The Impact of National Culture On the Meaning of Information System Success

This article explores how people from different national cultures; France, Canada and Germany, define and perceive information systems success. Research has confirmed that different national cultures define information systems success differently. However, there were many limitations in this research.

1. The research was only done on one single multinational organization.

2. The number of respondents in the study was limited.

Despite the research limitations, multinational organizations should know that the implemenation as well as long term success of a standard information system will not be the same througout countries. Information quality and other systems based concepts are defined diffrently among cultures.

This article supports the chapter and the case study on Nestle's globalized IT system. It is extremely difficult to implement a standardized system throughout countries that not only use different IT systems, but perceive the success of an information system differently. This is largely due to the vast array of cultures and languages across the globe.

This study analyzed countries that were relatively similar compared to an African or Middleastern country and there were still a great difference in the countries perception. There is no doubt that it is easier to use different IT systems in a multinational organization. I know that McKesson uses different IT systems throughout the world and its main branches are in the United States, Europe, and Australia. All relatively similar compared to the possibilties globally. I respect what Nestle has tried to accomplish in standardizing its system, it is no easy task!

Hafid Agourram, John Ingham. (2007). The impact of national culture on the meaning of information system success at the user level. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 20(6), 641-656. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Nestle Tries for an All-for-One Global Strategy

2. What type of global business and systems strategy did Nestle adopt? Was this strategy appropriate for Nestle's business model?

In the past, Nestle allowed each local organization to conduct business in its chosen manner. This decentralized approach allowed for differences in culture and language between each branch. At one point, there were eighty different information technology systems utilized. However, Nestle decided to abandon that traditional approach in managing a multinational company. It wanted to standardize all business processes globally to better serve its customers. It wanted to adopt a single set of business processes and systems for procurement, distribution, and sales management. They wanted to operate as a single country globally.

According to the norm, this was not the appropriate strategy for Nestle's business model. However, it seems to be working despite IT budgeting, data capacity, and delays in implementing the system across all branches. Nestle has achieved better operational efficiencies and is much closer to standardizing all processes, data, and systems. I really didn't think this would work as I read the case study, but it looks like Nestle could reach this goal in the near future.

3. What management, organization, and technology challenges did Nestle have to deal with to standardize its business processes and systems?

Nestle had the overwhelming task of merging eighty different information technology units into one designed system. None of its products are considered to be a truly global brand, so standardizing its processes and systems is quite complex. The biggest challenge Nestle faced was not technical, but personal. Previous attempts in developing cooperate standards had mixed results, most branches responded to the idea in a negative manner. Branches stated how a standard system wouldn't work globally. Branch managers feared the loss of decision-making power. Initially, the project staff was not large enough to design such a system.

Then there was the time challenge, the deadline for the rollout of the new standardized IT system was changed several times. This was also a large financial investment to embark on. Nestle had to invest billions of dollars in this project and still had the challenge to stay in budget. It was challenged to implement the new business processes concurrently with the new systems while not making it noticeable to anyone outside of the company. Managers and workers had no time to train on the system before it was deployed. Finally, Nestle had to deal with some technical issues as the system rolled out across the globe. Specifically, Canada had a problem with the amount of data storage it was allotted to allow for promotion data.

Great Project Management = IT Success

This article is closely related to the material discussed in the chapter. Kropf and Scalzi explain that it can be difficult to implement new information technology. They specifically analyze IT in health care. Senior management and professional project management must work together to overcome significant obstacles during IT implementation. Kropf and Scalzi suggest that a team of trained project managers should be created to monitor the progress of the implementation and provide accessible information form all projects. Software tools can be utilized by the team to collect, analyze and communicate the information on projects.

Health care organizations should:

1. Hire a staff member certified in project management or send an existing staff member for project management training.

2. Form a project management office (PMO). The PMO can free physicians to focus on the development of IT projects that can create benefits to the organization.

3. Appoint someone that can make decisions on money spent on IT.

I think that these 3 suggestions should definitely be implemented by health care organizations designing new information systems. As the chapter, case study and this article reiterate, a project management team should be experienced, have the proper support and knowledge to minimize risks.

