Developing and Improving Student Non-Technical Skills in IT Education: A Literature Review and Model
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paper_title: Integrating Soft Skills Assessment through University, College, and Programmatic Efforts at an AACSB Accredited Institution

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1. INTRODUCTION The study of information systems in a university environment contains a complex combination of technical, business, organization, and interpersonal skill requirements. A process for demonstrating success in building those skill sets has been pursued as educators respond to calls from professional organizations, accrediting agencies, legislators, and others to demonstrate accountability. In addition, our quest for assurance of learning and continuous improvement requires benchmarks, data collection and analysis, and feedback that can highlight demonstrated competencies, actions that should be taken, and the consequences of actions taken. Explicitly setting goals and objectives relating to soft skills in our strategic planning, curriculum development, and pedagogy is important. Some of the institutions involved in identifying competencies, establishing standards, providing guidance and developing assessment tests include the Association for Computing Machinery(ACM), Association of Information Technology Professionals(AITP), the Association for Information Systems(AIS), the American Accounting Association(AAA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA), the International Federation of Accountants(IFAC), and the American Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB), to name a few. Assessment plans, strategies, tools, tests and programs are being developed to generate data for assessing learning outcomes. Examinations, case studies, internship observations, projects and work portfolios are some of the many methods available for assessing student knowledge, skills, and capabilities. In this paper, the authors first review relevant literature relating to soft skills and educational assessment issues, including the assessment concerns and academic requirements of the Assurance of Learning Standards emphasized by the AACSB and guidance provided by various professional organizations and individuals in designing and implementing assessment. Subsequent sections provide a proposed model for assurance of learning and examples of university, college, and programmatic activities relating to assessment. 2. RELATED LITERATURE: SOFT SKILLS Reports from various professional organizations and individuals have examined the changing demands of accounting and information technology professionals (AECC, 1990; Albrecht & Sack, 2000; AAA, 1998; AICPA, 1998; Arthur Andersen & Co., 1989; Cheney, Hale, and Kasper, 1990; Gallivan, Truex, Kyasn, 2004; IMA, 1999; Lee, Trauth, Farewell, 1995; Misic 1996; Robert Half Intl, Inc, 2006; Segars & Hendrickson, 2000; Todd, McKeen & Gallupe, 1995; Wade & Parent, 2001/2002; Wynekoop & Walz, 2000). Increased emphasis on "soft skills" or non-technical skills was a consistent conclusion from our review of the literature. Gallivan et al.,(2004) identified the six most common non-technical skills mentioned in employment advertisements as 1) communication, 2) interpersonal, 3) leadership, 4) organization, 5) self-motivation, and 6) creativity. Of the total skills mentioned in online job advertisements, non-technical skills represented 26 percent. Future employees will need to be "flexible-to fit where they're needed, rise to new levels of expectation and transition into areas in which they can contribute and continue to learn. They will interact with individuals at all levels of an organization and, therefore, work with and motivate people who have a variety of professional strengths, skills, and areas of interest. Leadership abilities, team-player skills, and project-management expertise will be essential. . . .written and verbal communication ability, professional poise and strengths in motivating, working with and leading others will gain new importance. . . interpersonal skills and the ability to conceptualize solutions and explain them to clients and employers are extremely important"(Robert Half Intl. …
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paper_title: Knowledge and Skill Requirements for Entry-Level Information Technology Workers: A Comparison of Industry and Academia.

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1. INTRODUCTION Enrollments in Information Technology (IT)-related academic programs have declined significantly in recent years, (Granger, et al., 2007; Patterson, 2005; Pollacia and Russell, 2007). Several studies have investigated potential causes of the enrollment decline, attributing it most often to factors such as curriculum problems (Abraham, et al., 2006; Granger et al., 2007; McGann, et al., 2007), issues that influence students to choose (or not choose) an IT-related major (Walstrom, et al., 2008; Zhang, 2007), lack of availability of accurate information about the IT industry and related employment opportunities to high school students (Lomerson and Pollacia, 2006), and offshore outsourcing of IT jobs (Rossheim, 2006; Tastle, et al., 2008). The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment demand for IT-related professionals will grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2016. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs will increase 16% from 2006 to 2016 for the occupation entitled "computer and information systems managers", 37% for "computer scientists and database administrators", and 53% for "network systems and data communications analysts" (Bureau, 2008a; Bureau, 2008b). It is also estimated that the United States will have only half of the qualified graduates needed to meet the rapidly increasing demand for IT professionals through 2012 because of the declining number of student enrollments (Longo, 2006). To meet anticipated demand, it is urgent for IT-related academic programs to attract more students and prepare graduates with critical knowledge and skills. A number of studies have been conducted to determine the critical knowledge and skill sets that graduates need to perform IT-related jobs successfully, and whether there exists a perception gap between academicians and practitioners with regard to this required body of knowledge and skills (Cappel, 2001/2002; Doke and Williams, 1999; Kim, Hsu and Stern, 2006; Lee and Han, 2008; Lee, et al., 2002; Tang, Lee and Koh, 2000/2001; Trauth, Farwell and Lee, 1993). In a recent study, the authors compared the perceptions of IT managers and IT workers with respect to the knowledge and skills needed for entry-level IT professionals (Aasheim and Williams, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the importance of various skills for entry-level IT professions is perceived differently by faculty in academia and IT managers in industry. The approach of this study is to conduct a survey of IT managers and faculty teaching in IT-related academic programs to examine their views on the knowledge and skills required of entry-level IT workers. 2. BACKGROUND Despite the existence of model curricula for computing-related degree programs, several studies suggest that there is a gap between the skills achieved by Information Systems (IS)/Information Technology (IT) graduates and the skills required by employers (Cappel, 2001/2002; Kim, Hsu, and Stern, 2006; Lee and Han, 2008; Lee et al., 2002; Trauth, Farwell, and Lee, 1993; Doke and Williams, 1999; Tang, Lee and Koh, 2000/2001). These studies have examined this gap as it is perceived by IT professionals, academicians, students, and users. Some have made recommendations to improve the IS curriculum (Lee and Han, 2008; Lee, Trauth, and Farwell, 1995; Leitheiser, 1992; Trauth, Farwell and Lee, 1993; Young and Lee, 1996). Lee and Han (2008) studied skill requirements for entry-level programmers/analysts in Fortune 500 companies and investigated the gap between the IS 2002 model curriculum and the requirements of the industry. They found that application development, software, social and business skills were highly valued, and recommended that knowledge of technological trends, knowledge of business functions and general problem solving skills be taken into account by the designers of future IS curricula. …
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paper_title: Can Social Capital Enhance the Careers of IT Professionals

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This study examines the role of human capital and social capital in the career advancement of IT professionals. Specifically, it posits that the greater human capital and social capital an IT professional has, the more promotions that person will receive in his/her career. Although much research about the role of social capital has been conducted, the focus has not been specifically on the IT professional. Yet, there is evidence that IT professionals differ from other professionals not only in terms of the importance they place on social factors, but also in terms of longevity in their jobs, the impact of the dynamics of the IT field on their jobs, and other job related factors. This study examines the IT professional using a theoretical lens that has not been widely applied to them, yet can yield important insights into their careers. This insight includes practical guidance for IT professionals and the organizations for which they work as well as guidance for future research.
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paper_title: Graduate employability, 'soft skills' versus 'hard' business knowledge:a European study

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There is a growing awareness in the UK and mainland Europe of the importance of higher education to the development of a knowledge-based economy. European universities are increasingly required to produce highly mobile graduates able to respond to the ever-changing needs of the contemporary workplace. Following the Bologna Declaration (19991. 19 June 1999 . “The European Higher Education Area” (Bologna Declaration), Joint Declaration of the European Ministers of Education, Bologna, higher education across Europe has expanded rapidly. This has resulted in questions being raised about the quality of the graduate labour market and the ability of graduates to meet the needs of employers. This paper analyses graduate and employer perspectives of graduate employability in four European countries (UK, Austria, Slovenia and Romania). In doing so it adds to current debates in this area.
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paper_title: Skill sets: an approach to embed employability in course design

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Purpose – The purpose of this article is to demonstrate an innovative approach to embedding employability in the design of a university degree scheme using skill sets.Design/methodology/approach – The paper looks at conventional approaches to course design, which begin with the resources already available within the higher education institute. The skill sets approach, however, begins with employers because they are the ultimate arbiters of employability. Employers working with the academic design team define coherent portfolios of skills: definitions which are then used to provide shape and form to the new degree scheme.Findings – The paper finds that employers can identify skill sets that relate to long‐term employability as opposed to short‐term employment. These definitions can usefully inform the design of a degree scheme.Practical implications – The approach of this paper may benefit the design of degree schemes that aim to educate a graduate to fulfil an identifiable role in industry. This approach ...
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paper_title: Determinants of IT Outsourcing Relationships: A Conceptual Model

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How can relationship quality in outsourcing partnerships be achieved, sustained, and improved? In this paper we present a conceptual model that focuses on the identification of the relevant determinants for a successful IT outsourcing relationship as well as on the operationalization IT outsourcing relationship quality. We contribute to existing relationship literature by thoroughly examining existing constructs and, if applicable, spliting and redistributing them. We also consider additional relationship quality dimensions and determinants. The derived eleven dimensions and fifteen determinants are empirically validated in a subsequent three step empirical approach providing a much more detailed and throroughly structured relationship quality model which will eventually help practitioners in improving their cross- organizational IT-business relationships.
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paper_title: THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: THE INDISSOLUBLE NATURE OF SOCIO-POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS*

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This paper explores the role of management consultants in the development of information technology (IT) in organizations. Contending that the process of IT systems development is characterized by the exercise of power, the central theme of the argument concerns the indissoluble nature of the technical and socio-political skills inherent in IT consultancy practice. IT consultancy practice is not just socio-political when winning a contract - the sales pitch - and technical when developing an IT system. Rather, socio-political skills centred on the mobilization of discursive and symbolic resources are an inherent part of the construction of such systems.
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paper_title: Integrating Soft Skills Through Active Learning In The Management Classroom

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This article discusses how active learning can be used to develop soft skills required by managers of contemporary organizations. Findings from course materials developed in response to business and industry demand for increased focus on soft skills are examined using an emerging population, first generation college students in institutions of higher education.
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paper_title: Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed in Today's Workplace.

