Explore the vast range of titles available.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationship between face-to-face social networks and knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data gathered through 25 semi-structured interviews in five manufacturing firms were collected and analysed. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data, which was supported through NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Findings The results reveal that face-to-face social networks facilitate knowledge sharing in diverse ways. These include the use of multiple communication styles, brainstorming and problem-solving, learning and teaching, training, consultations and employee rotation. Practical implications The findings of this research are expected to help practitioners to comprehend the big picture and scope of the steps they take to facilitate knowledge sharing in organisations. Viewing knowledge sharing from a holistic perspective can help practitioners comprehend how face-to-face knowledge sharing fits with and complements other knowledge-sharing channels, such as electronic social media and document repositories. In addition, through face-to-face social networks, practitioners can leverage work groups to increase knowledge sharing, meaning that potential cost savings and improved work practices can be achieved. Originality/value For researchers, three new models are developed which provide new insights into the nature of the relationship between face-to-face social networks and knowledge sharing. The first model relates to brainstorming and problem-solving, the second to knowledge levels and the direction of learning and teaching and the third to factors influencing social networks and knowledge sharing.

In New Zealand (NZ) there are plans afoot to create an e-government that will automate government-to-government and government-to-citizen interactions and allow anyone, anywhere to go online any time to obtain information, to complete transactions, and to communicate with their elected representatives, cheaply, quickly, and efficiently. A total of 16 key issues, which various authors argue are critical to the success of USA e-government initiatives, are described and evaluated in light of the NZ e-government environment. The significance afforded to these issues by NZ local authority e-government policymakers when they implement their own e-government initiatives suggests that eight of the issues are considered significant, four are not considered significant, and four remain inconclusive at this time. Of the key issues, six are not well understood. It is also concluded that NZ local authorities are at an early evolutionary stage of e-government development.

Drawing on sociology of science foundations, we argue that, in order to survive and prosper, healthy applied disciplines must meet the dual demands of academic and practitioner audiences by demonstrating both focus and diversity in their research. First, we use this concomitant modality to explain why previous studies into the structure of the Information Systems discipline have reported contradictory results, with some finding a focused field while others conclude that the field is diverse. In support of our argument, we then present the results of a longitudinal, author co-citation analysis, looking across the full range of journals in which IS research is published. Our results suggest that the IS field has sustained a focus on research within three subfields over a 20-year period from 1986 to 2005: (1) a thematic miscellany of research on development, implementation, and use of systems in various application domains; (2) IS strategy and business outcomes; and (3) group work and decision support. At the same time, the field has demonstrated considerable diversity within and around these core subfields, with researchers responding flexibly to the rapidly changing field by investigating these areas with new paradigms and in new contexts, and by exploring new topics including inter-business and Internet applications, computer-supported collaborative work, virtual teams, and knowledge management. Finally, we demonstrate that, over the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005, the discipline has shifted from fragmented adhocracy to a polycentric state, which is particularly appropriate to an applied discipline such as IS that must address the dual demands of focus and diversity in a rapidly changing technological context.

As online shopping growth continues, electronic retailers are recognizing the need to understand risk perceptions of (prospective) customers so as to remove impediments to continued growth. One particularly fruitful area of research concerns the perceptions of online shoppers to product, financial, privacy, time/inconvenience, psychological, and product source risk. Equally important is to understand differences in risk perceptions between males and females and also how such perceptions vary across different product types: digital (e.g. music), and non-digital (e.g. apparel). Utilizing an online survey of undergraduate college students, findings show that female respondents consistently perceived greater risk than males, with significant differences for product and financial risks for both product types. The “experiential” nature of apparel shopping was highlighted by online shopping intention being explained by psychological (male and females) and product (females) risk only. Overall, perceived risk was found to negatively influence intention to shop online by gender, especially with females.

Drawing on sociology of science foundations, we argue that, in order to survive and prosper, healthy applied disciplines must meet the dual demands of academic and practitioner audiences by demonstrating both focus and diversity in their research. First, we use this concomitant modality to explain why previous studies into the structure of the Information Systems discipline have reported contradictory results, with some finding a focused field while others conclude that the field is diverse. In support of our argument, we then present the results of a longitudinal, author co-citation analysis, looking across the full range of journals in which IS research is published. Our results suggest that the IS field has sustained a focus on research within three subfields over a 20year period from 1986 to 2005: (1) a thematic miscellany of research on development, implementation, and use of systems in various application domains; (2) IS strategy and business outcomes; and (3) group work and decision support. At the same time, the field has demonstrated considerable diversity within and around these core subfields, with researchers responding flexibly to the rapidly changing field by investigating these areas with new paradigms and in new contexts, and by exploring new topics including inter-business and Internet applications, computer-supported collaborative work, virtual teams, and knowledge management. Finally, we demonstrate that, over the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005, the discipline has shifted from fragmented adhocracy to a polycentric state, which is particularly appropriate to an applied discipline such as IS that must address the dual demands of focus and diversity in a rapidly changing technological context.

This paper develops a research model of the importance of consumers’ perceived risk and the Internet shopping experience in the online purchasing behavior of Internet users. The model was tested using a survey of some 700 New Zealand Internet users. Both the perceived risk and perceived benefits of Internet shopping were found to be significantly associated with the amount and frequency of online purchases made. Loss of social interaction in Internet shopping was associated with reduced online spending. The results of the study suggest that Internet retailing Web sites should include features that enhance customer service and reduce perceived risk.

Cloud services are increasingly being used for a variety of purposes, including e-mail, social networking, music streaming, calendar management, file storage etc. In recent times the evolution of cloud services from private applications to corporate usage has been observed. This has led to the question of how private and business cloud services can be dual-accessed through a single device, in particular a mobile device that is used as part of a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy. This paper considers the issues that arise from a consolidation of private and professional applications when accessed from a single device and introduces the term “personal cloud” to characterise such situations. It also presents an approach to cloud governance from a business perspective focusing in particular on security tokens, hardware keys and smart containers.

This study examined the influence of personality traits of small enterprise owners relating to the duration, frequency and intensity of their use of Facebook. The research method used unstructured and semi-structured interviews to capture the perceptions and personality traits of 29 small enterprise owners in New Zealand. The study found that the Facebook tasks of revising the business profile and regularly updating information on Facebook required the personality traits of being organized and thorough, rather than being imaginative and creative. A balance was required between the characteristics of being spontaneous and at the same time being cautious. The findings contribute a new perspective to the research on the personality traits of social media users, and adds to the small enterprise literature within the context of new technology adoption by its owners.

Web data is abundant. However, situations remain where a user cannot access the Web, due to the likes of server unavailability, bad connectivity, or governmental controls. In this paper, several cases are considered where continual, uninterrupted Web access is impossible due to various constraints. For example, a tourist may travel to a mountainous region without net coverage, yet may want access to information on the scenery, or the most recent weather forecast they obtained before embarking. The authors previously outlined a general approach to cope with such situations, which they have termed “Web in your Pocket” (WiPo). WiPo assumes that the user has a smart device to which appropriate data, ideally in curated form, can be pre-loaded so that it remains accessible offline. The authors here present a proof of concept by studying how WiPo can be used in three distinct cases: tourism, health, and search and rescue. The authors demonstrate the vast potential of WiPo, and give consideration to the practical issues behind its implementation.