Research Proposal

The diffusion of GIS for (UK and) China: organisational,

political and technological implications for development

in business area

Focus on :

Aims and Methodology

Zunqiu Chen

23rd of June 2000

1. Title:

The diffusion of GIS for (UK and) China: organisational, political and technological

implications for development in business area

2. Why do I need do this research:

2.1 Background:

A number of organisations have successfully applied GIS to their marketing

intelligence and analysis needs. For example: Arby’s, Burger King, The Olive

Garden, Macdonald’s used GIS for market analysis, franchisee selection and

placement, sit location analysis, and demographic profiling (Battista, 1995)

2.2 Problems:

Despite some significant success stories, there has been only a slow diffusion of

awareness of the benefit and application of site evaluation techniques in retailing

generally, and the application of GIS in particular (Clarke, 1995)

2.3 Reasons:

The lack of integration for GIS into business planning process has impeded the

diffusion of geographic information system in business area of developed country as

well as developing country.

At the same time, yet many members of the business research community have

actively examined this technology to date (Mennecke, 1999).

To date, no systematic, theoretically grounded study of GIS implementation across

multiple private-sector organisations has been published (Mennecke, 1999).

Then, there is the issue of How to stimulate and accelerate the diffusion of geographic

information system in business marketing area.

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Clarke (1995) states that four types of factors that have hindered the development of

the use of GIS:

The balance between costs and benefits

The historical development of location and locational marketing strategy within

retail businesses

Establishment of the role of GIS

An appreciation of the competitive advantage to by gained by appropriate use of

GISs

Briefly, the elements affect the integration of GIS into business marketing can be

divided into 3 categories: Technological Determinism, Organisational Determinism,

and Social Interactionism.

3. Aims and Objectives:

Bearing these three principles in mind, the research will use GIS through which to

explore experiences of business geographic information systems development in (UK

and) China:

A number of firms and agencies, in (UK and) China, will be investigated to provide

the necessary information in understanding the business private-sectors in the

undertaking of geographic information systems for their marketing location strategy

decision. The main aims of this thesis are:

To evaluate the process of geographic information technology adoption in the

organisational context and to explore the strategy (if any) of making geographical

information technology choices

To identify in detail where significant GIS adoption has taken place such as site

location analysis, trade area analysis, competitive analysis, etc.

To explore the broader contextual factors, external and internal to agencies, that

may have affected GIS development

To assess how GIS has improved marketing strategy decision making within (UK)

and China

To outline the factors which are necessary for successful implementation of GIS

in developing countries based on implementation experiences of China.

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With these aims in mind this study explores the following, more specific issues,

involved in the implementation of geographic information systems in those private-

sector of China:

The role of government has been considered as critical for influencing the

diffusion of geographic information systems in organisations and societies, and in

the development of supportive geographic information systems infrastructures and

capabilities. This research, therefore, finds it is necessary to explore issues at

national policy level as well as issues at the levels of individual behaviour and

organisational factors including political systems, cultural difference, data

accessibility, user education, etc. Information from these levels provides a picture

of the elements that creates (UK or ) China’s GIS environment.

A survey conducted by Oxford Institute for Retail Management suggested the

relative balance between the costs and benefits of GIS and the historical

development of location and marketing strategy within retail managers slow the

adoption of GIS. The research will seek to evaluate how far this issue is true in the

case of UK/China’s GIS initiatives.

In addition, some (Bawden, 1989, Masser and Campbell, 1991; Goodman, 1993;

Campbell and Masser, 1995) have argued that in the implementation of

information technology, many organisations have failed to draw management

information strategies to identify, for example, user requirements, because of the

lack of the types of information available and ways of sharing data. This has often

resulted in a mismatch between user needs and what they receive. This problem is

views as the reason for GIS data management, decision making (such as decision-

making effectiveness) and collaboration. The researches will evaluate how far

these issues are relevant to China’s organisations.

4. How to carry out the research

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Firstly, I will do literature review. What relevant researches have been done? How

have they been done? What kind of methodology they adopted? What is the

shortcoming? Etc.

