An Exploratory Analysis of the Value of the Skills of IT Personnel: Their Relationship to IS Infrastructure and Competitive Advantage

Determining and assessing the requisite skills of information technology (IT) personnel have become critical as the value of IT has risen in modern organizations. In addition to technical skills traditionally expected of IT personnel, softer skills like managerial, business, and interpersonal skills have been increasingly cited in previous studies as mandatory for these employees. This paper uses a typology of IT personnel skills—technology management skills, business functional skills, interpersonal skills, and technical skills—and investigates their relationships to two information systems (IS) success variables, IS infrastructure flexibility and the competitive advantage provided by IS. The study investigates these relationships using the perceptions of chief information officers (CIOs) from mostly Fortune 2000 companies. The contributions of this study are: IT personnel skills do affect IS success, technical skills are viewed as the most important skill set in affecting IS infrastructure flexibility and competitive advantage, and modularity is viewed as more valuable to competitive advantage than integration. Several explanations are offered for the lack of positive relationships between the softer IT personnel skills and the dimensions of IS success used in this study.     

Performance measurement systems in SMEs: A review for a research agenda

In recent years, literature has identified the increasing complexity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and highlighted their sensitivity to differences in managerial culture and management systems. Research has shown that performance measurement systems (PMSs) could play an important role in supporting managerial development in these companies. In this paper, the literature on performance measurement in manufacturing SMEs is reviewed and the diffusion, characteristics and determinants of performance measurement in SMEs are analysed. Shortcomings in the performance measurement systems are highlighted and the many factors that seem to constrain PMSs in manufacturing SMEs are defined, e.g. lack of financial and human resources, wrong perception of the benefits of PMS implementation, short-term strategic planning. Moreover, using dimensions defined according to the information found in the literature, two PMS models specifically developed for SMEs are compared with generic PMS models. The comparison points out an evolution in PMS models over time; in particular, the models developed in the last 20 years are more horizontal, process-oriented and focus on stakeholder needs. However, it is not clear whether these changes are due to the evolution of the generic models or an attempt to introduce models suited to the needs of SMEs. To clarify this matter and better to understand PMSs in SMEs, further theoretical and empirical studies are necessary. The main issues still requiring investigation are listed in a research agenda at the end of the paper.     

Thematic elements underlying the delivery of services in high-contact public service encounters

Earlier research alludes to the fact that enhanced information and systems (IS/IT) functionalities coupled with a lower degree of interaction with customers, the so-called zero- touch, real- time, self-service enhance services engagement. In this article, utilising a series of thematic elements drawn from two exploratory case studies, the authors suggest that the real enhancement of service delivery and increase in customer satisfaction, especially in frontline public service encounters, are not necessarily achieved through infusions of IS/IT, but from the adoption of a service philosophy which allows such organisations to de-emphasise IS/IT and instead focus on significant organisational factors in the area of enhanced human interaction.     

Implementation of just-in-time in a small company: A case study

This paper deals with the implementation of JIT in a small company in Taiwan that produces different kinds of automobile lamps such as rear combination lamps and front turn signal lamps. JIT systems have tremendous effects on all operations of a firm, including design, accounting, finance, marketing, distribution, etc., and thus are of interest to all levels of a firm's management. Realizing the success of JIT, large-scale manufacturing companies all over the world have implemented JIT in their production systems with the objective of improving their competitiveness. Nevertheless, small and medium enterprises SMEs play a major role in the national economy. However, JIT has not received serious attention from SMEs. Realising the importance of improving the performance of SMEs, a case study is presented to motivate practitioners to implement JIT in their SMEs. In addition, future research directions in the areas of implementing JIT in SMEs are presented.     

Risk management in SMEs: A systematic literature review and future directions

Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are considered as the backbone of European economics and growth; however, their peculiar features and the limited resources drive them to adopt different tools and methods when compared to large companies. In particular, the approach adopted in SMEs for Risk Management (RM) seems not to be specifically studied and understood. To this extent, the aim of the paper is to outline the development and the state of the art of RM in SMEs, grasping new future research opportunities in this field. By conducting a systematic literature review with bibliometric tools, 61 papers published until the end of 2016 have been selected and analysed. They demonstrate that some RM streams, such as financial RM and Enterprise RM, are among the most studied in the literature. However, a holistic approach is still not diffused nor sufficiently developed in SMEs, even if the types of identified risks are increasing. There are new emerging RM streams. In particular, the relevance of Project RM, Strategic RM, and Supply Chain RM has been increasing, and it pushes researchers and practitioners to deepen the knowledge of the tools and practices that characterise them. New theoretical and practical studies on RM in SMEs will support them in protecting their business and leveraging their business value, taking advantage of the management of different types of risks.     

