1. Information technology role in interorganizational problem solving Gregor Lenart Gregor.Lenart@fov.uni-mb.si Merkur day 2003, October 17th eCommerce Center Faculty of Organizational Sciences Univerza v Mariboru

2. Overview Short look at part of dissertation research –Methodology –Model of technology support for soft problem solving –Results of experiments Present further research direction for technology support for interorganizational problem solving

3. Definitions Problem –By personal opinion important difference between current state and desired state Soft problem –Unstructured goals –Multiple viewpoint, multiple stakeholder –Changing environment Problem owner – feels the problem, opens it Client – trigger problem solving process Problem solver – solves problem, seeks solution to improve problem situation

4. Research area Soft systems methodology –Systematic approach to problem solving Group Support systems –How groups can use IT to support collaboration Knowledge management –Systematic use of IT to support knowledge activities across organization

5. Research model

6. Methodology Define research model Design of model of technology support for soft problem solving Prototype application development Experimental design –9 experiments (366) 5 experiment open question questionnaire 4 experiment closed question questionnaire Find out what students think about proposed technology support for solving soft problem

7. Model of technology support for soft problem solving

8. Application for problem solving Web based application Development in Lotus Domino environment Simple UI Gathering ideas about –Causes of problem –Goals associated with problem –Solutions to the problem

9. Program za reševanje problema

10. Experiments 90 minutes Solving given business problem:” The time for fulfilling orders too long” Individual work of student in computer classroom Students fill out questionnaire after experiment

11. Ideas freqency analsys Evereage No. of ideas in experimental group(smoothing ) Evereage No. of ideas in control group(smoothing ) Evereage No. of ideas in experimental group Evereage No. of ideas in control group

12. Experiments results Statement Level of agreement (1-5) The application for problem solving is easy to use. 4,62 The application for problem solving is useful. 4,12 The application for problem solving efficiently supports idea generation. 4,08 The application for problem solving should enable idea deletion. 4,07 The application for problem solving should support parallel goal and solution examination. 4,04 The application for problem solving should support parallel cause and goals examination. 3,92 The application for problem solving should support parallel supports systematic problem solving. 3,87 There is no need that application for problem solving should support ideas longer that 80 characters. 3,36 The application for problem solving should support problem tracking. 3,33

13. Interorganizational problem

14. Model of technology support for interorganizational problem solving

15. Research direction Does companies which would use proposed model of technology support for solving interorganizational problem are more likely to conduct electonic commerce then other companies? How to prepare experiment to find out answer to this question? How to motivate organizations to participate in the experiment?

16. Acknowledge Faculty of Organizational Sciences for enabling conditions for laboratory experiment in computer classrooms Ministry for school, science and sport of Republic of Slovenia for financing PhD dissertation

17. Than you! Gregor Lenart Gregor.Lenart@fov.uni-mb.si eCommerce Center Faculty of Organizational Sciences Univerza v Mariboru