Then, theory in organisation and marketing strategy will be reviewed and theoretical

framework will be developed as to guide the empirical and analytical aspects of the

research. At the same time, I will undertake the study of business geographic

information systems to examine the criteria of evaluating business geographic

information systems that will contribute to the research of managing and using GIS

related to technical issues.

For example, in marketing location strategy decision, firstly, I should understand what

retailers need in a more aggressive market environment, e.g.

Monitor their external environment with greater rigour

Manage the information flows within the organisation more effectively and major

decisions with greater certainty

Regarding to Business GIS functions and applications, I have known as the follows:

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Presently, I reviewed the following models:

1. Mennecke’s model.

Research framework for business and management application

This model, to some extent, illustrates the whole procedure of GIS application in a

certain environment. It reflects what kind of information and elements should be

considered and collected in the management & use of GIS. For example, what kinds

of data need to be considered in the data management and the relationship with other

elements showing well in the following framework:

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A Conceptual Model of a Geographic Information System Used For Decision Support

But this model did not explore and illustrate the relationship among GIS

implementation, organisation as well as society. Further theoretical perspectives need

to be explored.

2. The level of organisational information system model

Source: Adapted from Sauer,C. (1983, p;75)

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The objective of web approaches in this sense is to ensure that all possible factors are

investigated in order to understand the organisational context in which GIS is being

implemented.

From that, we can see theoretical framework will lead to guide what kind of

information should be collect as well as the information collection methodology.

4.1 Research focus and methodology

In this step, first, I will focus on how to choose the firms/agencies, which I want to

investigate. Firstly, They should use GIS in their business planning. They should

concentrate more on marketing-strategy as well as general information needs

distinguished from other different types of agencies across (UK and) China. The

firms/agencies also need to be characterised by other distinctive organisational issues.

These relate mainly to technology, human support, and actors that are responsible for

handling, maintaining, and storing, analysing information. These key differences

make it useful to develop a guiding framework to ensure that information from these

firms/agencies was assessed usefully. This framework comprised:

Identification of the firms/agencies for business GIS

Development of guide questions for GIS-related information

4.1.1 Fieldwork Planning and Development

A major objective of the fieldwork was to gather information that could provide

descriptions of firms organisational behaviour in administering and implementing

business GIS, and consequently to observe efforts toward meeting their business

planning goals. At this level, the study of processes and actions and how these are

conditioned by and in turn condition contexts are at the very heart of this research.

‘process’ or ‘action’ is both historical and idiosyncratic.

The theoretical framework was used as a general guide to direct the fieldwork, and in

attempting to explain what was found in the empirical work.

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4.1.2 Approach to information collection

In order to obtain a better understanding of the interaction of different levels, equal

attention was devoted to policy and business Geographic information systems in the

empirical work. A multi-method approach to information collection including direct

observation, interviews, both structured and semi-structured, and extensive use of

archive and other secondary information was adopted. Information will be derived

from multiple levels within firms/agencies and between firms/agencies extending

across regions and the types of organisational actors will be assumed to involve in

contribution. Information will also come from several different levels of professional

and administrative hierarchies.

4.1.3 Pilot Study

Before to carry out the real fieldwork, a pilot study is necessary to be undertaken.

The main aims of the pilot study are:

1. To identify new contact persons and agencies related to business GIS and

marketing location strategy decision

Firstly, use letter to contact firms. Confirmation of appointments can be made by

telephone or email.

2. To develop and improve questions design and format (ability to be understood by

the interviewee answers) and to highlight new issues which may be not initially

included in the interview questions.

3. To highlight problems with practicalities: access, estimation of time required per

firm and area, time of travel between areas, use of tape recorder, expenses

required, etc.

The initial views will greatly help to strengthen the research scope and to identify

relevant issues for further exploration.

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For example: the pilot study might show that the researcher’s initial assumption and

knowledge of each firm’s IS facilities are too simplistic. Different approaches are

required to gain access to each firm.

In addition to understanding the situational issues, many additional names and officers

might be suggested by interviewees. At the end of the pilot study the shortlist of firms

will be finally selected based on a criteria for selection.

4.1.4 Main fieldwork programme

4.1.4.1 Target selection

Following the pilot study firms to be interviewed in the main fieldwork programme

were grouped into several categories:

First, firms actively involved in marketing location strategies decision and need

GIS consultant to help them undertake marketing location strategies decision.