Knowledge retention in ERP implementations: the context of UK SMEs

Abstract

Knowledge retention (k-retention) is vital for various enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), though it is a highly demanding and challenging task. The aim of this paper is to investigate different types of approaches to k-retention and factors influencing k-retention in SMEs. Our study adopts a grounded theory approach with cases based on 12 ERP implementations in UK SMEs. We analyze our data using thematic analysis. The findings reveal specific elements that support the k-retention of ERP package knowledge and business process knowledge. These elements are: k-retention tools, documentation, human capital and the understanding of k-retention challenges. In addition to insights from these aspects, our study reveals two additional factors (project management and organizational culture) that influence ERP package k-retention and business process k-retention. Based on these findings, we develop an ERP k-retention (EKR) framework that can be utilized by SMEs which are considering implementing ERP systems, to facilitate knowledge retention during implementation.     

中小企业违约风险系统性和异质性测度——基于违约风险成分分析法的研究

与大中型企业相比，经济环境恶化或突发事件冲击使中小企业资产价值更易大幅下降，不仅单个企业违约风险急增，企业间的违约相关性也明显变大。然而不同类型中小企业违约风险变化特征仍有较大差异。为了更好测度中小企业违约风险、分析其相关性和差异性，本文在资产价值满足跳-扩散过程假定下，将或有权益分析法、组合违约风险分析与系统波动风险测度β相结合，把违约风险分解为系统成分和异质成分。系统成分越大，表明企业违约风险越易受外部经济环境和相关违约风险影响。异质成分越大则表明企业违约风险与自身异质性特征更为相关。实证研究表明，违约风险成分分析能较好解释中小企业违约风险的相关性和差异性，有助于违约风险分类管理。     

基于线性分段恢复函数的基础设施韧性分析模型——以C县电力系统网络为例

针对近年来一系列突发事件冲击和破坏着城市关键基础设施系统的正常运行,并造成了较为严重的社会后果的现实问题,提出了如何保护关键基础设施系统的研究问题,以使基础设施系统能够对灾害情景做出迅速的响应,并迅速地处理以恢复到常态。本研究基于三种典型的恢复函数提出了线性分段恢复函数,构建了关键基础设施系统韧性分析模型,并用蒙特卡洛模拟的方法应用到C县的电力系统网络加以验证,得到了该韧性分析模型不仅可以帮助决策者在灾害情境下权衡预算成本和韧性的关系,也可以识别关键基础设施系统网络中需要保护的关键节点,从而实现对关键基础设施系统的针对性保护的结论。本研究构建的韧性分析模型有为灾害情境下对电力系统采取针对性保护的现实价值,和开拓了对基础设施系统进行保护研究的分析模型的理论价值。     

The Risk Management of Third Parties During Construction in Multifunctional Urban Locations

Buildings above roads, railways, and existing buildings themselves are examples of multifunctional urban locations. The construction stage of those buildings is in general extremely complicated. Safety is one of the critical issues during the construction stage. Because the traffic on the infrastructure must continue during the construction of the building above the infrastructure, falling objects due to construction activities form a major hazard for third parties, i.e., people present on the infrastructure or beneath it, such as car drivers and passengers. This article outlines a systematic approach to conduct quantitative risk assessment (QRA) and risk management of falling elements for third parties during the construction stage of the building above the infrastructure in multifunctional urban locations. In order to set up a QRA model, quantifiable aspects influencing the risk for third parties were determined. Subsequently, the conditional probabilities of these aspects were estimated by historical data or engineering judgment. This was followed by integrating those conditional probabilities, now used as input parameters for the QRA, into a Bayesian network representing the relation and the conditional dependence between the quantified aspects. The outcome of the Bayesian network—the calculation of both the human and financial risk in quantitative terms—is compared with the risk acceptance criteria as far as possible. Furthermore, the effect of some safety measures were analyzed and optimized in relation with decision making. Finally, the possibility of integration of safety measures in the functional and structural building design above the infrastructure are explored.     

Offshoring practices of Danish and Swedish SMEs: effects on operations configuration

This paper examines how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) configure their operations on the global scale and how this affects their home bases in terms of operations requirements and priorities. In order to relate SMEs’ offshoring initiatives with their operations configuration attributes, we draw on the operations networks literature and survey responses from 675 Danish and 410 Swedish companies. On the basis of the survey results, we find that although the SMEs are less experienced and less advanced in their offshoring ventures than large companies, they are building dispersed operations networks. Although still in their infancy, these networks are, as expected, creating new demands for their home bases in terms of demands for formalisation of work processes, systems development and managerial capability related to orchestrating operations across national borders, but more fundamentally, it also challenges the strategic foundations of the home base. Based on these observations, we discuss future global operations management challenges, practices and priorities of SMEs.     

