Horizontal Strategy in Strategic Management

The following notes are on the topic of Horizontal Strategy in Strategic Management:


Note 1

Note 2

Reference
Porter, M.E. (1985) "Chapter 10: Horizontal Strategy" Competitive Advantage, The Free Press.

Competitive Strategy in Declining Industries

The following notes are on Competitive Strategy in Declining Industries in Strategic Management:


Note 1

Note 2

Reference
Porter, M.E. (1980) "Chapter 12: Competitive Strategy in Declining Industries" Competitive Strategy, The Free Press.

Competitive Strategy in Emerging Industries

The following notes are on Competitive Strategy in Emerging Industries in Strategic Management:

Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

Reference
Porter, M.E. (1980) "Chapter 10: Competitive Strategy in Emerging Industries" Competitive Strategy, The Free Press

Structural analysis within industries

The following notes are on the topic of structural analysis within industries in Strategic Management:

Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

Reference
Porter, M.E. (1980) "Chapter 7: Structural Analysis within Industries" Competitive Strategy, The Free Press.

Competitive Strategy in fragmented industries

The following notes are on the topic of Competitive strategy in fragmented industries in Strategic Management:



Note 1

Note 2

Reference
Porter, M. (1980) "Chapter 9: Competitive Strategy in Fragmented Industries" Competitive Strategy, The Free Press.

Defensive strategy in Strategic Management

The following notes are on Defensive Strategy in Strategic Management


Note 1

Note 2

Reference
Porter, M. (1985) "Chapter 14: Defensive Strategy" Competitive Advantage, The Free Press.

Industry Scenarios in Strategic Management

The following notes are on the topic of Industry Scenarios in Strategic Management:

Note 1

Note 2

Reference
Porter M. (1985) "Chapter 13: Industry Scenarios and Competitive Strategy under Uncertainty" Competitive Advantage, The Free Press.

Technology and competitive advantage

The following notes highlight some key concepts and concerns on  the topic of "Technology and competitive advantage", based on Porter (1985)

Note 1

Note 2

Reference
Porter, M. (1985) "Chapter 5: Technology and Competitive Advantage" Competitive Advantage, The Free Press.

Technology choice analysis in Strategic Management Accounting

The following ideas highlights the main views on the topic of Technology Choice from the Strategic Management Accounting  perspective:

Reference
Shank, J.K. and Govindarajan, V. (1993) "Chapter 14: Strategic analysis for one important structural cost driver - technology choices" Strategic Cost Management, The Free Press.

Evaluating information systems - a discussion agenda

The following  discussion agenda is on the topic of Evaluating Information Systems in Information Systems:

1. Systems changeover strategies
2. Software contract/ support & maintenance contract
3. Software user groups
4. Software testing: types
5. Training methods
6. Documentations
7. Post implementation review
8. Software maintenance: types
9. Quality Management - the V model
10. Systems security considerations
11. On malware
12. Risk management
13. Information systems legislation
14. Software audit trail
    
    
    
    
    Reference
    ACCA paper 2.1 syllabus (2007) "Information Systems"

Designing information systems - a discussion agenda

The following  discussion agenda is on the topic of Designing Information Systems in Information Systems:

1. Development process models
2. IT development methodologies
3. Advantages and disadvantages of sysstems development methodologies
4. Fact finding techiques
5. Modelling user requirements
6. External and internal design
7. Software selection for different types of software
8. Invitation to tender
9. How to select a supplier and how to evaluate supplier proposals
10. CASE tools

Reference
ACCA paper 2.1 syllabus (2007) "Information Systems"

Managing Information Systems in Information Systems

The following  discussion agenda is on the topic of Managing Information Systems in Information Systems:

1. Quality of information
2. Information Sources
3. Information Management
4. Methods of cost allocation
5. Managing Information Systems Projects
• Project initiation
• Project quality plan
6. Roles and responsibilities of Business and IT specialists
7. On Project-based structure
8. Project planning tools and techniques
9. Project slippage
10. Project monitoring and control tools
11. Project management software package

Reference
ACCA paper 2.1 syllabus (2007) "Information Systems"

Insider Action Research - some resources

The following resources are on the topic of Insider Action Research (IAR):

1. Related ethical decision making: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/309 
2. IAR in education (pdf): http://legacy.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Publications/Journals/Educational_Researcher/3607/10EDR07_401-407.pdf
3. Long term IAR (pdf): http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=mgmt_fac
4. How it feels to conduct an IAR (pdf): http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/184298.pdf

The relationship between Management Education & MPSB Research

The following diagram sketches the relationship between Management Education and Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Research:

References

1. On Professionalization: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professionalization
2. On MPSB Research: http://josephho33.blogspot.hk/2011/08/multi-perspective-systems-based.html

NB: there is a need to examine the relationship between the notion of Enlightening Management Education in MPSB Research and Freire's Conscientization.