Roger Kropf, Guy Scalzi. (2008). Great Project Management = IT Success. Physician Executive, 34(3), 38-40. Retrieved June 1, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

What Went Wrong with Maine's New Medicaid System?

1. How important are information systems for Maine's Department of Health and Human Services? Analyze the impact of its faulty Medicaid claims processing system.


Information systems are critical to Maine's Department of Health and Human Services. Its new Medicaid claims processing system was rejecting claims much more frequently than its old system had. Due to the rejected and frozen claims, the Bureau of Medical Services could not keep up with the processing and number of phone calls in relation to these claims. Some of the Medicaid providers were forced to turn away patients and even close operations because they were not compensated properly. Several others had to seek financing to maintain operations. Maine's finances became threatened as well due to the large segment of the state budget that Medicaid had in the past. The system created overpayments totaling $9 million. This huge disaster cost the state millions of dollars to fix. Maine became the only state not to satisfy the HIPAA requirements.


5. If you were in charge of managing this project, what else would you have done differently to increase the chances for success?


Well I wouldn't have implemented a brand new information system or I would have only went with a designer that already had created a similar successful system for another state. Considering the time constraint and lack of knowledge in creating such an elaborate system, I wouldn't have taken this risk. If it had been decided to create a new system, I would most definitely have done things differently. I would have appointed a Medicaid expert to work with the designer full-time from the beginning. Communication between the designer and Medicaid team would be highly emphasized. I would have also created some sort of online training session for providers to learn how to fill out the claim forms correctly. This would have greatly reduce several of the claim rejections.

Physicians Get Help in Safe Medication Prescribing

This article informs how Duke University Hospital and McKesson have developed a solution to simplify complex drug dosing. McKesson has announced the introduction of its new Advanced Dosing functionality for Horizon Expert Orders, McKesson's clinical decision support (CDS) and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system to help increase the accuracy and safety of medication prescribing for high-risk, complex patients.

Duke believes that the Advanced Dosing solution can aid pediatric and neonatal units where specialized approaches to weight and age-based dosing are required. Small miscalculations in these units can cause significant problems. Inputting relevant criteria into the system at the time of ordering reduces the cognitive burden on prescribers. This burden has been created from the increase in number of drugs along with the increasing volume and complexity of drug information. These systems span virtually all settings of healthcare and are used with more than 50 million clinical transactions per week. McKesson has lead major breakthroughs in patient safety and was the first to introduce a point-of-care-bar-code medication administration solution which prevents more than 700,000 medication errors weekly.

As an employee of McKesson, I am a close witness of what amount of energy and focus is directed toward these information systems. We are constantly educated and trained on how these systems can benefit hospitals. I have had a few clients that have purchased these systems and they feel that have made a good investment. Here is a link to where I point my clients in regard to our patient and medication safety products.

http://www.mckesson.com/en_us/McKesson.com/For%2BHealthcare%2BProviders/Hospitals/Patient%2Band%2BMedication%2BSafety/Patient%2Band%2BMedication%2BSafety.html

Our Horizon Expert Orders™ software solution was created by clinicians for clinicians to specifically address the common barriers to physician adoption of computerized physician order entry (CPOE), focusing on the clinical decision-making process instead of order entry. McKesson’s Horizon Expert Orders solution features proven clinical content driven through a simple clinical interface and intuitive workflow that supports the way physicians practice medicine. The benefits from this systems include; overcoming traditional barriers to physician adoption, delivering real-time clinical decision support, and improving patient safety.

Physicians Get Help in Safe Medication Prescribing. (3 March). Business Wire. Retrieved May 14, 2008, from ProQuest Newsstand database.

Can Information Systems Make Your Doctor Better?

1. What problems are hospitals and physicians encountering in diagnosing diseases and prescribing medications? What management organization, and technology factors are responsible for these problems?

