Information Technology Executives Research Articles

Fear Appeals and Information Security Behaviors: An Empirical Study

Information technology executives strive to align the actions of end users with the desired security posture of management and of the firm through persuasive communication. In many cases, some element of fear is incorporated within these communications. However, within the context of computer security and information assurance, it is not yet clear how these fear-inducing arguments, known as fear appeals, will ultimately impact the actions of end users. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of fear appeals on the compliance of end users with recommendations to enact specific individual computer security actions toward the mitigation of threats. An examination was performed that culminated in the development and testing of a conceptual model representing an infusion of technology adoption and fear appeal theories. Results of the study suggest that fear appeals do impact end user behavioral intentions to comply with recommended individual acts of security, but the impact is not uniform across all end users. It is determined in part by perceptions of self-efficacy, response efficacy, threat severity, and social influence. The findings of this research contribute to information systems security research, human-computer interaction, and organizational communication by revealing a new paradigm in which IT users form perceptions of the technology, not on the basis of performance gains, but on the basis of utility for threat mitigation.

Toward a Theory of Iformation Technology Professional Competence

Based on a field study of information technology (IT) executives a theoretical model of knowledge, skills, and abilities desired for IT professionals is developed (The Theory of IT Professional Competence). The field study consists of two group data gathering events with IT executives using a nominal group technique. The model is built by analyzing the data using the constant comparison approach proposed in the grounded theory literature. The model is then substantiated and strengthened using related skills concepts from the literature. This research makes a contribution on several dimensions: methodological, theoretical, managerial, and academic. For example, the theory should help to better understand gaps between IT academic programs, employers' needs, and IT students' perceptions.

A Simple Instrument to Measure IT-Business Alignment Maturity

The challenge of aligning Information Technology (IT) to business has often been cited as a key issue by IT executives. This paper presents a simple, flexible, and easy-to-use instrument that measures the alignment maturity between business and IT and identifies major gaps. The proposed instrument is based on Luftman's “Strategy Alignment Maturity Model” (SAMM); it directly encodes all attributes of SAMM alignment areas using a unidimensional framework. The instrument supports multiple levels of analysis with minimum assumptions about data using non-parametric statistical tools. In addition, the instrument provides an aggregation procedure to summarize the alignment maturity level for high-level executives. The instrument can also be customized to incorporate the contextual parameters of a company. In addition to the development of the instrument, this paper also shows how this instrument was applied to assess the alignment maturity level between IT and business in a rapidly growing company that had recently been publicly listed. The instrument was successful in identifying six major gaps for the company across the various alignment areas. These gaps were benchmarking, business metrics, strategic business planning, inter / intra organizational learning, architectural integration, and the impact of IT on business processes.

Strategic Alignment Maturity between Business and Information Technology in Southern Brazil

Brazilian Industry has sought to adjust to the laws and acts of corporate governance and strategic management practices arising from the new national and international economic reality. One of the emerging elements is Strategic Alignment (SA). The present study has sought to identify the level of maturity and the order of importance of the criteria that promote SA between Business and Information Technology (IT), as perceived by business and IT executives. Based on the model of SA maturity from Luftman (2000), a survey was carried out among 259 executives from 72 enterprises located in industrial centers in the south of Brazil. The findings indicate that elements such as “Communication”, “Skills”, “Scope and Architecture” are of greatest importance and most promoted within firms. Though equally important, the management element “Competency/Value Measurements” was found to be less promoted, as a significant difference was observed among the respondents. It is worth noting that both the instrument and the findings of this study can contribute towards the periodical analysis of the intensity of the SA promoted by organizations, with the aim of continually enhancing the SA practiced by organizations.

Managerial cost mitigation tactics in offshore IT projects

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to enhance our understanding of managerial decision‐making process regarding offshore sourcing of information technology (IT) projects. The study explored the relationship between transaction cost economics and maturity levels of a firm's offshore sourcing activities. Transactions costs theory and firms' offshore sourcing maturity levels provided the framework for studying the decision process.Design/methodology/approachThe present study is a qualitative empirical investigation of the underlying decision process to offshore IT projects. The study is based on interviews of executives in fifteen large to medium size companies.FindingsThe data suggest that transaction cost mitigation approaches used by a firm vary based on the size of the company as well as the maturity level of the firm's offshore sourcing activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study is based on interviews of IT executives in fifteen firms. Case studies and confirmatory studies can provide further insights.Practical implicationsOffshore sourcing maturity can influence cost mitigation tactics used by managers.Originality/valueThis is the first study to explore the relationship between transactions cost economics and offshore sourcing maturity of a firm. Future studies can extend the findings to deepen our knowledge of offshore sourcing challenges.