Information systems' strategic role in Business Information Management

The following discussion agenda is on The strategic role of Information Systems in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. The generic levels of strategy
• Corporate strategy, business strategy, functional strategy
2. Strategic business objectives
3. Developing information systems strategy
4. How Information Systems, Information Technology and Information Management Strategies are related
5. Learning organizational information requirements
• Earl's three leg analysis, Enterprise analysis, Critical success factors
6. PEST analysis
7. Information Resource Management

Reference
FTMS (2006) "Chapter 2: The strategic role of information systems" Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

Business Systems in Business Information Management

The following discussion agenda is on Business Systems &  Systems Thinking in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. Hard Systems approach and Soft Systems approach
• Systems lifecycle
• Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology
2. Business Systems
• Hierarchy of systems
• Socio-technical systems
3. Business automation, raltionalization and business process re-engineering
4. Notions of automate, informate and transformate

Reference
FTMS (2006) "Chapter 4: Business Systems and Systems Thinking" Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

Knowledge Management in Business Informtion Management

The following discussion agenda is on Knowledge Management in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. Definitions of Knowledge, Knowledege Management, and Knowledge Work System
2. On knowledge management programmes
3. On organizational learning
4. On knowledge management systems
• Office automation systems, group collaborative systems, knowledge work systems,and artificial intelligence systems
5. Databases, Data warehousing, and datamining as related to Knowledge Management

Reference
FTMS (2006) "Chapter 3: Knowledge Management" Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

IT impacts on work practices in BIM

The following discussion agenda is on IT impacts on work practices in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. Impacts of Information Technology (IT) on organizations
• On organization structure
• On employment issues
• On organizational activities and processes
• On legacy systems
2. Impacts of IT on employee/ employer relationship
• On telecommuting
3. On employment of Sociotechnical design to cope with IT impacts
4. Information requirements
• Critical success factors
• Information overload
5. Social, political  and ethical issues

Reference

FTMS (2006) "Chapter 9: The impacts of IT on work practices", Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

Change Implementation in Business Information Management

The following discussion agenda is on Change Implementation in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. Plan and  implement change
• Resistance to change
• The change process
• The change strategies
2. Information Systems (IS) project failures
• Causes of IS project failures
• Conflicting demands on IS projects
3. The process of development and implementation
• How to overcome user resistance
• How to overcome implementation risks
4. Building tools and models for information systems
• CASE tools
5. Systems changover
6. Systems evaluation

Reference
FTMS (2006) Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

USING MULTI-PERSPECTIVE, SYSTEMS-BASED (MPSB) FRAMEWORKS IN MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

RESEARCH NOTES: USING MULTI-PERSPECTIVE, SYSTEMS-BASED (MPSB) FRAMEWORKS IN MANAGEMENT RESEARCH: WHY AND HOW SHOULD THIS BE DONE

 

Joseph, K.K. Ho

Abstract
Management research is an intellectually vigorous activity for many academicians, not to mention students doing final year dissertation projects in their final year study in Degree programmes. Using diagrams in literature review and in problem-exploration have been reported in the management literature for a long time. In this paper, diagramming techniques are reviewed via the lens of critical systems thinking. One form of diagrams that is used to graphically express frameworks of theories, known as multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) frameworks, is examined in the context of research work, especially for degree students (called student researchers in this paper) doing dissertation projects. MPSB frameworks are based on critical systems thinking; they mainly facilitate literature review in management research, and work with other diagramming efforts in research projects. Some suggestions are made in the paper on how different types of diagrams can be used to facilitate research projects. MPSB research, which adopts the practice of MPSB framework construction in the process, promotes effective management practices and enlightening management education characterized as  transdisciplinary and critical in orientation.

Key words: Multi-perspective, systems-based frameworks; Critical Systems Thinking; Management Research; Dissertation projects

Introduction
Management research, as a subject, is complex and controversial. Research methods textbooks, such as Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009), identify different research philosophies, research approaches and research strategies, etc. In research projects, researchers also need to apply concepts and theories via literature review. Thus management research is intellectually challenging for academicians. This writer, as a part-time lecturer on various management subjects, is also concerned that part-time business students are increasingly unable to conduct literature review, theory-driven research design, and good quality theory-driven analysis in their study in general and in final year dissertation works in particular.

In this article, the writer elaborates on how diagramming techniques, based on the multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) research, can be employed in management research, especially those that are carried out as final year dissertations for business students at the Degree and Post-graduate Degree levels (called student researchers in this case). In the discussion, the writer offers examples of diagrams for illustration. The purposes and implications of such diagramming practices and the underlying MPSB research are also examined.

