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Faced with the common problem of dissatisfaction with the outcome of investments in information systems (IS), the IS community has long sought ways to improve information systems development (ISD). This paper reports on action research (AR) that sought to improve the effectiveness a UK university’s student record system (SRS), which had exhibited persistent problems. Critical systems thinking (CST) is seen to have value for ISD and was used to guide the AR. In the first stage of this research, the issues with the initial design of the SRS were identified to have largely resulted from insufficient elicitation of the underlying assumptions about, and perspectives on, complex organisational issues. The second stage centred on examining the situation from an “ought” perspective analysing what should be done and how, in order to develop creative solutions to the problems uncovered. The third stage involved recommending solutions to address the problems identified in order to improve the effectiveness of the SRS. Overall, the AR indicates that CST enables those involved to view the design and implementation of the SRS as a holistic system, critically reflect upon broad and complex human, technological and organisational issues from different perspectives, and thereby identify creative solutions. The main contribution of this research is in generating support for an ISD intervention guided by CST. The results of, and the understanding developed from, this intervention are likely to be relevant to the problems that frequently occur in similar situations.

This paper presents the results of a survey that gathered evidence regarding the current status of Six Sigma adoption and implementation in Saudi Arabia. Although Six Sigma has become the focus of business for a quarter of a century, the philosophy has not gained the same attention in developing countries. Moreover, little academic research has been carried out on the extent of Six Sigma implementation in these countries. The study focuses on Six Sigma implementation among the fortune 100 manufacturing and service firms in Saudi Arabia since they represent the most important organisations operating in the country and could serve as an indicator for the extent of Six Sigma adoption. The results indicate that the rate of Six Sigma implementation is less than 32% of respondents. Reasons behind Six Sigma implementation, popularity of Six Sigma compared with other similar initiatives, Six Sigma implementation success factors, tools and techniques used, level of training, barriers and impediments in the impleme...

This paper is about an intervention that was initially concerned with physical processes but which required consideration of information flows and culture. The investigation was intended to improve the processing strategy and operations of an organization in the East Slovakian Coal Industry. Simulation modelling was used to help the debate, and it helped reveal issues of misunderstanding within the organization and poor communication that led to misallocation of resources. New ways of approaching the process were proposed that would lead to significant reductions in coal waste.

PurposeExternal knowledge is generally believed to be of prime importance to small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). However, a review of the literature shows that no empirical research has looked at knowledge management issues at the inter‐organizational level in SMEs. This paper seeks to report on an empirical investigation with UK SMEs in the service sector to identify their needs and practices regarding inter‐organizational knowledge transfer, and thus provide empirical evidence to support the above belief.Design/methodology/approachA two‐tier methodology (i.e. using both questionnaire survey and interview approaches) is deployed to address the main research objectives. A questionnaire survey of SMEs is carried out to investigate their current inter‐organizational knowledge transfer situation and managers' perception on various relevant issues. Then 12 face‐to‐face interviews with SME managers are conducted to further validate key findings drawn from the questionnaire survey.FindingsThe empirical evidence collected from the survey and interviews confirms the general belief that external knowledge is of prime importance for SMEs, and demonstrates that SMEs have very strong needs for external knowledge and inter‐organizational knowledge transfer.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings provide very strong underpinning for further theoretical research on inter‐organizational knowledge transfer in SMEs. However, this study has certain limitations: its results may not be applicable to other industrial sectors or the same sector in other countries; or to micro or large companies; nor does it involve cross‐cultural issues.Originality/valueBy adopting a two‐tier research methodology, this study provides more reliable understanding and knowledge on SMEs' inter‐organizational knowledge transfer needs and practices, and fills the gap that exists in the empirical investigations on the subject.

The notion of incorporating knowledge management (KM) in the healthcare sector has recently witnessed a lot of interest, both from healthcare practitioners and scholars. KM for healthcare is a new issue for stakeholders, so there exists very limited research (particularly empirical) to provide guidance, either from an academic or an organisational perspective. This paper attempts to contribute to the adoption of KM in the clinical and healthcare sectors by collecting and analysing relevant data on technological, organisational and managerial perspectives on KM. This paper provides an analysis of a case study which examines current practices towards healthcare information management. The outcome of the study has been the creation of a detailed picture of the information mechanisms that currently are being used, and which will continue to be used in the future, to provide KM solutions for the healthcare sector.