Many doctors struggle to identify diseases or misdiagnose patients. Substantial drug errors resulting in injury to over 1.5 million Americans. These drug errors include drug interactions, inappropriate prescriptions and forgetting secondary prescriptions. These preventable drug errors may result in $3.5 billion in additional billing annually to patients. Many of these errors can be attributed to human errors including; poor handwriting, memory lapses, fatigue, distractions and the total volume and complexity of available medications. Some information systems used to prevent these errors actually create new ways of making errors because of their design.


3. What obstacles prevent computer systems from improving the medical industry? How can these obstacles be removed?

One obstacle includes designing the information systems too much for physicians rather than nurses, who feel the greater impact from these systems. Designers of these information systems must acknowledge who will be utilizing the systems most frequently and accommodate these nurses. Another drawback of these systems are that they can be more rigid than traditional paperwork, not allowing a physician to write orders until a patient is admitted. Duke has addressed this problem by adding a new unit to the system that permits virtual admissions of patients.

Doctors and nurses must trust the system and not ignore automated prompts, which can be another obstacle. Many doctors resist the idea of needing help remembering procedures and treatments. To remove this obstacle, medical staff need to be informed of the accuracy of these systems and be educated on the time-saving component of these systems. Finally, some doctors argue that Diagnostic Decision-Support systems have not proved to be more successful than human diagnostics. They also grown at the cost and time involved with these systems. Physicians need to be provided with a ROI calculation and all the data that proves that these systems can prevent errors, which ultimately saves lives and money.

Analysis: Stripping the eBay Mall of Its Community Spirit?

Some users have become upset with eBay's new transition from an "unruly flea market" to a "strip mall". Some have grown so angry, that they have called for a global boycott of eBay. This anger stems from the introduction of a newly implemented policy of not allowing sellers to leave neutral or negative feedback. Before this policy, eBay traders have been able to rate each other, which allows small sellers to build a good reputation, and to respond to buyers' false comments. This new policy change makes it look to favor big sellers. In addition, eBay recently raised the fee payable on sales from 5.25% to 7.25% of the final sales price and reduced the item insertion fee. These new changes are to lower the initial cost of selling on the online marketplace. eBay announced that these changes will enable the trust within the eBay community to flourish again.

Some business critics agree with eBay by stating that its core business is no different from Amazon.com and that allowing sellers to criticize buyers is not a good idea. Buyers don't like to be criticised in the real world. eBay explains that they have leveled out the playing field for buyers and sellers. However, eBay needs to be careful not to lose the sense of community that has made it so popular. Its recent changes may keep it above its competitors, but it must be careful not to alienate its users.

I have experience as both a buyer and seller on eBay. When I closed my massage spa a few years ago, I sold much of the equipment I had in the spa on eBay to reduce my total investment lost. I have also purchased personal items on the online marketplace. I feel that eBay shouldn't have implemented these new changes. The concept of eBay works so well because there seemed to be an even playing field between buyers and sellers. I know that sellers don't often criticise buyers outside of this online marketplace, but most sellers aren't like eBay users. In essence, sellers on eBay are its customers, not the buyers. The sellers are the ones that pay the fees to insert an item online as well as pay a percentage of the sales price. You want to keep these sellers or "customers" happy, so limiting the service for your customer is not a good idea. I realize that all business evolve to sustain a competitive advantage, but these are the wrong changes to implement. If eBay is concerned about sellers criticizing buyers, have a running count of how many negative comments a seller posts, this would indicate if a seller is abusing this feature.

Screenshot of eBay feedback screen:

Analysis: Stripping the eBay mall of its community spirit? (2008, May). Marketing Week,8. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Can eBay Continue Growing?

2. What are the problems that eBay is currently facing?

eBay is facing a considerable more amount of problems than what I had imagined.

a. Its growth rates have slowed in the United States and Germany, but that is being offset by the increased revenue received within new markets. However, it is still trying to make an impact in the Chinese online auction market.

b. eBay has had trouble penetrating certain consumer markets including; real estate, travel, new-car sales, and expensive collectibles. It hopes that it's new VoIP technology will allow for better communication between buyers and sellers in these markets. Many top sellers aren't interested in adding voice calls to their sales models.

c. It has become difficult to monitor compliance with the variety of laws and regulations that apply in different jurisdictions. eBay may be liable if its members sell unlawful goods or defame one another in eBay's Feedback Forum.

d. Its largest challenge is to keep honesty and integrity within its auctions. Some buyers have stated that eBay does not do enough to prevent sellers from collecting inflated fees for goods that are not legitimate or do not exist. Other users complain how eBay hasn't tackled the problems of identity theft and fraud on its website.

e. eBay has the continual problem with satisfying two opposite types of users; buyers and sellers. Customer service suffers as a result.