To start with, the writer will briefly introduce the multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) research. MPSB framework construction, which makes up a key activity with diagramming in MPSB research, is explained. The discussion draws on the writer’s experience in supervising student researchers and his own research in MPSB research. A number of diagrams are used as examples for illustration and for explaining the line of reasoning in this paper.


Multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) research and the construction of multi-perspective, systems-based frameworks

Multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) research was initiated by the writer in mid 1990s as his Ph.D. thesis project (Ho, 1995a; 1996). The main goal of the MPSB research is to make advancement of critical systems thinking via the route of construction and applications of knowledge structures in diagrammatic forms (called MPSB frameworks), from literature review of a number of management disciplines, notably management accounting, logistics management and information systems management. MPSB frameworks so constructed are explicitly based on critical systems thinking and its commitments of critical awareness, improvement and pluralism (Jackson, 2000; 2003). Out of the MPSB research, eleven inter-related core concepts were identified by the writer. They were: (1) MPSB research, (2) MPSB frameworks, (3) perspective, (4) a perspective switch, (5) a migration of perspective, (6) perspective anchoring, (7) an MPSB rich picture building exercise, (8) an MPSB knowledge compiler, (9) the in-built tension of pluralism, (10) MPSB cognitive filters for management, and (11) enlightening management education. (Ho, 1996a; Ho, 1996b). In this paper, the writer mainly examines the role and value of MPSB frameworks in management research carried out by student researchers.

The MPSB research promotes cross-fertilization of ideas among management disciplines and, via the trans-disciplinary lens of critical systems thinking; it endeavors to expose the limitations of knowledge produced by established professional bodies that promote specific management disciplines, such as accounting and logistics, etc. and protect the interests of their members. The concern of these professional bodies is mainly to win in “a continual battle for jurisdiction over particular territories of expertise, territories which are contested between groups in a zero-sum game.” and the management practice that they endorse is mainly a technical practice. Thus, for Grey (1997): “Management is represented as a technical practice in order to legitimate and extend its social power (in relation to the elite interests of managers, or in relation to class domination, or as part of a process of rationalization, or… ). Professionalization represents the most developed form of legitimation, resting as it does upon ideologies of integrity, independence, service, and expertise.”.  For example, auditors are required in the business world to investigate the annual reports that are produced by companies’ directors who cannot be totally trusted by shareholders from the agency theory perspective (Millichamp and Taylor, 2008). From that need, the auditing professional bodies develop a body of knowledge on auditing practices that is predominantly technical in orientation.

Via the critical systems lens and expressed in the diagrammatic forms of MPSB frameworks, the researcher becomes more sensitive to the limitations of the bodies of knowledge in various management disciplines, especially those originated from the respective professional bodies of these management disciplines. This statement itself is not to discredit the high practical value of these literatures. More critical works on various management disciplines are quite widely available in the academic forums, such as the refereed journal of Critical Perspective on Accounting from Elsevier for the management discipline of accounting.

Figure 1 depicts the nature of MPSB research in management research and indicates its relationship with various management discipline studies and critical systems research. MPSB research focuses on reviewing literature from various management disciplines based on critical systems thinking; it provides a route to develop management practices and management education that support transdisciplinarity and holistic thinking. For Flood, such kind of management practices aim at achieving nine critical success factors (Flood, 1995), such as: (1) reduce the number of concepts required explain methods and translate those that are kept into everyday language and then integrate them into one coherent whole system, and (2) employ potent techniques to stimulate creative thought about organization and its problems.

Such kind of management practices (and management education that endorse them) are considered theoretically superior than those developed by professional bodies; they are more capable to promote evolutionary learning (Banathy, 1998). Due to this, management education based on critical systems thinking is treated as an enlightening management education in MPSB research. On the other hand, the assessment methods employed by quite a number of professional bodies on their student members are heavily examination-oriented, based on intensive drilling on sample and past examination papers.

Having said that, the existing bodies of knowledge from professional bodies in various management disciplines are huge; these institutions offer tremendous intellectual resources that researchers can review in order to formulate useful knowledge structures, i.e. MPSB frameworks, in management practices and management education. Such kind of knowledge compilation to produce MPSB frameworks propels advancement of holistic management practices and enlightening management education. This research strategy of the MPSB research is labeled as promotion route 2 in Figure 1.
 
An elaboration of diagramming practices based on the MPSB research
Diagramming techniques have been widely used in management research, dissertation report writing and management practices. In the systems literature, similarly, diagrams are employed to explain various systems theories and in systems methodologies. From the writer’s experience of supervising student researchers, diagramming is very useful to explore student researchers’ dissertation themes to quickly forming more specific dissertation research proposals.

