<p>Purpose – The growing importance of use of Internet banking as another service delivery channel by banks to their customers lead to a number of supposition and deductions been made on the value creation of Internet banking and its extent of use. In the light of this, a profound and comprehensive study was conducted with the aim to first, determine the extent of use of Internet banking in Sweden, second, to validate the conjecture and the anecdote inferences that Internet banking provides values to both the bank and its customers.</p><p>Design/Methodology/approach - To test the validity of the conjecture and the anecdote inferences made over the years, the author use data collected in two folds. One set was collected from financial institution “the big four banks” and the other set from 60 bank customers out of the 90 questionnaires administered.</p><p>Findings - The results provide first, evidence of the high rate of adoption of Internet banking in Sweden, second, the values the banks and its customers have enjoyed since the advent of Internet banking.</p><p>Research limitations/implications - Although this exploratory study approach may have validated the proposed model, further research into other cities is required to generalize these findings as this study has the limitation of using only Stockholm and the number of respondents used.</p><p>Originality/value - The findings contribute and support several other studies that pointed to the fact that use of Internet banking channel of delivery is on the increase, and its value creation far exceed all other service delivery channels; provide critical implications for managers of financial institutions, Internet service providing firms, government and highlight directions for future research.</p><p>Keywords Internet banking, Online banking, Service delivery channels, Technology-based, Enabled-service, Product-service Continuum</p>

Purpose – The growing importance of use of Internet banking as another service delivery channel by banks to their customers lead to a number of supposition and deductions been made on the value creation of Internet banking and its extent of use. In the light of this, a profound and comprehensive study was conducted with the aim to first, determine the extent of use of Internet banking in Sweden, second, to validate the conjecture and the anecdote inferences that Internet banking provides values to both the bank and its customers. Design/Methodology/approach - To test the validity of the conjecture and the anecdote inferences made over the years, the author use data collected in two folds. One set was collected from financial institution “the big four banks” and the other set from 60 bank customers out of the 90 questionnaires administered. Findings - The results provide first, evidence of the high rate of adoption of Internet banking in Sweden, second, the values the banks and its customers have enjoyed since the advent of Internet banking. Research limitations/implications - Although this exploratory study approach may have validated the proposed model, further research into other cities is required to generalize these findings as this study has the limitation of using only Stockholm and the number of respondents used. Originality/value - The findings contribute and support several other studies that pointed to the fact that use of Internet banking channel of delivery is on the increase, and its value creation far exceed all other service delivery channels; provide critical implications for managers of financial institutions, Internet service providing firms, government and highlight directions for future research. Keywords Internet banking, Online banking, Service delivery channels, Technology-based, Enabled-service, Product-service Continuum

The purpose of this thesis is to explore—from a managerial perspective—how IT-enabled change is designed, led, and sustained from-within an organisation. This is an issue of central concern because there is a considerable lack of research that directly incorporates IT in management and organisational change studies. In addition, earlier research has recurrently focused on abstract theorising, aggregated perspectives, and exploring organisational change from the outside, from-without. Consequently, the present body of research provides limited knowledge of how organisations in practice lead large-scale IT-enabled transformations. The thesis herein sets out to explore this question, and does so by following the change designers and agents of the telecommunications company Ericsson, that transformed its finance and accounting unit from a highly decentralised structure into a shared service centre structure (SSC) entitled: “The Global F&amp;A Transformation Programme”. The formal transformation lasted three years, was enabled by an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and was driven in the majority of Ericsson’s sub-units situated in more than 140 countries. Theoretically, this thesis addresses the research question: how do actors and structures influence large-scale IT-enabled change? The principal finding of the thesis is a four-stage analytical framework built on the concepts of common ground, common meaning, common interest, and common behaviour: The Commonality Framework for IT-enabled Change. The value of the framework is that it depicts the interplay between actors and structures on a micro-level. In doing so, the framework explains the different levels of complexity in a transformation and how they require different structures to be used, different activities to be performed, different skills to be applied, and different roles to be played. The framework can be used by both academics and practitioners to develop, assess, and improve IT-enabled change projects. In a broader perspective, the findings further suggest that change comes about as an upward spiral, within which the moving targets of IT and organisation are intimately interconnected. This reciprocal interconnectedness between IT and organisation across time implies that if changes are done to technological properties, this necessitates changes to the organisational properties, and vice versa. Organisations at the hands-on-level more or less have to change to make use of the IT-enabled advantages. Thus, successful IT-enabled change is more than the technology artefact per se, and requires thoughtful attentiveness not only to the technological and material side, but also to the organisational, social and human side of change. The theoretical contribution of this thesis is the in-depth exposition of different aspects and interplays between the properties of actors and structures from-within the organisation. The empirical contribution is the description of how contemporary multinational organisations initiate, lead, and sustain large-scale IT-enabled change. / The provided document is only the summary and introductory chapter of the thesis (i.e. excluding the five papers). If you want more information about the thesis as a whole please contact the author einar.iveroth@fek.uu.se.

