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IS6600 - Seminar 1

Global Information Systems & Knowledge

Management in Organizations -

Introduction

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Introductions – Me!

• In HK since 1991; Travels in 85 countries.• Teaching non-technical IS courses to MSc

and MBA students• Research involves China-focused

– knowledge sharing in SMEs– virtual work– IT-enabled organisational change

• I’m interested in learning from you about your organisations’ IS experiences

• Web http://www.is.cityu.edu.hk/staff/isrobert

• Email isrobert@cityu.edu.hk

Your Expectations for the Course 1

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Your Expectations for the Course 2

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Before we get to the IS/KM, what about Global and Globalisation?• What exactly is global? • How is global different from

international?• What globalisation is not.• Can a country be globalised? • What contribution do individual

countries make to globalisation?

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East or West?

• Many academics and pundits assume an East-West split (dichotomy)– There has long been a Western

hegemony!• Globally, it is a little more

complex! – There is also North and South– Developing and Developed– There are multiple, competing

perspectives– There are few “correct” practices, but

many cultural alternatives

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Information• Information is critical to us as

individuals, as well as to organisations

• Without information, business would be impossible

• Anything Internet-related depends on information

• So, systems that help us manage information are also rather important

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And Systems…?• All organisations operate through

systems.• There are systems for:

– Ordering supplies, tracking inventory, manufacturing, locating customers, selling goods, hiring and paying employees, handling auctions, coordinating supply chains, spying, etc.

– These systems are premised on information flows about designs, products, orders, shipments, finances, stories, people…

– These systems can integrate and align different parts of an organisation, locally and globally.

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• An integrated set of computer-based components that can be used to …– analyse data, and– deliver information

• to support people in their …– operations, – management, and– decision-making functions

• …in a personal or organisational context.

So, an Information System is…

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Information System Components

• Hardware• Software

• Databases• Decision models

• Procedures• Management

• Communications• Information

• People

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The Impact of IS on Organisations

• Transaction processing systems.– Information processing efficiency

• Databases– Any-time access; organizational memory.

• Network & Internet– Anyplace access to multiple resources.

• Decision/executive support technologies– Organizational intelligence.

• Organisation changing applications (e.g. KM, SCM, CRM)– Re-engineering of processes; Competitive Advantage

• Sensors (e.g. RFID)– Information gathering without presence.

• Communication and Social Systems – Social Media, ubiquitous systems

Does Anyone Talk about Systems?

• The more common terms seem to be:– Apps (now ubiquitous)– Solutions/Services (consultants’

preference)• Are systems too scary, oblique and

remote– Does it matter what terms we use so

long as we understand what we are talking about? 12

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Major Global IS Players• Banks: HSBC & BoC• Airlines: CX, QF & SQ• Shipping/Logistics: OOCL, UPS, SF

Express• Consumer: P&G, Philips, Samsung,

Sony, • Oil: Shell, Exxon, BP, CNOC• Governments & Agencies: NSA, GCHQ• Intermediaries: Alibaba, eBay, Amazon,• Others: Monsanto, Unilever, Li & Fung

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But What are Global IS?• Systems used by single

organisations across two or more nations?

• Systems used individually by many different organisations – in many nations around the world?

• Systems that track the online activities globally for a single customer?

• And what issues do these GIS encounter?

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IS and the Future• Transaction costs drop to ~0; ‘free’

goods.• Instant delivery of digital goods.• Distance, location and time can be

bridged easily, but misunderstandings still occur.

• Customers, suppliers and criminals can be anywhere.

• Information about anything is available in almost unlimited quantities.

• Interpersonal interactivity becomes the norm.

• Work is virtualized and globalized.

Global Spam

• We all get spam emails – 70+% of email is spam

• Spam is a global phenomenon– Nigerian 419, V!@gra scams, etc.

• Spam is a global business (opportunity)– If you can get a 0.2% response rate…

• Combatting spam needs global solutions 16

The Route Behind the Spam• “In 2011, researchers analysing

the money trail behind one email, advertising Viagra-style drugs, found that the web domain involved was registered in Russia, hosted in Brazil and managed in China, taking payments through a Turkish server to an Azerbaijani bank, with the product eventually dispatched from Chennai in India”.

• How much more global could that be?!

