Advanced Topics in Global Information Management, Volume 4

Advanced Topics in Global Information Management is a series of books on advance topics in global information management (GIM). GIM research continues to progress, with some scholars pushing the boundaries of thinking and others challenging the status quo. Advanced Topics in Global Information Management, Volume 4 is a part of this series. In order to sustain any competitive advantage gained through the application of information technology, companies must continually seek improvement. They must employ environmental scanning techniques to determine what technology is available, be willing to adopt new information technology, and know what the competition is planning or doing. Advanced Topics in Global Information Management, Volume 4 addresses these important issues.

Dr. M. Gordon Hunter is currently an Associate Professor in Information Systems in the Faculty of Management at The University of Lethbridge. Gordon has previously held academic positions at universities in Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He has held visiting positions at universities in Germany, USA and New Zealand. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He received his doctorate from Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Gordon has also obtained a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation from the Society of Management Accountants of Canada. He is a member of the British Computer Society and the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), where he has obtained an Information Systems Professional (ISP) designation. He has extensive experience as a systems analyst and manager in industry and government organizations in Canada. Gordon is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Global Information Management. He is the Canadian World Representative for the Information Resource Management Association. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Global Information Technology Management, and the Journal of Information Technology Cases and Application. Gordon has published articles in MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, The Journal of Global Information Management, Information Systems Journal, and Information, Technology and People. He has conducted seminar presentations in Canada, USA, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Gordon’s current research interests relate to the productivity of systems analysts with emphasis upon the personnel component, including cross-cultural aspects, the use of information systems by small business, and the effective development of information systems.

Dr. Felix B Tan is Professor of Information Systems and Associate Head, School of Computer and Information Sciences at the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global Information Management. He is also the Vice President of Research for the Information Resources Management Association, the Asia-Pacific Representative on the Council of the Association for Information Systems, and the Editor of the ISWorld Net's EndNote Resources page. He has held visiting positions with the Department of Information Systems, National University of Singapore and Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario. Professor Tan is internationally known for his work in the global IT field. His current research interests are in business-IT alignment, electronic commerce, global information management, management of IT, national information policy issues and cognitive mapping/narrative methods. His research has been published in MIS Quarterly, Journal of Global Information Management, Journal of Information Technology as well as other journals and refereed conference proceedings. Professor Tan has over 20 years experience in information systems management and consulting with large multinationals, as well as University teaching and research in Singapore, Canada and New Zealand.