In final year dissertation work, the first task for a student researcher is to come up with a proper dissertation research proposal. There are a number of topics to cover in a typical research proposal. While different universities have different research proposal formats, a dissertation research proposal generally has following sequence of sections:
(1) Background of the study,
(2) Dissertation objectives and research questions,
(3) Main management theories to use in the dissertation projects,
(4) Main research methods to use,
(5) Main resources required to conduct the project,
(6) A preliminary draft of the table of content of the dissertation report,
(7) Dissertation project plan, most likely in the form of a GANTT chart and, finally,
(8) A preliminary reference list.

For many student researchers, the meanings of the terms and tasks identified are not easy to follow. While these topics are explained in standard Business Research Methods textbooks, they are not easy to grasp by students without the actual experience on Management Research.

Figure 2, constructed by the writer, depicts the relationship among the key terms as related to management research process, namely, research objectives, research philosophies, research questions, and research designs. Since these concepts are covered in standard Business Research methods textbooks, they are not explained in this paper. Unfortunately, many student researchers equate management research with statistical analysis using hypothesis testing and many lecturers that the writer has come across in Hong Kong only endorse the research philosophy of positivism.

Diagramming is useful to speed up a student’ effort to come up with a more focused and properly formulated dissertation proposal. Speed is important in this case as most of the dissertation supervision meetings between the writer (as a dissertation supervisor) and the student researchers (the supervisees) last for 30 minutes. Quite a number of part-time student researchers that this writer have supervised are quite bewildered what to do with dissertation work though they have undergone many hours of lecturing on Management Research methods. Thus, diagramming is much relied on by the writer to brainstorm a dissertation topic with the student researcher at dissertation supervision meetings. Subsequently, the student researcher is encouraged to make use of diagramming done to explore and elaborate on their dissertation proposal.

Diagrams such as rich-pictures and cognitive maps require very simple tools to construct and do not need much learning of specialized notations. Diagrams are two dimensions and can quickly indicate how various concerns, objectives, management concepts and structures/ processes are inter-related. A diagram in this case makes up an easy-to-grasp sketch of a dissertation proposal that can explored and reviewed by students and the dissertation project supervisors together in dissertation project supervision meetings. Such a diagram can be quite simple. Take for an example an article written by Hussian (2003) called “Auditing expectation gap: a possible solution”. In this case, a diagram to describe this study consists of basically two variables: one variable is the “auditing expectation gap” (variable A) and the other variable is “an enhanced accounting course that more clearly explains the auditing function” (variable B).  The main propositions are: (1) That variable A exists in the Sultanate of Oman and (2) That variable B can reduce Variable A. The literature review conducted by Hussian describes previous findings and implications on the auditing expectation gap; it provides definitions of the main concepts involved, notably what is “auditing expectation gap”. In this case, a specific research method based on a survey exercise and a statistical analysis is carried out with the intent to establish the cause-and-effect relationship between variable A (the solution) and variable B (the problem). This research method can be marked in a diagram that covers the two variables and the role of the research method.

In literature review, diagrams in the form of a cognitive map or an MPSB framework (e.g. Ho and Sculli (1994)’s framework on decision support systems design), can be used to synthesize concepts and theories from a management discipline. For the formulation of a dissertation proposal, diagrams can be employed to clarify and graphically depict: (1) background of the study, (2) dissertation objectives and questions, (3) Main management theories to use in the dissertation projects, and (4) Main research methods to use. Subsequently, diagrams can be used to consolidate data, theory-driven analysis findings, theories used in one diagram to make up a visual chain of evidence for readers of dissertation reports to follow more easily. This is described visually in Figure 3. By reviewing such a diagram (in this case a figure with a supportive table of main points), the student researcher and his supervisor could also check if there are any gaps or weaknesses in the line of reasoning in his report. Thus, diagrams of various forms are used in different stage of dissertation project to serve different purposes.

In MPSB research, the roles of various forms of diagrams are depicted in Figure 4. Figure 4 makes explicit the contribution of MPSB frameworks in the research process as inspired by critical systems thinking. In this case, the student researcher with an initial understanding of a specific topic in a management discipline, indicated as possessing a specific cognitive system, starts to do literature review. Via learning critical systems thinking and research methods, the student researcher makes an intellectual effort to enrich his cognitive system with the ideas and viewpoints picked up from the literature review on a specific management discipline. Critical system thinking encourages the student researcher to consider the management approach from technical, practical and critical perspectives. The unbounded systems thinking of Mitroff and Linstone (1993) adopts a similar approach in analysis by taking technical, organizational and personal perspectives simultaneously. In this case, some of the learning during the research process is done by the student researcher himself while other concepts and theories could be or could have been taken up by him in course lectures.

