Proceedings of the 25th Australasian Conference on Information Systems, 8th - 10th December, Auckland, New Zealand

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/7977

"Integral IS: The Embedding of Information Systems in Business, Government and Society"

Information Systems (IS) as an integral part of society. Integral is defined as: “belonging as an apart of the whole; necessary or the completeness of the whole; or as important, vital, central, essential.” Integral IS means information and technology seamlessly integrated into our social and working lives. As IS researchers and practitioners, we create, design, implement and maintain the systems that play an increasingly important, almost inescapable, role in our lives today. The implementation and effects of seamless integration on such a large scale raises a number of very important issues for practice and research: issues that the Information Systems community should be taking the lead to explore and explain to the wider community.

ISBN: 978-1-927184-26-4

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 179

Reflections on Artificial Intelligence – A Hermeneutic Journey
(ACIS, 2014) Motamarri, Saradhi
Science, engineering and technology have been moulding and placing an ever increasing pressure on society and in turn, on life styles. The inquisitive nature of man has led to the amazing development of computer. In just four decades the computer has changed its role from a mere data cruncher to decision aid. A reading of the Artificial Intelligence, 17 (1-3), January, 1991, Special Volume on Foundations of AI, has motivated me to transcribe some of my long persistent feelings in writing. Loose usage and blown up speculations may bring discredit to concepts. Not founded on the characteristic behaviour of computer and its numerical instability, I fear that the same thing has happened to computers and to the associated fields of study. The purpose of this autoethnographic article is to reflect on the lessons learnt from AI and search for a right perspective for research and practice.
Constructing the Cultural Repertoire in a Natural Disaster: The Role of Social Media in the Thailand Flood of 2011
(ACIS, 2014) Mao, Mao; Pan, Shan-Ling; Hackney, Ray; Ractham, Peter; Kaewkitipong, Laddawan
In 2011, Thailand witnessed its worst flooding catastrophe in half a century. In this study, we explored social media as a new and promising weapon to address the physical and morale challenges caused by the natural disaster. A case study was conducted in the context of crisis response, which investigated the use of social media to contribute to the collective cultural repertoire during the natural disaster. By investigating two paths toward the cultural repertoire construction considering different social groups, this study also identified the roles of social media as an information market and an information threshold in the crisis response.
Handheld Wireless Devices and Opinions of Physicians in Healthcare Environment: A case of Pakistan
(ACIS, 2014) Halliwell, Matthew; Freeman, Mark
This paper examines the role of wireless handheld devices in the Pakistani healthcare environment using a quantitative approach. This study identifies a list of barriers and drivers, and a factor analysis of the qualitative data identifies that key determinants such as “technology management”, data management”, “improved outcome”, “efficiency”, and “application limitations” were concerned with the usage of wireless handheld devices in the Pakistani healthcare environment. The results of the study are further analysed through regression analysis, on the basis of factor analysis. The results for the regression analysis indicate that for the dependent factor “intention to use” with independent factors, “technology management”, data management”, “improved outcomes”, “efficiency”, and “software applications” the value for the adjusted r-square was 0.524 and p value was 0.00. A total of 300 surveys were distributed, 97 useable surveys were returned, and the data was analysed through the SPSS software.
Social Media Use and Senior Citizen’s Life Satisfaction
(ACIS, 2014) Ractham, Peter; Techatassanasoontorn, Angsana
Social media is increasingly playing a pivotal role in people’s lives. This study explores how senior citizens use social media applications and the implications of this use on their overall satisfaction with life. First, a two-step Q-sorting method was used to develop rich measures of social media use experience and their relation to life domains. We identified 44 items in ten life domains from 24 focus group interviews in 20 Thai provinces. Next, we collected survey data from 341 senior citizens over 60 years old to evaluate the influence of satisfaction from social media use experiences on their domain life satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. The findings suggest that the top ten social media use activities fall into family, health, leisure, consumer, self, and friend domains. The PLS-SEM results show that social media use satisfaction shapes life satisfaction across ten domains. Path coefficients from five life domains have positive and significant effects on overall life satisfaction. These five salient domains are the community, consumer, family, health, and work domains.
Appreciating, Measuring and Incentivising Discipline Diversity: Meaningful Indicators of Collaboration in Research
(ACIS, 2014) Hasan, Helen; Dawson, Linda