The large and ever-increasing amounts of multi-dimensional, multivariate, multi-source, spatio-temporal data represent a major challenge for the future. The need to analyse and make decisions based on these data streams, often in time-critical situations, demands integrated, automatic and sophisticated interactive tools that aid the user to manage, process, visualize and interact with large data spaces. The rise of `Web 2.0', which is undisputedly linked with developments such as blogs, wikis and social networking, and the internet usage explosion in the last decade represent another challenge for adapting these tools to the Internet to reach a broader user community. In this context, the research presented in this thesis introduces an effective web-enabled geovisual analytics framework implemented, applied and verified in Adobe Flash ActionScript and HTML5/JavaScript. It has been developed based on the principles behind Visual Analytics and designed to significantly reduce the time and effort needed to develop customized web-enabled applications for geovisual analytics tasks and to bring the benefits of visual analytics to the public. The framework has been developed based on a component architecture and includes a wide range of visualization techniques enhanced with various interaction techniques and interactive features to support better data exploration and analysis. The importance of multiple coordinated and linked views is emphasized and a number of effective techniques for linking views are introduced. Research has so far focused more on tools that explore and present data while tools that support capturing and sharing gained insight have not received the same attention. Therefore, this is one of the focuses of the research presented in this thesis. A snapshot technique is introduced, which supports capturing discoveries made during the exploratory data analysis process and can be used for sharing gained knowledge. The thesis also presents a number of applications developed to verify the usability and the overall performance of the framework for the visualization, exploration and analysis of data in different domains. Four application scenarios are presented introducing (1) the synergies among information visualization methods, geovisualization methods and volume data visualization methods for the exploration and correlation of spatio-temporal ocean data, (2) effective techniques for the visualization, exploration and analysis of self-organizing network data, (3) effective flow visualization techniques applied to the analysis of time-varying spatial interaction data such as migration data, commuting data and trade flow data, and (4) effective techniques for the visualization, exploration and analysis of flood data.

This research applies institutional economics theory to management challenges arising in connection with e-business related transformational change. The research was carried out in response to widely recognised problems in managing IT-enabled change in complex organisations. A cyclic approach builds researcher competence in both the chosen theory, New Institutional Economics (NIE), and its application through a series of four contrasting case studies. The case situations, which derive from the researcher’s work as a technology management consultant, are treated as action research experiments which investigate e-business related transformational change in financial services, retail and government settings. A constructivist stance is adopted within the case situations with the researcher acting as a participant observer. Reflective practice is used to improve the experimental method for the case studies through the course of the research, leading to the use of participatory action research (PAR) for the final case. A literature review of NIE shows it to be loosely defined as a theory, so an analytic NIE framework is created to provide a cognitive model. This model is then modified and extended to produce a final theoretical framework. In parallel, a conceptual map of NIE is created from the research as a practical aid to illustrate NIE concepts and linkages. These two models, the theoretical framework and the conceptual map, evolve through the four case situations which were selected from a range of e-business consulting opportunities available to the researcher over the period of the research. The second case study drives the main development of the two models and draws out the necessary and complementary contributions of both transaction cost economics (TCE) and agency theory (AT) as parts of NIE, neither of which is sufficient on its own. The final case study demonstrates application to practice. The overall sequence of case studies shows the researcher’s cognitive growth from being a novice in the theory and its application in the first case through to a level of proficiency in applying NIE to the rigours of e-business practice in the final case. The research makes several contributions to knowledge. It makes a significant methodological contribution by bringing research methods developed for other forms of professional practice to the management discipline. It also makes a significant contribution to theoretical knowledge. It develops two theoretical models of NIE – a conceptual map and a theoretical framework – which present a way of linking NIE concepts in a meaningful way, and a structure by which NIE can be used in the analysis of highly complex organisational situations. These models clarify the complementary roles of TCE and AT, and indicate a reason why so many studies limited to TCE alone have been inconclusive. Applying NIE to the rigours of e-business management produces, in turn, a contribution to IT strategy formulation. The research makes a practical contribution by showing how NIE can be applied to e-business practice, subject to a number of significant caveats. NIE, as a descriptive theory, is shown to provide a powerful conceptual framework when combined with PAR, although both require deep knowledge and skill. In particular, adopting PAR as a case study method depends on an experienced, skilled and committed practitioner for its effective use. Finally, the research finds that NIE’s strengths as a framework for strategic analysis of large scale and complex e-business situations involving transformational change, which make it unduly sophisticated for less challenging situations, mean that NIE is suited to use by highly skilled, specialist consultants rather than by general managers.