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Hard skills are the technical expertise and knowledge needed for a job. Soft skills are interpersonal qualities, also known as people skills, and personal attributes that one possesses. Business ex...
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paper_title: Defining ‘business ethics’: Like nailing jello to a wall

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Business ethics is a topic receiving much attention in the literature. However, the term ‘business ethics’ is not adequately defined. Typical definitions refer to the rightness or wrongness of behavior, but not everyone agrees on what is morally right or wrong, good or bad, ethical or unethical. To complicate the problem, nearly all available definitions exist at highly abstract levels. This article focuses on contemporary definitions of business ethics by business writers and professionals and on possible areas of agreement among the available definitions. Then a definition is synthesized that is broad enough to cover the field of management in a sense as full as most managers might conceive of it.
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paper_title: Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review

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Social exchange theory (SET) is one the most influential conceptual paradigms in organizational behavior. Despite its usefulness, theoretical ambiguities within SET remain. As a consequence, tests of the model, as well as its applications, tend to rely on an incompletely specified set of ideas. The authors address conceptual difficulties and highlight areas in need of additional research. In so doing, they pay special attention to four issues: (a) the roots of the conceptual ambiguities, (b) norms and rules of exchange, (c) nature of the resources being exchanged, and (d) social exchange relationships.
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paper_title: Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

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PREFACE.THE AUTHORS.PART ONE: MAKING SENSE OF ORGANIZATIONS.CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: THE POWER OF REFRAMING.Virtues and Drawbacks of Organized Activity.The Curse of Cluelessness.Strategies for Improving Organizations: The Track Record.Theory Base.Frames and Reframing.Conclusion.CHAPTER 2. SIMPLE IDEAS, COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS.Properties of Organizations.Organizational Learning.Coping with Ambiguity and Complexity.Common Fallacies in Organizational Diagnosis.Conclusion.PART TWO: THE STRUCTURAL FRAME.CHAPTER 3. GETTING ORGANIZED.Structural Assumptions.Origins of the Structural Perspective.Structural Forms and Functions.Basic Structural Tensions.Vertical Coordination.Lateral Coordination.McDonald's and Harvard: A Structural Odd Couple.Structural Imperatives.Conclusion.CHAPTER 4. STRUCTURE AND RESTRUCTURING.Structural Dilemmas.Structural Configurations.Generic Issues in Restructuring.Why Restructure?Making Restructuring Work: Three Case Examples.Conclusion.CHAPTER 5. ORGANIZING GROUPS AND TEAMS.Tasks and Linkages in Small Groups.Teamwork and Interdependence.Team Structure and Top Performance.Saturn: The Story Behind the Story.Conclusion.PART THREE: THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME.CHAPTER 6. PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS.Human Resource Assumptions.Human Needs.What Needs Do People Have?Theory X and Theory Y.Personality and Organization.Human Capacity and the New Employment Contract.Lean and Mean: More Benefits Than Costs?Investing in People.Conclusion.CHAPTER 7. IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.Build and Implement an HR Philosophy.Hire the Right People: Know What You Want and Be Selective.Keep Employees.Invest in Employees.Empower Employees.Promote Diversity.Putting It All Together: TQM and NUMMI.Getting There: Training and Organization Development.Conclusion.CHAPTER 8. INTERPERSONAL AND GROUP DYNAMICS.Interpersonal Dynamics.Management Styles.Groups and Teams in Organizations.Conclusion.PART FOUR: THE POLITICAL FRAME.CHAPTER 9. POWER, CONFLICT, AND COALITION.Political Assumptions.Organizations as Coalitions.Power and Decision Making.Conflict in Organizations.Moral Mazes: The Politics of Getting Ahead.Conclusion.CHAPTER 10. THE MANAGER AS POLITICIAN.Political Skills.Morality and Politics.Conclusion.CHAPTER 11.ORGANIZATIONS AS POLITICAL ARENAS AND POLITICAL AGENTS.Organizations as Arenas.Organizations as Political Agents.Conclusion.PART FIVE: THE SYMBOLIC FRAME.CHAPTER 12. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND SYMBOLS.Symbolic Assumptions.Organizations as Cultures.Organizational Symbols.Conclusion.CHAPTER 13. ORGANIZATION AS THEATER.Institutional Theory.Organizational Structure as Theater.Organizational Process as Theater.Conclusion.CHAPTER 14. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN ACTION.The Eagle Group's Sources of Success.Leading Principles.Conclusion.PART SIX: IMPROVING LEADERSHIP PRACTICE.CHAPTER 15. INTEGRATING FRAMES FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE.Life as Managers Know It.Across Frames: Organizations as Multiple Realities.Matching Frames to Situations.Effective Managers and Organizations.Conclusion.CHAPTER 16. REFRAMING IN ACTION: OPPORTUNITIES AND PERILS.Structural Frame.Human Resource Frame.Political Frame.Symbolic Frame.Benefits and Risks of Reframing.Reframing for Newcomers and Outsiders.Conclusion.CHAPTER 17. REFRAMING LEADERSHIP.The Idea of Leadership.The Context of Leadership.What Do We Know About Good Leadership?Gender and Leadership.Reframing Leadership.Conclusion.CHAPTER 18. REFRAMING CHANGE: TRAINING, REALIGNING, NEGOTIATING, GRIEVING, AND MOVING ON.A Common Change Scenario.Change and Training.Change and Realignment.Change and Conflict.Change and Loss.Change Strategy.Team Zebra: The Rest of the Story.Conclusion.CHAPTER 19. REFRAMING ETHICS AND SPIRIT.Soul and Spirit in Organizations.The Factory: Excellence and Authorship.The Family: Caring and Love.The Jungle: Justice and Power.The Temple: Faith and Significance.Conclusion.CHAPTER 20. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: CHANGE AND LEADERSHIP IN ACTION.Structural Issues and Options.Human Resource Issues and Options.Political Issues and Options.Symbolic Issues and Options.Conclusion: The Reframing Process.CHAPTER 21. EPILOGUE.Commitment to Core Beliefs.Multiframe Thinking.APPENDIX. THE BEST OF ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES: SCHOLARS' HITS AND POPULAR BEST-SELLERS.REFERENCES.NAME INDEX.SUBJECT INDEX.
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paper_title: The Influence and Value of Analogical Thinking During New Product Ideation

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Abstract Although both the academic and the trade literature have widely acknowledged the need to foster the development of more-innovative products, little empirical research has examined the cognitive processes underlying the creation of these novel product concepts. In this research, three empirical studies examine how analogical thinking influences the idea-generation stage of the new product development process. The first study uses the verbal protocols of real-world industrial designers to trace the role of analogy in the context of a new product development task, and the second and third studies use an experimental approach to assess the effectiveness of different ideation strategies and conditions. Findings from these studies indicate that the originality of the resulting product design is influenced by the extent of analogical transfer, the type of analogies used, and the presence of external primes. In addition, these studies reveal a positive relationship between the originality of the product ...
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paper_title: Re‐assessing the Enabling Role of Information Technology in KM

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This paper examines the role of information technology as an enabler of Knowledge Management. It begins with the premise that Knowledge Management requires an under‐standing of knowledge creation at the individual level, and argues that IT tools are necessary, but not sufficient, for enabling sense‐making. The organizational IT role is assessed in terms of: mechanisms to facilitate knowledge creation; the information sources organizational decision‐makers use; and sense‐making activities to support innovation. Frameworks for thinking about initiatives that include IT capabilities and people capabilities are presented for each of these concepts, along with relevant examples. The paper concludes with four IT management guidelines.
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paper_title: Understanding the meaning of collaboration in the supply chain

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Despite its infancy, some authors are already suggesting that the writing may be on the wall for supply chain collaboration. It has been reported that supply chain collaboration has proved difficult to implement; there has been an over‐reliance on technology in trying to implement it; a failure to understand when and with whom to collaborate; and fundamentally a lack of trust between trading partners. This paper proposes that a supply chain segmentation approach, based on customer buying behaviour and service needs, is the most appropriate context for collaboration. The paper also proposes the need for a greater understanding of the elements that make up supply chain collaboration, and in particular how the relevant cultural, strategic and implementation elements inter‐relate with each other.
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paper_title: Effects of Cooperative Learning on Performance, Attitude, and Group Behaviors in a Technical Team Environment.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cooperative learning strategies on performance, attitude toward working in teams, and group interaction behaviors in a technical training context. Participants were 274 engineering employees enrolled in a required training class that focused on communicating technical procedures in plant operations. Participants were divided into small groups and cooperative teams. Instruction was the same for all participants. Only the practice portion of the lesson reflected cooperative strategies versus no process direction. Results indicated that the practice conducted in a cooperative manner had a significant effect on performance and group behaviors. Participants in the cooperative teams performed better on the posttest, enjoyed working in teams, perceived more accomplishment, and displayed higher levels of social and cognitive interaction than participants who worked in unstructured small groups. Implications for integrating cooperative strategies into technical team training are provided.
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paper_title: Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

paper_content:

PREFACE.THE AUTHORS.PART ONE: MAKING SENSE OF ORGANIZATIONS.CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: THE POWER OF REFRAMING.Virtues and Drawbacks of Organized Activity.The Curse of Cluelessness.Strategies for Improving Organizations: The Track Record.Theory Base.Frames and Reframing.Conclusion.CHAPTER 2. SIMPLE IDEAS, COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS.Properties of Organizations.Organizational Learning.Coping with Ambiguity and Complexity.Common Fallacies in Organizational Diagnosis.Conclusion.PART TWO: THE STRUCTURAL FRAME.CHAPTER 3. GETTING ORGANIZED.Structural Assumptions.Origins of the Structural Perspective.Structural Forms and Functions.Basic Structural Tensions.Vertical Coordination.Lateral Coordination.McDonald's and Harvard: A Structural Odd Couple.Structural Imperatives.Conclusion.CHAPTER 4. STRUCTURE AND RESTRUCTURING.Structural Dilemmas.Structural Configurations.Generic Issues in Restructuring.Why Restructure?Making Restructuring Work: Three Case Examples.Conclusion.CHAPTER 5. ORGANIZING GROUPS AND TEAMS.Tasks and Linkages in Small Groups.Teamwork and Interdependence.Team Structure and Top Performance.Saturn: The Story Behind the Story.Conclusion.PART THREE: THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME.CHAPTER 6. PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS.Human Resource Assumptions.Human Needs.What Needs Do People Have?Theory X and Theory Y.Personality and Organization.Human Capacity and the New Employment Contract.Lean and Mean: More Benefits Than Costs?Investing in People.Conclusion.CHAPTER 7. IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.Build and Implement an HR Philosophy.Hire the Right People: Know What You Want and Be Selective.Keep Employees.Invest in Employees.Empower Employees.Promote Diversity.Putting It All Together: TQM and NUMMI.Getting There: Training and Organization Development.Conclusion.CHAPTER 8. INTERPERSONAL AND GROUP DYNAMICS.Interpersonal Dynamics.Management Styles.Groups and Teams in Organizations.Conclusion.PART FOUR: THE POLITICAL FRAME.CHAPTER 9. POWER, CONFLICT, AND COALITION.Political Assumptions.Organizations as Coalitions.Power and Decision Making.Conflict in Organizations.Moral Mazes: The Politics of Getting Ahead.Conclusion.CHAPTER 10. THE MANAGER AS POLITICIAN.Political Skills.Morality and Politics.Conclusion.CHAPTER 11.ORGANIZATIONS AS POLITICAL ARENAS AND POLITICAL AGENTS.Organizations as Arenas.Organizations as Political Agents.Conclusion.PART FIVE: THE SYMBOLIC FRAME.CHAPTER 12. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND SYMBOLS.Symbolic Assumptions.Organizations as Cultures.Organizational Symbols.Conclusion.CHAPTER 13. ORGANIZATION AS THEATER.Institutional Theory.Organizational Structure as Theater.Organizational Process as Theater.Conclusion.CHAPTER 14. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN ACTION.The Eagle Group's Sources of Success.Leading Principles.Conclusion.PART SIX: IMPROVING LEADERSHIP PRACTICE.CHAPTER 15. INTEGRATING FRAMES FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE.Life as Managers Know It.Across Frames: Organizations as Multiple Realities.Matching Frames to Situations.Effective Managers and Organizations.Conclusion.CHAPTER 16. REFRAMING IN ACTION: OPPORTUNITIES AND PERILS.Structural Frame.Human Resource Frame.Political Frame.Symbolic Frame.Benefits and Risks of Reframing.Reframing for Newcomers and Outsiders.Conclusion.CHAPTER 17. REFRAMING LEADERSHIP.The Idea of Leadership.The Context of Leadership.What Do We Know About Good Leadership?Gender and Leadership.Reframing Leadership.Conclusion.CHAPTER 18. REFRAMING CHANGE: TRAINING, REALIGNING, NEGOTIATING, GRIEVING, AND MOVING ON.A Common Change Scenario.Change and Training.Change and Realignment.Change and Conflict.Change and Loss.Change Strategy.Team Zebra: The Rest of the Story.Conclusion.CHAPTER 19. REFRAMING ETHICS AND SPIRIT.Soul and Spirit in Organizations.The Factory: Excellence and Authorship.The Family: Caring and Love.The Jungle: Justice and Power.The Temple: Faith and Significance.Conclusion.CHAPTER 20. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: CHANGE AND LEADERSHIP IN ACTION.Structural Issues and Options.Human Resource Issues and Options.Political Issues and Options.Symbolic Issues and Options.Conclusion: The Reframing Process.CHAPTER 21. EPILOGUE.Commitment to Core Beliefs.Multiframe Thinking.APPENDIX. THE BEST OF ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES: SCHOLARS' HITS AND POPULAR BEST-SELLERS.REFERENCES.NAME INDEX.SUBJECT INDEX.
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paper_title: Accounting for User Diversity in the Acceptance of Medical Assistive Technologies

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This paper describes two studies focusing on acceptance of medical technologies from different points of view – in general and in particular. Acceptance of medical assistive technologies was analyzed considering influences of user diversity factors. The first study explored how people perceive the aging process itself and showed how this perception is associated with general aspects of acceptance of medical technology in terms of usability. The second study was conducted to analyze acceptance of a specific technology – a smart robot – revealing that the acceptance of a concrete medical device is more specific and that especially age and gender form its underlying structures.
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paper_title: Predicting Entrepreneurship From Ideation and Divergent Thinking

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In order to find out why certain entrepreneurs are successful we administered two measures of ideational skill to 47 successful entrepreneurs. The first asked about the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) to their own businesses; it assessed the participants' ideational productivity (i.e. fluency) and originality. The second measure was a self-report of ideational tendencies in the natural environment. Statistical analyses indicated that the more successful entrepreneurs did indeed have particular ideational tendencies. This was especially apparent in the self-report measure of ideation. The two groups did not differ in terms of secondary criterion questions (e.g. profitable years within the last five, number of employees), nor in their SWOT scores. This last finding with the SWOT was unexpected but easy to understand, given the paper-and-pencil format of the test. The significant difference that were uncovered suggest that ideation is an important talent for entrepreneurs. Predictions about entrepreneurial success may, for example, be improved if an individual's ideational skills are assessed. Furthermore, it would be reasonable to encourage and support entrepreneurial potentials via programmes that target ideation.
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paper_title: Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratory study

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Modern organizations face many significant challenges because of turbulent environments and a competitive global economy. Among these challenges are the use of information and communication technology (ICT), a multicultural workforce, and organizational designs that involve global virtual teams. Ad hoc teams create both opportunities and challenges for organizations and many organizations are trying to understand how the virtual environment affects team effectiveness. Our exploratory study focused on the effects of cultural diversity and ICT on team effectiveness. Interviews with 41 team members from nine countries employed by a Fortune 500 corporation were analyzed. Results suggested that cultural diversity had a positive influence on decision-making and a negative influence on communication. ICT mitigated the negative impact on intercultural communication and supported the positive impact on decision-making. Effective technologies for intercultural communication included e-mail, teleconferencing combined with e-Meetings, and team rooms. Cultural diversity influenced selection of the communication media.
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paper_title: The globalization of technological innovation: definition and evidence

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The concept of globalization of innovation is the zip between two fundamental phenomena of modern economies: the increased international integration of economic activities and the raising importance of knowledge in economic processes. The paper singles out three different components of the globalization of innovation: (1) the international exploitation of nationally generated innovations; (2) the global generation of innovations by MNEs; and (3) global techno-scientific collaborations. Empirical evidence on these three categories is here presented, suggesting that the relevance of global forces in innovation is rapidly increasing, although at a different pace for each of the three ongoing processes.
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paper_title: Learning From Supply-Side Agents: The Impact Of Technology Solution Providers' Experiential Diversity On Clients' Innovation Adoption

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We examine how firms use the experiential learning of certain supply-side agents— technology solution providers—to overcome technological, organizational, and market-related knowledge hurdles to adopting innovations. Studying the electronic banking innovations of 4,293 credit unions that had relationships with 55 such providers during 2000–04, we found that their technical experiential diversity positively influences client innovation adoption, although benefits taper off at high levels of diversity. A provider's organizational experiential diversity, however, exhibits a U-shaped relationship with client innovation adoption. Also, the conditioning effect of a client firm's marketing intensity on the diversity-innovation link varies with the type of technology solution provider experience.
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paper_title: Education for eScience Professionals: Integrating Data Curation and Cyberinfrastructure

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Large, collaboratively managed datasets have become essential to many scientific and engineering endeavors, and their management has increased the need for "eScience professionals" who solve large scale information management problems for researchers and engineers. This paper considers the dimensions of work, worker, and workplace, including the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for eScience professionals. We used focus groups and interviews to explore the needs of scientific researchers and how these needs may translate into curricular and program development choices. A cohort of five masters students also worked in targeted internship settings and completed internship logs. We organized this evidence into a job analysis that can be used for curriculum and program development at schools of library and information science.
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paper_title: Workplace experiences of information literacy

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The idea of information literacy, broadly deÞned as the ability to recognise information needs and identify, evaluate and use information e¤ectively, has been of growing concern in the education sectors for a number of years; whilst in the workplace, employers and managers have perhaps attended more to the need for computer and information technology skill. New descriptions of information literacy, that may be of value to the business sector, are now beginning to appear as a result of qualitative research into how professional employees experience the e¤ective use of information. This paper summarises the outcomes of an investigation into the experience of information literacy amongst various types of professionals; and explores the possible di¤erences and interrelations between individual and organisational information literacy suggested by these outcomes. Seven di¤erent ways of experiencing information literacy were identiÞed. These experiences are closely related to important workplace processes such as environmental scanning, information management, corporate memory, and research and development; conÞrming that information literacy should be considered a signiÞcant part of the character of learning organisations as well as being a key characteristic of the organisationOs employees. Implications of individual and organisational information literacy for beginning and continuing professional education are explored.
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paper_title: Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples.

