kiniti; Craig Standing

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/13287261311328895

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the major issues and challenges that impact the implementation of wikis as KMS. Wikis have been referred to as next generation KMS, providing an alternative to traditional knowledge management systems by addressing many of their limitations. However, research shows that there are cases where wikis have failed to achieve this potential. Further research on the range of issues and challenges surrounding the implementation of wikis in the corporate environment is required in order to enable organizations manage them more effectively and reap maximum benefits. Design/methodology/approach – This paper begins by providing a review of previously published empirical studies on wiki deployment in organizations. The disparate discussions are then synthesised by identifying the major issues and challenges in wiki implementation. Findings – Six major issues and challenges are identified including lack of a clear purpose for the wiki, wiki usability, integrating wikis into established work practices, social issues, role of management and organizational culture that supports knowledge sharing and collaboration. Originality/value – It is posited that in order for organizations to successfully implement wikis, it is necessary to first understand the issues and challenges surrounding wiki implementation. This paper contributes to practice by identifying the key issues and challenges in the implementation of wikis and suggesting strategies for using wikis to manage knowledge effectively. Building on this review, we critically analyse the findings and propose a model for the implementation of wikis which addresses these issues and identifies research areas that further need to be investigated.

Boonlert Watjatrakul

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/13287261311328903

Purpose – This empirical study aims to understand the interrelationship among the key technology adoption factors including social influence, individual existing knowledge, and individual perceptions of technology (i.e. usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment) and their effects on individual intention to use a free voluntary service. Design/methodology/approach – The survey method is employed to collect data from universities offering the free mobile messaging service. A structural equation modeling analysis technique is used to analyze data reliability and validity in the measurement model and examine causal relationships among the constructs in the structural model. Findings – The results show that social influence affects individual knowledge and perceptions of the service (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment) and successively influences the individual intention to use the free voluntary service. This study indicates that the intrinsic value of perceived enjoyment has a greater impact than the extrinsic value of perceived usefulness in terms of its effect on individual intention to use a free voluntary service. In addition, the effect of perceived usefulness of alternative systems should be taken into account when using perceived usefulness from the technology acceptance model to predict individual's technology adoption decisions under the free voluntary setting. Originality/value – This study fills the gap in the technology adoption literatures regarding the free voluntary service adoption based on social influence, individual knowledge, and individual perceptions of technology. It assists academics to understand the drivers of technology acceptance under the free voluntary setting and provides guidance for organizations to increase users' acceptability of their free voluntary services.