Change is now a constant feature of organizational life, but the effectiveness of change management initiatives is often open to question. By reflecting on a case of change management involving a Higher Education Institution (HEI), this paper argues that, to be more effective, organizational change must be managed systemically. The paper first provides a systemic conceptual underpinning to change management, and then examines the case by comparing what had really happened with what might have happened if organizational change had been managed systemically. The analysis helps build an improved understanding of change management, and provides implications for future change management practice.

Change is now a key concern of most business organizations, but the management of change (MOC) appears weak, with research suggesting that, at least in part, the methodologies used are responsible for this weakness. By outlining an alternative systemic MOC framework for action, and pointing to how this might be applied, this paper recommends an approach to MOC which seeks to address some of these current methodological shortcomings. A critical examination and classification of organizational change are conducted, leading to a categorization of approaches to change, and allowing critical assessment of the benefits and limitations of current approaches. Systems perspectives and their relevance to MOC are discussed, and by combining MOC and systems perspectives a systemic MOC framework is developed. This study suggests that MOC is characterized by diversity and interaction, for which systemic perspectives are more appropriate than the approaches currently applied. The systemic framework developed is thus seen to be a useful way of helping understand and manage organizational change more effectively

This study draws on relevant literature from Europe and the USA to show that there have been a number of reported failures of Executive Information Systems (EISs) in practice over the last decade. Design concerns, such as data access, ease of use, and graphical presentation, have been emphasised, but there is no consensus in the literature as to what may be critical to EIS success. The results of a survey of UK executives is used to suggest that the central focus of EIS design and implementation should be on the scanning of corporate external environmental information and the provision of meaningful strategic information.

Business process reengineering (BPR) is widely applied. However, its high failure rates give much cause for concern and call for more research, thus future BPR programmes might be implemented more successfully. Reports on one such research programme. Based on a holistic perspective, it critiques BPR as an approach to change management, in which four types of organisational change are classified: change in process, structure, culture, or power distribution. They are often seen to be interrelated, thus the management of the interaction is central. BPR, it is argued, is powerful in addressing process change, but incapable of dealing with other types of organisational change. Suggests that if BPR is to be applied successfully, either its usage needs to be restricted to change situations where process dominates, or a holistic approach is needed to help address adequately change situations where different types of organisational change are surfaced.

While total quality management (TQM) has been widely applied in the management of change, and is likely to remain a priority into the next century, failure rates at times above 75 per cent give cause for concern. The study on which this paper is based has reviewed TQM as an approach to change management. Four interrelated classifications of organisational change are presented: change as structure (or “functional change”), process, values, or power distribution. Of these, it is contended, TQM adequately addresses only process change, with incidences of failure closely correlated to the application of process‐based TQM techniques in change contexts characterised by structure, values or power. This study suggests that, for TQM to be applied successfully, either an approach is required which adequately addresses all types of change context (a so‐called “systemic” approach), or its application needs to be restricted to those contexts where process dominates.

The results of a survey of UK executives is used to suggest that the central focus of EIS design and implementation should be on the scanning of corporate external environmental information and the provision of meaningful strategic information.

Business-process reengineering (BPR), like computer information systems development (ISD), deals primarily with process and contains only weak facilities for addressing structure and culture. Manufacturing and ISD have strong roots in the functionalist traditions of natural science, and in a cultural environment their engineering stance deals poorly with obstacles to change. While the structured, or “hard,” engineering approaches have given rise to successful developments, they have not always proved effective. In ISD, the hard engineering methods have a tendency to redefine information systems problems as problems of technical development, and similarly in engineering contexts, BPR risks becoming too focused on technical processes. However, failure to gain commitment and a sense of ownership in new processes is a cause of failure in both BPR and ISD. This article explores a case study where both technical and human issues must be addressed—the extension of student record processing within a university. In this study, the BPR requirement is seen to arise from the users of the information system rather than as an imposed managerial imperative. The use of total systems intervention (TSI) and interactive planning (IP) enabled the immediate technical problems to be separated from underlying BPR requirements and from the need to gain commitment to change. Thus, unnecessary technical effort and the risks of failure from resistance to change were avoided. From the findings of this intervention, it is argued that the wider application of TSI provides a framework within which managerially perceived needs can be translated into a grassroots commitment.