5. Will eBay be successful in the long run? Why or why not?

Yes, I believe that eBay will be successful in the long run. It is addressing the number of challenges it currently faces with probable solutions. Its growth relys on the continual enhancement of technology available. Recent partnerships have offered beneficial technology to the eBay community including eBay Community Wiki and MyCollectibles. eBay also makes a special effort to keep in touch with its users by hosting meetings of buyers and sellers to address issues. Overall, the value of its service bears out the inconveniences and drawbacks. Many users are more comfortable with eBay's name and service over other online marketplaces. eBay has to focus on keeping the eBay community happy and loyal by making them feel secure and providing them with the latest technological capabilities.

How Video Ads Will Change Google Forever

This article discusses how Google is operating a test program that allows certain AdWord advertisers to post video clips with their ads. As of right now, AdWord adverisers must limit their advertisement message to 70 characters. The new video advertisement feature might also change the current cost-per-click payment struture.

I have a Google AdWords account for my business, Baja Tan. It has been a great tool to advertise my business service. You determine the search words you would like your ad to display on after a search. You can ad hundreds of different combinations of words if you like, I chose about 20. Then you set your monthly budget amount and maximum bid amount. You only pay for the impression if a web searcher clicks on your ad. You may log on anytime to view the ad campaign's performance. It records the number of impressions and clicks for each keyword along with the total charge.

Screenshot of my AdWords Campaign:

I think that video would be a nice addition to this service. Yellowpages.com already offers this video advertising service. You pay a monthly fee each month instead of using cost-per-click pricing. It is a directory service, not a search engine. My yellowpages.com ad rep asked if I would like to place a video along my ad and I declined because of the high pricing. Here is a link to my ad on Yellowpages.com, the video would be positioned to the right of the ad.

http://www.yellowpages.com/name/Milwaukee-WI/baja-tan?search_mode=all&search_terms=baja+tan

The photo and link below is a sample provided to me by my sales rep, Ocean Mystique Ink Gallery.

http://www.yellowpages.com/name/VA/ocean-mystique?search_mode=all&search_terms=ocean+mystique+

I also have an account with Yahoo Marketing Solutions. It's not as effective as Google AdWords. However, the same features are included; cost-per-click pricing, display ad, reports, budget and bid setting. Below is a screenshot from my Yahoo account.

I will utilize Google's video feature if it becomes available to everyone because I would be able to set a reasonable budget and pay per click. It's difficult to fit your ad within the 70 character limit and a picture is worth a thousand words. I look forward to this new tool by Google.

Danny Sullivan (2008, February). How video ads will change Google's AdWords forever. Advertising Age, 79(8), 22. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Google Takes on the World

2. What are Google's sources of competitive advantage? How does it provide value to its users?


I think that Google has several sources of competitive advantage. The search engine technology that combined the Page's PageRank system and Brin's Web crawler was initially the competitive advantage because Google's searches became so effective. Today, I think there are other search engines that use similar technologies, but Google's IT infrastructure is it's biggest source of competitive advantage. It has 450,000 servers between 25 locations around the world. The servers use inexpensive hardware to run a customized version of Linux operating system, MapReduce, Google WorkQueue, and Google File System. These programs simplify processing, create large data sets, groups queries and schedule them for distributed processing, and keeps copies of data in several places so that the data will always be available even if a server fails.