In final-year dissertation project, the process of knowledge compilation based on critical systems thinking by the student researcher is guided by an experienced academic supervisor who should be well versed in critical systems thinking. Via intellectual reasoning, diagrams can then be constructed that capture and relate concerns, viewpoints and theories.  As the student researcher conducts his research with specific concerns and objectives in a specific problem setting, he needs to construct different types of diagrams for different purposes in the dissertation project. Four types of diagrams are discerned here:

Diagram type a: Rich picture diagrams to portray (a) the various inter-related forums having involvement in the discussion and development of a specific management technique or theory (re: Figure 5) and (b) the problem situation that represents the client system facing the researcher. The technique of rich picture comes from the soft systems methodology of Peter Checkland (1981).

Referring to Figure 5, in a typical exercise to review a management practice in a management discipline, such as Information Systems audit practice, one could discern that such a review can be fruitfully carried out by examining three main related communities and that there are diverse concerns and management practice gaps arising from such a review exercise. Such literature review approach very often perceives a situation surrounding the discussion of such a management practice as exhibiting soft complexity. This is due to the facts that different communities, namely, the academic community, the relevant professional bodies and direct stakeholders in business world are preoccupied with different concerns and self-interests. The literature review approach as described in Figure 5 is deemed useful when the review process is grounded on critical systems thinking.

Diagram type b: Frameworks of theories in the form of a cognitive map that summarize a specific management approach. Cognitive mapping was explained in Eden, Jones, and Sims (1983). Such a management approach is being employed in the client system. In this case, relevant concepts from the management approach and the context specific concerns/ viewpoints are synthesized in a cognitive map. Figure 6 is an example taken from Ho (1986) for illustration. In Figure 6, concepts covered in a series of Total Quality Management (TQM) workshops conducted by a company was captured in a cognitive map. The cognitive map also includes other TQM concepts identified from the writer’s own literature review on TQM.

Diagram type c: A multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) framework on a specific management approach constructed to provide a comprehensive and critical assessment of such a management approach, which drives the research process (Ho, 1995b). Construction of MPSB framework encourages a researcher to conduct a critical literature review in a dissertation report project. This form of framework can also be used as a roadmap for a thesis report. Figure 7 is an example taken from Ho (1996b)

Diagram type d: Conceptual models that represent insightful suggested solutions to improve the problem situation facing the client system. The notion of conceptual models comes from soft systems methodology of Checkland (1981).

These four sets of diagrams are not independent. Diagram types (a) and (b) are used to depict the problem-situation as well as the voices being expressed by the stakeholders. Diagram type (c) promotes comprehensive and critical literature review, which, in turn, fosters “creative holism” (Jackson, 2003) in problem-solving and knowledge compilation by the researchers. Diagram type (c), in this case, makes up a concrete outcome of literature review. For student researchers, diagram type (c) is useful to convey in an accessible way to readers of their dissertation reports that they have been able to consolidate their knowledge from literature review with critical thinking. This diagramming exercise addresses student researchers’ difficulties to carry out literature review, which very often is degenerated into a set of unwieldy lecture notes that are not subsequently used to drive the research design in the dissertation projects of the student researchers.  Reviewing diagram types (a), (b), and (c) enables the student researcher to examine conceptual models with “creative holism”. Figure 8 express this line of reasoning.

The implications of MPSB framework usage in management research and on management education
Construction of MPSB framework is challenging because of the substantial intellectual effort required to master critical systems thinking in addition to the effort spent on the literature review on the management topic being studied in a specific research project. To start with, many student researchers that the writer has come across have difficulties to conduct theory-driven analysis on a business topic.

To do well in dissertation projects, the student researcher needs to have a good grasp of business research methods. This is not easy. Some student researchers are more familiar with qualitative research methods while others are more skillful in applying quantitative research methods. The quality of the MPSB frameworks constructed by the student researcher depends on his intellectual ability and knowledge of critical systems thinking. It is very difficult to build up a student researcher’s intellectual ability in a short period of time, especially when the part-time student researcher also is busy with his daily work and the dissertation project schedule is tight. They definitely need support from capable academic supervisors who are well versed in critical systems thinking and multi-perspective, systems-based research. Thus, there is a need to train up competent dissertation supervisors in critical systems thinking in order for MPSB-driven research process as depicted in Figure 4 to be carried by the student researchers. Presumably, research works based on MPSB perspective carried out by capable academicians will not have such problems faced by the student researchers.

When making use of MPSB frameworks to examine a specific management approach, researchers become more sensitive to various technical and non-technical arising from its usage. This is useful when the literature so happened to be studied by the researchers is dominated by a technical perspective, thus too restrictive. Diagrams so constructed are also useful as communication tools for the researcher who needs to collaborate with other stakeholders from time to time. For student researchers, the main emphasis is on effective learning rather than on the production of good quality diagrams per se, given that quite a number of the student researchers’ existing intellectual ability can be low. Construction of MPSB framework does not offer a silver bullet for student researchers with low intellectual ability and low commitment on dissertation work to secure a pass in dissertation in an unrealistically short period of time.
  
