It-Mediated Customer Service Content and Delivery in Electronic Governments: An Empirical Investigation of the Antecedents of Service Quality

2013 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Chee-Wee Tan; Benbasat, Izak; Cenfetelli, Ronald T.

Abstract: Despite extensive deliberations in contemporary literature, the design of citize ... Expand

Abstract: Despite extensive deliberations in contemporary literature, the design of citizen-centric e-government websites remains an unresolved theoretical and pragmatic conundrum. Operationalizing e-government service quality to investigate and improve the design of e-government websites has been a much sought-after objective. Yet, there is a lack of actionable guidance on how to develop e-government websites that exhibit high levels of service quality. Drawing from marketing literature, we undertake a goal approach to this problem by delineating e-government service quality into aspects of IT-mediated service content and service delivery. Whereas service content describes the functions available on an e-government website that assist citizens in completing their transactional goals, service delivery defines the manner by which these functions are made accessible via the web interface as a delivery channel. We construct and empirically test a research model that depicts a comprehensive collection of web-enabled service content functions and delivery dimensions desirable by citizens. Empirical findings from an online survey of 647 respondents attest to the value of distinguishing between service content functions and delivery dimensions in designing e-government websites. Both service content and delivery are found to be significant contributors to achieving e-government service quality. These IT-mediated service content functions and delivery dimensions represent core areas of e-government website design where the application of technology makes a difference, especially when considered in tandem with the type of transactional activity. A split sample analysis of the data further demonstrates our model's robustness when applied to e-government transactions of varying frequency. Collapse

Topics: government system website service quality marketing management customer service

Methods: survey design principle theory development experiment qualitative content analysis

Preconditions for public sector e-infrastructure development

2013 | Information and Organization | Citations: 0

Authors: Eriksson, Owen; Goldkuhl, Göran

Abstract: Interoperability in e-government has been recognized as a key factor in the ques ... Expand

Abstract: Interoperability in e-government has been recognized as a key factor in the quest of administrations at national, local and international level to achieve the provision of one-stop services to citizens and businesses. Interoperability in e-government should enable efficient information exchange between applications from different agencies with the help of IT-services. Interoperability in networked IT-service delivery is accomplished by e-infrastructures. However, knowledge of how to develop e-infrastructures in the public sector is still limited. In this paper we report a design science case study of the initial stage of the design of a public sector e-infrastructure in the social welfare sector, especially addressing the bootstrap problem, i.e. the initial problem of starting-up the development of an e-infrastructure. Six types of preconditions for the development of the e-infrastructure are examined and explained: legal, economical, organizational and the installed base of the as-is e-infrastructure consisting of technical, informational and contractual preconditions. From a design and action oriented perspective we claim that a basic understanding of the design context, within which the six types of preconditions have to be analyzed and understood, are essential for e-infrastructure development in an e-government context. The paper highlights the fundamental role of regulations as a precondition for the design, and the fundamental role of lawyers as designers of e-infrastructures in the public sector. Collapse

Topics: government system IS economics economic surplus information technology infrastructure Visual Basic

Methods: case study design science design theory longitudinal research design artifact

Moving from Access to Use of the Information Infrastructure: A Multilevel Sociotechnical Framework

2013 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 22

Authors: Racherla, Pradeep; Mandviwalla, Munir

Abstract: Universal access (UA) to the Internet and the associated information infrastruct ... Expand

Abstract: Universal access (UA) to the Internet and the associated information infrastructure has become an important economic and societal goal. However, UA initiatives tend to focus on issues such as physical access and geographical ubiquity, and they measure adoption through penetration rates. In this paper, we apply an interpretive case study approach to analyze the Philadelphia wireless initiative to provide insights into the nature of UA and extend this concept to also consider universal use (UU). UU is important because simply providing access does not guarantee use. UU is presented as a conceptual goal that starts with the challenge of physical access, but which necessarily also leads to considerations of use. The results show that the human and technological elements underlying individual access and use are deeply embedded within various institutional elements and collectives that enable but also constrain meaningful use. We integrate our findings into a multilevel framework that shows how access and use are influenced by both micro and macro factors. This framework provides new insights into the study of the information infrastructure, digital divide, and public policy. Collapse

