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    Copyright,1995-2002 1

    Invitation to Research

    CASE STUDY: eBusiness Research

    Roger Clarke , Xamax Consultancy, Canberra

    Visiting Professor, CSIS, Uni of Hong KongVisiting Fellow, Australian National University

    http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/...

    ...Res /70-eBus.ppt

    ebs, 16-20 January 2003

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    Copyright,1995-2002 2

    Characteristics of e-BusinessNew and Exciting

    Y outhfulness (although no longer virginterritory or a green-fields site)Rapid ChangeHype-QuotientCasino-Mentality / dot.com fervour

    (now given way to dot.bomb negativity?)Inevitable Turkey-Factor

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    Copyright,1995-2002 3

    Characteristics of e-Business

    Instability of the PhenomenaRapid Change in:

    Technologies and Processes

    ApplicationsParticipant Behaviour Perceptions of Need

    Rates of Change still increasingD irections of Change multiplyingTo date, Limited Convergence, Maturation

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    Copyright,1995-2002 4

    Characteristics of e-BusinessAdditional Confounding Variables

    G eographical Unboundedness

    Cultural VariationIll-D efinedness of Cultural Boundaries

    All compounded by Cultural Ignorance

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    Copyright,1995-2002 5

    The Practice of e-Business ResearchThe Audience(s)

    O ther ResearchersResearch G rants O rganisations

    Technology / Process D evelopersUser O rganisationsPolicy WorkersInvestors

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    Copyright,1995-2002 6

    Research in e-BusinessWhat Sponsoring Audiences Want

    New Technologies / Processes

    Understanding About ThemProfitThe Right Answersor at least not the wrong onesThe Right Motivation, Foci, O utcomes

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    Intrumentalist Research in eBusinessAlternative Foci

    Technology / ProcessWhat is it?ApplicationsWhat do I do with it?Adoption, ImpedimentsHow can I make sure it gets used?Impact

    What are/will be first-order effects?ImplicationsWhat are/will be its second-order effects?

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    Copyright,1995-2002 8

    e-Business Research 1993-2000

    38 papers in the leading 'issues' journal, plus3 7 in 5 selected (non-EC) research journalsin the issues journal:

    2 5 theory, 1 survey, 8 case studies, 4 field studies

    in the 5 research journals:10 theory11 surveys, 3 interviews, 14 case studies, 1 field study

    ED I as subject-matter:16 / 3 7 in the research journals

    0 / 38 in the issues journal

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    Common Problems Methods

    Convenience Reference Theories applied unquestioninglyRogers innovation diffusion theoryHofstedes cultural factors theoryWilliamsons transaction costs theory

    Semi-structured interviews masquerade as case studiesLone Cases, Shallow Cases, Pseudo-CasesConsultancy as [Action] ResearchSurveys are used as the sole technique even when:

    in-depth information is needed as wellin-depth information is needed instead

    O ver-surveyed populations avoid responding

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    Common Problems Surveys

    Unclear Survey O bjectives, and Survey D esign G enerallyUnclear D efinition of Population, Sampling Frame, SampleConvenience Samples, and Proxies instead of Principals

    Principal-Agent Problem Uncontrolled (Unappreciated?)Respondent D iversity Enormous and UncontrolledHighly Ambiguous Terminology D ifferentially InterpretedLists of Likert or not D ata, Masquerading as InformationResponse-Rate Too LowResponse-Count Too LowNon-Response Bias Inadequately Considered

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    Copyright,1995-2002 11

    (Foddy)

    Answers to factual questions are often wrongWhat Respondents say and do are often differentRespondents attitudes and opinions are unstableSmall changes in wording can produce major changes in thedistibution of responsesRespondents commonly misinterpret questionsThe sequence of questions affects answersThe sequence of options affects answersO pen-ended and closed-ended ways of asking the same

    question elicit different resultsMany respondents who dont know answer anywayCultural context affects answers

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    Copyright,1995-2002 12

    e- us ness esearcCommon Problems Research

    ManagementInadequate Relevance to attract industry fundingInadequate Resourcing to achieve the aims:

    Researcher Time

    Supervisor TimeTravel CostsInfrastructure CostsSupport Staffing

    Inadequate Timeframe:grant request, grant, candidate search, candidate preptime-variant phenomena demand longitudinal study

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    e-Business Research

    Population Stratification BUSINESSThe Mythical SME:

    Micro-Enterprises (0- 3 employees)Small Business Enterprises ( 3 - 2 0/100/ 2 00)

    Medium-Sized Business Enterprises (on up to 500)

    Large Business Enterprises (500 - 5,000)

    Conglomerates, Multinational Corporations (MNCs)

    Independent Business Units ( , S, M, L)

    Virtual Business Enterprises ( D ynamic Networks)

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    e-Business ResearchPopulation Stratification GOVERNMENT

    By Function :Service D elivery:

    InsourcedO utsourced(Purchaser/Provider)

    RegulatoryPolicy

    By Level :Supra-National

    NationalRegional / State /Province / Land /Canton / ...

    Local

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    e-Business ResearchPopulation Stratification

    NON-PROFIT / NOT-FOR-PROFITS

    Industry Associations (industry sector)Chambers of Commerce (regional)

    Labour Unions

    Charities

    Co-operatives (economic purpose)

    Community Associations (P&C, Sport, etc.)...

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    Copyright,1995-2002 16

    Non-Empirical Research Techniques

    A Taxonomy (8)Review of Existing LiteratureScholarshipConceptual Research(Contemplative, Armchair)

    Futurism, especially D elphi RoundsScenario-BuildingG ame-Playing or Role-PlayingAnalytical and Simulation Modelling

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    Scientific Research TechniquesA Taxonomy (3+5)

    Laboratory ExperimentationField Experimentation andQuasi-Experimental D esignsForecasting

    ...

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    Interpretivist Research TechniquesA Taxonomy (5+5)

    D escriptive/Interpretive

    Focus G roupAction ResearchEthnographic ResearchG rounded Theory...

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    Research Techniques at the Boundary of Scientific and Interpretivist Research

    A Taxonomy (5)

    Field StudyQuestionnaire-Based SurveyInterview-Based SurveyCase Study

    Secondary Research

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    Engineering Research TechniquesA Taxonomy (5)

    Construction of an ArtefactConception (based on a body of theory)D esign / Creation / Prototyping / TestingApplication

    Destruction of an ArtefactTesting

    Application

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    e-Business ResearchParticularly Suitable Research Techniques

    Field Study / Observation / Case Studiescomplemented by D ocuments, Interviews, small Surveys

    Laboratory Experimentation :Prototype D evelopmentPrototype UsageProduct Usage, but by Real People, not Proxies

    Field Experimentation :Metricated Trial Applications

    Surveys of tightly-defined and -segmented populations

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    Research in e-Business

    Concluding ObservationsA Research D omain, not a D isciplineIn need of the insights of multiple disciplinesIll-served by existing bodies of theoryBreadth and depth are both needed, butholism and integration are very challengingA Research Method generally requires severalcomplementary Research TechniquesRelevance as O bjective; Rigour as ConstraintTechnology, Apps, Implications and Policy