Concluding remarks
Construction of MPSB framework is an important exercise in enlightening management education; enlightening management education is based on critical systems thinking and it endorses creative holism; it promotes human capability building (Bryson, 2007) and evolutionary learning (Banathy, 1998). This is quite different from our prevailing management education, characterized by Grey (1997) as “an institutional means through which management as a technical practice is represented”. The management education sector in Hong Kong is also too commercialized to be enlightening. MPSB research provides a route to promote management education and management practices that respects transdisciplinarity and critical thinking. They should be of value to both experienced researchers and inexperienced student researchers. Thus, despite all the difficulties, MPSB research should be promoted as worth doing.


References

Banathy, B H 1998.  Research Paper: Evolution Guided by Design: A Systems Perspective. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Vol. 15: 161-172.
Bryson J 2007 Chapter 10: Human resource development or developing human capability?. in Bolton, S.C. and Houlihan, M (editors) Searching for the human in human resource management: Theory, practice and workplace context, palgrave Macmillan: 171-192
Checkland P 1981. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
Eden C, Jones S and Sims D 1983 Messing about in Problems: An informal Structured Approach to their Identification and Management, Pergamon Press, Oxford.
Flood R L 1995 Solving Problem Solving: A Potent Force for Effective Management, Wiley.
Grey C 1997. Management as a Technical Practice: Professionalization or Responsibilization?” Systems Practice, Vol. 10(6): 703-725
Ho J K K 1986. A Study of Problem Contexts, Problems and Attempted Solutions using Systems concepts at Harlands of Hull, MA in Management Systems thesis, The University of Hull, UK.
Ho J K K 1995a. An Example of the Operation of the MPSB Filter: Research Paper. Systems Research. Vol. 12 (4): 297-308.
Ho J K K 1995b. MPSB Frameworks explained, in Ellis K, Gregory A, Mears-Young B R and Ragsdell G (editors) Critical Issues in Systems Theory and Practice, Plenum Press, New York: 487-492
Ho J K K 1996a. MPSB Research Explained.  Journal of the Operational Research Society, 47: 843-852.
Ho J K K 1996b. Development of Multi-perspective, Systems-based Frameworks, Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Engineering, Hong Kong University.
Hussain I 2003. Auditing expectation gap: A possible solution. Journal of American Academy of Business, 3, ½, September: 67-70.
Ho J K K and Sculli D 1994. A Multiperspective Systems-based Framework for Decision Support Systems Design. Systems Practice, Vol. 7(5), Plenum Publishing Corporation: 551-563.
Jackson M C 2000. Systems Approaches to Management, Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers.
Jackson  M C 2003. Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers, Wiley.
Millichamp A H and Taylor J R 2008. Auditing, South-Western.
Mitroff I I and Linstone M A 1993. The Unbounded Mind, Oxford University Press, New York.
Saunders M, Lewis P and Thornhill A 2009. Research methods for business students, Prentice Hall.

Organisational information requirements in Business Information Management

The following discussion agenda is on Organisational Information Requirements in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. Types of information requirements: a general review
2. Information requirements  in different business sectors
3. Factors that  the value of information
4. Identification of benefits of a proposed information system
5. Information management: tasks and responsibility
6. Major information sources and information capture
7. Information system types
8. On dependencies and integration of information systems
9. Information system security considerations and practices

Reference
FTMS (2006) Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

Business case development in Business Information Mgt

The following discussion agenda is on Business Case Development in Business Information Management (BIM):

1. General framework on business case development
2. Justification of business case
3. Business case report
4. Business analysis
• Information audit
• Systems audit grid of Earl
• The strategic grid of McFarlan/McKenney)
• Strategic grid of Peppard
5. Gap analysis
6. Scoring model to evaluate application alternatives

Reference
FTMS (2006 Study text: Business Information Managemennt ACCA 3.4. BPP professional education

On Kanban (JIT concept)

The following online resources are on Kanban in the subject of Just in time mgt:

1. On kanban: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban
2. On calculation of no. of kanban: http://www.transtutors.com/homework-help/industrial-management/just-in-time-production-system/number-of-kanban-calculation.aspx
3. http://leanman.hubpages.com/hub/Kanban-Calculation

Related lecture notes
Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

Paradigms, metaphors & puzzle-solving in Business Research

The following notes cover the topic of paradigms, metaphors and puzzle-solving in Business Research:

Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

Students should study Anderson (1995) for a detailed elaboration of the ideas noted in the above notes.



Reference
Anderson, P.H. (1995) "Ontology and research strategy - paradigmatic consequences to social inquiry" in Elfring, T., Jensen, H.S. and Money, A. (editors) European Research Paradigms in Business Studies, pp. 29-47, Handelshojskolens Forlag.

