Infrastructure

The technological challenges are those of taking the intellectual challenges and turning them into real working solutions that meet the expectations and requirements of their intended users. According to Abdou Karim Jallow Computer Specialist/Head, Computer Department (2006) Computer Specialist/Head, Computer Department, the emergence and convergence of information and communication technologies (ICT) remain at the centre of global social and economic transformations.

The ICT sector is a gamut of industries and services activities – Internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology (IT) equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centers, commercial information providers, network-based information services and other related information and communication activities. These technological components, which used to be accounted as separate activities have converged to characterize all aspects of ICTs.

The emergence of the Information Society has brought about a new dimension to the subject in which information itself is the strategic resource, a commodity and the foundation of every human activity. He added information and communication technologies can no longer be seen as a luxury for the elite but as an absolute necessity for the masses. The global movement to an information age and the worldwide technological innovations of recent years, along with other structural and economic developments, has led to rapidly falling costs for information and communication technologies7.

ICT, which comprises of Internal Computer Networks (Intranet), International Networks (Internet) Computers for word processing can undoubtedly contribute to the development of any organization/institution by providing a bridge to the global Village for the easy access of Information. It is already understood and agreed upon that a vast lot of educational resources could be found within computer networks and can only be accessed through the establishment of ICT systems thus bringing about the “Information Society”.

In this present technological digital advanced world, there is the belief that there exists an ICT facility in every institution of higher learning this belief is yet to become a reality8. Effective information and communication systems require reliable, low-cost and widespread technological resources such as computers, software and all the components of the telecommunications infrastructure for processing data and information.

Nevertheless, technological infrastructure has traditionally been regarded as the most critical component of ICT, leaders and experts worldwide increasingly recognize human resource capacity development as potentially the most crucial constraint in the effective deployment of ICT to build sustainable information societies9. Commercial The commercial challenges are those that arise when trying to conduct business in an environment where the market is global and both suppliers and customers can shop around the entire world from the comfort of their home or working base.

Dario Cziraky stated that the commercial importance of ICT development is magnified by high correlation between the level of economic development and the state of ICT: regardless of the causal direction it is clear that the two go hand-by-hand, most likely making the direction of causality non-recursive (i. e. , influencing each other). However, aside of the economic, and certainly educational, relevance of the ICT an additional important aspect is the harmonization of the national ICT policies with the EU telecommunications policy—an issue of primary importance for the pre-accession states.

The main bottlenecks for the ICT development in some communities include lack of IT education, high access costs (both regarding hardware and telecommunication lines), while the primary obstacle to e-commerce (doing business on-line, over Internet) is inappropriate electronic payment system which concerns weaknesses in the banking system. Consequently, the priorities in the ICT policies include cheaper telephone access, more efficient electronic payment system, proliferation of public ICT access points and ICT skills training.

Additional aspects needing legislative, educational, and economic improvement include: tax environment, cutting costs and increasing choice of telecoms, 3G mobile and digital TV, legal framework, and International framework within e-community. (Barrington, R. 2000). Additional ICT issues relevant for commercial centre in the telecomm monopoly and de-regulation policy11. Particular concern for ICT development is the relatively large ICT monopoly of the community Telecom on audio services, telecommunication-lines rental, and international communications. (Article 98)

This demonstrates the level of trust and confidence the government in the ability of HAS Bertha to handle large scaled rejects. Starting as a dredging operating company, HAS has progressed over thirty years to become a leader in this engineering market field in Karakas. The company has technical expertise, qualified staff, a comprehensive portfolio of marine equipment and necessary official registrations and licenses. This includes the licenses of PACK, KIRK Class A and LOAD’S Register Quality Assurance SISSIES to enable the group in undertaking road projects of any size.

Besides that, HAS has both state (UPS) and national (PACK 67, ACID) accreditation. These are essential to perform most of the projects in Karakas. He’s move into building construction in the sass. It represents the completion of the Company’s evolution into a fully integrated construction company. HAS has launched several successful residential and commercial projects as well as undertaken construction contracts for residential quarters and school throughout Karakas. The company’s products have earned a reputation of being innovative in design and value for every ringing spent.

The Group’s move into property development has enlarged He’s operations and earnings base in the year 2000. He’s strong financial foundations offer flexible payment terms to clients and enable agitation in contracts on cash-kind combination terms. Another underlying strength in this business is the workforce of HAS Bertha. Employees are highly skilled with qualifications. Everyone is participating in intensive programs provided throughout the company. It motivates employees and improves their performance. Weakness The weakness of HAS Bertha is its inability to handle on smaller scale projects in the Karakas market.