Google spends a third of what its competitors spend to generate a similar amount of computing power. Its infrastructure is flexible and inexpensive which creates a competitive advantage. Its competitive advantage creates value to its users. Google performs searches at a fast rate and provides its users with many different Web-based services and software tools. Google's Adwords provides value to advertisers by positioning the most relevant ads in the most prominent positions from keyword searches. As a business owner, this has been a great valued service to me. My article discusses this Web-based service further. Other services and software tools that create value to its users include; Google Spreadsheets, Google Apps, Google Toolbar, Google News, Gmail, Google Desktop Search, Froogle, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Checkout and Google Video.

5. How successful do you think Google will be in the future?

I think that Google will continue to be a huge success in the future. Despite the case study mentioning the possibility of Microsoft taking shares of the market in search technology, Google has several other great services and tools to offer its users. Google can avoid Microsoft's past strategies to overcome competition since its applications are Web-based and not tied to the Windows operating system. Google is a company that is constantly looking for ways to grow through innovation, I think it will be around for quite awhile. I know that I use several of Google's services which Microsoft doesn't even offer at this point. I realize that Google may not provide services that all become popular, but certain innovations will be greatly used. It should also continue to focus on its core competency, the search engine. It needs to focus on Microsoft's "deep Web" searches and determine a way to do the same.

Viable Computing Options

I found an excellent article that related to the rise of Linux and open-source software section of Chapter 5. The article brings up the fact that there has been a lot of talk about an open-source revolution coming, but Linux might be the software that creates this revolution. In the past, Linux was primarily used by IT pros and PC hobbyists, but that is rapidly changing. Today customer perceptions have changed and large tech firms such as Dell are seeing the power and flexibility of this open-source software. Windows software must be purchased and is rigid, while Linux is free and can be modified by users. In late 2007, Walmart began selling Everex's Linux-based PCs for $200. This PC is much lower in cost than the machines anchored by Microsoft's and Apple's operating systems. Linux can do all the basic things that most people use a computer for; surf the net, email, and write documents. Now Sun Microsystem's Open Office and Mozilla's Firefox can run on Linux. Therefore, Linux-based PCs could be a great fit for individuals getting their first computer or small businesses using multiple workstations. The major drawback to the software is the time and possible training costs spent learning an alternative operating system.

I personally think that the Linux revolution may not ever come. I definitely think that there will be an increased amount of use of this open-source software, but it won't be the most used operating system. I think Microsoft and Apple will develop operating systems that are less expensive and involved then their current systems. The time spent training an employee on Linux could very well exceed the cost difference between the two operating systems. I think that Dell has made the right move by offering both Linux and Windows Vista on some of it's PCs. Let the consumer make the decision on which operating system they would utilize the most, maybe having both is the correct choice.

Jabulani Leffall (2008, April). VIABLE COMPUTING OPTIONS. Black Enterprise, 38(9), 60. Retrieved April 18, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1463787951).

Merrill Lynch Connects Past and Future Technology

1. Why did Merrill Lynch need to update its IT infrastructure?

Merrill Lynch needed to update its IT infrastructure in order to remain competitive in the financial market. Its last five years of success was largely due to its information technology infrastructure. Merrill Lynch's IT infrastructure was one of its key competitive advantages. The key in remaining successful in business is sustaining a competitive advantage over time. So, it had to continue to modernize its technology infrastructure to sustain this competitive advantage.

4. Do you think that Merrill Lynch's decision to sell off its successful technology initiatives was a good idea? Why or Why not?

No, I don't think that selling its successful technology initiatives was a good idea. This IT technology helps them sustain its competitive advantage. Part of the deal was for Jim Crew, then head of database infrastructure for Merrill Lynch, and three other key members of the X4mL to shift their employment to the buyer, SOA Software. These four people are to continue to enhance the tool for SOA software. I realize that Merrill Lynch has sold internally developed technology before and it greatly helped its IT budget, but I still don't agree with the decision. Merrill Lynch should have protected that technology, to sustain its competitive advantage. At the very least, it could have sold the technology to customers for $125,000 per customer. That revenue could go towards its IT budget. Finally, I think that the biggest lost was of the four key employees. These employees were a great asset to the company as human capital. They could have continued to develop and enhance programs to sustain Merrill Lynch's competitive advantage.