Inter-disciplinary collaborative research is generally believed to lead to innovative outcomes in areas that may be missed in research studies based in a single discipline. However, currently available research performance indicators, based on scholarly peer-reviewed publications and citations from a single discipline, do little to recognise the merits of collaborative and inter-disciplinary research. This paper presents an empirical study of members of a research unit and their publication and grant profiles. From analysis of this data a set of profile categories emerged together with the relevant indicators which provide a framework from which a deeper understanding of how different research behaviours contribute to the differences in researchers’ individual profiles. These profiles could be used to provide a richer environment for the evaluation of research performance, both in terms of outputs and potential funding opportunities, and indicators of ‘good research’ in inter-disciplinary projects.
Sharing benefits through knowledge management: A knowledge-based approach to integrated trans-boundary river basin management
(ACIS, 2014) Aarons, Jeremy; Linger, Henry; McShane, Paul
Where river basins are shared between competing nations, how do we build cooperative and collaborative management approaches based on sound evidence so that the benefits that come from those water resources are shared equitably? This paper comes at this question from an IS perspective, adopting a knowledge based view on the information challenges associated with benefit sharing in trans-boundary river basins. Utilising the task-based knowledge management (TbKM) approach adapted to the context of integrated water resource management (IWRM) and guided by key literature on IWRM and benefit sharing we present a knowledge management (KM) framework for supporting effective decision making amongst key stakeholders engaged in river basin management.
Educational Scaffolding for Students Stuck in a Virtual World
(ACIS, 2014) Villarica, Ryan; Richards, Deborah
Virtual worlds provide students with educational opportunities to explore and have experiences that are difficult to provide in reality. However, ensuring that students stay motivated and on task is important if the learning goals are to be achieved. Building on the findings of previous studies involving agent-based virtual worlds, adaptive collaborative learning and intelligent agents, we have designed an empathic intelligent virtual agent that provides educational scaffolding to encourage and support the students to understand what they are learning with less frustration. We have identified models of ‘stuck’ behaviour and corresponding empathic response patterns that we have incorporated into the behaviours of the intelligent virtual agents in the XXX Virtual World for science inquiry.
An exploration on the New Zealand use of technology to facilitate logistics
(ACIS, 2014) Wood, Lincoln C; Wood, Allyson; Reiners, Torsten; Duong, Linh Nguyen Khanh; Wang, Xiaowei
This paper summarises a survey to understand the current state of adoption and use of Logistics Technology, encompassing both information technology and materials handling technologies, in New Zealand. An exploratory survey was distributed to appropriate firms. We present descriptive statistics relating to the reasons for adopting the technologies, the drivers for adoption, metrics used to establish whether the technology has increased value, and the education and training provided relating to these technologies. We find that inter-firm technology and measurement is uncommon, Followers are still likely to be implementing transactional and internally integrative technologies, Leaders are more likely to be planning to implement materials handling technologies and are more sophisticated in their educational and training programmes.
Correction of Data-flow Errors in Workflows
(ACIS, 2014) Sharma, Divya; Pinjala, Srujana; Sen, Anup K
When a workflow is designed, not only should it be free from control-flow errors like deadlocks and lack of synchronization, but should also be checked for data-flow correctness. Recent approaches have categorized data-flow errors and have suggested methods for detecting data-flow errors but only a few approaches have been reported yet on the automatic correction of data-flow errors. In this paper, we present methods and related issues for correcting data-flow errors in workflows. The methods can be incorporated in existing commercial Workflow Management Systems to make the software an intelligent system which will not only detect the data-flow errors, but also automatically suggest to the designer possible ways to correct the data-flow errors.
Strategy Design for Service Engagement Model Transformation
(ACIS, 2014) Rai, Veerendra Kumar; Mehta, Sanjit; Puvvala, Abhinay
Service provisioning models underlying service engagements evolve and change as a result of changes in business imperatives. This paper presents a system oriented simulation based framework to handle service engagement model transformation. This framework generates myriad of strategy levers for portfolio managers to choose from in order to handle model transformations. The simulation model along with other components in the framework offers a basis for designing strategy to enable an engagement model transformation by evaluating the impact of each lever on the overall costs, risks and values. The framework has also been illustrated with the help of a case study on engagement model transformation. We believe this study could be of immense value to managers of IT outsourcing firms who are faced with the challenge of handling long term projects that are prone to undergo transformations.
Main requirements of a Health and Wellbeing Platform: findings from four focus group discussions
(ACIS, 2014) Keijzer-Broers, Wally; Nikayin, Fatemeh; De Reuver, Mark
