When models cross the border: adapting IT competencies of business managers

ABSTRACT

Much of the moving beyond the bust to boom has been fuelled by the increasing internationalization of organizations. More and more businesses are becoming global in nature with several US-based firms establishing subsidiaries or partners in other countries. At the same time, information technology (IT) is becoming more ubiquitous and an integral part of business processes. As organizations become increasingly more dependent on IT to survive in competitive environments, the need increases for IT competent business managers. The intersection of these two trends leads to a vital question: how can we use concepts and guidelines related to assessing the IT-competence of business managers that are developed in one country to the context of another country In this paper, we examine this issue by adapting a model of IT competence developed and validated in Canada to the Norwegian context. Using a multi-method approach based on interviews conducted in several organizations, and a questionnaire survey, we made several changes to the model.

REFERENCES

• 1: Andersen, J. and Dueudahl, M. IT competence of Norwegian business managers: a proposed model. In Proceedings of NOKOBIT 2003, Soria Moria, Oslo, Nov 2003a, 223--243.
• 2: Andersen, J. and Duedahl, M. IT Competence of Norwegian Business Managers: A Proposed Competence Model and Business Manager Evaluation. Unpublished masters thesis, Agder University College, 2003b.
• 3: Avital, M. and Vandenbosch, B. Ownership interaction: A key ingredient of information technology performance, 2002, http://weatherhead.cwru.edu/2002/020102.pdf
• 4: Bartlett, C.A. and Ghoshal, S. Managing Across Borders: The Transnational Solution. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. 1989.
• 5: Geneviève Bassellier , Izak Benbasat , Blaize Horner Reich, The Influence of Business Managers' IT Competence on Championing IT, Information Systems Research, v.14 n.4, p.317-336, December 2003 [doi>10.1287/isre.14.4.317.24899]
• 6: Bassellier, G., Reich, B.H. and Benbasat, I. Information technology competence of Business managers: a definition and research model, Journal of Management Information Systems, 17, 4, 2001, 159--182.
• 7: Benjamin, R.I. and Levinson, E. A framework for managing IT-enabled change, Sloan Management Review, 34, 4, 1993, 23--34.
• 8: Boynton, A.C., Jacobs, G.C. and Zmud, R.W. Whose responsibility is IT management? Sloan Management Review, 33, 4, 1992, 32--38.
• 9: Earl, M .J. and Feeny, D. F. Information Systems in global businesses. In Willcocks L., Feeny D.F., Islei G. {eds}, Managing IT as a Strategic Resource. McGraw-Hill, London, 1997.
• 10: Fedrelandsvennen. Gigantene vokser videre. http://www.fedrelandsvennen.no/naringsliv/article242456.ece {accessed 06/11/2004}.
• 11: Gooderham, P.N., Nordhaug, O. and Ringdal, K. When in Rome do they do as the Romans? HRM practices of US subsidiaries in Europe, Management International Review, 38, Special Issue, 1998, 47--64.
• 12: Groennhaug, K., Hellesoey, O. and Kaufmann, G. Ledelse i teori og praksis. Fagbokforlaget Vigmostad & Bjoerke AS, Bergen, 2001.
• 13: Helliwell, J. and Fowler, A. Introducing IT into a mature production related work environment: the human resource factor, Journal of Information Technology, 9, 1, 1994 39--50.
• 14: J. C. Henderson , N. Venkatraman, Strategic alignment: leveraging information technology for transforming organizations, IBM Systems Journal, v.38 n.2-3, p.472-484, 1999
• 15: Irani, Z. and Love, P.E.D. Information systems evaluation: past, present and future, European Journal of Information Systems, 10, 4, 2001, 183--188.
• 16: Blake Ives , Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa, Applications of global information technology: key issues for management, MIS Quarterly, v.15 n.1, p.33-49, March 1991 [doi>10.2307/249433]
• 17: Jacobsen, D.I. Hvordan gjennomfoere undersoekelser?: Innfoering i samfunnsvitenskapelig metode. Hoeyskoleforlaget AS- Norwegian Academic Press, Kristiansand, Norway, 2000.
• 18: Larsen, T. Line managers' supervision of the development and use of information systems (IS): administration through planning and control of IS effects. In Proceedings of NOKOBIT 98, 1998, 29--42.
• 19: Jerry Luftman , Raymond Papp , Tom Brier, Enablers and inhibitors of business-IT alignment, Communications of the AIS, v.1 n.3es, March 1999
• 20: Maddy, M. Dream deferred: The story of a high-tech entrepreneur in a low-tech world, Harvard Business Review, May-June, 2000, 56--69.
• 21: Markus, M.L. and Benjamin, R.I. The magic bullet theory in it-enabled transformation, Sloan Management Review, 38, 2, 1997, 55--68.
• 22: Nonaka, I. A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation, Organization Science, 5, 1, 1994 14--37.
• 23: Nordhaug, O. Competence specificities in organizations: a classificatory framework, International Studies of Management and Organization, 28, 1, 1998, 8--29.
• 24: Orlikowski, W. J. Integrated Information Environment or Matrix of Control? The Contradictory Implications of Information Technology, Accounting, Management and Information Technologies, 1 1, 1991, 9--42.
• 25: Peppard, J., Lambert, R. and Edwards, C. Whose job is it anyway? Organizational competencies for value creation, Information systems Journal, 10, 4, 2000, 291--328.
• 26: Pollard, C. and Steczkowicz, A. Assessing business managers' it competence in smes in regional australia: preliminary evidence from a new it competence instrument, In Proceedings of the 7th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, 10-13 July 2003, Adelaide, South Australia, 2003.
• 27: Blaize Horner Reich , Izak Benbasat, Measuring the linkage between business and information technology objectives, MIS Quarterly, v.20 n.1, p.55-81, March 1996 [doi>10.2307/249542]
• 28: Blaize Horner Reich , Izak Benbasat, Factors that influence the social dimension of alignment between business and information technology objectives, MIS Quarterly, v.24 n.1, p.81-113, March 2000 [doi>10.2307/3250980]
• 29: Rockart, J.F., Earl, M.J. and Ross, J.W. Eight imperatives for the new it organization, Sloan Management Review, 38, 1, 1996 43--55.
• 30: Rockart, J.F. The line takes the leadership - IS management in a wired society, Sloan Management Review, 29, 4, 1988, 57--64.
• 31: Ryle, G. The concept of mind. Hutchinson & Co, London, UK, 1949.
• 32: Mark S. Silver , M. Lynne Markus , Cynthia Mathis Beath, The information technology interaction model: a foundation for the MBA core course, MIS Quarterly, v.19 n.3, p.361-390, Sept. 1995 [doi>10.2307/249600]
• 33: UNDP Human Development Report 2004: Cultural Liberty in Today's Diverse World, 2004.
• 34: Venkatraman, N. IT-Enabled Business Transformation: From Automation to Business Scope Redefinition, Sloan management Review, 35, 2, 1994 73--87.
• 35: Walsham, G. Cross-cultural software production and use: A structuration analysis . MIS Quarterly, 26, 4, 2002, 359--380.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Staffing

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Training

General Terms:
Human Factors, Management

Keywords:
IT competence, business managers, cross-cultural management