In this paper, we raise the issue of the appropriate unit of analysis for e-commerce studies. Once it is acknowledged that the unit of analysis in e-commerce studies should comprise more than one firm, the question is, which organizations should be included, i.e. how to bound the unit? We...

As part of an international empirical study we have developed a high-level theory of the structure and evolution of inter-organizational information systems (IOIS), but face two issues in testing this theory; the very large set of factors possibly influencing IOIS and need to bound a complex...

This paper outlines the theoretical concept of a study currently under way in China. Its main idea is to explore the sustainability of centralized interorganizational systems for supply chain management as proposed by Markus et al. (2000). The study draws on institutional theory in both its...

This case describes the experience of a wholly foreign-owned manufacturing company in Tianjin/China regarding the use of its ERP system in its main functional departments, purchasing, production planning, sales/distribution, and finance. The company is part of a group which is a global leader in...

Based on a critical analysis of the literature on the development and adoption of inter-organisational information systems (IOIS) we propose a new unit of analysis for IOIS studies, define levels of analysis based on this unit in order to organize a large set of variables pertinent to the study...

The study of diffusion, adoption and implementation of inter-organisational information systems (IOIS) so far relies on theories which do not address the question of why systems continue to be used once adopted and implemented. We call such theories inertia theories because they imply that...

Observing that existing models of inter-organisational information systems IOIS have not been developed to explain IOIS variance, in this paper the authors develop three criteria a new theoretical framework should meet: 1 It should support identification of and distinction between essential...

Inter-Organizational Information Systems (IOIS) are computer-based systems shared by, or connecting, several organizations. The on-going use and evolution on long timescales of these large-scale socio-technical systems so far cannot be satisfactorily explained on the basis of existing theories...

We present a novel model of IT-based supply chain integration that responds to the increasing need for better supply chainwide coordination of resource allocation and offers an alternative to the traditional approach of supply chain integration based on ERP systems. We explore possible...

The growing importance of computer-related software patents awarded in the United States and around the world is a topic that continues to generate discussion. Given the global environment, the question of why organizations from one country seek patent protection from another country is of...