Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques

How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity

We provide a review of the alignment literature in IT, addressing questions such as: What have we learned? What is disputed? Who are contributors to the debate? The article is intended to be useful to faculty and graduate students considering conducting research on alignment, instructors preparing lectures, and practitioners seeking to assess the ‘state-of-play’. It is both informational and provocative. Challenges to the value of alignment research, divergent views, and new perspectives on alignment are presented. It is hoped that the article will spark helpful conversation on the merits of continued investigation of IT alignment.

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IT alignment: what have we learned?

Information systems strategic alignment---the fit between business strategic orientation and information systems (IS) strategic orientation---is an important concept. This study measured business strategic orientation, IS strategic orientation, and IS strategic alignment, and investigated their implications for perceived IS effectiveness and business performance. Analyses of data gathered in a mail survey of North American financial services and manufacturing firms indicated that 1) business strategic orientation, IS strategic orientation, and IS strategic alignment are modeled best by utilizing holistic, ‘systems’ approaches instead of dimension-specific, ‘bivariate’ approaches, 2) three generic IS strategic orientations can be detected, 3) user information satisfaction does not capture important strategic aspects of IS effectiveness, 4) IS strategic alignment is a better predictor of IS effectiveness than is strategic orientation, and 5) business strategic orientation, IS strategic alignment, and IS effectiveness have positive impacts on business performance.

Business strategic orientation, information systems strategic orientation, and strategic alignment : working paper

IS/business alignment has been studied for many years but we do not seem to be any nearer an understanding of the process of alignment. This research, using the grounded theory methodology, indicates that the major concern of IS managers when considering alignment is the ambiguity surrounding the differences between espoused strategies, strategies in use and the actions of business managers that support self-interest. In coping with this ambiguity IS managers at all levels of an organization adopt one of two coping responses: Technological or Collaborative. The choice of response is bounded by various factors making up the Locus of Comprehension and Locus of Control. Each response has certain characteristics that affect both the level and target of alignment. Once a coping response has been established it then becomes extremely difficult to change. The theory has a number of implications in understanding previous research and our investigation into alignment.

/pdf/alignment-resolving-ambiguity-within-bounded-choices-324pp2hf6i.pdf

Alignment: Resolving Ambiguity within Bounded Choices

The role of business analysts and systems analysts appears to be very closely related, and there is no agreement on the definitions of the roles or the required skill set to become one of the said analysts. Though the number of these positions is increasing, the understanding of what the business and systems analysts are remains unclear and differs between organisations. A review of literature shows that there are common roles and skills between the two positions, as well as very distinct roles and skills that are clear. This research has demonstrated that although there is some harmony between the articles and interviews on the distinctions between the business analyst and the systems analyst, there are still discrepancies that can only be understood through further research.

/pdf/the-roles-and-skill-sets-of-systems-vs-business-analysts-scpzs5ey95.pdf

The Roles and Skill Sets of Systems vs Business Analysts

Although alignment has continued to be a major concern of executive IT managers it is still not well understood. Most prior research into alignment has tested theories developed a priori from the literature. The current interpretive research developed a theory of alignment grounded in data collected by interviewing senior business and IT managers. The theory indicates that organisational dynamics coerce IT managers into adopting one of two responses to business strategy ambiguity. They can either collaborate with business peers in an attempt to provide business value, or concentrate on the technology providing a reliable low cost IT service. Subsequent actions of IT managers then tend to reinforce the conditions that led to the adoption of the response creating a reinforcing feedback loop that makes it difficult to change response.

/pdf/strategic-alignment-a-dynamic-process-3phl0oe1qn.pdf

Strategic Alignment: A Dynamic Process

A feature of our research into IS/business alignment is the emphasis by participants on the importance of relationships in alignment but, at the same time, their almost total ignorance of strategy. Focus has since been directed towards strategy development and enactment within organizations. A number of issues important for ISlbusiness alignment research were uncovered. Firstly, strategies that tend to be enacted within organizations have certain characteristics. These characteristics tend to be present in the informal strategies that are never documented but tend to be absent informal strategies. Secondly, there appears to be no guarantee that the strategies that are enacted within an organization are directed toward its well-being. This makes us believe that research and practices that emphasizes the integration of formal business and information systems plans may not be particularly useful. Alignment must consider both the formal and informal strategies that exist simultaneously within an organization. Together, these support the call by previous authors for more emphasis on the social dimension of alignment.

/pdf/the-effect-of-emergent-strategies-on-alignment-1r2okn37tc.pdf

The Effect of Emergent Strategies on Alignment

The originators of the grounded theory methodology argue that a researcher should begin data collection and analysis without having immersed him, or her, self in the extant domain literature. They argue that there is a danger that the researcher will be influenced by the literature and will then tend to collect that data that he, or she, expects to find. Similarly, the interpretation of that data can be influenced by prior reading. However, most supervisors insist that student researchers conduct a thorough literature review prior to commencing data collection and analysis. This situation is unlikely to change, but it has the potential to corrupt the grounded theory being developed. The use of unstructured focus groups as an initial data gathering method is proposed as a means of reducing the impact of a priori reading when using the grounded theory methodology. Using this technique allows subjects to discuss what they think is important, rather than what the researcher thinks is important. This, then, can sensitize the researcher to new data and interpretations not previously considered. An example of the use of unstructured focus groups in a student research project is then provided.

/pdf/a-resolution-of-student-s-grounded-theory-a-priori-reading-2p9r30c314.pdf

A Resolution of Student's Grounded Theory A Priori Reading Dilemma

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