How to make e-Procurement viable for SME suppliers

Due to their common role as suppliers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are especially challenged by today's turbulent business conditions. In order to meet this challenge, short-term WWW-based enterprise cooperations are regarded as an appropriate way to enhance the competitive strength of SMEs. Hence, the Institute of Machine Tools and Industrial Management (IWB) operates three so-called competence networks for engineering (www.engineering-net.de), rapid prototyping (www.rp-net.de) and manufacturing (www.produktionsnetz.de) services. For the purpose of an applied research project, more than 80 participating SME suppliers have been included in these specialized virtual markets, which are based on the core competencies of the cooperating SMEs. Additionally, the platform (www.virtueller-markt.de) enables customers to configure their specific supply chains via the above-mentioned competence networks. The presented paper depicts how to establish and operate these competence networks as well as how to configure supply chains via these virtual markets.     

Sequential Hazards Resilience of Interdependent Infrastructure System: A Case Study of Greater Toronto Area Energy Infrastructure System

Coupled infrastructure systems and complicated multihazards result in a high level of complexity and make it difficult to assess and improve the infrastructure system resilience. With a case study of the Greater Toronto Area energy system (including electric, gas, and oil transmission networks), an approach to analysis of multihazard resilience of an interdependent infrastructure system is presented in the article. Integrating network theory, spatial and numerical analysis methods, the new approach deals with the complicated multihazard relations and complex infrastructure interdependencies as spatiotemporal impacts on infrastructure systems in order to assess the dynamic system resilience. The results confirm that the effects of sequential hazards on resilience of infrastructure (network) are more complicated than the sum of single hazards. The resilience depends on the magnitude of the hazards, their spatiotemporal relationship and dynamic combined impacts, and infrastructure interdependencies. The article presents a comparison between physical and functional resilience of an electric transmission network, and finds functional resilience is always higher than physical resilience. The multiple hazards resilience evaluation approach is applicable to any type of infrastructure and hazard and it can contribute to the improvement of infrastructure planning, design, and maintenance decision making.     

A zero-one goal programming approach for information system project selection

This paper presents a multi-objective model that can be used to help information systems (IS) managers decide which IS projects should be selected for development and implementation in a constrained resource environment. Developed to overcome the problems observed in currently used IS selection procedures, the model presented in this paper can be used to make decisions when IS selection goals are conflicting and measured in incommensurable units. To illustrate the use of this multi-objective approach to model IS project selection, a corporate resource allocation problem is developed and solved. Comparative results with currently used scoring and ranking methods reveals the superiority of the proposed multi-objective model.     

Decisions to Outsource Information Systems Functions: Testing a Strategy-Theoretic Discrepancy Model

In recent years, the decision to outsource information systems (IS) functions has become a viable strategic alternative in managing the increasingly complex IS functions. In this study, the IS outsourcing phenomenon is conceptualized as a strategic decision in the organization. Drawing on resource-based theories, resource dependence theories, and other theories of strategic management, a discrepancy model of this decision is developed. Relationships between a number of strategy-theoretic factors and the IS outsourcing decision are hypothesized. These factors include IS resource performance discrepancies manifested in the form of gaps in information quality, IS support quality, IS cost effectiveness and financial performance, as well as the strategic orientation of the firm. Results of the study indicate that, while cost consideration and the firm's financial performance are not associated with the IS outsourcing decision, difficulties in providing good information outputs and IS support services are associated with the decision. Overall, the findings suggest that the current trend toward outsourcing represents a continuing evolution of the IS function as it attempts to fulfill its traditional mission of providing high quality information resource to the firm. When the performance of the delivered resource begins to slip in the current environment of rising expectation and technological complexity, outsourcing may become a strategic response of necessity. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for practicing managers and suggestions for future research.     

Knowledge integration in family SMEs: an extension of the 4I model

This article explores the process of learning and strategic change in small and medium-sized family firms (family SMEs). Organizational learning theory posits that knowledge must be integrated throughout the firm to facilitate strategic renewal. This process occurs in a particular way in family SMEs, according to their specific characteristics. In such firms the family’s role, the company size and the lack of formal procedures and systems strongly affect the process of learning and change. The study applies the 4I model of organizational learning to three case studies and offers empirical support for this model. The article has theoretical implications for variants of the 4I model as applied to family SMEs, and implications for practice related to the family’s role in starting and perpetuating the process of learning and change.     