The company’s expertise, skills, and standards of quality do not match the lower requirements and lower prices expected by some of the tenders. Company has to enlarge their scope of business to nationwide for further placement. HAS has many competitors, for example Cay Mat Karakas Bertha, Sunday Holdings Bertha, Ken Holdings and many more. Changing skills requirements and ageing workforce accentuates the skills gap. Training of new workforce becomes a challenge as well as a weakness of sorts for HAS. Opportunities The Malaysian economy is predicted to expand around 4-5 percent in 2012.

The construction sector is one of the key drivers. The Malaysia government highlights the country’s strong economic fundamentals, macroeconomic policies and launched the Economic Transformation Program (DEPT) as the domestic sources of growth during he coming years. HAS anticipates in the ongoing opportunities from these programs. HAS is Caraway’s market leader in land reclamation. The group has rapidly establishing itself as a key national player in the construction industry. The company major project for the coming years will be the migration of their information and technology systems.

For instances, the operating systems, software, web applications and existing file server to new higher performance and higher capacity servers. There are a lot of things to be done in Karakas to ensure all levels of society enjoy the nation’s industrialization process. In keeping with the fast pace of arbitration, He’s prospective projects are further in centralized sewerage works, flood mitigation works, affordable housing and educational institutions and projects for the main cities and rural communities.

HAS are eyeing building construction projects such as an educational institution in the future. The company is capable and mastering of the tunnel boring technology allowed HAS to propose for the involvement in the next packages of centralized sewerage project and flood mitigation in towns of Karakas. The Tenth Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) and the National Mission (2006-2015) overview eek to achieve balanced development within the nation. The Economic Transform Program (DEPT) is adding urgency to provide basic infrastructure to Caraway’s rural communities in greater connectivity across the state.

Therefore, HAS will align itself with abounding public policy and pursue infrastructure contracts such as water treatment and supply in the rural areas in Karakas. Karakas and the Malaysian federal government have been making commitments to upgrade and extend the road networks. In the Malaysia’s Vision 2020 and the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the government is offering an infrastructure budget of RMI B for Karakas. Thus, all these opportunities will lead HAS to grow into larger and stable corporate. Changes in the environmental values may also affect the company performance and strategy negatively.

Euro zone crisis had weakened the global economy. The impact had posed a greater threat to developing economies country such as Malaysia. The construction industries are in the doldrums and its contribution to the GAP figures would decline. Quick changes in the price of raw materials such as steels and cements can greatly impact the profitability of a given project to the company. HAS Bertha needs to arches huge amounts of raw material for its projects. Recently due to the international tensions, the prices of raw materials have increased sharply.

The lack of infrastructure, which mainly includes power supply, communication, road networks and security, has been worsening. These problems have been compounding since many years and have forced the manufacturers and businessmen to either close down their businesses or relocate in foreign countries (Ayodele Samuel, Lagos, 2010).

The weak distribution infrastructure gap and transportation has kept the costs of starting the business or producing the services high in the country. Thus, locals and foreign investors find it as an obstacle to their productivity and competitiveness.

Nigeria has one of the biggest problems which hinders in its productivity and competitiveness and that problem is the lack of financial resources. The entrepreneurs or businessmen in the country do not possess enough capital to start the business or sufficient funds to keep it running. Even, the government is not able to lend money in the form of loans to every individual . Though, the financial sector has now progressed a lot, still it has to work more in order to maintain the country’s stability.

In 2007, the price hike of oil gave the country’s economy great support in the form of quick inflows of money into country’s economy. That was the year when the GDP of Nigeria rose and the living standards in aggregate economy got better.

There are some harmful weaknesses that the Nigerian country may face while going global. In order to globalize its business, the Nigerian company will have to integrate itself by embarking upon harnessing new and advanced technology. To achieve this integration, the country must have a strong scientific and technology base which it lacks at present.

It must gain good access to Information Technology, uninterrupted power supply and industrial mechanization which is nearly inadequate in Nigeria (Solomon O. Akinboye, n. d. ). The country mainly relies on the production and exports of oil and gas which dropped the earnings of the country due to economic boom-and-bust situation in previous years. The Nigerian government needs to diversify its economy and export base so that it doesn’t concentrate the sufferings and thus losses in one sector only.

Moreover, Nigeria and its neighboring African countries are deficient in their economies and therefore’ require foreign assistance and investments to improve and enhance their managerial and capital base. Inadequate internal resources are a big weakness that hampers its productivity and thus, competitiveness locally and on global platform (Mahe Shehu Ahmed, 2005).