Second, consultant agencies actively involved in business geographic information

systems

Third, firms involved both with marketing location decision strategies and

business GIS evaluating.

4.1.4.2 Information collection techniques

The key methods employed to collect information for this study were first, structured

and semi-structured interviews, guided by set of pre-established questions. Responses

for both types of interview will be tape-recorded (if possible) and, additional notes

were taken. Second, direct observation will be carried out at several firms/agencies.

Third, secondary information collection will be undertaken involving archive

searches, internal and external departmental publications, memos, and letters. More

detailed discussion of these methods follows:

interviews

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Names of firms that will be planned to be interviewed are divided into several

convenient sectors according different geographic areas.

Structured and semi-structured interviews will be used to capture two levels of

information. Structured interviews will be used to obtain, first, an inventory of

computerised facilities in each organisation; and second, to seek clarification and

elaboration of issues particularly related to technical matters. The following guideline

questions might be devised as a basis for the interviews carried out in this structured

format:

1. level of office automation

availability of personal computers

availability of office automation software

2. level of computerisation and availability of Management Information Systems

(MIS)

computerisation in the organisation

availability of MIS

3. Availability of business GIS

Business GIS application

Business GIS database & data structures

Data administration and management procedures

- Database design, data acquisition, data communication, data visualisation,

and multimedia systems.

Business GIS task definition

Business GIS implementation and integration

Planned Business GIS operation

- the layout of the feature on the screen

- the colour and saturation of display objects

- the number and type of display objects used

- the nature of the input and output devices

4. Area of coverage

Relevant digitised database coverage

Coverage level of administration area

5. Classification as information provider or user

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(Depend on type of information available and provided to or required by other

organisation)

6. Information transfer

7. Information sharing and confidentiality

Structured interviews might be carried out with technical staff and such as system

analysts, systems engineers and marketing location strategy planners.

Semi-structured interviews might be used to provide qualitative depth by allowing

interviewees to talk about a subject in terms of their own frames of reference. In other

words the researcher won’t apply a rigid set of questions beforehand because the

purpose is to “understand the issues in the interviewee’s own terms”. The following

themes for example, will be used to guide the discussion with the technical

committee:

The key issues and challenges in launching Business GIS

How business GIS is different to previous traditional GIS

The role of business GIS in helping to firm to develop an integrated marketing

location strategies decision

Direct observation

The main aim of using a direct observational method was to support and cross-check

against information gathered from interviews and secondary source. Webb et al.

(1966) argued that one great strength of observational methods lies in the ease through

which the researcher can gain entrée to the setting, because it is unobtrusive and does

not require direct interaction with participants.

Secondary sources

Secondary information collection will be carried out to understand events and

relationships of past and present situations. For example, before carrying out

interviews searches will be made to develop appropriate questions for selected issues.

After the interviews were conducted, further documentary searches were required to

compare the interviewee’s interpretation and those recorded in documents relating to

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those events such as firms annual reports including statistical reports from educational

departments, statistics departments and human resource departments; economic and

financial reviews; legal documents; and historical literature on business marketing

development.

The final phase of fieldwork involved gathering comparative information on business

GIS in the context of UK/China. Documented material on development and

geographic information technology (in particular on business geographic information

technology) will be searched as further secondary sources.

4.1.2 Information analysis

Information analysis will be divided into four main stages

Organising structured interview material;

Translating and transcribing structured and semi-structured interviews;

Classifying and analysing transcribed information

Coding the transcribed information

4.1.2.1 organising interview material

Structured information consisted of written notes relating to quantitative and semi-

quantitative information, such as existing and planned computerised facilities, and

taped-recorded answers which were generally used to clarify the written notes. The

products from these interviews will be organised into tables, and recorded material

will be translated and transcribed for subsequent interpretation alongside the tabular

information. Problems and issues highlighted by the officer, such as data and

communication for example, are also included in this analysis.

4.1.2.2 translating and transcribing

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Translation will be required because part of interviews will be conducted in the

Chinese language. As each recording will be transcribed it will be also translated into

English.