Ruth Rikowski (editor) Published by Chandos Publishing, Oxford, 2006, 305pp ISBN: 1-84334-139-5, price £39.95.The covers do not give an indication of the intended readership, but the extensive Pref...

Information systems (IS) are growing in importance within the tourism industry, where one key application is database marketing. Evidence from the IS domain suggests systems failure may be due, at least in part, to concentration on technical rather than human issues in the development process. Through an empirical study of visitor attractions in the United Kingdom, the need for a more human-centered approach to IS development is supported, and an example of such an approach is outlined. Both in-depth focus group analysis and a broader questionnaire survey are used and lend weight to the human-centered arguments.From the analysis of a failed tourism database marketing information system, and from evidence of similar successful systems, the value of technology-enabled database marketing within the sector is demonstrated, but its success is seen to rest on participative, human-centered approaches to development.

This paper is an account of a case intervention, undertaken at a National Health Service hospital outpatients department. The intervention utilised a soft systems approach, to address gaps between the customers' and providers' expectations, and simulation was used within this framework. A procedure to reduce unexpected non–attendance of patients has been implemented. Patient bookings are now scheduled according to simple rules, with the result that in–clinic waiting times have been reduced. A model of the intervention process has been accepted by the key stakeholders as a sensible framework for continuing investigations. More widely, the participants increased their knowledge of their own systems. The results from the case suggest that the time spent following this approach may be worthwhile in some interventions, but there are concerns relating to the time needed, and the cost of such an approach. The paper provides a critique of the framework and the intervention, and concludes that this approach is probably viable in unpaid, collaborative, investigations where there is little or no cost. However, time and cost may prove prohibitive in the case of paid consultancy.

This article: Reflects critically upon the approaches to managing organizational change. It is argued that current approaches are normally single-method-led, dominated by reductionism and isolationism. Reviews how contemporary systems thinking manages methodological diversity, to inform managing organizational change. Develops a systemic framework, which includes a classification of four ideal types of diversity and four approaches in organizational change. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Simulation is one of the most widely used tools within management science. The teaching of simulation has traditionally involved theory and practical model development. With the advent of modern software, practical model development can be undertaken with very little knowledge of simulation theory. This enables students who are more able in model building to develop their capabilities in this area and use their strengths to help develop the theoretical knowledge as they progress. This paper demonstrates how a little knowledge of the principles of simulation has been used to help students to develop working models by prototyping.

Total Systems Intervention, in a recent version, facilitates the intervention process via three modes: problem solving, critical reflection, and critical review. Of these modes, there has been relatively little attention paid to the critical review mode, the purpose of which is to assess the value of different methodologies within a given problem situation. This paper takes as its basis the only major work in this area and seeks to build on this in order to improve the mixing of methodologies within a single intervention.

Total Systems Intervention (TSI) is an approach to intervening in problem situations which has much to offer where complex interacting issues need to be addressed by the complementary use of intervention methodologies. That such an approach has much in common with Action Research (AR) has been recognized, with much recent effort being devoted to the relationship between AR and Critical Systems Thinking (CST), the theoretical endeavor underpinning TSI. This paper further develops this line of debate and relates AR or Human Inquiry (HI) more directly to TSI, using an information systems intervention to enhance the study. The outcome is a demonstration of how TSI implicitly uses techniques informed from the field of Action Research, and how a more thorough synthesis of HI with TSI might serve to improve the overall intervention process.

