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.     

朝鲜战争中美国决策的特点

1950年———1953年的朝鲜战争是中国与美国两个大国在各自境外进行的一场大规模的局部战争。美国作为战后的超级大国,具有称霸世界的野心和实力,但同时又要面对与苏联的对抗。这场战争中,从美国决策的角度其中一个突出的特点是美国从始至终都站在全球与苏联对抗的高度和角度对战争进行判断,战争决策中都贯穿着美国冷战的宏观战略指导思想,即遏制苏联,中心在欧洲,不能在东亚耗费过多国力。本文从美国对朝鲜战争性质的界定以及在战争过程中的决策两方面来对此特点进行论证。     

When Restrictive Constraints Are Nonbinding: Illustrations and Implications

For convex and concave mathematical programs restrictive constraints (i.e., their deletion would change the optimum) will always be binding at the optimum, and vice versa. Less well-known is the fact that this property does not hold more generally, even for problems with convex feasible sets. This paper demonstrates the latter fact using numerical illustrations of common classes of problems. It then discusses the implications for public policy analysis, econometric estimation, and solution algorithms.     

ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING AT THE SUBUNIT LEVEL: A MULTITRAIT-MULTIMETHOD ANALYSIS*

Environmental scanning activities of over 400 top management subunits in 108 European manufacturing firms provided the data base for this research. Four traits (constructs) of scanning using three methods (interest, frequency, and time) were examined. A confirmatory factor analysis approach to multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) data was employed. Verification of the reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity of the scanning scales are reported and discussed. The viability of confirmatory factor analysis in providing a precise analysis of partitioning variance according to trait, method, and error is demonstrated.     

DEVIL'S ADVOCACY AND DIALECTICAL INQUIRY EFFECTS ON PREDICTION PERFORMANCE: TASK INVOLVEMENT AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE

Critics of previous laboratory experiments comparing devil's advocacy (DA) to dialectical inquiry (DI) have suggested that these experiments produced misleading results because (1) they used subjects who had low levels of task involvement and (2) the DI treatment used was confusing to subjects and required further explanation to be useful. The present study examines the effects of four inquiry methods—expert (E), DA, DI, and DI with explanatory statement (DI+)—on subjects' performance at a financial prediction task. Results show that DA, DI, and DI + were superior to E when the state of the world differed significantly from assumptions underlying the expert's plan. For subjects with high task involvement, DI and DI + were more effective than E and DA. The results support some of the criticisms of previous laboratory research and suggest that future research on these decision aids should include task involvement as a factor.     

高等学校信息化教育现状及策略分析——以包头师范学院为例

随着我国信息化建设的加快,教育信息化发展面临着新的发展机遇和挑战。本文以包头师范学院为例进行调查、分析,意就其信息化教育中存在的问题寻求一些解决策略。     

蓝海战略：图书馆文献传递服务的新思维

文献传递服务是图书馆馆际互借在网络环境下的延伸,是满足用户个性化需求,提高文献资源利用率和信息共享水平,促进信息资源公共获取的重要措施。本文就当下图书馆文献传递服务工作中存在的一些问题,引用经济学范畴的“蓝海战略”理论,重新对图书馆进行了价值定位,并深入探讨了图书馆在文献传递服务过程中应该如何避开馆际之间的竞争,创造出一片属于图书馆自己生存和发展的蓝海空间。     

跨国公司的技术控制与我国的自主创新战略

外商投资企业与其在华建立研发机构的巨大悬殊性,及其在华研发机构控股化、独资化运作模式决定了外资企业研发机构不可能成为我国科技发展的有力助手。其对华实施的“研发链分工”和“技术标准”战略,决定了我国必须走自主创新之路。为此,政府应该积极转变角色,并充分发挥采购制度对技术创新的促进作用,努力创造一个鼓励创新的良好环境。而企业也应该抛弃照搬他人技术的行为,积极引导员工加强内部管理,开展创新活动,形成自己的创新性技术。     

网络文化异化现象研究

本文在阐述网络文化异化的内涵的基础上,分析了网络文化异化现象的五种表现形态,剖析了关于网络文化异化现象产生的根源,并从个人、技术和社会诸层面提出了相应的控制策略.     

私营经济发展问题研究

私营经济发展中存在的问题有：缺乏总体规划,缺乏科学管理,一些私营企业产权不清,雇员和私营企业主的关系有待调整,管理制度不健全,个别私营企业主的生活方式已产生不良社会效应等。加快我国私营经济健康发展需采取如下对策：正确认识和处理发展私营经济发展的各种关系,制定和完善有利于发展私营经济的政策,实行产权明晰和重组,加强政府对私营企业的管理,协调雇工与业主之间的关系,不断提高私营企业主的思想素质。