The impact of information technology on the financial performance of third‐party logistics firms in China

PurposeThe paper aims to examine the impact of information technology (IT) on the financial performance of third‐party logistics (3PL) firms in China.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire‐based mail survey was conducted in mainland China. Path analysis and spline regressions were used to model the relationship between IT and financial performance.FindingsThis study found that IT can significantly improve 3PL firms’ financial performance and there are complementarity and plateau effects of influencing financial performance between IT advantage and executives’ involvement in both IT and business strategy planning.Research limitations/implicationsThe modeled relationship between IT and competitive advantages may not hold in different cultural environments and industrial settings. The sample size was small. Perceptual performance data were used.Practical implicationsTo achieve better financial performance, it is essential for 3PL firms to sense strategically the importance of IT and commit sufficient managerial efforts and resources to achieve IT competency. In addition, IT executives should involve themselves in strategic business planning to better understand business strategies.Originality/valueThe results of this study – which constitutes the first to investigate IT in the 3PL industry in China – provide empirical evidence and a better description of the relationship between IT and financial performance. The findings provide valuable managerial guidance and insights for logistics managers.

Health IT: A Roundtable Discussion with Healthcare Information Technology Executives

Introducing new technology in a healthcare setting is a complex undertaking. In an environment in which accuracy, security, and reliability are critical elements, careful planning is the primary factor in ensuring a successful implementation.

An e‐health trend plan for the Jordanian health care system: a review

The purpose of this research is to examine the potential of e-health by focusing explicitly on the delivery of health care products and services. The examination of e-health activity is guided by one broad research question, "What is the potential for constructing e-health strategy as an innovative health technology?". A great amount of attention has been given to e-health activity in the present day. However important this form of e-health is, this type of service simply does not face the same constraints that must be addressed by those actually delivering health care services. The researchers employed a qualitative data collection technique to formulate more examples and cases to derive lessons for Jordan. Phone interviews in a random sample were conducted with corporate officers in Jordan in order to reveal the internal organizational structure and business trends, interface issues, marketing strategies, as well as comparing and contrasting the online health world to the traditional health care realm. Internet-related projects is a top priority for health care information technology executives in the present day, with a cautious approach toward "e-health", as many products have yet to mature, and that the "click and mortar" model may perhaps be the optimal strategy for e-health in Jordan. This paper reviews the e-health trends to demonstrate the tremendous potential for health-related commercial activity on the internet. However, the researcher examining the barriers facing e-health to the Jordanian health system also pointed out almost insurmountable challenges. Despite the apparent promise of e-health, its instability is measured by its failure so far to systematically penetrate the organization of health care. Beyond the pragmatic negotiation of e-health in the immediate context of clinical practice, there are wider issues about how the development/implementation of e-health is funded, about its organization and management at the policy level; and about its potential medico-legal risks. It is hoped that the handful of ventures into cyber medicine appears to be coming from a few enterprising physicians who have set up medical practices on the Web.

Benchmarking the IT productivity paradox: Recent evidence from the manufacturing sector

The production of information services is modeled using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the impact of information technology (IT) on productivity within the manufacturing sector. The performance issues of interest include: (1) investigating the relationship between resource allocation of IT budgets and costs such as labor (the inputs) to productivities achieved (the outputs); (2) benchmarking the relative IT-business value created in this manufacturing sector. These issues are examined by using performance data collected from Compustat™ databases and Information Week™ (IW) surveys of corporate IT executives. The results show that, through scale efficiencies, even efficient firms can improve their performance by reducing certain investments. Overall characteristics of efficient firms are provided so that other firms may emulate them in an effort to achieve benchmarked performance levels.

A marketing maturity model for IT: Building a customer-centric IT organization

Despite a variety of management tools, valuable management prescriptions, and the desire of information technology (IT) managers and business managers alike to build a better relationship, the current state of the IT-business relationship is far from ideal. Although many believe the difficulty in managing this relationship is rooted in differences in knowledge, culture, motivation, and language, we argue in this paper that the key to managing relationships is in the frame of reference and that a marketing perspective can prove valuable. We outline how concepts from marketing (e.g., price, product, customer, place, and promotion) are useful within an IT context and propose a marketing maturity model for IT executives to assess how to enhance their relationship with their business counterparts.

