Journal of Systems and Information Technology

Tiko Iyamu

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/JSIT-11-2012-0064

Purpose – The paper was intended to demonstrate the use and order of a combined lenses of two theories in IS research. It helps to understand how theories could be adopted in the order of methodological value. The way data are collected, organised and analysed is influenced and shaped by the order of use of the underpinning theories. The importance of the order is to create consistency, predictability, and uniformity of analysis, which have impact on the findings. Design/methodology/approach – Review of literature, and teaching and supervision experiences were used in the approach. Findings – The result of a combined use of both ST and ANT in the same study has been less than expected. The application of theories helps exhume findings. This makes the order‐of‐use of application of the theories significant. Some studies applied ST before ANT, and vice versa. There has never been a model or framework which defines the order‐of‐use of the theories. It could be argued that it depend on the nature and objectives of the study. This paper focuses on order‐of‐use of combined theories in information systems studies. No organisation has total power to determine what the choice(s) of an actor will be in a particular situation. Actor and structure by virtue of their interaction recursively produces and reproduces, on the one hand and on another, the actor and structure enable and at the same time there are constraints. Originality/value – Both theories can be used as a way of thinking and speaking about the phenomena being studied and also, as a “lens” through which the data is viewed and interpreted.

Marcelo Wendling; Mírian Oliveira; Antonio Carlos Gastaud Maçada

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/JSIT-09-2012-0054

Purpose – The creation of offshore units allows companies to invest in countries that offer tax incentives, and provides global presence. Nevertheless, knowledge sharing in global teams may be challenger. The aim of this paper is to analyze the barriers of knowledge sharing in global teams. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative research based on interviews in two firms. Findings – The interviewees confirmed the relevance of the barriers to knowledge sharing identified in the literature. The interviewees also cited other four barriers: technology, professional skills, cost and methodology of software development. Other results were: the relationship between the barriers, for example, cultural differences are negatively related to absorptive capacity; and, the barriers could also be enablers for knowledge sharing. Research limitations/implications – The limitations identified were: the use the interview as the only form of data collection, since the firms did not authorize the collection of documents; the interviews were conducted in two ways, in person for those residing in the same city as the researchers and via Skype ® for those who were in another city; the findings are based on two case studies of two different firms and are not generalizable. Originality/value – This research offers a new perspective and a better understanding of the interaction and relationships among knowledge sharing barriers. The results of this research may be useful for academics and organizations because they deepen the discussion on knowledge sharing in global teams, and also show the reality of two organizations in the technology sector in relation to this subject.

Vinodh Krishnaraju; Saji K. Mathew

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/JSIT-11-2012-0065

Purpose – Web personalization has been studied in different streams of research such as Marketing, Human Computer Interaction and Computer Science. However, an information systems perspective of web personalization research is very scarcely visible in this body of knowledge. This research review seeks to address two important questions: how has web personalization evolved as an integrative discipline? How has web personalization been treated in IS literature and where should researchers focus next? Design/methodology/approach – The paper intently follows an information systems perspective in its thematic classification of web personalization research which is consistent with the early conceptualization of information systems by logically mapping IS categories into web personalization research streams. Articles from 100+ journals were analyzed and important concepts related to web personalization were classified from an information systems perspective. Findings – Surrounding the theme of web personalization two parallel streams of research evolved. First stream consisted of internet business models, computer science algorithms and web mining. Second stream focussed on human computer Interaction studies, user modelling and targeted marketing. Future information systems researchers in web personalization must focus on four important areas of social media, web development methodologies, emerging Internet accessing gadgets and domains other than e‐Commerce. Originality/value – Web personalization has been studied previously in separate research streams. But no integrated view from different research streams exists. Although research interest in web mining has been growing as evidenced by growing number of publications an information systems perspective of web personalization research is very scarcely visible in the body of knowledge. The authors intently follow an information systems perspective in their thematic classification of web personalization research which is consistent with the early conceptualization of information systems by logically mapping IS categories into web personalization research streams. This thematic segregation of different research streams into IS framework makes our study distinct from other early reviews. They also identify four important areas where future IS researchers should focus on.

Rabiah Eladwiah Abdul Rahim; Azizah Abdul Rahman

2013 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/JSIT-02-2013-0003

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to review the firm's resources, as identified by the researcher in previous environmental studies, from the theoretical lens of a resource‐based view (RBV). This will help to identify the firm's resources for the future Green IT studies. Design/methodology/approach – The objective was first achieved by reviewing the environmental resources for the firm's performance. The approach uses literature reviews of environmental studies having related keywords in literature databases. Using content analysis approach, the authors selected ten empirical environmental studies and developed the typology of the firm's environmental resources. The frequently highlighted constructs are then discussed in the context of Green IT. Findings – This review shows the importance of continuous innovation, stakeholder integration, shared visions and early adoption which were frequently highlighted in RBV studies. The literature studies concerning Green IT also point out the importance of these resources for Green IT performance. Drawing upon this, it is also believed that these firm resources identified from environmental literature are also applicable in Green IT context. Research limitations/implications – Some limitations of this study have been encountered and are as follows: First, the search was performed within a limited time frame. Second, different search terms might have yielded more results. Third, the classification of the firm's resources might be different from the point of view of others. Nonetheless, the authors believe this review can be used as a guide for future integrative resource‐based Green IT studies. Future confirmatory studies could empirically validate these relationships. The role of mediating and moderating variables that could enhance Green IT practice can also be further investigated. This could contribute to the knowledge concerning the application of RBV in the Green IT context. Originality/value – The paper helps to shed light on a firm's resources for environmental capability coming from different industries, which contributes towards an understanding of these theories from wider perspectives, including environmental sustainability, in the IT context.