Wiretapping, whistleblowing and IT ethics

I found a closely related article to the Chapter 4 case study on how the telephone company is violating our privacy. The article brings up several ethical questions. Mark Klein, a retired AT&T employee, announced that "An exact copy of all Internet traffic that flowed through critical AT&T cables...was being diverted to equipment inside the secret room." The NSA had taken wiretapping beyond phone lines and was monitoring everything coming through AT&T's Internet wires. There are secret rooms set up in communication facilities like AT&T across the country. The NSA is not being selective in its monitoring, but observing all communication. The government is analyzing connections rather than content. The problem with this monitoring is that the NSA could incorrectly accuse an innocent person of terrorist activity or gather information for future cases not related to terrorism. The author of the article goes on to ask if you were Klien, the man working for AT&T, would you have blown the whistle knowing that it could cost you your job?

Since we discussed the ethical issue of wiretapping in the case study, I'm going to discuss what choice I would have made in Klien's situation. I would have most definitely blown the whistle on AT&T's involvement in wiretapping. This is too large of an ethical issue to be overlooked and needed to be reported upon immediately. It's one thing to witness a coworker using the copy machine for personal use, but quite another to know of an ethical wrong at this level. I think that Klien made a good choice and I'm sure a future employer would look upon this act favorably. There are several business owners that would appreciate this honesty and ethical behavior.

Mark Gibbs (2007, November). Wiretapping, whistleblowing and IT ethics. Network World, 24(44), 54. Retrieved April 10, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1388463031).

Is the Telephone Company Violating Your Privacy?

1. Yes, I think that the increased surveillance power and capability of the U.S. government presents an ethical dilemma. There is a question of this behavior being right or wrong for the U.S. government and U.S. citizens. The government wants the best information available to fight the war on terror, while citizens want to have safety along with privacy. The government can explain how this increased power benefits citizens, but citizens can argue that it intrudes on their privacy. A question of this being right or wrong is created because the ethical principles are in conflict with each other.

2. The ethical issue is if the U.S. government is right in obtaining data from all citizens to fight the war on terror. The U.S. government can argue how doing so will provide a great benefit for the war on terror. If they citizens want safety from future terrorist attacks, they must give up some of their privacy. U.S. citizens can argue that privacy and freedoms must always be provided regardless of the situation. It's not right to have the U.S. government analyzing private calls of U.S. citizens. So, a great ethical dispute is created from the government's use of telecommunications data to fight terrorism.

5. I feel like there is a more effective solution to this ethical dilemma. I believe that the Fourth Amendment is extremely important to uphold regardless of the situation. This country needs to continue to honor its citizens rights and privacy, but it also has the responsibility to protect its citizens. I think that stricter rules need to be set by the Senate Judiciary Committee on the NSA wiretapping program. There needs to be boundaries established and more visibility of the program.

Blockbuster vs. Netflix: Which Will Win Out?

1. Blockbuster's business model is the rental and sale of movies primarily at retail locations. Its main source of distributing its service and products is through its many bricks-and-mortar locations throughout 25 countries. However, since the emergence of Netflix, it also began an online subscription service in attempt to keep its large share in the movie rental market. The new business model has had mixed reviews. Netflix has more subscribers than Blockbuster's Movie Pass subscribers and is more user friendly. Blockbuster has also lost revenue from implementing its "No More Late Fees" campaign.

4. Netflix has become quite successful over the past 10 years. It has become the number one online movie rental service. It's online ordering and delivery through the mail has drastically changed the movie rental industry. Its business model eliminated the need for physical locations, which eliminates a large fixed cost. Currently, Netflix has over six million subscribers and continues to grow.

5. I think that both businesses will lose revenue from the new movie distributors emerging; VOD technology, Movielink, Apple and Amazon. Blockbuster will suffer the most because it has a large fixed cost from its thousands of physical locations around the world. Blockbuster has already closed several locations and continues to see increased losses. The entrance of these new competitors might be the end to Blockbuster. Its subscription service is inferior to Netflix and there is little growth potential for this bricks-and-mortar business today.