Supporting the ageing population is a worldwide challenge as it causes a huge tension on societies, regarding to healthcare budgets, resources, pensions and social security systems. To support people ‘age in place’ we propose a digital matchmaking platform for health and wellbeing. Nevertheless, what should be the main purpose of such a platform is unclear. In this paper, we present the main requirements of a health and wellbeing platform based on four focus group discussions with 28 stakeholders and potential end-users. The findings show that the young elderly (55 - 75) can be considered as the main target group. Accordingly, we found that the most beneficial requirements are related to: contact with others, matchmaking for smart living products and services, and information about local activities. Our research adds design knowledge to digital platform literature and exposes the main requirements of a health and wellbeing platform, which are of value for practitioners in the field.
Cloud Computing and ERP: A Framework of Promises and Challenges
(ACIS, 2014) Zhong, Fengze; Rohde, Max Erik
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are an integral component of IT infrastructure in many organizations. A recent trend for ERP is the shift from on-premises infrastructure to the cloud environment through utilization of cloud computing technologies. The characteristics of cloud computing induces many promises to cloud-based ERP systems - making ‘Cloud ERP’ a favourable alternative to on-premises ERP systems. However, moving ERP systems into the cloud also presents many challenges. This paper aims to evaluate the promises and challenges of cloud-based ERP systems from a review of the literature and propose a framework to be of utility for IT executives and researchers to assess the key promises and challenges of cloud environments for ERP systems. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, we identify a set of key promises and challenges to help IT decision makers and researcher to gain a better understanding of cloud computing and ERP. Second, our framework identifies four dimensions of cloud ERP to be assessed: Efficiency, Flexibility, Ubiquity, and Security. We propose that all these dimensions encompass promises and challenges to varying degrees. Third, we propose research opportunities for IS researchers in the domain of cloud-based ERP systems based on the identified four dimensions.
Exploration and Exploitation as Knowledge Management Strategic Approaches in Saudi Arabian SMEs
(ACIS, 2014) Azyabi, Naief; Fisher, Julie
This paper reports on a study of Saudi Arabian SMEs capabilities towards exploration and exploitation with respect to knowledge management (KM), in particular the association between the business strategic approach and decisions on exploration and exploitation. The Miles and Snow typology (prospectors, defenders and analysers) was used to investigate the business strategic approach. The study used a mixed methods approach involving a survey and interviews. The research found that the exploitation orientation was dominant among SMEs for many reasons including their focus on day-to-day activities and their limited resources which often prevented them from exploring new knowledge or applying new ideas. The decisions on exploration and exploitation were affected by knowledge sources and the breadth of the knowledge base. SMEs with a narrow knowledge base were unable to absorb external knowledge and apply it within their organisation. The outcomes of the research provides further insights into SMEs’ KM strategies.
The Impact of Self-Determination on the Information-Stopping Behavior of Professionals: An Exploratory Study in the Software Industry
(ACIS, 2014) von der Trenck, Aliona; Neben, Tillmann; Heinzl, Armin
Online search has become an important part of professional and daily life. With an endless amount of information available, terminating the search when sufficient information is gathered is critical for managing decision-making. So far, research has analyzed cognitive influences: how people process information and how their mental models influence stopping. However, little is known about motivational influences arising from individual desires, preferences, or incentives. In this research-in-progress paper, we consider the role of motivation on stopping behavior. Drawing on self-determination theory, we develop a structure of motivation, propose its influence on stopping behavior, and conduct exploratory case studies on an individual level in the software industry. Our results show that a more self-determined motivation results in a more intensive and longer information search – that is, in later stopping. This finding is the first step toward the development of motivational stopping rules.
Digital Strategy in Airports
(ACIS, 2014) Jaffer, Suraya; Timbrell, Greg
The continuing pervasiveness of digital technology has dramatically changed the way that organisations operate and utilise technology. The digital trend has seen IT move from a functional, to a strategic role in many businesses, and airports are not immune to this. As airports continue to become more ‘customer-centric’ the use of digital technologies has now become embedded within the passenger journey. This study takes a customer centric view of airport digital technology through determining the ways in which digital technologies are being applied to airports to improve passenger perspectives of service quality and the passenger journey. As a result of the literature review a framework entailing the themes of airport service quality (function, interaction and diversion) and digital strategy has been developed and analysed against six airports exhibiting high service quality. Currently, the findings suggest that the improvement of customer function involves the use of automated and self-service technologies providing passengers efficiency and effectiveness during processing points. Additionally, technology to improve experience during wait times may entail either aesthetic qualities, or provide some form of productivity to passengers. Alternatively, customer interaction is influenced by digital technology through constant passenger engagement throughout their journey. As the research nears completion, the influence of these themes on the framework will become more apparent.