Topics: information system use innovation management digital divide information technology infrastructure internet technology

Methods: qualitative coding case study hierarchical linear modeling archival research focus group

Theories: socio technical theory

Understanding the Role of Objects in Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

2012 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Nicolini, Davide; Mengis, Jeanne; Swan, Jacky

Abstract: In this paper we make a case for the use of multiple theoretical perspectives—th ... Expand

Abstract: In this paper we make a case for the use of multiple theoretical perspectives—theory on boundary objects, epistemic objects, cultural historical activity theory, and objects as infrastructure—to understand the role of objects in cross-disciplinary collaboration. A pluralist approach highlights that objects perform at least three types of work in this context: they motivate collaboration, they allow participants to work across different types of boundaries, and they constitute the fundamental infrastructure of the activity. Building on the results of an empirical study, we illustrate the insights that each theoretical lens affords into practices of collaboration and develop a novel analytical framework that organizes objects according to the active work they perform. Our framework can help shed new light on the phenomenon, especially with regard to the shifting status of objects and sources of conflict (and change) in collaboration. After discussing these novel insights, we outline directions for future research stemming from a pluralist approach. We conclude by noting the managerial implications of our findings. Collapse

Topics: IT career collaborative work analytical information system types of work user experience

Methods: qualitative interview field study case study ethnography design artifact

Theories: boundary objects theory cultural historical activity theory theory of affordance

When is an information infrastructure? Investigating the emergence of public sector information infrastructures

2010 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 21

Authors: Iannacci, Federico

Abstract: Drawing on the notion of information infrastructure as a relational concept, thi ... Expand

Abstract: Drawing on the notion of information infrastructure as a relational concept, this paper endeavours to highlight the links between data standards and institutional facts. Although social science studies have emphasised the interplay between socio-technical factors, the author suggests that such approaches have overlooked the role that institutional facts play in the development of information infrastructures. An in-depth, qualitative case study of a recent episode of institutional change within the criminal justice system of England and Wales reveals how institutional facts are entangled with data standards through iterative sets of constitutive rules that are mirrored by their associated logical messages in an isomorphic fashion. Collapse

Topics: information technology infrastructure programming language extensible markup language communication service infrastructure legal context

Methods: case study triangulation qualitative interview focus group personal interview

Enabling Service Networks Through Contribution-Based Value Distribution

2009 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Conte, Tobias; Blau, Benjamin; Satzger, Gerhard; van Dinther, Clemens

Abstract: Products increasingly turn into services. A prime example for this trend is the ... Expand

Abstract: Products increasingly turn into services. A prime example for this trend is the software industry. Specialized vendors leverage their core competencies in service value networks that offer joint complex services to customers. Such service value networks are in their infancy, yet both academics and practitioners lack approaches to formalize and economically analyze them. Our objective is to reward service providers not only for their inclusion in a particular service rendered, but also for their mere presence in the network. Purpose of such a scheme is to incentivize vendors to join the network and to enforce certain network characteristics from an operator’s point of view. To this end, we introduce a metric to express the contribution of service providers to the whole network – the power ratio. We conduct a simulation to study the evolvement of service value networks if vendors maximize their utility based on their power ratio. Collapse

Topics: switching cost usability

Methods: simulation nonparametric test Mann Whitney U test literature study

Del Sueño a la Realidad: Explorando la Brecha Digital Social en México

2006 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Sandoval-Almazán, Rodrigo; Huerta, Esperanza

Abstract: RESUMENEste trabajo explora los problemas que enfrentan al utilizar Internet lo ... Expand