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/09/why-spammers-are-winning-junk-mail

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Look at the Cloud!• Cloud computing customers generally do not

own the physical infrastructure• They reduce capital costs by renting

resources (hardware, software, network bandwidth) from a third-party provider and pay only for what they use.– Customers can be billed on a subscription basis

(like electricity, water)– Major Cloud Providers

• Microsoft, IBM, HP, Amazon, Google,…

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Cloud Components• SaaS – Software as a Service

– Office, analytical or enterprise software

– Purchasing, sales, project management,…

• PaaS – Platform as a Service– Application design or development– E-business hosting, Team

collaboration• IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service

– Hardware, netware, storage, …

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Why Use Clouds?• A key motivation to rely on cloud-

based resources is cost– It can save a lot of money– Rent software, networks as you need

them– Store data without the trouble of

maintaining the hardware– Outsource non-core activities

• Let other people do it better and cheaper• P&G saved US$800M over 7 years by

outsourcing basic IT services to the cloud

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Cloud Problems• Some data is just too sensitive

– Key client data– Would HSBC want to store details of

its VIP customers in the same cloud as BEA or Bank of America?

• How quickly can you access data if it is ‘in the cloud’?– You need to have a good Service

Level Agreement (SLA)

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Cloud Consequences• As more firms relocate IT services to

cloud providers, the traditional technology ecosystem faces disruption and challenges.

• There are opportunities for the cloud masters to become bigger and stronger

• Niche-players will have to rethink what they do, how and who for.

• Non-US-based firms may enjoy an advantage– Why?

• Disruption is good for some, bad for others.

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Cloud Players 1• Masters:

– Amazon, Google, Microsoft• Huge data centres and services for

mostly smaller businesses• Enterprise Software Specialists

– Oracle, SAP• Traditional providers to large firms• Trying to bridge to the SME market, with

SaaS and PaaS services. MySAP.

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Cloud Players 2

• Independent Software Vendors– Adobe

• Going beyond simple software sales to software hosting for clients

• Integrated Giants– IBM, HP

• Cost-effective, large scale, scalable, private, secure solutions across IaaS, PaaS and SaaS domains.

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Cloud Consumer Examples• Dropbox is simple and popular (though

not very secure)• SugarSync• Box• Google Drive / MS Sky Drive• Spider Oak (very secure)

– Recommended by Edward Snowden

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Culture

• Patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting– Behaviour styles– Negotiating techniques– Protocol– Business practices

• Cultural misunderstandings can threaten or even destroy your efforts in a foreign country– Where and who is foreign these days?– Are some of us more foreign than others?!

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Understanding Culture• … is not just about observing.• “the same behaviour can have different

meanings and different behaviours can have the same meaning” [Schneider & Barsoux, 1997]

• Why do people behave in this way?• What are their underlying values and

beliefs?• Do we really live in a global village?• “We do not see things as they are – we

see them as we are” (Anais Nin)

Problem of Relativism

Brazilians say:always in a

hurryserious,

reservedcautiousrestrainedcomposedmethodicalnaïve

Japanese say:relaxedfriendlyspontaneou

srecklessuninhibitedemotionalimpulsive

Describe the “typical American”

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What is Culture?HUMAN NATURE

universalto laugh to cry

CULTURE group level construct

When is it appropriate to laugh? to cry? Where is it appropriate to laugh? to cry?

way of life passed down from one generation to the next through education and experience – Concise Columbia Encyclopedia

collective programming of the mind – Geert Hofstede

PERSONALITYindividual

each of us laughs / cries at different times / places

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Iceberg Model of Culture

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Culture Above the Surface• Greetings

– How should you greet someone?kiss, hug, bow or shake hands

– Does it depend on who they are, who you are?

• Dress– What is appropriate attire at work? at a funeral?

• Punctuality– What does it mean to be “on time”?– How quickly should you reply to an e-mail?

• Gift giving– Should you give gifts to business associates? – What should you give?

• Corporate Logos– What projects the “right” or “wrong” image?