In this thesis, a national information technology (IT) strategy applicable to Turkish construction industry for future implementation of IT is developed, advising guidance to current and future stakeholders but also researchers and decision makers to set the right priorities and pre-harmonization for IT in construction. Within this study, the present situation of the industry is discussed, so as to structure today&rsquo / s required industry abilities fulfilling tomorrow&rsquo / s demands and innovative IT solutions. Then, a coherent vision is developed for agile, model-based, knowledge driven Turkish construction industry. Following the analysis of IT trends and opportunities, a national IT strategy framework for the industry is specified. Finally / other country applications are examined to give direction for the developed strategy implementation approach.

摘 要 為因應服務經濟時代的挑戰，企業必須不斷的追求服務創新來建構本身的競爭優勢，而資訊科技和網路通訊技術的發展，亦讓組織、系統、人力以及資訊等各種資源更加有效率、有效能的聯結在一起。對於以服務為導向的組織而言，如何運用資訊科技以提供線上及時、互動的服務給顧客，已成為攸關組織未來存亡的重要課題。 本論文在探討組織推動科技化互動服務創新(IT-enabled Interactive Service Innovation)時所面臨的相關議題，並定義科技化互動服務創新係指一項以資訊科技(亦包含通訊及網路)為基礎的互動式服務創新，其發展、建置以及播散的過程。研究目的是為了解科技化互動服務創新如何由最初的提案轉換至最終的企業經營績效，而其轉換過程中有那些可能的挑戰或窒礙。 本論文採用過程理論並提出一完整的分析架構，藉以闡述科技化互動服務創新於價值實現過程中，所有阻礙其推動或減損其價值的相關挑戰。研究中進行了三個田野個案(Field case)分析及三個圖書館個案(Library case)分析，所涵蓋的創新服務包括互動電視服務、證劵服務與旅遊服務。 研究貢獻包含：(1)提出一分析架構，完整描述科技化互動服務創新之價值轉換過程；(2)對於過程中造成價值減損的相關挑戰有全面性的呈現，對實務界的高階主管在推動科技化互動服務創新時，可作為決策之參考。 關鍵字：科技化服務，服務創新，互動服務 / As the economies are becoming increasingly service oriented, firms need to create competitive service advantages to compete in the service arena. Thus, enterprises endeavor to develop innovative services to meet the rapid changing customers’ needs and to create leverage from these innovations. Furthermore, with the significant advances in networks, telecommunications, and computing technologies, people, organizations, systems and heterogeneous information sources now can be linked together more efficiently and cost effectively than ever before (Qiu, 2010). For the service-oriented businesses, a lot of emerging service opportunities, such as e-services, e-commerce, and auctions, are envisioned, and well utilizing IT to provide on-line, real-time interactive services to customers becomes an imperative for company’s survival. Therefore, the call for responsive, flexible, agile and on-demand services forces the enterprises deliberating the IT-enabled interactive service innovation (IISI) to enhance their distinctive competency. This research conceptualizes the IT-enabled interactive service innovation as the development, deployment, and diffusion of a new interactive service through information technologies (IT) (including the communication and networking) for the customers. The purpose of this research is to answer the question of how an IISI is transformed from the initial proposal, IT assets, competency, and to the end, the business performance, and what the possible challenges may encounter during the transformation. This research adopts process approach and proposes a holistic analytical framework to highlight various challenges that will erode the value realization and even hamper the firms’ evolution. Three field cases and three library cases are adopted to show the empirical evidences that support the framework of IISI. The related industries involve interactive television services, securities brokerage services, and traveling services industry. The research contributions in this dissertation include; (1) building up an analytical framework to expound the process of value generation in IT-enabled service innovation; (2) to delineate the gapping hole in the value chain of IT-enabled service innovation. The practical contributions involve providing a global picture of the IT-enabled service innovation process, thus, the top management or decision makers can foresee the possible challenges, and take proactive strategies to overcome them lest the values will be eroded.