MBA STUDENT INTERVIEWS WITH EXECUTIVES: PERSPECTIVES ON THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Emerging trends in the business world have led to a debate over the strategic importance of information technology (IT). This study reviews the results of 165 MBA student interviews with executives regarding the strategic importance of IT in their organization. This research provides comparative perspectives on the viewpoints of IT executives and their counterparts in other management positions regarding such issues as the importance of IT, decisions about purchasing from vendors, outsourcing and offshoring, and assessing the value of IT investments. The paper also examines the educational value and the challenges of conducting these interviews .

Crafting Information Technology Governance

Information Technology (IT) governance has emerged as a fundamental business imperative, and rightfully so, because it is key to realizing IT business value. IT governance describes the distribution of IT decision-making rights and responsibilities among different stakeholders in the enterprise, and defines the procedures and mechanisms for making and monitoring strategic IT decisions. This article presents a holistic view of IT governance, in which structural, process, and relational capabilities are an integral part of an effective IT governance architecture. the article concludes with an IT Governance Assessment Process (ITGAP) model, with which business and IT executives can assess the effectiveness of their company's current IT governance architecture.

Validating measures of information technology outsourcing risk factors

Outsourcing information technology (IT) operations has been recognized to have important potential benefits, including cost reduction, improved quality of service, and access to technological expertise. Researchers and practitioners also recognize that, in some circumstances, IT outsourcing entails risk, and that it sometimes leads to undesirable consequences that are the opposite of the expected benefits. The main purpose of this study was to validate measures of the risk factors associated with outsourcing IT operations. Insights from transaction costs theory suggest that there exist three major sources of risk factors for IT outsourcing: the transaction, the client and the supplier. From these insights, preliminary measures of IT outsourcing risk factors were developed and data from a survey of 132 IT executives were analyzed with partial least squares to assess their reliability and validity. The results confirm that these factors are useful indicators for assessing IT outsourcing risks.

Examining possible antecedents of IT impact on the supply chain and its effect on firm performance

Our study examined the impact of information technology (IT) on the supply chain through a survey of 225 large for-profit US firms. Specifically, it involved the determination of IT antecedents to IT impact on the supply chain and the effect that these relationships had on overall firm performance. The respondents were primarily chief information officers and other top IT executives. The factors in the study were validated using confirmatory factor analysis. A model featuring the IT antecedents, IT impact on the supply chain, and firm performance was evaluated using a structural equation analysis. The data used fit well with the hypothesized relationships in the model, as all links were significant. The findings here suggested that the antecedents, IT department technical quality, IT plan utilization, and top management of IT positively affected IT impact on the supply chain. The results also revealed a positive relationship between IT impact and firm performance.

An extended platform logic perspective of IT governance: managing perceptions and activities of IT

Over the years, Information Technology (IT) has struggled with how to create an effective structure and processes. It is our main thesis that if organizations focused more on implementing a sound IT governance strategy, it might help senior executives to manage not only the IT-related activities, but also the perceptions between IT and the rest of the organization, and, in doing so, foster a more successful IT organization. Using six case studies conducted within the oil and gas industry, we explore differences in perceptions toward IT and in the organization of IT activities. Using an Extended Platform Logic Perspective, we note differences and similarities between the firms, with respect to IT capabilities, relational and integration mechanisms, measures of success, and relationships with the business units. Our results suggest that our colleagues-in-practice have evolved from focusing on one-way architectures within a centralization/decentralization context toward a two-way relationship-oriented approach to managing the IT structure. We conclude by offering some thoughts on how IT executives can help to shape perceptions of IT within their firms and explore how academics can begin to help our colleagues-in-practice as they struggle with the governance of the IT function.

The Impact of September 11 on the IT Sector in Rhode Island: A Partial Assessment of Human Resource Management Practice

The events of September 11 took the world by surprise. This study attempts to measure the impact of these events on hiring practices at information technology related companies. It examines whether the attacks changed the level of trust felt by information technology (IT) executives in their companies' use of job candidate reputation as a selection variable. In addition, it assesses the extent to which IT executives' future hiring expectations were affected by these events. It uses data from a larger survey that was underway at the time of the attacks. Results indicate that September 11 did not have an immediate impact on human resource management practices. Further lines of research are suggested.