A strategic management accounting review on conglomerates

The following notes cover the main Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) topics on the subject of Conglomerates:

• Topic 1: Management Accounting (MA)/ financial evaluation on developing centralized services to the whole conglomerate group.
• Topic 2: MA/ financial review of the portfolio of investment by the conglomerate group, covering an assessment of overall risk involved.
• Task 3: MA/ Financial Management efforts to design appropriate financial performance measures for the various strategic business units (e.g. as investment centres).
• Task 4: MA efforts to develop appropriate transfer pricing/ service charging schemes for corporate centralized services to other business units.
• Topic 5: MA evaluation on whether to spin off the centralized services function as a separate business unit, which then has freedom to also offer their services to the external markets.

As the topic of conglomerates and the related topic of corporate-level stratey have been much examined in the Strategic Management literature, the five topics identified above and the related strategic management concerns and strategic mangement thinking, with obsession on how to gain sustainable competitive advantage, are related more explicitly to the application of relevant Management Accounting practices and techniques in Ward (1993). In this case, Ward's (1993) work, though brief, promotes Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) thinking and SMA practices.


Reference
Ward, K. (1993) "Chapter 11: Conglomerates" Strategic Management Accounting, Butterworth-Heinemann.

A strategic management accounting review on single focus businesses

The following notes based on Ward (1993) cover the topic of Single focus business supported by strategic management accounting:

Note 1

Note 2

Note 3

In short, different market segments in the "single-focus" company's business portfolio require different financial performance measures and different management accounting function support. This theme of different financial performance measures for different internatl/ external situation has been much discussed in the strategic management accounting (SMA) literature, e.g. in balanced scorecard and strategic cost management references.

It appears useful to study the literature on product life cycle management to gain a better understanding of this topic of SMA review on single focus businesses. In this case, pls also refer to: http://josephho33.blogspot.hk/2012/08/product-life-cycle-management-study.html



Reference
Ward, K. (1993) "Chapter 9: Single focus businesses" Strategic Management Accounting, Butterworth-Heinemann.

A strategic management accounting review on vertically integrated businesses

The following ideas and issues are related to an examination of vertically integrated businesses from the Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) perspective:

1. The need to provide economic justification, e.g. earning a higher financial return, on adopting an vertically integrated business model (VIBM) as a strategic move for an enterprise.
2. Adopting a VIBM can weaken an enterprise's  existing competitive strength.
3. Adopting a VIBM can increase total business risk for an enterprise with more concentration of investment in a specific industry.
4. Subsequent monitoring of financial performance arsing from the adoption of VIBM needs to consider the  appropriate transfer pricing design between strategic business units in a VIBM.
5. Early pioneerig companies in  a new industry find it necessary to adopt a VIBM as there are no/ few outside suppliers. Later on, an enterprise needs to decide if it would be better to reduce reliance on the VIBM (i.e. performs more outsourcing/ external sourcing). There is a need to conduct financial and management accounting evaluation to meet this need for strategic evaluation.
6. Transfer prices are used on economic decisions on issues such as the allocation of resources within an enterprise group and whether a particular function should be outsourced. An enterprise should concentrate its resources on those opportunities that create the maximum contribution to profit for the enterprise group as a whole.

The ideas above need to be examined in details from the perspective of how strategic  management accounting (SMA) thinking and SMA techniques/ SMA methodologies can support corporate strategic decision making on vertical business integration. Such Management Accounting (MA) systems and efforts to support this kind of strategic decision making can establish SMA as relevant to strategic management in enterprises and rightly earn them the label as "Strategic" MA.





Related diagram

Reference
Ward, K. (1993) "Chapter 10: vertically integrated businesses" Strategic Management Accounting, Butterworth Heinemann

Effective problem-solving based on systems thinking

The following notes on effectiven problem-solving are based on systems thinking:

1. The problem formulation and solution derivation grid
• Dimension 1: formulating the problem: right; wrong
• Dimension 2: deriving the solution: right; wrong

2. 5 categories of solving the wrong problem precisely
• Selecting the  wrong stakeholders
• Choosing a narrow set of options
• Phrasing incorrectly a problem
• Setting too narrowly the scope of a problem
• Failing to adopt systems thinking

Students need to study Mitroff (1998) to learn details of the thinking behind the ideas above.