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Three studies were conducted to examine the correlates of adult attachment. In Study 1, an 18-item scale to measure adult attachment style dimensions was developed based on Kazan and Shaver's (1987) categorical measure. Factor analyses revealed three dimensions underlying this measure: the extent to which an individual is comfortable with closeness, feels he or she can depend on others, and is anxious or fearful about such things as being abandoned or unloved. Study 2 explored the relation between these attachment dimensions and working models of self and others. Attachment dimensions were found to be related to self-esteem, expressiveness, instrumentality, trust in others, beliefs about human nature, and styles of loving. Study 3 explored the role of attachment style dimensions in three aspects of ongoing dating relationships: partner matching on attachment dimensions; similarity between the attachment of one's partner and caregiving style of one's parents; and relationship quality, including communication, trust, and satisfaction. Evidence was obtained for partner matching and for similarity between one's partner and one's parents, particularly for one's opposite-sex parent. Dimensions of attachment style were strongly related to how each partner perceived the relationship, although the dimension of attachment that best predicted quality differed for men and women. For women, the extent to which their partner was comfortable with closeness was the best predictor of relationship quality, whereas the best predictor for men was the extent to which their partner was anxious about being abandoned or unloved. It is generally believed that the nature and quality of one's close relationships in adulthood are strongly influenced by affective events that took place during childhood, particularly within the child-caretaker relationship. Yet, only recently have social psychologists begun to integrate work on adult love relationships with developmental theory and research on the nature and functioning of parent-child relations (Hartup & Rubin, 1986; Kazan & Shaver, 1987;Hinde, 1979;HindeS Shaver & Hazan, 1988; Shaver, Hazan, & Bradshaw, 1988; Shaver R Weiss, 1982,1986). Of particular interest has been the extent to which a child's early attachment relationships with caretakers shape important beliefs about the self and social world, which then guide relationships in adulthood. Recently, Hazan and Shaver (1987) have used infant attachment theory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1982,1973,1980) as a framework for examining how adult love relationships are related to early parent-child interactions. The
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paper_title: Information technology development creativity: a case study of attempted radical change

paper_content:

Many calls for reengineering suggest that information technology (IT) can be employed to enable significant organizational change. However, organizational inertia typically inhibits such change, resulting in IT development that reflects the organizational status quo. Of interest, then, are strategies and techniques that can be employed to support IT-enabled reengineering. Key to such reengineering is creativity. Therefore, this paper attempts to better understand creativity during IT requirements and logical design phases, at which time reengineering can be devised. A creativity model is adapted from the organizational literature and used to interpret the requirements gathering and logical design experiences of a firm attempting to reengineer its operations through the use of imaging technology. A comparison of creativity and traditional IT development viewpoints reveals significant differences as well as similarities. Insight resulting from this exercise is offered to help managers and researchers identify important variables and relationships in the IT development creativity management process. The model, and future associated research, can help researchers and managers: (1) determine to what degree creative IT requirements and logical design is feasible in a given organizational context and (2) plan and execute a creative IT requirements and logical design process.
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paper_title: Critical Success Factors in Business Performance Management—Striving for Success

paper_content:

Today, organizations recognize the value of business performance management (BPM) as a way of attaining strategic alignments and as a means of effectively creating and implementing business strategy. Yet, many still struggle in implementing a BPM solution that is enterprise focused and that enables strategic alignment. This article presents a framework for BPM and discusses the major critical success factors that will influence the success of a BPM initiative.
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paper_title: Understanding the meaning of collaboration in the supply chain

paper_content:

Despite its infancy, some authors are already suggesting that the writing may be on the wall for supply chain collaboration. It has been reported that supply chain collaboration has proved difficult to implement; there has been an over‐reliance on technology in trying to implement it; a failure to understand when and with whom to collaborate; and fundamentally a lack of trust between trading partners. This paper proposes that a supply chain segmentation approach, based on customer buying behaviour and service needs, is the most appropriate context for collaboration. The paper also proposes the need for a greater understanding of the elements that make up supply chain collaboration, and in particular how the relevant cultural, strategic and implementation elements inter‐relate with each other.
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paper_title: THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: THE INDISSOLUBLE NATURE OF SOCIO-POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS*

paper_content:

This paper explores the role of management consultants in the development of information technology (IT) in organizations. Contending that the process of IT systems development is characterized by the exercise of power, the central theme of the argument concerns the indissoluble nature of the technical and socio-political skills inherent in IT consultancy practice. IT consultancy practice is not just socio-political when winning a contract - the sales pitch - and technical when developing an IT system. Rather, socio-political skills centred on the mobilization of discursive and symbolic resources are an inherent part of the construction of such systems.
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paper_title: Systems development in information systems research

paper_content:

The authors critically review systems development in information systems (IS) research. Several classification schemes of research are described and systems development is identified as a developmental, engineering, and formulative type of research. A framework of research is proposed to explain the dual nature of systems development as a research methodology and a research domain in IS research. Progress in several disciplinary areas is reviewed to provide a basis to argue that systems development is a valid research methodology. A systems development research process is presented from a methodological perspective. Software engineering, the basic method is applying the systems development research methodology, is then discussed. A framework to classify IS research domain and various research methodologies in studying systems development is presented. It is suggested that systems development and empirical research methodologies are complementary to each other. It is further proposed that an integrated multidimensional and multimethodological approach will generate fruitful research results in IS research. >
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paper_title: Integrating Soft Skills Assessment through University, College, and Programmatic Efforts at an AACSB Accredited Institution

paper_content:

1. INTRODUCTION The study of information systems in a university environment contains a complex combination of technical, business, organization, and interpersonal skill requirements. A process for demonstrating success in building those skill sets has been pursued as educators respond to calls from professional organizations, accrediting agencies, legislators, and others to demonstrate accountability. In addition, our quest for assurance of learning and continuous improvement requires benchmarks, data collection and analysis, and feedback that can highlight demonstrated competencies, actions that should be taken, and the consequences of actions taken. Explicitly setting goals and objectives relating to soft skills in our strategic planning, curriculum development, and pedagogy is important. Some of the institutions involved in identifying competencies, establishing standards, providing guidance and developing assessment tests include the Association for Computing Machinery(ACM), Association of Information Technology Professionals(AITP), the Association for Information Systems(AIS), the American Accounting Association(AAA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA), the International Federation of Accountants(IFAC), and the American Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB), to name a few. Assessment plans, strategies, tools, tests and programs are being developed to generate data for assessing learning outcomes. Examinations, case studies, internship observations, projects and work portfolios are some of the many methods available for assessing student knowledge, skills, and capabilities. In this paper, the authors first review relevant literature relating to soft skills and educational assessment issues, including the assessment concerns and academic requirements of the Assurance of Learning Standards emphasized by the AACSB and guidance provided by various professional organizations and individuals in designing and implementing assessment. Subsequent sections provide a proposed model for assurance of learning and examples of university, college, and programmatic activities relating to assessment. 2. RELATED LITERATURE: SOFT SKILLS Reports from various professional organizations and individuals have examined the changing demands of accounting and information technology professionals (AECC, 1990; Albrecht & Sack, 2000; AAA, 1998; AICPA, 1998; Arthur Andersen & Co., 1989; Cheney, Hale, and Kasper, 1990; Gallivan, Truex, Kyasn, 2004; IMA, 1999; Lee, Trauth, Farewell, 1995; Misic 1996; Robert Half Intl, Inc, 2006; Segars & Hendrickson, 2000; Todd, McKeen & Gallupe, 1995; Wade & Parent, 2001/2002; Wynekoop & Walz, 2000). Increased emphasis on "soft skills" or non-technical skills was a consistent conclusion from our review of the literature. Gallivan et al.,(2004) identified the six most common non-technical skills mentioned in employment advertisements as 1) communication, 2) interpersonal, 3) leadership, 4) organization, 5) self-motivation, and 6) creativity. Of the total skills mentioned in online job advertisements, non-technical skills represented 26 percent. Future employees will need to be "flexible-to fit where they're needed, rise to new levels of expectation and transition into areas in which they can contribute and continue to learn. They will interact with individuals at all levels of an organization and, therefore, work with and motivate people who have a variety of professional strengths, skills, and areas of interest. Leadership abilities, team-player skills, and project-management expertise will be essential. . . .written and verbal communication ability, professional poise and strengths in motivating, working with and leading others will gain new importance. . . interpersonal skills and the ability to conceptualize solutions and explain them to clients and employers are extremely important"(Robert Half Intl. …
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paper_title: In this issue: Integrating Soft Skill Competencies Through Project-based Learning Across the Information Systems Curriculum

paper_content:

Contemporary Information Systems graduates will be more marketable in the workplace upon graduation if they have combined competencies in both technical and soft skills: interpersonal communication, teamwork, time management, planning and organizational skills. Team and project-based learning can be used to incorporate soft skill competencies with technical skills. The authors have created instructional modules that take these factors into account. Using these strategies while at the same time applying soft skills into practice, students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the importance of such skills.
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paper_title: Determinants of IT Outsourcing Relationships: A Conceptual Model

paper_content:

How can relationship quality in outsourcing partnerships be achieved, sustained, and improved? In this paper we present a conceptual model that focuses on the identification of the relevant determinants for a successful IT outsourcing relationship as well as on the operationalization IT outsourcing relationship quality. We contribute to existing relationship literature by thoroughly examining existing constructs and, if applicable, spliting and redistributing them. We also consider additional relationship quality dimensions and determinants. The derived eleven dimensions and fifteen determinants are empirically validated in a subsequent three step empirical approach providing a much more detailed and throroughly structured relationship quality model which will eventually help practitioners in improving their cross- organizational IT-business relationships.
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paper_title: The Sky’s the Limit: An Activity for Teaching Project Management

paper_content:

This article describes an experiential learning activity (ELA) for illustrating foundational project-management principles. The activity simulates a “real world” application of a project-management scenario requiring teams to plan, design, and build structures to achieve stated objectives within a limited time frame. ELAs provide students with a common shared experience that serves as a building block to facilitate higher levels of learning. The article provides an overview of the exercise, detailed instructions for classroom integrations and evidence of effectiveness. The activity may be adapted for use in a variety of course settings to emphasize various learning objectives within a course.
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paper_title: Project-Based Learning in Post-Secondary Education – Theory, Practice and Rubber Sling Shots

paper_content:

The purpose of the study was to explore what project-based learning is, what are the pedagogical or psychological motives supporting it, how it has been implemented and what impact it has had on learning in post-secondary education. The study is based on a qualitative review of published articles. The work revealed that the majority of articles on project-based learning are course descriptions focusing on the implementation of individual courses, whereas serious research on the topic is virtually non-existent. In addition, the term project-based learning subsumes different activities with varying purposes. Therefore, practitioners and curriculum developers are encouraged to reflect upon the purpose and possibilities of project-based learning along with students and to set realistic, clear goals. Practitioners and researchers are urged to document courses even more carefully. Several issues for further research are identified.
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paper_title: Introducing Secondary Education Students to Algorithms and Programming

paper_content:

In Greece, the development of the teaching of Information Technology (IT) in schools has been greatly influenced by the rapid development of technology, making IT literacy a priority for all individuals. Consequently, the teaching of algorithms and programming, with the ulterior motive of teaching modeling as well as problem solving, has been greatly limited in Secondary Education. However, we strongly believe that algorithms and programming constitute an important intellectual tool and should be included in basic education. In any case, both the research literature findings, as well as, our own experience confirm the fact that novice programmers come up against many mental obstacles in their attempts to understand the functioning of programs or the construction of algorithms. In order to deal with these difficulties and successfully teach the elementary concepts of algorithms and programming, we have developed didactic scenarios, which are based on specially designed educational software. In conjunction with this, we are attempting to develop a program for the systematic training of those students who will become IT teachers in Secondary or Primary Education. The most significant findings of our research are summarized as follows: (a) The development of educational software and its experimental use in the teaching process allow us to formulate several general rules related to the specific didactic characteristics, which these environments should include. (b) Educational software is effective only when it is incorporated within the framework of the didactic scenarios that the teacher organizes and which are supported by the software. (c) Teachers do not spontaneously use educational software in the context of this rationale. Therefore, specific training is required so that they adopt and use such software in didactic scenarios.
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paper_title: Advantages and Disadvantages of Cognitive Heuristics in Political Decision Making

paper_content:

This article challenges the often un- tested assumption that cognitive "heuristics" improve the decision- making abilities of everyday voters. The potential benefits and costs of five common political heuristics are discussed. A new dynamic process- tracing methodology is employed to directly observe the use of these five heuristics by voters in a mock presi- dential election campaign. We find that cognitive heuristics are at times employed by almost all voters and that they are particularly likely to be used when the choice situation facing voters is complex. A hypothesized
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paper_title: Designing information technology governance processes: diagnosing contemporary practices and competing theories

paper_content:

Whereas previous studies have been primarily focused on the structural features of information technology governance, the paper describes an exploratory study of IT governance processes. Rooted in competing theories of organizational decision-making, and based on a case study investigation of large complex organizations, the paper examines the design and effectiveness of IT governance processes from both rational and social perspectives. The results indicate that, regardless of the level of environmental dynamism and turbulence, effective IT governance processes are characterized by both methodological comprehensiveness and social interventions, involving strategic integration of business and IT decisions, and building collaborative relationships and shared understanding among key stakeholders. The implications of these results for research and practice are outlined.
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paper_title: Participatory decision making for sustainable development—the use of mediated modelling techniques

paper_content:

Abstract In this paper, the integration of mediated modelling (MM) techniques with multi-criteria assessment (MCA) in a participatory decision-making context is discussed. We briefly present the major features of MCA, of system dynamics methodology, and of group model building techniques. The application of MM in a participatory exercise is illustrated by a case study developed in a protected coastal wetland (Ria Formosa, Portugal). Possible avenues to integrate MM into multi-criteria decision making in the framework of sustainable development issues are discussed.
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paper_title: Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

paper_content:

PREFACE.THE AUTHORS.PART ONE: MAKING SENSE OF ORGANIZATIONS.CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: THE POWER OF REFRAMING.Virtues and Drawbacks of Organized Activity.The Curse of Cluelessness.Strategies for Improving Organizations: The Track Record.Theory Base.Frames and Reframing.Conclusion.CHAPTER 2. SIMPLE IDEAS, COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS.Properties of Organizations.Organizational Learning.Coping with Ambiguity and Complexity.Common Fallacies in Organizational Diagnosis.Conclusion.PART TWO: THE STRUCTURAL FRAME.CHAPTER 3. GETTING ORGANIZED.Structural Assumptions.Origins of the Structural Perspective.Structural Forms and Functions.Basic Structural Tensions.Vertical Coordination.Lateral Coordination.McDonald's and Harvard: A Structural Odd Couple.Structural Imperatives.Conclusion.CHAPTER 4. STRUCTURE AND RESTRUCTURING.Structural Dilemmas.Structural Configurations.Generic Issues in Restructuring.Why Restructure?Making Restructuring Work: Three Case Examples.Conclusion.CHAPTER 5. ORGANIZING GROUPS AND TEAMS.Tasks and Linkages in Small Groups.Teamwork and Interdependence.Team Structure and Top Performance.Saturn: The Story Behind the Story.Conclusion.PART THREE: THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME.CHAPTER 6. PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS.Human Resource Assumptions.Human Needs.What Needs Do People Have?Theory X and Theory Y.Personality and Organization.Human Capacity and the New Employment Contract.Lean and Mean: More Benefits Than Costs?Investing in People.Conclusion.CHAPTER 7. IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.Build and Implement an HR Philosophy.Hire the Right People: Know What You Want and Be Selective.Keep Employees.Invest in Employees.Empower Employees.Promote Diversity.Putting It All Together: TQM and NUMMI.Getting There: Training and Organization Development.Conclusion.CHAPTER 8. INTERPERSONAL AND GROUP DYNAMICS.Interpersonal Dynamics.Management Styles.Groups and Teams in Organizations.Conclusion.PART FOUR: THE POLITICAL FRAME.CHAPTER 9. POWER, CONFLICT, AND COALITION.Political Assumptions.Organizations as Coalitions.Power and Decision Making.Conflict in Organizations.Moral Mazes: The Politics of Getting Ahead.Conclusion.CHAPTER 10. THE MANAGER AS POLITICIAN.Political Skills.Morality and Politics.Conclusion.CHAPTER 11.ORGANIZATIONS AS POLITICAL ARENAS AND POLITICAL AGENTS.Organizations as Arenas.Organizations as Political Agents.Conclusion.PART FIVE: THE SYMBOLIC FRAME.CHAPTER 12. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND SYMBOLS.Symbolic Assumptions.Organizations as Cultures.Organizational Symbols.Conclusion.CHAPTER 13. ORGANIZATION AS THEATER.Institutional Theory.Organizational Structure as Theater.Organizational Process as Theater.Conclusion.CHAPTER 14. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN ACTION.The Eagle Group's Sources of Success.Leading Principles.Conclusion.PART SIX: IMPROVING LEADERSHIP PRACTICE.CHAPTER 15. INTEGRATING FRAMES FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE.Life as Managers Know It.Across Frames: Organizations as Multiple Realities.Matching Frames to Situations.Effective Managers and Organizations.Conclusion.CHAPTER 16. REFRAMING IN ACTION: OPPORTUNITIES AND PERILS.Structural Frame.Human Resource Frame.Political Frame.Symbolic Frame.Benefits and Risks of Reframing.Reframing for Newcomers and Outsiders.Conclusion.CHAPTER 17. REFRAMING LEADERSHIP.The Idea of Leadership.The Context of Leadership.What Do We Know About Good Leadership?Gender and Leadership.Reframing Leadership.Conclusion.CHAPTER 18. REFRAMING CHANGE: TRAINING, REALIGNING, NEGOTIATING, GRIEVING, AND MOVING ON.A Common Change Scenario.Change and Training.Change and Realignment.Change and Conflict.Change and Loss.Change Strategy.Team Zebra: The Rest of the Story.Conclusion.CHAPTER 19. REFRAMING ETHICS AND SPIRIT.Soul and Spirit in Organizations.The Factory: Excellence and Authorship.The Family: Caring and Love.The Jungle: Justice and Power.The Temple: Faith and Significance.Conclusion.CHAPTER 20. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: CHANGE AND LEADERSHIP IN ACTION.Structural Issues and Options.Human Resource Issues and Options.Political Issues and Options.Symbolic Issues and Options.Conclusion: The Reframing Process.CHAPTER 21. EPILOGUE.Commitment to Core Beliefs.Multiframe Thinking.APPENDIX. THE BEST OF ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES: SCHOLARS' HITS AND POPULAR BEST-SELLERS.REFERENCES.NAME INDEX.SUBJECT INDEX.
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paper_title: Toward understanding strategic issue diagnosis

paper_content:

This paper calls attention to a central but neglected process in strategic decision making, i.e. strategic issue diagnosis (SID). A framework for discussing SID is presented in terms of three critical components: inputs, process characteristics and outputs. The framework is illustrated in the context of PIMS and BCG, two widely recognized strategy models. The major implications highlight the theoretical significance of SID for understanding strategic decision making.
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paper_title: Critical Success Factors in Business Performance Management—Striving for Success

paper_content:

Today, organizations recognize the value of business performance management (BPM) as a way of attaining strategic alignments and as a means of effectively creating and implementing business strategy. Yet, many still struggle in implementing a BPM solution that is enterprise focused and that enables strategic alignment. This article presents a framework for BPM and discusses the major critical success factors that will influence the success of a BPM initiative.
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paper_title: Impression management: A literature review and two-component model.

paper_content:

Impression management, the process by which people control the impressions others form of them, plays an important role in interpersonal behavior. This article presents a 2-component model within which the literature regarding impression management is reviewed. This model conceptualizes impression management as being composed of 2 discrete processes. The 1st involves impression motivation ― the degree to which people are motivated to control how others see them. The 2nd component involves impression construction. The 2-component model provides coherence to the literature in the area, address controversial issues, and supplies a framework for future research regarding impression management
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paper_title: Self-monitoring personality at work: a meta-analytic investigation of construct validity.

paper_content:

The validity of self-monitoring personality in organizational settings was examined. Meta-analyses were conducted (136 samples; total N = 23,191) investigating the relationship between self-monitoring personality and work-related variables, as well as the reliability of various self-monitoring measures. Results suggest that self-monitoring has relevance for understanding many organizational concerns, including job performance and leadership emergence. Sample-weighted mean differences favoring male respondents were also noted, suggesting that the sex-related effects for self-monitoring may partially explain noted disparities between men and women at higher organizational levels (i.e., the glass ceiling). Theory building and additional research are needed to better understand the construct-related inferences about self-monitoring personality, especially in terms of the performance, leadership, and attitudes of those at top organizational levels.
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paper_title: Revision of the Self-Monitoring Scale

paper_content:

Snyder's (1974) Self-Monitoring Scale exhibits a stable factor structure that does not correspond to the five-component theoretical structure he presents. Sets of face-valid items that better approximate the theoretical structure are described. Correlations between these sets of items and measures of other constructs reveal that four of the five components are positively related to social anxiety. Effective social interaction is supposedly the high self-monitor's forte, and social anxiety appears to be incompatible with this. The correlational results therefore question the entire theory and indicate the need for a narrower definition of the construct. Adopting such a definition from Snyder's review article (1979), we present a 13-item Revised Self-Monitoring scale which measures only sensitivity to the expressive behavior of others and ability to modify self-presentation. A 20-item Concern for Appropriateness scale is also described. This scale measures 2 variables that are directly associated with social anxiety—cross-situational variability and attention to social comparison information. Both scales have acceptable internal consistency, and both yield 2 subscale scores as well as a total score. Prospective users of either scale are advised to treat the 3 scores separately.
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paper_title: Information Technology Project Management

paper_content:

From the Publisher: ::: "Information Technology Project Management" is the first project management title with a focus solely on Information Technology projects. The book combines the best of both worlds: an academic text that treats project management from a research point of view, providing running cases and other strong pedagogical elements; and a practical text that provides hands-on projects at the end of each chapter using Microsoft Project, the tool of choice in this market. It also provides excellent preparation for the PMI (Project Management Institute) certification exam.
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paper_title: Critical Success Factors in Business Performance Management—Striving for Success

paper_content:

Today, organizations recognize the value of business performance management (BPM) as a way of attaining strategic alignments and as a means of effectively creating and implementing business strategy. Yet, many still struggle in implementing a BPM solution that is enterprise focused and that enables strategic alignment. This article presents a framework for BPM and discusses the major critical success factors that will influence the success of a BPM initiative.
---
paper_title: Revision of the Self-Monitoring Scale

paper_content:

Snyder's (1974) Self-Monitoring Scale exhibits a stable factor structure that does not correspond to the five-component theoretical structure he presents. Sets of face-valid items that better approximate the theoretical structure are described. Correlations between these sets of items and measures of other constructs reveal that four of the five components are positively related to social anxiety. Effective social interaction is supposedly the high self-monitor's forte, and social anxiety appears to be incompatible with this. The correlational results therefore question the entire theory and indicate the need for a narrower definition of the construct. Adopting such a definition from Snyder's review article (1979), we present a 13-item Revised Self-Monitoring scale which measures only sensitivity to the expressive behavior of others and ability to modify self-presentation. A 20-item Concern for Appropriateness scale is also described. This scale measures 2 variables that are directly associated with social anxiety—cross-situational variability and attention to social comparison information. Both scales have acceptable internal consistency, and both yield 2 subscale scores as well as a total score. Prospective users of either scale are advised to treat the 3 scores separately.
---
paper_title: Systems development in information systems research

paper_content:

The authors critically review systems development in information systems (IS) research. Several classification schemes of research are described and systems development is identified as a developmental, engineering, and formulative type of research. A framework of research is proposed to explain the dual nature of systems development as a research methodology and a research domain in IS research. Progress in several disciplinary areas is reviewed to provide a basis to argue that systems development is a valid research methodology. A systems development research process is presented from a methodological perspective. Software engineering, the basic method is applying the systems development research methodology, is then discussed. A framework to classify IS research domain and various research methodologies in studying systems development is presented. It is suggested that systems development and empirical research methodologies are complementary to each other. It is further proposed that an integrated multidimensional and multimethodological approach will generate fruitful research results in IS research. >
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paper_title: Defining ‘business ethics’: Like nailing jello to a wall

paper_content:

Business ethics is a topic receiving much attention in the literature. However, the term ‘business ethics’ is not adequately defined. Typical definitions refer to the rightness or wrongness of behavior, but not everyone agrees on what is morally right or wrong, good or bad, ethical or unethical. To complicate the problem, nearly all available definitions exist at highly abstract levels. This article focuses on contemporary definitions of business ethics by business writers and professionals and on possible areas of agreement among the available definitions. Then a definition is synthesized that is broad enough to cover the field of management in a sense as full as most managers might conceive of it.
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paper_title: Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review

paper_content:

Social exchange theory (SET) is one the most influential conceptual paradigms in organizational behavior. Despite its usefulness, theoretical ambiguities within SET remain. As a consequence, tests of the model, as well as its applications, tend to rely on an incompletely specified set of ideas. The authors address conceptual difficulties and highlight areas in need of additional research. In so doing, they pay special attention to four issues: (a) the roots of the conceptual ambiguities, (b) norms and rules of exchange, (c) nature of the resources being exchanged, and (d) social exchange relationships.
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paper_title: Providing customized process and situation awareness in the collaboration management infrastructure

paper_content:

Collaboration management involves capturing the collaboration process, coordinating the activities of the participating applications and humans, and/or providing awareness, i.e., information that is highly relevant to a specific role and situation of a process participant. We propose an awareness provisioning solution that allows customization of the awareness delivered to each process participant. Unlike existing collaboration management technologies (such as workflow and groupware) that provide only a few built-in awareness choices, the proposed awareness solution allows the specification of what information is to be given to what users and at what time. To support this advanced level of awareness, we require the definition of awareness roles and the specification of corresponding awareness descriptions. Awareness roles can be dynamically created and associated with any process scope. Awareness descriptions define what information is to be given to users in an awareness role. Since awareness roles are created or become visible when they are needed, the existence of an awareness role also determines the appropriate time interval during which the information specified in the awareness description can be delivered. This customized awareness provisioning approach minimizes information overloading and allows the combination of process-relevant information with external information as needed by the process participants. The proposed awareness provisioning solution is employed by the Collaboration Management Infrastructure (CMI), a federated system for collaboration process management. Examples from the crisis management domain are presented.
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paper_title: Re‐assessing the Enabling Role of Information Technology in KM

paper_content:

This paper examines the role of information technology as an enabler of Knowledge Management. It begins with the premise that Knowledge Management requires an under‐standing of knowledge creation at the individual level, and argues that IT tools are necessary, but not sufficient, for enabling sense‐making. The organizational IT role is assessed in terms of: mechanisms to facilitate knowledge creation; the information sources organizational decision‐makers use; and sense‐making activities to support innovation. Frameworks for thinking about initiatives that include IT capabilities and people capabilities are presented for each of these concepts, along with relevant examples. The paper concludes with four IT management guidelines.
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paper_title: Relational communication in health care

paper_content:

This paper provides a review and critique of research relevant to the role of relational communication in health care. Different areas of health communication research are identified and discussed. Limitations of past research to provide a useable integrated model of relational health communication processes are examined. An integrating perspective for health communication research concerning development of health communication competencies for both patients and providers is suggested.
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paper_title: Critical Success Factors in SOA Implementation: An Exploratory Study

paper_content:

In recent years, the movement to establish a concept of service science has consolidated itself as a new academic discipline (NESSI, 2007; IBM Academic Initiative, 2007; Spohrer, Maglio, Bailey, & Gruhl, 2007). Service science is taking a growing interest in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), a framework which promises to develop a flexible and a robust IT-based service capable of responding efficiently to business demands. However, the development of SOA remains at a nascent stage and many early adopting firms find it difficult to establish effective strategies for adopting the framework, especially since they cannot be sure of its successful implementation. The current paper takes the form of an exploratory study based on a review of 34 SOA literatures and 22 interviews and claims to identify twenty factors in successful SOA adoption; the paper subsequently defines a concrete implementation policy for each factor. Comparative analysis, drawing on interviews with vendors and users, demonstrates both similarities and differences in the perspectives presented by a range of research literatures, proceeding to suggest complementary methods of SOA adoption that take account of both vendors' and users' needs. Thus far, research on SOA implementation has not offered a detailed account of the critical success factors (CSFs) conducive to successful SOA adoption. This work thus fills a gap in more closely reflecting the reality of putting SOA into practice.
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paper_title: Understanding the meaning of collaboration in the supply chain

paper_content:

Despite its infancy, some authors are already suggesting that the writing may be on the wall for supply chain collaboration. It has been reported that supply chain collaboration has proved difficult to implement; there has been an over‐reliance on technology in trying to implement it; a failure to understand when and with whom to collaborate; and fundamentally a lack of trust between trading partners. This paper proposes that a supply chain segmentation approach, based on customer buying behaviour and service needs, is the most appropriate context for collaboration. The paper also proposes the need for a greater understanding of the elements that make up supply chain collaboration, and in particular how the relevant cultural, strategic and implementation elements inter‐relate with each other.
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paper_title: Effects of Cooperative Learning on Performance, Attitude, and Group Behaviors in a Technical Team Environment.

paper_content:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cooperative learning strategies on performance, attitude toward working in teams, and group interaction behaviors in a technical training context. Participants were 274 engineering employees enrolled in a required training class that focused on communicating technical procedures in plant operations. Participants were divided into small groups and cooperative teams. Instruction was the same for all participants. Only the practice portion of the lesson reflected cooperative strategies versus no process direction. Results indicated that the practice conducted in a cooperative manner had a significant effect on performance and group behaviors. Participants in the cooperative teams performed better on the posttest, enjoyed working in teams, perceived more accomplishment, and displayed higher levels of social and cognitive interaction than participants who worked in unstructured small groups. Implications for integrating cooperative strategies into technical team training are provided.
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paper_title: Creativity Research: historical considerations and main lines of development

paper_content:

Abstract Creativity research began in earnest in the early 1950s and today it covers a very broad range, with empirical studies in a host of fields. The present paper deals with the main lines of development in behavioural creativity research and contains a description of, and also critical comments on, the lines of approach that over the years have concentrated on personality‐related or cognitive aspects of creativity or that have involved various attempts to stimulate it. Whereas earlier there had been a strong emphasis on inner determinants when it came to describing or explaining creativity, during the 1980s and 1990s there was an ever‐increasing interest in regarding the human capacity for producing new and original ideas and products within a social context, whereby considerably greater account was taken of environmental factors than before. Important tasks for future creativity research would appear to be syntheses of results and the development and testing of comprehensive and integrated models. I...
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paper_title: Social Construction of Communication Technology

paper_content:

According to social constructivist theories of communication technology in organizations, work group members share identifiable patterns of meaning and action concerning communication technology. E...
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paper_title: The Sky’s the Limit: An Activity for Teaching Project Management

paper_content:

This article describes an experiential learning activity (ELA) for illustrating foundational project-management principles. The activity simulates a “real world” application of a project-management scenario requiring teams to plan, design, and build structures to achieve stated objectives within a limited time frame. ELAs provide students with a common shared experience that serves as a building block to facilitate higher levels of learning. The article provides an overview of the exercise, detailed instructions for classroom integrations and evidence of effectiveness. The activity may be adapted for use in a variety of course settings to emphasize various learning objectives within a course.
---
paper_title: Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

paper_content:

PREFACE.THE AUTHORS.PART ONE: MAKING SENSE OF ORGANIZATIONS.CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: THE POWER OF REFRAMING.Virtues and Drawbacks of Organized Activity.The Curse of Cluelessness.Strategies for Improving Organizations: The Track Record.Theory Base.Frames and Reframing.Conclusion.CHAPTER 2. SIMPLE IDEAS, COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS.Properties of Organizations.Organizational Learning.Coping with Ambiguity and Complexity.Common Fallacies in Organizational Diagnosis.Conclusion.PART TWO: THE STRUCTURAL FRAME.CHAPTER 3. GETTING ORGANIZED.Structural Assumptions.Origins of the Structural Perspective.Structural Forms and Functions.Basic Structural Tensions.Vertical Coordination.Lateral Coordination.McDonald's and Harvard: A Structural Odd Couple.Structural Imperatives.Conclusion.CHAPTER 4. STRUCTURE AND RESTRUCTURING.Structural Dilemmas.Structural Configurations.Generic Issues in Restructuring.Why Restructure?Making Restructuring Work: Three Case Examples.Conclusion.CHAPTER 5. ORGANIZING GROUPS AND TEAMS.Tasks and Linkages in Small Groups.Teamwork and Interdependence.Team Structure and Top Performance.Saturn: The Story Behind the Story.Conclusion.PART THREE: THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME.CHAPTER 6. PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS.Human Resource Assumptions.Human Needs.What Needs Do People Have?Theory X and Theory Y.Personality and Organization.Human Capacity and the New Employment Contract.Lean and Mean: More Benefits Than Costs?Investing in People.Conclusion.CHAPTER 7. IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.Build and Implement an HR Philosophy.Hire the Right People: Know What You Want and Be Selective.Keep Employees.Invest in Employees.Empower Employees.Promote Diversity.Putting It All Together: TQM and NUMMI.Getting There: Training and Organization Development.Conclusion.CHAPTER 8. INTERPERSONAL AND GROUP DYNAMICS.Interpersonal Dynamics.Management Styles.Groups and Teams in Organizations.Conclusion.PART FOUR: THE POLITICAL FRAME.CHAPTER 9. POWER, CONFLICT, AND COALITION.Political Assumptions.Organizations as Coalitions.Power and Decision Making.Conflict in Organizations.Moral Mazes: The Politics of Getting Ahead.Conclusion.CHAPTER 10. THE MANAGER AS POLITICIAN.Political Skills.Morality and Politics.Conclusion.CHAPTER 11.ORGANIZATIONS AS POLITICAL ARENAS AND POLITICAL AGENTS.Organizations as Arenas.Organizations as Political Agents.Conclusion.PART FIVE: THE SYMBOLIC FRAME.CHAPTER 12. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND SYMBOLS.Symbolic Assumptions.Organizations as Cultures.Organizational Symbols.Conclusion.CHAPTER 13. ORGANIZATION AS THEATER.Institutional Theory.Organizational Structure as Theater.Organizational Process as Theater.Conclusion.CHAPTER 14. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN ACTION.The Eagle Group's Sources of Success.Leading Principles.Conclusion.PART SIX: IMPROVING LEADERSHIP PRACTICE.CHAPTER 15. INTEGRATING FRAMES FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE.Life as Managers Know It.Across Frames: Organizations as Multiple Realities.Matching Frames to Situations.Effective Managers and Organizations.Conclusion.CHAPTER 16. REFRAMING IN ACTION: OPPORTUNITIES AND PERILS.Structural Frame.Human Resource Frame.Political Frame.Symbolic Frame.Benefits and Risks of Reframing.Reframing for Newcomers and Outsiders.Conclusion.CHAPTER 17. REFRAMING LEADERSHIP.The Idea of Leadership.The Context of Leadership.What Do We Know About Good Leadership?Gender and Leadership.Reframing Leadership.Conclusion.CHAPTER 18. REFRAMING CHANGE: TRAINING, REALIGNING, NEGOTIATING, GRIEVING, AND MOVING ON.A Common Change Scenario.Change and Training.Change and Realignment.Change and Conflict.Change and Loss.Change Strategy.Team Zebra: The Rest of the Story.Conclusion.CHAPTER 19. REFRAMING ETHICS AND SPIRIT.Soul and Spirit in Organizations.The Factory: Excellence and Authorship.The Family: Caring and Love.The Jungle: Justice and Power.The Temple: Faith and Significance.Conclusion.CHAPTER 20. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: CHANGE AND LEADERSHIP IN ACTION.Structural Issues and Options.Human Resource Issues and Options.Political Issues and Options.Symbolic Issues and Options.Conclusion: The Reframing Process.CHAPTER 21. EPILOGUE.Commitment to Core Beliefs.Multiframe Thinking.APPENDIX. THE BEST OF ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES: SCHOLARS' HITS AND POPULAR BEST-SELLERS.REFERENCES.NAME INDEX.SUBJECT INDEX.
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paper_title: Accounting for User Diversity in the Acceptance of Medical Assistive Technologies

paper_content:

This paper describes two studies focusing on acceptance of medical technologies from different points of view – in general and in particular. Acceptance of medical assistive technologies was analyzed considering influences of user diversity factors. The first study explored how people perceive the aging process itself and showed how this perception is associated with general aspects of acceptance of medical technology in terms of usability. The second study was conducted to analyze acceptance of a specific technology – a smart robot – revealing that the acceptance of a concrete medical device is more specific and that especially age and gender form its underlying structures.
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paper_title: Predicting Entrepreneurship From Ideation and Divergent Thinking

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In order to find out why certain entrepreneurs are successful we administered two measures of ideational skill to 47 successful entrepreneurs. The first asked about the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) to their own businesses; it assessed the participants' ideational productivity (i.e. fluency) and originality. The second measure was a self-report of ideational tendencies in the natural environment. Statistical analyses indicated that the more successful entrepreneurs did indeed have particular ideational tendencies. This was especially apparent in the self-report measure of ideation. The two groups did not differ in terms of secondary criterion questions (e.g. profitable years within the last five, number of employees), nor in their SWOT scores. This last finding with the SWOT was unexpected but easy to understand, given the paper-and-pencil format of the test. The significant difference that were uncovered suggest that ideation is an important talent for entrepreneurs. Predictions about entrepreneurial success may, for example, be improved if an individual's ideational skills are assessed. Furthermore, it would be reasonable to encourage and support entrepreneurial potentials via programmes that target ideation.
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paper_title: Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratory study

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Modern organizations face many significant challenges because of turbulent environments and a competitive global economy. Among these challenges are the use of information and communication technology (ICT), a multicultural workforce, and organizational designs that involve global virtual teams. Ad hoc teams create both opportunities and challenges for organizations and many organizations are trying to understand how the virtual environment affects team effectiveness. Our exploratory study focused on the effects of cultural diversity and ICT on team effectiveness. Interviews with 41 team members from nine countries employed by a Fortune 500 corporation were analyzed. Results suggested that cultural diversity had a positive influence on decision-making and a negative influence on communication. ICT mitigated the negative impact on intercultural communication and supported the positive impact on decision-making. Effective technologies for intercultural communication included e-mail, teleconferencing combined with e-Meetings, and team rooms. Cultural diversity influenced selection of the communication media.
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paper_title: The globalization of technological innovation: definition and evidence

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The concept of globalization of innovation is the zip between two fundamental phenomena of modern economies: the increased international integration of economic activities and the raising importance of knowledge in economic processes. The paper singles out three different components of the globalization of innovation: (1) the international exploitation of nationally generated innovations; (2) the global generation of innovations by MNEs; and (3) global techno-scientific collaborations. Empirical evidence on these three categories is here presented, suggesting that the relevance of global forces in innovation is rapidly increasing, although at a different pace for each of the three ongoing processes.
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paper_title: International Business Communication

paper_content:

1. Introduction. 2. Language and Business Communication. 3. Issues of Environment and Technology in Business Communication. 4. Social Organization. 5. Contexting and Face-Saving. 6. Authority Conception. 7. Nonverbal Communication and International Business Communication. 8. Temporal Conception.
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paper_title: Learning From Supply-Side Agents: The Impact Of Technology Solution Providers' Experiential Diversity On Clients' Innovation Adoption

paper_content:

We examine how firms use the experiential learning of certain supply-side agents— technology solution providers—to overcome technological, organizational, and market-related knowledge hurdles to adopting innovations. Studying the electronic banking innovations of 4,293 credit unions that had relationships with 55 such providers during 2000–04, we found that their technical experiential diversity positively influences client innovation adoption, although benefits taper off at high levels of diversity. A provider's organizational experiential diversity, however, exhibits a U-shaped relationship with client innovation adoption. Also, the conditioning effect of a client firm's marketing intensity on the diversity-innovation link varies with the type of technology solution provider experience.
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paper_title: Education for eScience Professionals: Integrating Data Curation and Cyberinfrastructure

paper_content:

Large, collaboratively managed datasets have become essential to many scientific and engineering endeavors, and their management has increased the need for "eScience professionals" who solve large scale information management problems for researchers and engineers. This paper considers the dimensions of work, worker, and workplace, including the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for eScience professionals. We used focus groups and interviews to explore the needs of scientific researchers and how these needs may translate into curricular and program development choices. A cohort of five masters students also worked in targeted internship settings and completed internship logs. We organized this evidence into a job analysis that can be used for curriculum and program development at schools of library and information science.
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paper_title: Workplace experiences of information literacy

paper_content:

The idea of information literacy, broadly deÞned as the ability to recognise information needs and identify, evaluate and use information e¤ectively, has been of growing concern in the education sectors for a number of years; whilst in the workplace, employers and managers have perhaps attended more to the need for computer and information technology skill. New descriptions of information literacy, that may be of value to the business sector, are now beginning to appear as a result of qualitative research into how professional employees experience the e¤ective use of information. This paper summarises the outcomes of an investigation into the experience of information literacy amongst various types of professionals; and explores the possible di¤erences and interrelations between individual and organisational information literacy suggested by these outcomes. Seven di¤erent ways of experiencing information literacy were identiÞed. These experiences are closely related to important workplace processes such as environmental scanning, information management, corporate memory, and research and development; conÞrming that information literacy should be considered a signiÞcant part of the character of learning organisations as well as being a key characteristic of the organisationOs employees. Implications of individual and organisational information literacy for beginning and continuing professional education are explored.
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paper_title: Introducing Secondary Education Students to Algorithms and Programming

paper_content:

In Greece, the development of the teaching of Information Technology (IT) in schools has been greatly influenced by the rapid development of technology, making IT literacy a priority for all individuals. Consequently, the teaching of algorithms and programming, with the ulterior motive of teaching modeling as well as problem solving, has been greatly limited in Secondary Education. However, we strongly believe that algorithms and programming constitute an important intellectual tool and should be included in basic education. In any case, both the research literature findings, as well as, our own experience confirm the fact that novice programmers come up against many mental obstacles in their attempts to understand the functioning of programs or the construction of algorithms. In order to deal with these difficulties and successfully teach the elementary concepts of algorithms and programming, we have developed didactic scenarios, which are based on specially designed educational software. In conjunction with this, we are attempting to develop a program for the systematic training of those students who will become IT teachers in Secondary or Primary Education. The most significant findings of our research are summarized as follows: (a) The development of educational software and its experimental use in the teaching process allow us to formulate several general rules related to the specific didactic characteristics, which these environments should include. (b) Educational software is effective only when it is incorporated within the framework of the didactic scenarios that the teacher organizes and which are supported by the software. (c) Teachers do not spontaneously use educational software in the context of this rationale. Therefore, specific training is required so that they adopt and use such software in didactic scenarios.
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paper_title: Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples.

paper_content:

Three studies were conducted to examine the correlates of adult attachment. In Study 1, an 18-item scale to measure adult attachment style dimensions was developed based on Kazan and Shaver's (1987) categorical measure. Factor analyses revealed three dimensions underlying this measure: the extent to which an individual is comfortable with closeness, feels he or she can depend on others, and is anxious or fearful about such things as being abandoned or unloved. Study 2 explored the relation between these attachment dimensions and working models of self and others. Attachment dimensions were found to be related to self-esteem, expressiveness, instrumentality, trust in others, beliefs about human nature, and styles of loving. Study 3 explored the role of attachment style dimensions in three aspects of ongoing dating relationships: partner matching on attachment dimensions; similarity between the attachment of one's partner and caregiving style of one's parents; and relationship quality, including communication, trust, and satisfaction. Evidence was obtained for partner matching and for similarity between one's partner and one's parents, particularly for one's opposite-sex parent. Dimensions of attachment style were strongly related to how each partner perceived the relationship, although the dimension of attachment that best predicted quality differed for men and women. For women, the extent to which their partner was comfortable with closeness was the best predictor of relationship quality, whereas the best predictor for men was the extent to which their partner was anxious about being abandoned or unloved. It is generally believed that the nature and quality of one's close relationships in adulthood are strongly influenced by affective events that took place during childhood, particularly within the child-caretaker relationship. Yet, only recently have social psychologists begun to integrate work on adult love relationships with developmental theory and research on the nature and functioning of parent-child relations (Hartup & Rubin, 1986; Kazan & Shaver, 1987;Hinde, 1979;HindeS Shaver & Hazan, 1988; Shaver, Hazan, & Bradshaw, 1988; Shaver R Weiss, 1982,1986). Of particular interest has been the extent to which a child's early attachment relationships with caretakers shape important beliefs about the self and social world, which then guide relationships in adulthood. Recently, Hazan and Shaver (1987) have used infant attachment theory (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1982,1973,1980) as a framework for examining how adult love relationships are related to early parent-child interactions. The
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paper_title: Information Technology Project Management

paper_content:

From the Publisher: ::: "Information Technology Project Management" is the first project management title with a focus solely on Information Technology projects. The book combines the best of both worlds: an academic text that treats project management from a research point of view, providing running cases and other strong pedagogical elements; and a practical text that provides hands-on projects at the end of each chapter using Microsoft Project, the tool of choice in this market. It also provides excellent preparation for the PMI (Project Management Institute) certification exam.
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paper_title: Information technology development creativity: a case study of attempted radical change

paper_content:

Many calls for reengineering suggest that information technology (IT) can be employed to enable significant organizational change. However, organizational inertia typically inhibits such change, resulting in IT development that reflects the organizational status quo. Of interest, then, are strategies and techniques that can be employed to support IT-enabled reengineering. Key to such reengineering is creativity. Therefore, this paper attempts to better understand creativity during IT requirements and logical design phases, at which time reengineering can be devised. A creativity model is adapted from the organizational literature and used to interpret the requirements gathering and logical design experiences of a firm attempting to reengineer its operations through the use of imaging technology. A comparison of creativity and traditional IT development viewpoints reveals significant differences as well as similarities. Insight resulting from this exercise is offered to help managers and researchers identify important variables and relationships in the IT development creativity management process. The model, and future associated research, can help researchers and managers: (1) determine to what degree creative IT requirements and logical design is feasible in a given organizational context and (2) plan and execute a creative IT requirements and logical design process.
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paper_title: Critical Success Factors in Business Performance Management—Striving for Success

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Today, organizations recognize the value of business performance management (BPM) as a way of attaining strategic alignments and as a means of effectively creating and implementing business strategy. Yet, many still struggle in implementing a BPM solution that is enterprise focused and that enables strategic alignment. This article presents a framework for BPM and discusses the major critical success factors that will influence the success of a BPM initiative.
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Title: Developing and Improving Student Non-Technical Skills in IT Education: A Literature Review and Model
Section 1: Introduction
Description 1: This section should introduce the importance of IT and IS in today's strategic imperatives and the identified talent-gaps in the professional development of IT graduates, especially focusing on non-technical skills.

Section 2: Purpose Statement
Description 2: This section should outline the three-fold purpose of the paper, which is to identify critical non-technical skills, create a typology of these skills, and design a holistic conceptual framework for applying these skills in IT higher education.

Section 3: Materials and Methods
Description 3: This section should detail the integrative literature review process and the databases used for the literature search. It should also discuss the broader areas of research reviewed.

Section 4: The Development of Non-Technical Skills
Description 4: This section should describe non-technical skills essential for IT professionals and provide a summary and typography of the key skills identified in literature.

Section 5: Non-Technical Factors Necessary for IT Success
Description 5: This section should elaborate on the critical non-technical skills and related factors necessary for IT success, listing them and explaining their importance.

Section 6: Critical Success Factors in IT: A Project-Individual Perspective
Description 6: This section should identify critical success factors (CSFs) for IT implementation and how non-technical skills align with these CSFs through a thematic review, including integrated tables to show this relationship.

Section 7: Project Simulation: A Model for Teaching
Description 7: This section should propose a model using IT project simulation to teach non-technical skills, detailing a four-step instructional process and how it integrates with non-technical skill training.

Section 8: Integration of Non-Technical-Skills into Core IT Curriculum: An Algorithmic Approach
Description 8: This section should discuss how algorithmic thinking can be used to include non-technical skills in IT curricula and provide an example of an algorithmic method for teaching these skills.

Section 9: Collaborative Problem Identification
Description 9: This section should focus on the importance of collaborative problem identification in IT projects, describing necessary non-technical skills and proposing methods for teaching these skills.

Section 10: The Importance of Cognitive Frameworks
Description 10: This section should explain the importance of cognitive frameworks in IT problem-solving and decision-making, describing how understanding and applying these frameworks can be taught.

Section 11: Social Intuition and Contextual Awareness as a Function of Self-Monitoring
Description 11: This section should introduce the concepts of social intuition and self-monitoring, emphasizing their importance in IT leadership and suggesting methods for teaching these skills.

Section 12: Non-Technical Skills as a Function of Project Processes
Description 12: This section should discuss how non-technical skills can be taught through various project phases, detailing each phase's requirements and corresponding non-technical skills needed.

Section 13: Implications and Conclusions
Description 13: This section should summarize the key findings and their implications for IT education, end-users, and IT professionals. It should also address the theoretical implications and propose future directions for curriculum development.