Course Code and Name: MBRM: Research Project
Program: MBA
Semester: Spring 2020-21
Instructor: Dr. Randa Hariri
Section: 1
Date: Tuesday, March 15th, 2021 Time: 5:30 -9:00 Online
For Instructor’s use only
Grade: _______
Out of: 20%
For Student’s use only
Student Name: Al-Hanouf Al-Harbi
Student ID : M191128
Major : MBA
Research Study Analysis
Each student is to select a research study about any topic related to the business field, read it, and analyze it according to the criteria incorporated in the Criteria Table Below.
Incorporate your answers in the Analysis Table.
Criteria Table
Areas for Research Study Analysis
Designated
Points
Student’s
Grade
The Title, author, name of the journal, and year of publishing
2
The problem of the study with all components
2
The purpose of the study
2
The Research Questions/Hypothesis
2
Explanation of three previous studies from the literature review; the main topic each study addresses, the research method used, instrument, sample, and findings
2
Research Design
2
Research instrument/s used
2
Sample size, nature, and sampling procedure
2
Main findings in relevance to the research questions
2
Main recommendations
2
TOTAL
20
Analysis Table
The Title, author, name of the journal, and year of publishing ( in APA Reference style )
Zhao, J., Huang, W. V., & Zhu, Z. (2008). An empirical study of the e-business implementation process in China. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 55(1), 134-147.
The problem of the study with all components ( the sequence of the problem )
The complexity of the implementation of e-business is something that researchers have not yet unveiled. There is a need to investigate causal relationships among strategic initiative, information technology (IT)-related resources, and e-business capabilities; and their roles in the implementation process. Organizations have been encountering challenges when it comes to converting resources into capabilities in the implementation process, which poses challenges in transforming an organization. There is scarce literature on the dynamic process of practical e-business implementation for enterprises, hence the need to fill this gap.
The purpose of the study ( how did the lit review support the research study )
The study aims to investigate the existence of causal relationships among strategy, resources, and capabilities by conceptualizing the e-business implementation process. The literature review supports the research study in such a manner that it strives to explain and characterize the roles played by e-business strategy, resource, and capabilities in or organizational transformation. It also contextualizes the problem by looking at it from the perspective of various countries. It underscores the factors impacting e-business strategy initiative and implementation. This lays the ground for the researcher to investigate the aspect of role strategy and other factors that are intertwined in the implementation process.
The Research Questions/Hypothesis
H1a: Successful strategic initiative will be positively associated with top manager’s attitude and commitment
H1b: Successful strategic initiative will be positively associated with IT infrastructure.
H1c: Successful strategic initiative will be positively associated with internal funds.
H2a: Higher levels of a strategic initiative will be positively associated with IT human resources.
H2b: Higher levels of a strategic initiative will be positively associated with information systems
H3a: Strategic initiative will be positively associated with information sharing capabilities.
H3b: Information systems will be positively associated with information sharing capabilities.
H3c: IT human resources will be positively associated with information-sharing capabilities.
H3d: Partner e-readiness will be positively associated with information sharing capabilities.
Explanation of three previous studies from the literature review; the main topic each study addresses, the research method used, instrument, sample and findings, and how the researcher benefited from the literature review
Changa et al. (2003) look at e-commerce and corporate strategy from an executive perspective. The study utilized a content analysis strategy whereby the CEO’s letter to shareholders of 145 Fortune 500 firms was conducted to evaluate the importance of electronic commerce and strategic orientation. It was found that electronic commerce must be pursued carefully as a strategic initiative rather than as an appendage to an existing organization. The study contributes to the research by underscoring the need for e-commerce initiatives as important strategic initiatives and the need for a strong e-commerce orientation.
Barua et al.’s (2004) study is about an empirical investigation of net-enabled business value. A sample space of about 1,000 firms in the manufacturing, retail, and wholesale sectors was incorporated in the study. The study also incorporated a systematic literature review. The study suggests that while most firms are lagging in their supplier-side initiatives relative to the customer-side, supplier-side digitization has a strong positive impact on customer-side digitization, which, in turn, leads to better financial performance. The researchers benefited from the literature review in the sense that it addresses processes through which business value is created through such Internet-enabled value chain activities.
Bharadwaj et al.’s (2000) article is about “A Resource-Based Perspective on Information Technology Capability and Firm Performance.” A matched-sample comparison group methodology and publicly available ratings are used to assess IT capability and firm performance. It was evident that firms with high IT capability tend to outperform a control sample of firms on a variety of profit and cost-based performance measures. The literature review contributes to the research by underscoring the need for factors such as strong IT capability.
Research Design
The research used a quantitative method, with quantitative tools such as Likert scales that were broadly used a 37-question questionnaire. The information was collected through phone calls, facsimiles, interviews, emails, questionnaire surveys, and face-to-face personal interviews. In the analysis, the research model was tested using a covariance-based SEM. There was also the use of SPSS in exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the constructs and examine the convergent and discriminant validity in the research.
Research instrument/s used
A questionnaire with 37-questions, with a Likert scale.
Sample size, nature, and sampling procedure ( all the sampling details including the full population of the sample )
The chosen sample entailed Hubei enterprises, totaling about 196 enterprises. Trade Bureau of Wuhan city provided a list of enterprises that were used, and questionnaires were randomly distributed from the list.
Main findings in relevance to the research questions (what was the research quotations and what was the findings for each question)
It was found that a successful strategic initiative is associated with a manager’s attitude and commitment, IT infrastructure, and internal funds. It was also established that the successful strategic initiative would lead to deploy and utilize IT-related organizational resources for the generation of e-business capabilities. Finally, it became apparent that the information systems and the intelligent assets are supposed to be aligned with each other to create certain high-order ISCs for better communication and coordination across value chain members.
Main recommendations (one or two recommendation the author gave to each research question)
Managers should leverage strategy, resources, and capabilities for the purposes of e-business success.
References
Barua, A., Konana, P., Whinston, A. B., & Yin, F. (2004). An empirical investigation of net-enabled business value. MIS Quarterly, 585-620.
Bharadwaj, A. S. (2000). A resource-based perspective on information technology capability and firm performance: an empirical investigation. MIS Quarterly, 169-196.
Chang, K. C., Jackson, J., & Grover, V. (2003). E-commerce and corporate strategy: an executive perspective. Information & Management, 40(7), 663-675.
Zhao, J., Huang, W. V., & Zhu, Z. (2008). An empirical study of e-business implementation process in China. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 55(1), 134-147.
Research Project -Course Code: MBRM 6301-Course Title: Research Methodology-Semester: Spring-AY:2020-21- Date: 15-03-2021 Time 5:00 -7:00 pm Room: Online Faculty Name: Dr. Randa Hariri Page 1 of 2