Weaknesses Lack of power supply, roads network, security setups and other infrastructure Lack of finance and capital resources Lack of Information System, new Technology and Scientific base

Inability to diversify its markets Inadequate internal resources and lack of managerial capabilities and leadership skills in business environment

• Opportunities

In SWOT Analysis, the element of opportunities signifies the externally available resources or chances of expansion or improvement that a business organization can respond to.

Local Environment Nigeria is a place where there are extensive business opportunities. The country is deficient in many areas and thus, needs improvement and more investment.

Having a high population density, the demand for products and services is high and supply is likely to be low due to bad environmental conditions. Since, Nigeria is undergoing an economic, political and social transformation and improvements with each passing day, thus, there are more chances that opportunities for new businesses may arise. The Federal Government of Nigeria has, in many publications and papers, provided opportunities to locals and foreigners in its business sectors. These sectors include manufacturing, agriculture, mining, , remittances, etc. (Nigeria High Commission, 2009-2010). Petroleum industry contributes 90% of foreign exchange earnings to the country and thus provides a warm welcome to the local investors and employment to laborers and workers. Moreover, there are ample opportunities in investing and working in the courier business in Nigeria. The presence of large population, growing economy, effective networking and sound financial sector of the country creates attractive business environment and opportunities to take up any business in the country (Issac O. , n. d. )

Describe the challenges of living in mega cities and evaluate the responses to these challenges A Mega City is defined as a city home to more than 8 million people, the urban sprawl of these cities is continuing to dominate the landscapes of these major cities. These cities have been unable to cope with the rapid increase of people moving to these urban areas, in some mega cities this is up to 1 million people per day, leading to a lack of supplies and services, becoming a major characteristic of these cities. The challenges that they face include the lack of water, power supply, sanitation, transport and employment.

The responses to these problems from the governments vary in the successfulness and based on the sustainability of social, economical, political and environmental; we can see the downfall and the accomplishment of some solutions the governments have implemented. Transport is one of the main challenges of mega cities where traffic jams take up as much as 4 working hours sitting in traffic causing major problems for businesses and these cities economies. Lack of water within these mega cities is another problem which affects a vast amount of people.

The third challenge is housing within these mega cities. Transport is a major challenge for people who live in these mega cities. The lack of efficient public transport and the growing number of personal cars on the roads cause major traffic jams which hold people up for hours trying to get to and from work. There are many issues associated with the problem of transport, including growing health concerns for people dwelling in the cities. Loss of working hours has become a consequence because of the overwhelming time spent sitting in traffic jams.

Bangkok sees traffic jams which cause a loss of 2 working hours every day leading to financial loss. This issue of transport continues to grow due to the lack of maintenance on the roads, lack of space allocated to roads, poor modes of public transport and the lack of financial resources that the government has to provide infrastructure for improvement of these roads. There have been many different attempts in mega cities to improve their infrastructure and transport modes, some have been more successful than others, depending on their sustainability.

The Metrobus, created in Mexico City by a non government organisation called CEIBA, partnered with the Mexico City government, this system was developed to provide a more efficient and safer public transport. The development of the MetroBus allows the bus to run from North to South Mexico City in a separate lane to other traffic, with its own stations for people to get on and off at various stops this method of public transport has been seen as a great success, now moving 450 000 passengers per day, replacing 300 micro busses which were highly polluting.

The use of the MetroBus has resulted in $306,000 for reduction in carbon emissions by the Spanish carbon fund, boosting the economy for Mexico City, having taken 144 tonnes of hydrocarbons associated with cancer and other health problems out of the atmosphere, and 2. 8 tonnes of bio-particulate matter know to cause asthmas, chronic bronchitis and lung disease. The environmental factors of the Metro bus prove the success of this infrastructure.

The new employment opportunities that the MetroBus has created and the shift of 6% from private to public use of transport, providing a clean, safe and comfortable way to use public transport, proving a social benefit to this project. The increase in international recongnition due to the increasing sustainability and the increase in political stability due to the boost in trust and investment in infrastructure has proven the political success of the MetroBus. Mexico City has implemented a successful and sustainable method of transport which has proven to be a good response to the challenge of transport that mega cities all face.

The second challenge that mega cities face with their growing population is housing within these cities. With the rapid increase of people coming into these cities everyday, it is impossible to keep track of the housing and provide people with land ownership. This problem extenuates the gap being made between the people who have and the people who don’t. The continued expanse of the slums being built around these cities creates the informal economy and account for mass amounts of the population. For example, 50% of the population in Mexico City lives in these conditions.