Reference
Mitroff, I. (1998) Smart thinking for crazy times, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Strategic Information Systems Framework - a discussion agenda

The following discussion agenda is on Strategic Information Systems (SIS) Framework:

1. The nature, functions and limitations of frameworks for Strategic Information systems
2. Examples of foundation frameworks
• 5-Force Model of M. Porter
• Interorganizational system (IOS) framework of  Cash and Konsynski
• Generic Corporate Strategies of M. Porter
• Trilevel Framework of Parson
3. Examples of SIS opportunity-seeking frameworks
• The Value Chain model of M. Porter
• Strategic Thrusts of Wiseman
• Strategic Option Generator of Wiseman
• Strategic Opportunities Framework
• Marketing Opportunities Framework
4. Strategic Information Systems Support Mechanisms
• External Systems
• Internal Systems
5. The Customer Resource Life Cycle Model
6. 5-Phase Planning framework
7. Strategic impact/ value frameworks
• Strategic Impact Grid
• Impact-Value Framework
• Risk-Assessment Framework
• Information Intensity Grid
• McFarlan's 5 questions
8. Stakeholder Management Framework
9. Strategic Necessity Framework of Clemons and Kumbrough
10. Business Technology Platform Mapping
11. Contingency Factors Frameworks
• Industry-Specific Factors
• Critical Success Factors
• Causal Model of competitive advantage
• The Seven-S Framework

Reference
Neumann, S. (1994) "Chapter 3: Strategic Information Systems Frameworks", Strategic Information Systems, Maxwell Macmillan International

Ergonomics - some resources

The following infomation and resources are on the subject of Ergonomics:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors_and_ergonomics
2. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/
3. http://www.ergonomics.org/
4. http://www.iea.cc/01_what/What%20is%20Ergonomics.html
5. Academic journal:
• http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/terg20
• Human Factors, published by SAGE

The significance of reading academic journal articles

During your Degree programme, you are required to read academic refereed journal articles. Why is it important for students to do so? Reasons are as follows:

1. The quality of academic journal articles is assured via the vigorous peer-reviewed process
2. The quality of these articles is assured because the literature review and research methods carried out in producing these articles are more more vigorously formulated and explicitly explained
3. The line of reasoning of these articles tend to be more exploratory, logical, critical, innovative, and clearly expressed.
4. Academic journal articles demonstrate (i) how proper literature review can be conducted and (ii) very often how sophisticated theory-driven analysis can be carried out. Reading these academic articles help you to improve your research skills.
5. These articles tend to explain clearly their academic and/ or practical values.
6. Their academic writing style is appropriate for dissertation report writing, which students doing final year dissertations need to master.
7. These articles have mainly been produced by serious writers, and often the reported works are funded by various organizations. They can be the products of much intellectual efforts, as supported with sponsored funding. Thus, these reports very often present content of high research and practical value.

Because of that, academic journal articles have academic and practical values that cannot be offered by textbooks, which tend to be more explanatory in nature. In literature review exercise (e.g. for doing final year dissertation projects), students need to study relevant academic journal articles; they cannot solely rely on textbooks and/or professional journals for this purpose.

I understand that academic journal articles are not easy for students to read and that not all academic journal articles have good academic and practical values. Still, it is important for undergraduate students (and graduates) to learn how to read academic journal articles; it is important for Master degree students (graduates) to read academic journal articles as a hobby/ habit. Finally, it is important for PhD students (graduates) to learn how to write academic journal articles.

Undergraduate students who do not read academic journal articles are not undergraduate students; Master degree students who do not develop a habit/ hobby to read academic journal articles are not Master degree students. Finally, Ph.D. students who do not know how to write academic journal articles of publishable quality are not Ph.D students. Reading academic journal articles is an important activity for continuous professional development of University students/ graduates. Learning how to find useful academic journal articles from university e-library is at the same time a research skill that strengthens students/ graduates' problem-solving capability in work settings.

Now, some of my Master Degree students do not even know how to use university e-library, and some overseas universities in Hong Kong do not offer e-library to their Undergraduate students..

Shallow vs deep education

A table produced by me based on my reflection on recent teaching experience

Shallow education vs Deep education

Shallow education	Deep education
On participants (students, teachers and the education centres) ·       Transaction-oriented ·       Motivated by low-level needs in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ·       Focus on outputs, e.g. a pass and a recognized degree from a university with good ranking ·       Individualistic ·       Myopic ·       As an economic agent	On participants (students, teachers and the education centres) ·       Development-oriented ·       Motivated by high-level needs in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ·       Focus on processes and the experience ·       Collectivist ·       Farsighted ·       As a cultivator
On the education process ·       Requires shallow thinking in study ·       Operate as commercial activity ·       Based on a relationship of service-provider(s) and customer(s) ·       The study process should be trouble-free and risk free ·       Need to guard against unfair practices, e.g. cheating in exam and plagiarism	On the education process ·       Requires deep thinking in study ·       Operate as a humanistic/ developmental process ·       Based on a relationship of mentor(s) and protégé ·       The study process should be inspiring and enjoyable ·       Need to guard against calculating mindset