A resource-based view on SMEs regarding the transition to more sophisticated stages of industry 4.0

The integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the concept Industry 4.0 represents one of its main challenges, as they play a vital part in industrial value chains that shall be digitized from suppliers to the end customer. However, what the implementation stages for Industry 4.0 in SMEs should be as well as the respective resources for achieving the next stage are scarcely understood. In response, this paper proposes a framework using a resource-based review for Industry 4.0 implementation according to the stage of development in SMEs, created between researchers, policy makers, and 354 manufacturing SMEs in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). The paper applies a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative (interviews) and quantitative elements (survey data). The results are used to develop a model with four stages of SMEs that are characterized by having distinct preconditions and conditions for Industry 4.0. Thereupon, the required measures to achieve the next stage of Industry 4.0 implementation are derived. This highlights Industry 4.0 for SMEs as a process with different stages toward achieving sustainable competitive advantage and offering insight into how the different resources operate. The high importance and advanced position regarding industrial value creation and SMEs in Gipuzkoa allows to generalize and transfer the findings to other European regions.     

中小企业财务结构与债务融资——基于浙江的实证研究

本文以浙江省中小企业为研究对象,主要讨论三方面内容:(1)全面分析中小企业财务结构与融资特征,并与大企业作比较,得出部分中小企业在偿债能力、营运能力和盈利能力等方面均不逊色于大企业;(2)从微观角度,对中小企业主要债务融资作实证分析,识别影响中小企业债务融资的显著因素。同时根据回归结果证实中小企业主要债务融资的成本比较优势依次为:银行贷款、商业信用和非正规融资;(3)利用Kruskal-Wallis非参数检验方法判定行业因素对中小企业债务融资具有显著差异,而宏观经济周期变化对其影响却不显著。本文结论的另一重要性在于,填补主流文献仅从金融机构或政府金融体制建设等方面寻求破解中小企业融资难的答案,从企业自身经营和财务管理角度解释中小企业融资难的原因。     

A guide for supply chain integration in SMEs

Supply chain integration (SCI) is a competitive business approach for enterprises that has not been implemented as widely as expected in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). One of the factors explaining this low level of application is the lack of methodologies to develop SCI that fit the characteristics of this type of enterprise. In this article, we present a methodology that enables SMEs to achieve correct SCI in a manner that is simple, straightforward and oriented towards their particular characteristics. Thus, SMEs will be able to align and coordinate the aims, resources, decisions, methods, business processes and employees involved in the supply chain. The methodology addresses the problem of SMEs SCI and it was produced by applying the case study research method to 30 industrial SMEs. The methodology is organised in phases and the activities to be performed, the techniques and supporting tools to be used, as well as the expected outcomes are all described for each phase. With this methodology, it becomes possible to overcome the main barriers that prevent SMEs from achieving a correct integration of their supply chains. In addition to the methodology, this article also outlines the significant benefits observed in the 30 enterprises as a result of its application.     

The satisfaction of non-family employees with High Involvement HR practices: evidence from family SMEs

Most family businesses employ more non-family employees than family employees, making them a crucial resource for family small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). Thus, family SMEs must pay particular attention to developmental needs of such employees. However, there is limited empirical knowledge concerning how Family SMEs can manage and develop their non-family employees. Drawing on organizational justice theory, this study set out to investigate how and why non-family employees are satisfied with the High Involvement HR practices (HIHRPs) adopted by family SMEs. Empirical evidence was drawn from the experiences of 16 non-family employees from six SME family-owned enterprises. Findings suggest that a balance between formal and informal HIHRPs is need among family SMEs for non-family employees to be satisfied with them. Moreover, satisfaction with both formal and informal HIHRPs can encourage non-family employees’ engagement with the enterprise and the development of their skills and capabilities. Findings also suggest that the satisfaction with HIHRPs varies with respect to the organizational positioning of non-family employees. Our findings make a valuable and timely contribution to the human resource development and SME literatures in general.     

Agent‐Based Simulation for Human‐Induced Hazard Analysis

Terrorism could be treated as a hazard for design purposes. For instance, the terrorist hazard could be analyzed in a manner similar to the way that seismic hazard is handled. No matter how terrorism is dealt with in the design of systems, the need for predictions of the frequency and magnitude of the hazard will be required. And, if the human‐induced hazard is to be designed for in a manner analogous to natural hazards, then the predictions should be probabilistic in nature. The model described in this article is a prototype model that used agent‐based modeling (ABM) to analyze terrorist attacks. The basic approach in this article of using ABM to model human‐induced hazards has been preliminarily validated in the sense that the attack magnitudes seem to be power‐law distributed and attacks occur mostly in regions where high levels of wealth pass through, such as transit routes and markets. The model developed in this study indicates that ABM is a viable approach to modeling socioeconomic‐based infrastructure systems for engineering design to deal with human‐induced hazards.