Replication of Measures in Information Systems Research: The Case of IS SERVQUAL*

The Information Systems (IS) discipline should recognize potential pitfalls in replication of research studies. This response to a note appearing in this issue by Van Dyke, Prybutok, and Kappelman (1999) aims to serve two purposes. First, this note will address the problems we have with the Van Dyke et al. (1999) attempted replication of our own previous work. Second, we hope it serves to establish more generally an awareness in the IS field for the potential to create and accept the “illusion of replicability” when this has not really been established.     

A PROCUREMENT STAFFING MODEL: ESTIMATING THE SERVICE AND COST IMPACTS OF ALTERING OPERATIONS*

Evaluating the service and cost impacts of altering procurement configurations is a common problem whenever an organization desires to be responsive to the changing needs of the populations being served. Changes relate to the volume of the work load, the degree of responsiveness required, or the technology and processes used. In real-world situations, personnel turnovers, uneven work loads, leaves, training requirements, and use of overtime all contribute to the complexity of the task. When a range of experience over different-sized operations is available, econometric approaches are applicable to estimate economies of scaie and technical substitution possibilities. Otherwise, queuing and job-shop modeling, combined with simulation approaches, can be helpful. This paper presents a case study of the analysis of a proposed reorganization for a large procurement activity in the U.S. Navy. The actual job-shop-scheduling and task-sequencing logic used in practice was modeled. Cost comparisons of four procurement configurations were generated under the constraints that prespecified levels of service be satisfied.