Foram estudados os principais fatores de valor percebido pelo mercado em relação aos produtos e serviços oferecidos pelas empresas fornecedoras de insumos de E-Learning. O estudo desses fatores, relacionados aos respectivos segmentos que compõem essa indústria, permitiu posicionar as principais empresas (uma em cada segmento) que se adequaram melhor a esses fatores de valor percebido. Foi realizada também uma revisão da literatura, para definir o conceito de E-Learning, descrevendo suas diversas aplicações e organizando-as em quatro aspectos: o pedagógico, o tecnológico, o gerencial e o relativo ao negócio dessa atividade. Propôs-se, também, um mapa de valor dessa indústria, tratando de segmentá-lo. O conceito de valor foi estudado, considerando-o dentro da perspectiva da percepção do cliente, ou seja, foram abordados os aspectos relativos aos critérios que constituem o valor percebido. Finalmente, foi aplicada uma pesquisa de campo a um grupo de especialistas da indústria de E-Learning, com o objetivo de classificar os principais fatores de valor percebido pelo mercado, avaliar um fornecedor em cada segmento de atuação e selecionar aquele que atendeu melhor aos critérios de percepção de valor. Os resultados obtidos por meio da análise das respostas dos especialistas apontaram caminhos para a realização de novos estudos sobre o negócio E-Learning, além de estabelecer critérios importantes relativos às principais empresas fornecedoras dessa indústria. / This Masters Degree Dissertation studies the main factors of market perceived value in relation to products and services offered by E-Learning input supplying companies. The study of such factors, related to the segments which comprise this industry, enabled us to identify the main companies one of each segment which best adapted to selected perceived value factors. Initially a literature review was carried out, aiming at defining the concept of E-Learning, describing its different applications and organizing it in four axes of main coordinates: the pedagogical aspect, the technological aspect, the management aspect and the business aspect of the activity. Another aim of such a literature review was understanding the development of this industry, through companies which comprise it, and then propose a value map of such an industry, dividing it into segments with the support of studies on this topic. The third step of this review was a focus on the concept of value. It was therefore adopted a theoretical line which considers value within the clients perception perspective. In other words, the focus was on aspects related to the criteria which comprise the so-called perceived value. Finally, a field research was carried out along with a group of E-Learning experts, with the following aims: ranking the main factors of market perceived values, in order to assess a supplier in each segment; and selecting only one company, in each of the segments, which best fits the perceived value criteria previously obtained. The results obtained by the consolidation and analysis of the experts answers pointed out ways to carry out new studies on the E-Learning business point of view, as well as establish important criteria about the main supplying companies of this industry.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The importance of mobile technology in improving the quality of life is not restricted to only a Hearing person, and the use of mobile devices among Deaf people is no longer limited, due to the advancements in technology Hearing loss cannot be seen but its effect is clearly visible to the persons suffering the loss. This results in a limited ability to communicate with the large world of hearing people. This research effort aims to design a SignSupport for emergency mobile application for Deaf people in Cape Town, empowering them with the same access to emergency service resources as hearing people. The proposed approach is to use a mobile application to contact standard emergency services on behalf of a Deaf person to a representative. The app will use a phone's GPS module to share the location of the victim and contact the nearest emergency service provider to attend to the Deaf victim; as well as keep the victim’s circle of family and friends informed. The app design is intuitive, simply requiring the Deaf victim to launch the app and choose an emergency type from the available options.

No description available.