Management information system 1 CIS 9300-23SYT05 Computers and Internet Applications Management Ahmed Hazem Abozied Apollos University Session 7 Research and Application Forum DBA Dr. Willis Lambrecht May 2023 Management information system 2 Article Review: Business Analytics/Business Intelligence and IT Infrastructure: Impact on Organizational Agility The article titled "Business Analytics/Business Intelligence and IT Infrastructure: Impact on Organizational Agility" by Xiaofeng Chen and Keng Siau explores the relationship between business analytics (BA), business intelligence (BI), IT infrastructure flexibility, and organizational agility. The authors aim to investigate the impact of BA and BI use and IT infrastructure flexibility on organizational agility. They propose that BA use, along with IT infrastructure flexibility, significantly influences organizational agility. The study adopts an empirical research approach, combining systems theory and the awareness-motivation-capability framework. The authors suggest that BA use and IT infrastructure flexibility are associated with organizational agility. They argue that BA use may require organizations to develop a more flexible IT infrastructure. However, the study's data does not support the proposed interaction between BA use and IT infrastructure flexibility as drivers of organizational agility. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on BA and BI, highlighting their importance in improving management decisions. They emphasize the need for more empirical research on the business value of BA, as existing studies are relatively scarce compared to studies on analytical modeling and statistical methods. By applying the systems theory and AMC framework, the authors theorize that BA use directly affects organizational performance and propose that organizational agility is a promising lens to study the significance of BA. The study's findings have practical implications for organizations. It suggests that BA interacts with other organizational resources to enhance organizational agility. Organizations should focus on building a flexible IT infrastructure to utilize and promote BA effectively. The study emphasizes the role of IT infrastructure as a strategic component that contributes to organizational agility. Organizational executives should allocate attention to various aspects of IT infrastructure, such as flexibility, to leverage IT to enhance agility fully. Furthermore, the authors highlight that BA should be viewed as a part of an organization's strategic assets. The absence of BA use can negatively impact an organization's agility. Therefore, business leaders need to consider BA as an integral part of their strategic resources and continuously invest in understanding factors that affect the performance of BA systems. They should provide resources to address challenges and barriers that hinder the successful implementation and use of BA systems. Management information system In conclusion, this article contributes to understanding the impact of BA, BI, and IT infrastructure flexibility on organizational agility. The study highlights the need for organizations to build a flexible IT infrastructure to leverage BA effectively and enhance agility. It emphasizes BA's strategic value and IT infrastructure's role in supporting organizational goals. The findings offer practical insights for business leaders to decide on BA implementation and IT infrastructure development. Reference: Chen, X., & Siau, K. (2020). Business Analytics/Business Intelligence and IT Infrastructure: Impact on Organizational Agility. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC), 32(4), 1-24. DOI: 10.4018/JOEUC.2020100107 Management information system Article Review: "Organizational and technological infrastructures alignment." The article titled "Organizational and technological infrastructures alignment" by A.-M. Croteau, S. Solomon, L. Raymond, and F. Bergeron, published in the Proceedings of the 34th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, explores the relationship between organizational and technological infrastructures and their impact on business performance. The authors aim to identify ways to effectively support business performance by aligning these infrastructures. The authors begin by defining the components of organizational and technological infrastructures based on the work of Tapscott and Caston (1993). Organizational infrastructure comprises a shared vision, cooperation, empowerment, adaptability, and learning. On the other hand, technological infrastructure focuses on aspects like user involvement, connectivity, distributed computing, flexibility, and technology awareness. The authors conducted an empirical study to investigate the alignment of these infrastructures and their influence on business performance. They collected data from 104 organizations through a questionnaire completed by top managers. Structural equation modeling techniques were employed to analyze the data. The study’s findings indicate a positive relationship between organizational and technological infrastructure alignment and business performance. This suggests that organizations can enhance performance by ensuring these two infrastructures are wellaligned. The article emphasizes the importance of considering organizational and technological aspects when making IT infrastructure decisions. The article’s relevance to IT infrastructure decisions lies in its focus on aligning organizational and technological infrastructures. It highlights the need for organizations to consider not only the technological aspects of their infrastructure but also how it aligns with the overall organizational goals and processes. By doing so, organizations can better leverage their IT infrastructure to support and enhance their business performance. Regarding adequate infrastructure, the article does not explicitly identify a single type or form of infrastructure as the most effective. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of alignment between organizational and technological infrastructures. The effectiveness of an infrastructure depends on how well it aligns with an organization's specific goals, processes, and characteristics. Therefore, different organizations or industries may require different types of infrastructure to achieve the desired outcomes. Management information system Leaders can apply the information presented in the article by recognizing the importance of aligning organizational and technological infrastructures. They can assess their current infrastructures and identify areas of misalignment. By addressing these gaps, leaders can improve the effectiveness of their IT infrastructure and enhance business performance. Additionally, leaders can use the identified components of organizational and technological infrastructures as a framework to guide their decision-making process when implementing or modifying IT infrastructures. The information from this article reinforces the idea that IT infrastructure decisions should not be made in isolation but should consider the broader organizational context. I will apply this information by advocating for a holistic approach to IT infrastructure decisionmaking within organizations. I will emphasize the importance of aligning the technological aspects with the organizational goals and processes to maximize the value derived from IT investments. In conclusion, the article "Organizational and technological infrastructures alignment" highlights the significance of aligning organizational and technological infrastructures to enhance business performance. It emphasizes the need for organizations to consider organizational and technological aspects when making IT infrastructure decisions. The findings suggest that the alignment of these infrastructures positively influences business performance. Leaders can apply this information by aligning their infrastructures and considering the identified components. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the relationship between IT infrastructures and organizational performance, serving as a helpful resource for decision-makers in the field. Reference: Croteau, A.-M., Solomon, S., Raymond, L., & Bergeron, F. (2001). Organizational and technological infrastructures alignment. In Proceedings of the 34th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 1-10). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/HICSS.2001.927162