This form of housing leads to lack of tenure and a lack of utilities available for these people to use, including basic needs such as food and water, rubbish collection, provision of sewerage and the lack of services and utilities. These houses have unsafe infrastructure as the building materials used are all makeshift and unstable, making their living environments hazardous. This challenge exists in mega cities because of the rapidly increasing population, the government cannot provide for these people and cannot maintain housing standards.

A response to this housing challenge in mega cities was the Dharavi redevelopment. Dharavi is India’s largest slum, located in the middle of India’s financial capital Mumbai. This slum covers an area of only 2 km2 yet is home to up to a million people with 86, 000 slum structures. The housing in this slum is cheap and affordable and it is estimated that it generates $650 million a year. The challenges within this slum are the extreme overcrowding and uncontrolled construction of makeshift housing.

As well as the lack of basic amenities, there is no clean water supply, no waste collection, spread of disease is very high and with the constant threat of eviction by authorities, this slum has become a major challenge in this mega city. The slum redevelopment project has divided Dharavi into 5 sectors and requested proposals from real estate investors around the world to provide a 300 sqf flat to each family that can prove they have been settled in Dharavi before the year 2000, in exchange for their re housing, the builders get construction rights in Dharavi.

The Dharavi project has not yet been completed although there are social, economical and environmental factors that can be seen in an evaluation of its sustainability and success. The Dharavi project creates social problems for the families who will be displaced, having failed to prove their residence before 2000, this deadline will make many people homeless, and with no place to go, sending thousands of people out of the city.

Although this development will make Dharavi a safer place to be, building stable structures and developing better access to water and food supplies as well as developing a sewerage system and rubbish disposal. This will stop the vast spreading of disease through the slum, creating a healthier and safer living environment. The economy would suffer from their redevelopment of the Dharavi slum as they bring in millions of dollars to the economy, the loss of this would be detrimental to the cities economy.

There would be few political benefits to this development as there would be a loss in trust of the government, after displacing so many people. The response to this housing challenge in Dharavi can be seen as both successful and unsuccessful, due to the many positives and negatives of this project. In conclusion, we can see that mega cities face many challenges which affect their economy, politics, culture and environment. The governments are implementing many strategies and projects which they hope will solve the challenges that their cities face.

The challenge of housing and transport are both big challenges which impact enormously on the mega cities. As 3 million person working hours are lost per day, due to the constant transport battle and the extreme over crowing of the slum housing, we can see that there are major challenges that these cities face, although some strategies implemented for these challenges have been dubbed unsuccessful, there are a few which have proved to be doing well for example, the MetroBus in Mexico City. There are many challenges being faced in Megacities.

Scalability is the ability to respond to an increase in workload without breaking down. Four dimensions exist to scalability: data size, speed, workload, and transaction cost (Lin, 2001, par. 1-2). Johnson and Whang (2002) point out that “modern manufacturing requires flexibility due to stiff competition, fast changing customer preferences, shortening product life cycle, and product variety proliferation (p. 3). It is precisely for these reasons, according to Lin (2001), that scalability is a vital component of the eBusiness infrastructure. Scalability is vital to eBusiness due to the uncertain nature of that business.

That is, an eBusiness can grow quickly and without sufficient warning to the proprietor, requiring the infrastructure to handle the influx of new accounts and their demands without failing. Having a system without sufficient scalability can result in the entire system crashing, breaking down in such a manner that no customer or supplier can make use of it. Not only would such a failure prevent individual customers from doing business with the eBusiness, but it would also prevent the organization from doing any business worldwide, for the entire period that the system was down.

A failure that lasted for an extended period might be sufficient cause for the business to ultimately close. 2. How can Internet-based technologies be used to automate the supply chain? Internet-based technologies can be used to automate the supply chain by being part of a configure-to-order (CTO) process of controlling inventory. According to Johnson and Whang (2002): The manufacturer is expected to solve a mixed integer program per batch interval. The program captures demand profiles and supply constraints [. . .

] and maximizes the operational profits. Its output includes final assembly plans for orders, order acceptance decisions, and delivery quantity over time. (p. 2) By using a sensitive CTO system, a manufacturer would be able to keep track of precisely how many people are ordering a particular item and how many of those items are being ordered. Using this program, the vast majority of the supply chain process becomes automated, since these data are used to supply information to fill the orders that the system has accepted.

This kind of system reduces the number of individuals that are needed to fulfill the orders to that manufacturer, virtually automating the supply chain through CTO inventory control. 3. Discuss strategic opportunities for eCommerce enabled supply chains. First, eCommerce enabled supply chains make it possible for businesses to maximize profits by minimizing expenses. They allow the business organization to have more freedom in selecting the products that they will offer and in the speed with which they select these products.