4.1.2.3 classifying and analysing information using qualitative software

To help make sense of the information collected, the qualitative data software package

: Minitab/SPSS/HyperRESEARCH might be used. As Crang (1997) notes, the time

needed for learning a software package should not be underestimated, although this

can sometimes form a barrier rather than helping the analysis to progress. In addition,

different software packages have their own strengths and weaknesses.

HyperRESEARCH provide more sophisticated ways of storing and accessing,

exploring and constructing knowledge from the data. HyperRESEARCH takes a

specific approach to hypothesis testing. However, in general these packages maintain

similar basic capabilities and, they offer assistance in the management of complex

data. Crang (1997) argued that “ they help speed up sorting through your materials, so

instead of piles of paper or coloured pens the computer keeps codes assigned to

different sections of text… the allow very quick retrieval of all sections labelled with

a certain code” (p.187)

In this study the software will be used to help analyse information within

organisations to make comparison between firms/agencies, (and to compare China

organisations with those in UK.)

For this research enormous files will be created containing interviews and secondary

sources, with each file comprising, on average, several pages of text. Each case will

be allocated on folder which contains files (documents) from related interviews. The

next stage is to identify key common factors within each folder, through the process

of ‘coding’.

4.1.2.4 coding

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The process of coding might take many forms (This is based on the software of

HyperRESEARCH). For this study auto-coding might be used as a start to scan

phrases and words most commonly appeared in documents such as training, skills,

education, etc. The purpose of auto-coding, then, is to carry out a quick preliminary

coding of each document. Many levels of re-coding are necessary to create a better

understanding of the codes thus generated. When these auto-codes are reviewed the

package allows one to read the coded passage ad to refine descriptions. This process is

repeated several times so that meanings of themes raised in interviews became clearer.

An example of the coding process:

4.1.2.5 Analysing and Reporting

HyperRESEARCH will be used to explore relationships between codes for the

different cases and to identify which cases contain certain combinations of codes,

helping to draw out themes that are embedded in the information. Using these

information, issues related to organisational, technical and institutional factors from

both focal and broader contexts into several perspectives will be evaluated; some

understanding of the relationships within the business GIS’s social contexts-

participants, the infrastructure and previous commitments to the broader environment,

such as social and political elements will also be produced.

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5 Contribution

The finding will provide more information about managing GIS through the

implementation and operational phases of its life cycle. This research will reveal the

problem in depth related to organisational impacts of GIS, collaborative issues,

decision-making effectiveness, and factors affecting human perception. It will

generate a better understanding this technology and its role in managing and operating

business organisations in marketing location strategy decision. Therefore, the

information from this research will contribute to the development of a strategy for

enforcing the application of business GIS.

6 Reference

Battista, C. (1994) Billboard Companies Drop Pushpins for Geographic

Technologies. Business Geographies, Vol.2, No.3, pp: 34-35

Campbell, H. and Masser, I. (1995) GIS and Organisations: How effective are GIS

in practice? Taylor and Francis, London

Crang, M. (1997) Analysing Qualitative Materials, In: Flowerdew, R. and Martin, D.

(eds.) Methods in Human Geography: a guide for students doing a research project,

pp: 183-196, Longman, Essex

Clarke, I. And Rowley, J. (1995) A Case for Spatial Decision-support Systems In

Retail Location Planning. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

Vol.23, No.3, pp: 47-54

Mennecke, B.E. (1997) Understanding the Role of Geographic Information

Technologies in Business: Application and Research Directions. Journal of

Geographic Information and Decision Analysis. Vol.1, No.1, pp: 44-68

Bawden, D. (1989) The Evaluation of Information Systems, Aldershot, Gower

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Goodman, P.S. (1993) Implementation of New Information Technology, In: Masser,

I. And Onsrud, H.J. (eds.) Diffusion and Use of Geographic Information

Technologies, pp: 45-57, Kluwer Academic, The Netherlands

Masser, I. And Campell, H. (1991) Conditions for The Effective Utilisation of

Computers in Urban Planning in Developing Countries. Computers, Environment and

Urban Systems, 15, pp: 55-67

Webb, E.J., Campbell, D.T., Schwartz, R.D. and Sechrest, L. (1966) Unobtrusive

Measures: non-reactive research in the social sciences, Rand McNally, Chicago

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