Business Dynamics and Multinational Enterprise ...

Call for Paper Journal of Global Information Management Special Issue: Business Dynamics and Multinational Enterprise Systems Guest Editors: William Yu Chung Wang (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand) David Pauleen (Massey University, New Zealand) Unlike personal software packages, enterprise systems are normally customized to fit the business scope and strategy and the designs are based on the development team’s advice and business process analysis. Existing research has primarily focused on adoption processes such as the factors of adoption, selection of solutions, and analysis and design. Though the theoretical lens of information systems adoption and development cycle can provide a guide for investing in new system projects; in reality, it does not sufficiently address the impact of dynamic business environments and new business initiatives during the post-adoption phase. In fact, business praxis operates in a dynamic world and organizations face a variety of internally and externally driven changes. Businesses open and close, market demand goes up and down and sometimes initiates new enterprise horizons, and innovative technologies redefine strategies and enhance productivity. Globalization also makes firms more interconnected, and changes at partners’ sites may impact operations. Maintaining the expected performance after systems adoption can be challenging in this dynamic business environment. For example, a multinational enterprise may relocate part of its operation or business resources from one country to another (e.g., production or customer relationship management) necessitating enterprise system modification, interface redesign (e.g., language issues), business process reengineering, and/or the recruitment and training of new IT teams. Mergers and acquisitions are another example when there will be challenges and decisions around existing enterprise systems to address changing business needs. While industry practitioners and academic researchers fully realize the importance of investment and adoption of the latest technologies for quality and productivity improvements, post-implementation issues associated with these enterprise systems might need equal attention. Thus, this special issue focuses on the management aspects of enterprise systems in the post-adoption phase in light of the changes occurring in dynamic business environments. Submissions are invited to investigate this phenomenon which can add to the literature and be applied to the business environment, especially enterprise systems in the multinational and global context. The prospective topics are not limited to the list below and all social science research methods are to be considered. Example topics could be: • • • • • • •

Research that examines cross-border M&A and the impacts on information systems management; Impacts on the enterprise systems based on changes in corporate strategies; Adjustment of enterprise systems and the associated issues caused by virtual, vertical and horizontal integration in the supply chain ; Projects consolidating pre-established multinational sites; Shifting of business/subordinates, new business processes, and the turning/reconfiguration of enterprise systems; Changes in information management requirements, such as issues of data management, information security management, IT staffing, IS evaluation, maintenance, etc.; Cross-cultural issues in the post-adoption phases of enterprise systems;

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Influences on the enterprise systems that are caused by changing business environments (e.g., economic downturn, governmental policy, regional issues, and new product/market developments); Factors that influence the decisions at the post adoption stage – refinement, adjustment, or new adoption. Change of Buyer/Vendor Relationships and their impacts on the Enterprise Systems; Models and solutions for the Enterprise Systems of Small and Medium Firms in the face of changing business environments; HR Related Issues: IT Staff Retention, Training for Systems Use, and etc. Amendments to existing theories or new theoretical developments;

When submitting a manuscript, please follow the submission guidelines as published in the Journal’s web pages at http://www.igi-global.com/jgim. The deadline for submissions is 1 Nov, 2011. Please submit an electronic copy of the paper in Microsoft Word format and direct questions to: Editors William Yu Chung Wang Department of Business Information Systems School of Business and Law Auckland University of Technology Private Bag 92006 Auckland 1142, NZ Email: [email protected] Tel: 64 9 9219999 ext 5048 Fax: 64 9219876 David Pauleen Department of Management Massey University Albany North Shore, Auckland, NZ Auckland Email: [email protected] Tel: 64 9 4140800 ext 9467