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Inter-Organizational Informations Systems (IOIS)

In studying IOIS we are most interested in the question of how institutional and national factors influence structures and evolutionary paths of IOISs. Therefore we investigate different industries and different countries and how IOIS have evolved in these settings. This research is jointly conducted with Prof. Stefan Klein from University College of Dublin/Munster University and funded by a research grant of the DFG (German National Science Foundation). We further collaborate with Professor Robert Johnston (University College Dublin, Ireland) and Professors Guoqing Chen and Mingzhi Li (both Tsinghua University, Beijing). The main research design of the project is outlined in the paper “The Shaping of Inter-Organisational Information Systems” (see below). Beyond that, the following literature regarding IOIS research has been published recently:

• K. Reimers and R.B. Johnson: The Use of an Explicitly Theory-Driven Data Coding Method for High-Level Theory Testing in IOIS. In: Proceedings of the Twenty Ninth International Conference on Information Systems, Paper 184, December 15 - 17 2008, Paris. (PDF-File)
• K. Reimers and R.B. Johnston: Explaining Persistence and Resilience of Inter-organisational Information Systems: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations. In: Proceedings of the 16th European Conference on Information Systems, Galway, Ireland, June 9-11, 2008. (PDF File)
• K. Reimers and M.Zh. Li: Interaction of Technological and Institutional Change in the Development of an Electronic Commerce System in China's Pharmaceutical Distribution Chain -- A Transaction Cost Perspective. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Health Informatics (HEALTHINF), Funchal, Portugal, 28-31 January, 2008. (PDF File)
• K. Reimers, Th. Wagner and A. Zenke (eds.): Case Studies of Inter-organisational Information Systems -- Results from Four Industries and Four Countries. Göttingen: Cuvillier Verlag, 2005 (in German; a description of this book is available here).
• K. Reimers, R.B. Johnston and S. Klein: The Shaping of Inter-Organisational Information Systems: Main Design Considerations of an International Comparative Research Project. In: Proceedings of the 17th Bled eCommerce Conference "eGlobal", Bled, Slovenia, June 21-23, 2004.
  (PDF File)

Development of IT Standards

In the research area “Development of IT-Standards” we focus on the emergence and diffusion of IT-Standards. We distinguish between compatibility standards and communication standards. The former are used to create standardized interfaces between different hardware and software components, the latter regard rules for communication between different information systems. The close relationship with the research topic “Development of Inter-Organisational Information Systems” is apparent: Standardized interfaces provide the basis for Inter-Organisational Information Systems through enabling companies to communicate electronically.
In this research area, we closely collaborate with Prof. Mingzhi Li from Tsinghua University in Beijing and have recently published these articles:

• K. Reimers and M.Zh. Li: Effectiveness of the International 3G Standardisation Process and Implications for China's 3G Policy. In: International Journal of Public Policy, Vol. 2 (2007), Nos. 1/2, pp. 124-139.
• K. Reimers and M.Zh. Li: Antecedents of a Transaction Cost Theory of Vertical IS Standardisation Processes. In: Electronic Markets, Vol. 15, No. 4 (2005) (Special Issue on Vertical Industry Information Technology Standards and Standardization), pp. 301-312.
• K. Reimers and M.Z. Li: Should Buyers Try to Shape IT-markets through Non-market (Collective) Action? Antecedents of a Transaction Cost Theory of Network Effects. In: Journal of IT Standards & Standardization Research, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan.-June 2005), pp. 44-67.

Implementation of ERP Systems

The term ERP system refers to a class of software which connects different functional departments in an organisation by using a common database. In an ongoing research project we are helping to roll out a global ERP solution in an international enterprise. This company is one of the leading suppliers for chemical products in different sectors. The members of the research project take a deeper look at problems of daily life, hierarchical frictions and implicit cross-country problems such as cultural differences or power issues. Moreover, the influence on organisational structures in the implementation process will be analysed by the research team. For these purposes, the research team will develop a control and forecasting tool which will help the firm to organize and “review” their activities leading to a reduced number of failures. In the area of ERP implementation, the following teaching case has been published recently:

• K. Kelzenberg, T. Wagner, K. Reimers: A Conceptual Framework for Developing and Evaluating ERP Implementation Strategies in Multinational Organizations. In: Enterprise Resource Planning for Global Economies: Managerial Issues and Challenges by C. Ferran and R. Salim (editors), Information Science Reference (2008). More Information here.
• Sh.-W. Chien, Ch. Hu, K. Reimers, J.-Sh. Lin: The Influence of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces on ERP Project Success in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in China and Taiwan. In: International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 107, No. 2 (June 2007), pp. 380-396.
• K. Reimers: Gearbox China (Ltd.): Will the Company's ERP System Support Its Ambitious Growth Strategy? In: Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 19, No. 2 (June 2004), pp. 140-148.