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Culture Below the Surface

• Attitudes– “I can’t live without a iPhone/Blackberry”

• Assumptions– “Only unsold products are advertised””

• Values– “Being online is critical to my life and work”

• Beliefs– “My purpose in life is …”

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Colours in Different Cultures

ColourCulture

Red Blue Green Yellow White

Anglo Danger Strong;reliable

SuccessGreen

Coward Purity

French Aristocrat Freedom; peace

Crime Lucky; temporary

Neutral

Chinese Happy;Success

Heaven Hats = Cuckoldry

Wealthy; powerful

Death; purity

Japanese Anger; danger

Villain Young; energetic

Grace; nobility

Death

Arab Death Virtue Fertile Wealthy Joy

Indian Life --- Islam Success Death

Adapted from Russo & Boor (1993) http://webdesign.about.com/od/color/a/bl_colorculture.htm

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Corporate eLogos

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Culture and Workplace Issues• Global transfer of IS applications (across

cultures) is problematic at best.• Few researchers have investigated

these issues - probing the iceberg.• Most textbooks assume a monocultural,

ethnocentric and universalist perspective– “If it works for us, it’ll work for them”– “They are ‘human’ aren’t they?!”

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Culture and Workplace Issues

• Limited understanding of why failures occur beyond a generic “culture” explanation.

• Descriptions of successful global IS stories – but little in the way of detailed understanding.

• Few empirically-tested prescriptions or experiences.

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The Global Flavour of IS6600• Studying IS in different contexts• Analyzing the opportunities for IS with

some cultural and contextual sensitivity• Identifying lessons learned in one

context that may (not) be transferable to other contexts– This does not mean American lessons for

everyone else. Quite the opposite.• Sharing your global experiences

– I hope that you have some!

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Key Components of IS6600• Internet, Web technologies & E-

commerce– These are at least superficially global

• Culture– This varies considerably around the world– It should influence Global IS use

• Strategic management issues– Including BPR, BSC, BPO/ISO– Green IS

• Application areas: ESS, ERP, KM, Security/Surveillance

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IS6600 - Activities

• 3-hour Seminars (not Lectures)• Background material to read in

advance, to be referred to as we go along

• Discussion, argument, interaction• Case studies to analyse• Experiences to recount, share and learn

from• Facilitated knowledge seeking

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My Suggested Learning Styles

• Learning together, not just me talking– So you have a role to play, a responsibility

to engage with your own learning– The more you participate, listen, criticise,

challenge… so the more you will learn.• Each class will have

– Opportunities for interaction, discussion, debate, as well as your own work-life examples

– There will be some hands-on exercises

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Assessment• 50% - coursework

– A small group case write up based on your own Global IS experiences (25%) • 4000-word essay

– Continuous assessment of class contributions (25%)

• 50% - exam– Application & integration of skills from

seminar materials, our discussions and your own practical experience

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Grading Definitions• A: Excellent

– Strong evidence of original thinking, analysis & synthesis; extensive knowledge base

• B: Good– Good awareness of the importance of the

subject; some analytic ability; reasonable understanding of issues & literature

• C: Adequate– Understanding is reasonable, but much room for

improvement• D: Marginal, basic familiarity with the subject• F: Very weak, few critical/analytical skills;

plagiarism

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Sources and Consequences...• There are no specific GIS textbooks• I’ll draw material from a variety of

sources• Note: Passing is optional! Failing is

possible! • You must pass both exam and

coursework to pass the course as a whole.

Course Outline• Week 1: Introduction• Week 2: Global E-Commerce• Week 3: Social Media in and Around the Enterprise• Week 4: Knowledge Management• Week 5: Strategic Knowledge Mapping• Week 6: Global ERP Cases: The Extended Enterprise• Week 7: Global IT & BP Outsourcing & Offshoring• Week 8: Global Information Systems for Work• Week 9: The CIO / CKO and Strategic Planning• Week 10: Green IT • Week 11: Big Data, Intelligence & Surveillance• Week 12: Project Presentations • Week 13: Revision

Seminar Materials

• Notes & ppts are available on the web: – http://www.is.cityu.edu.hk/staff/isrobert/

is6600.htm

• These notes are not comprehensive, i.e. if you come to class, you will hear, see and do many things that are not visible in the notes.

• So please do come to class. On time if possible, but late is better than never.

Coursework

• There is a document on the class website that describes the coursework

• This is a single group project– There is no weekly ‘homework’– There are no other ‘tests’ during the

semester• Please form groups now! Start

thinking about topics.46