Abstract: RESUMENEste trabajo explora los problemas que enfrentan al utilizar Internet los usuarios de telecentros en poblaciones marginadas. A través de métodos de investigación intensivos con usuarios y operadores de telecentros se exploraron las limitaciones de los usuarios al utilizar Internet. Los usuarios tiene deficiencias en la habilidad de hipermedios (habilidad de navegar en un ambiente no-lineal para encontrar la información deseada) y la habilidad de información (habilidad para evaluar la calidad de información). Adicionalmente existen barreras técnicas, como la velocidad de acceso a Internet que afectan el patrón de comportamiento para buscar información. Finalmente, el desconocimiento del idioma Inglés, la lengua predominante en Internet, es una barrera que amplía la brecha digital. ABSTRACTThis paper explores the problems that Internet users in marginalized populations face at telecenters (Internet public access sites). Using intensive research methods with users and telecenter operators we explored users' limitations using the Internet. Users are digitally illiterate in two skills: " branching ability" (ability to navigate in a nonlinear environment to find the desired information) and " information ability" (ability to assess information quality). Additionally, there are technical barriers, such as Internet access speed, that influence behavior when searching for information. Finally, the lack of knowledge of the English language, the predominant language on the Internet, is a barrier that widens the digital divide. keywords: Digital divide, telecenters, social digital divide, problems using Internet, Digital literacy. Collapse

Topics: internet technology digital divide data quality user requirement information system use

Methods: qualitative interview focus group case study survey triangulation

Going the last mile: A spatial decision support system for wireless broadband communications

2006 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 5

Authors: Scheibe, Kevin P.; Carstensen, Laurence W.; Rakes, Terry R.; Rees, Loren Paul

Abstract: High-speed, wireless communication networks are increasing in popularity; howeve ... Expand

Abstract: High-speed, wireless communication networks are increasing in popularity; however they can be costly and difficult to plan. In this paper we present a spatial decision support system that incorporates expert knowledge of wireless communications, area topography, demographics and propensity to pay for service in order to aid wireless network planners determine optimal placement of equipment to maximize profit or minimize cost. Moreover, the system can be useful in performing policy analysis to determine pricing, governmental subsidy levels, etc. By integrating a GIS tool into the DSS, planners can easily adjust parameters to better understand the problem at hand and move toward bringing broadband connectivity to the last mile. Collapse

Topics: decision support system geographic information system wireless LAN wireless computer network communication service infrastructure

Methods: optimization model mathematical model data modeling design science archival research

Process-Based E-Service Composition for Modeling and Automating Zero Latency Supply Chains

2002 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Georgakopoulos, Dimitrios; Schuster, Hans; Cichocki, Andrzej; Baker, Donald

Abstract: E-services are teams of applications and humans (participating electronically) t ... Expand

Abstract: E-services are teams of applications and humans (participating electronically) that work together to provide a service or a product. Virtual Enterprises (VEs) are business or organizations that provide products or services that are created and managed by combining and wrapping e-services provided by multiple independent enterprises. To operate efficiently VEs must form supply chains that utilize and manage e-services. In this paper, we propose a Service Oriented Process model (SOP) and describe the architecture and the basic design principles of the Collaboration Management Infrastructure (CMI), a system that supports SOP. SOP permits modeling of e-services and provides for e-service integration to construct efficient multi-enterprise supply chains. This is accomplished by modeling composite e-services as Multi-Enterprise Processes (MEPs). In particular, SOP supports service activities for modeling the services themselves, primitives for composing supply chains from services, and primitives for automating service coordination as required by a supply chain. The CMI system implements SOP and uses a semantic broker that has knowledge about the service capabilities an quality. Therefore, a MEP (and hence its supply chain) is capable of on-the-fly choice of the service providers that are best suited to its objectives (e.g., cheapest or fastest). Collapse

Topics: supply chain management communication service infrastructure internet technology customer service Java

Methods: business process modeling design principle metamodel design science literature study

Telecommunications Policies for Global Information Infrastructure: Some Evolving Principles

1999 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Saraswat, Satya

Abstract: ... Expand

Abstract: Collapse

Topics: communication service infrastructure

Methods: survey archival research