In this paper, information systems (IS) strategic planning is assessed from a theoretical perspective, and related to organizational change. Based on the proposition that information systems is a domain which spans both the interpretivist and functionalist paradigms, an IS strategic planning framework is developed whereby the debating and design issues necessary to the success of IS strategy may be combined, and the whole aligned with corporate strategy. A complementarist approach to IS strategy formulation, and future development based on critical social theory is recommended. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Expert systems have become the more acceptable face of the much mooted “artificial intelligence” of the 1980s. A survey of UK organizations was undertaken in order to determine the usage rate and the main applications of expert systems. The responses indicate that very little use is being made of the available technology, and that where expert systems are used, they are often utilized in routine roles. Interviews were carried out with 12 high‐level managers in medium and large organizations to ascertain the possible results of poor or little use of expert systems and why organizations are reluctant to use them. The consensus is that, on a global scale, UK firms may lose sustained competitive advantage if they do not make the best use of the technology available.

Suggests that hospitals are faced with variable demand patterns, and simulation provides managers with a powerful means to access the demands on resources created by different case scenarios. Outlines the iterative development of a case study of patient flows at one clinic in an out‐patients department, describing the software used ‐ a Windows‐based simulation environment called SIMUL8.

The effective and efficient provision of out-patient services may be assisted by the appropriate use of discrete event simulation. Resource use must be carefully monitored and suitable control actions must be taken, if service level and quality are to be maintained, whilst keeping cost increases to a minimum. In itself, simulation provides no means by which system activities may be identified. The use of soft systems methodology as a tool to aid in activity identification for simulation modelling is being explored.The investigation focuses on the effects the participative nature of soft systems methodology has on the acceptability of a simulation model. This case study forms part of a research objective of developing a generic approach to link soft systems methodology and simulation. Its aim is to provide analysts and managers with a process which may assist in planning strategies for health care.

This paper provides a review of the use of simulation for resource planning in the health sector. Case examples of simulation in health are provided, and the modelling prob lems are explored. The successes and failures of simulation modelling in this context are examined, and an approach for improving the processes, and outcomes, by the use of soft systems methodology, is suggested.

A major problem facing students undertaking postgraduate study is that of taking far greater responsibility for their own independent learning than was the case at undergraduate level. In managing this transition, educators must ensure that students are provided with the necessary tools. In particular, at postgraduate level, a strong emphasis is placed on research, yet most undergraduate courses will not have equipped students with any framework for evaluating research. Such a framework is important in assessing the completed work of other authors, for evaluating a proposed research programme, and for reviewing work in progress. Provides a set of guidelines which will enable students to valuate management science research effectively and efficiently.

International audience; As part of its expanding role, particularly as an agent of peace building, the United Nations (UN) actively participates in the implementation of measures to prevent and manage crisis/disaster situations. The purpose of such an approach is to empower the victims, protect the environment, rebuild communities, and create employment. However, real world crisis management situations are complex given the multiple interrelated interests, actors, relations, and objectives. Recent studies in healthcare contexts, which also have dynamic and complex operations, have shown the merit and benefits of employing various tools and techniques from the domain of knowledge management (KM). Hence, this paper investigates three distinct natural crisis situations (the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, the 2004 Boxing Day Asian Tsunami, and the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake) with which the United Nations and international aid agencies have been and are currently involved, to identify recurring issues which continue to provide knowledge-based impediments. Major findings from each case study are analyzed according to the estimated impact of identified impediments. The severity of the enumerated knowledge-based issues is quantified and compared by means of an assigned qualitative to identify the most significant attribute.

Information systems (IS) are growing in importance within the tourism industry, where one key application is database marketing. Evidence from the IS domain suggests systems failure may be due, at least in part, to concentration on technical rather than human issues in the development process. Through an empirical study of visitor attractions in the United Kingdom, the need for a more human-centered approach to IS development is supported, and an example of such an approach is outlined. Both in-depth focus group analysis and a broader questionnaire survey are used, and lend weight to the human-centered arguments. From the analysis of a failed tourism database marketing information system, and from evidence of similar successful systems, the value of technology-enabled database marketing within the sector is demonstrated, but its success is seen to rest on participative, human-centered approaches to development.