International Examples of Large-Scale Systems - Theory and Practice II:A Case Study of Managing IT Outsourcing Partnerships in Asia

This case study describes an Asian Information Technology (IT) outsourcing partnership in the discrete manufacturing industry. Interviews with business and IT executives of both the Outsourcing Company and the IT Services Supplier provided the necessary insights. Nowadays many organizations in discrete manufacturing move their plants to Asian countries or other lower wages countries. Most IT services suppliers in Asia are relatively inexperienced with the management of IT outsourcing relationships. However, not only are the IT services suppliers inexperienced, the outsourcing companies do not have a track record in managing IT outsourcing relationships. Cultural issues also play an important role, especially power distance and collectivism. Contrary to the level of experience, cultural factor do not change over a few years. This article aims to provide a better understanding of managing IT outsourcing partnerships in developing Asian countries on the basis of an IT outsourcing partnership model.

External or Internal Focus?—A Comparison of IT Executive and IT Project Manager Roles

This study investigates the emphasis placed on different managerial roles by information technology (IT) executives and IT project managers. Six managerial roles from Mintzberg's classic role model were applied in this research: leader, resource allocator, spokesman, entrepreneur, liaison, and monitor. Two surveys were conducted in Norway in 2000/2001 to investigate the management roles. In the first survey, which focused on IT executives, the respondents emphasized the entrepreneur role significantly more than other managerial roles. In the second survey, which focused on IT project managers, the respondents emphasized the leader role significantly more than other managerial roles. A comparison of IT executives and IT project managers found significant differences in four out of six managerial roles. IT executives emphasize the monitor role significantly more than IT project managers, while IT project managers emphasize the leader, resource allocator, and entrepreneur roles significantly more than IT executives. The empirical results found evidence that IT executives are more externally oriented than IT project managers. The study encourages both IT executives and IT project managers to be more externally oriented to meet future challenges.

Intrusion Detection Technology: Leveraging the Organization's Security Posture

Information technology executives and managers must have a better understanding of precisely the kind of activity that defines a computer attack, as well as what actions must be taken to effectively counter the vulnerabilities inherent in most networks and systems. the good news is that the damage caused to organizations by malicious hacking or misuse intrusions can be mitigated, and perhaps even deterred, with the implementation of an intrusion detection system; and many organizations have put the acquisition of intrusion detection technology at the forefront of their strategic planning initiatives. Unfortunately, however, many others have not yet realized the risks associated with a weak or inadequate corporate security posture, and have not put into place a viable security plan.

Factors That Influence the Social Dimension of Alignment between Business and Information Technology Objectives

The establishment of strong alignment between information technology (IT) and organizational objectives has consistently been reported as one of the key concerns of information systems managers. This paper presents findings from a study which investigated the influence of several factors on the social dimension of alignment within 10 business units in the Canadian life insurance industry. The social dimension of alignment refers 'Lynda M. Applegate was the accepting senior editor for this paper. to the state in which business and IT executives understand and are committed to the business and IT mission, objectives, and plans. The research model included four factors that would potentially influence alignment: (1) shared domain knowledge between business and IT executives, (2) IT implementation success, (3) communication between business and IT executives, and (4) connections between business and IT planning processes. The outcome, alignment, was operationalized in two ways: the degree of mutual understanding of current objectives (shortterm alignment) and the congruence of IT vision (long-term alignment) between business and IT executives. A total of 57 semi-structured interviews were held with 45 informants. Written business and IT strategic plans, minutes from IT steering committee meetings, and other strategy documents were collected and analyzed from each of the 10 business units. All four factors in the model (shared domain knowledge, IT implementation success, communication between business and IT executives, and connections between business and IT planning) were found to influence short-term alignment. Only shared domain knowledge was found to influence long-term alignment A new factor, strategic business plans, was found to influence both short and long-term alignment. MIS Quarterly Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 81-113/March 2000 81 I~~~~~fl This content downloaded from 207.46.13.115 on Sat, 08 Oct 2016 04:53:48 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Reich & Benbasat/Alignment Between Business and IT Objectives The findings suggest that both practitioners and researchers should direct significant effort toward understanding shared domain knowledge, the factor which had the strongest influence on the alignment between IT and business executives. There is also a call for further research into the creation of an IT vision.