Investigating learner preferences in an open learner model (OLM) program: A Malaysian case study
(ACIS, 2014) Sek, Yong Wee; Deng, Hepu; McKay, Elspeth
Effective visualization tools are becoming complex especially for web-mediated instruction. Too often, learners are left to their own devices to muddle through their instruction materials. This study presents an investigation of the impact of learners’ learning preferences on their attitudes towards the use of open learner models based on the data collected using an online survey of information technology (IT) undergraduate students in Malaysia. A chi-square test is performed to explore the relationship between learning preferences and attitude in a higher education setting. This result reveals that learning preferences can impact on learners’ attitudes towards the use of open learner models. The implications of this study will assist designers to develop more effective open learner models for improving the performance of technology-assisted teaching and learning.
Relating IS Developers’ Attitudes to Engagement
(ACIS, 2014) Licorish, Sherlock; MacDonell, Stephen
Increasing effort is being directed to understanding the personality profiles of highly engaged information systems (IS) developers and the impact of such profiles on development outcomes. However, there has been a lesser degree of attention paid to studying attitudes at a fine-grained level, and relating such attitudes to developers’ in-process activities, in spite of the fact that social motivation theory notes the importance of such a relationship in general group work. We have therefore applied linguistic analysis, text mining and visualization, and statistical analysis techniques to artefacts developed by 474 developers to study these issues. Our results indicate that our sample of IS developers conveyed a range of attitudes while working to deliver systems features, and those practitioners who communicated the most were also the most engaged. Additionally, of eight linguistic dimensions considered, expressions regarding work and achievement, as well as insightful attitudes, were most closely related to developers’ engagement. Accordingly, team diversity and the provision of active support for outcome-driven developers may contribute positively to maintaining team balance and performance.
The Role of Social Media Network Participants in Extreme Events
(ACIS, 2014) Mirbabaie, Milad; Bunker, Deborah; Stieglitz, Stefan
How does the use of social media such as Twitter in an extreme event such as the 1st of May Labour Day impact the role of an emergency management agency (EMA) like the Berlin police and its relationships with other roles in this event? How do properties of the Twitter social media network in this event, determine EMA and other role relations and the overall network configuration? We argue that trust (worthiness) is a central non-relational attribute of an EMA role which is based on perceptions of EMA integrity and which influences role relationships within the social network. As EMAs are also responsible for taking action to protect the community in times of such an extreme event, we also argue that “swift trust” is in-built in EMA roles. EMA roles are also reinforced by the non-relational role attribute of quality of communication that reflects message authenticity, in this case “transparent and understandable” communications that are an expected of an EMA.
A Framework for Qualitative Analysis of Focus Group Data in Information Systems
(ACIS, 2014) Nili, Alireza; Tate, Mary; Johnstone, David; Gable, Guy
Focus groups are a popular qualitative research method for information systems researchers. However, compared with the abundance of research articles and handbooks on planning and conducting focus groups, surprisingly, there is little research on how to analyse focus group data. Moreover, those few articles that specifically address focus group analysis are all in fields other than information systems, and offer little specific guidance for information systems researchers. Further, even the studies that exist in other fields do not provide a systematic and integrated procedure to analyse both focus group ‘content’ and ‘interaction’ data. As the focus group is a valuable method to answer the research questions of many IS studies (in the business, government and society contexts), we believe that more attention should be paid to this method in the IS research. This paper offers a systematic and integrated procedure for qualitative focus group data analysis in information systems research.
Barriers to Knowledge Sharing in ICT Project Environments
(ACIS, 2014) Karagoz, Yakub; Korthaus, Axel; Augar, Naomi
Project management supports much of the economic activity in various industries. Across the public sector, effective management of projects transforms taxpayer funds into new schools, hospitals, roads, construction and technology. However, numerous, particularly ICT-enabled, public sector projects fail to succeed as is reflected by ongoing public discourse and negative perceptions. The aim of this research-in-progress paper is to increase our understanding of what constitutes success in these environments and how it can be facilitated. To this end, a methodical literature review is conducted to survey traditional and modern views of critical success factors. Secondly, the role of knowledge management in project management is analysed with an emphasis on knowledge sharing. Based on the findings, we hypothesise that barriers to knowledge sharing contribute to poor performance of some public sector ICT projects and develop a conceptual framework for a proposed research study to address this problem.

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