That is, businesses have the opportunity to react more quickly to trends in the marketplace, particularly if they have systems in place that are sensitive to detecting these trends. E-procurement allows a business to be responsive to dynamic markets (Johnson & Whang, 2002). According to Johnson and Whang (2002) Internet auctions and “smart optimization algorithms” allowed Home Depot to effectively allocate “large transportation contracts to freight carriers” (p. 4). Such algorithms would modify the method by which business would not only select their goods, but the manner in which they are moved around the globe, as well.

It is clear that using the Internet can be an efficient and effective way to conduct business. By using eBusiness strategies to enhance traditional business practices, it is possible to run an efficient and profitable Internet-based business. References Johnson, M. E. , & Whang, S. (2002). E-business and supply chain management: An overview and framework. Retrieved 23 August 2007 from Lin, B. (2001). Scalability management for e-business solution: A resource-based view. Retrieved 23 August 2007 from http://www. iacis. org/iis/2001_iis/pdf%20files/LIN248. PDF

The Impact of Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility on Strategic Alignment and Applications Implementation Sock H. Chung Department of Computer Information Systems College of Business Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI 48197 sock. chung@banyan. emich. edu R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. ** Department of Management College of Business Auburn University Auburn, Alabama 36849 (334) 844-6527 rainer@business. auburn. edu Bruce R. Lewis Calloway School of Business Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC 27109 (336) 758-7195 lewisb@wfu. edu ** Corresponding Author: Kelly Rainer

The Impact of Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility on Strategic Alignment and Applications Implementation Abstract IT infrastructure flexibility is now being viewed as an organizational core competency that is necessary for organizations to survive and prosper in rapidly-changing, competitive, business environments. Utilizing data from 200 U. S. and Canadian companies, this study examines the impact of the four components of IT infrastructure flexibility (compatibility, connectivity, modularity, and IT personnel) on strategic IT-business alignment and the extent of applications implementation within an organization.

The findings from analysis of a structural model provide evidence that connectivity, modularity, and IT personnel have significant, positive impacts on strategic alignment and that all four components have significant, positive impacts on the extent of applications implementation. The study reinforces the importance of IT infrastructure flexibility to organizations as one source for sustainable competitive advantage. Key Words: IT infrastructure flexibility, strategic IT-business alignment I. INTRODUCTION

In the early 1990s, Johnson & Johnson faced new business pressures when large customers, such as Wal-Mart and K-mart, made new demands on the company, such as cost savings and just-in-time stock replenishment. Johnson & Johnson’s business and IT managers acted in partnership to develop a new set of information technology (IT) infrastructure capabilities which enabled the company to provide the necessary services for its large customers while at the same time reducing costs at Johnson & Johnson [Weill & Broadbent, 1998]. In the late 1990s, Charles Schwab focused on delivering customized information to its investors in a timely manner.

Using the company’s IT infrastructure and applications aligned with its business focus, Schwab became a full service brokerage firm. The firm was able to provide information and process transactions in meeting its business objectives. Customers could retrieve stock quotes and place orders via Schwab’s Web site. As a result, the corporation continues to be an industry leader. These two examples demonstrate that an organization’s IT infrastructure can provide tangible benefits and a continuity of business practices [Kettinger, Grover, Subanish, & Segars, 1994].

A particularly important characteristic of IT infrastructure is flexibility [Byrd & Turner, 2000]. Researchers have stated that IT infrastructure flexibility should be viewed as an organizational core competency and that IT infrastructure flexibility is necessary to handle increased customer demands without increased costs [Davenport & Linder, 1994; Weill, 1993]. As we discuss next in developing the theoretical framework for our study, two important aspects of IT infrastructure flexibility emerge from previous research: the core business applications of an organization and the strategic IT-business alignment.

That is, an organization’s IT infrastructure flexibility should be reflected in its implementation of core business applications and the extent of its strategic IT-business alignment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to empirically examine the relationship between IT infrastructure flexibility and the extent of applications implementation in the organization and the relationship between IT infrastructure flexibility and strategic IT-business alignment. II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK We develop our theoretical framework by first reviewing definitions of IT infrastructure and its components.

We then define the concept of IT infrastructure flexibility and its relationship to strategic IT-business alignment and to applications implementation in the organization. Information Technology Infrastructure The topic of IT infrastructure has been a key issue for both researchers and practicing managers for some time [see e. g. , Brancheau, Janz, & Wetherbe, 1996]. The organization’s IT infrastructure basically integrates technology components to support business needs but the IT infrastructure concept is more complicated. The definition of IT infrastructure encompasses a variety of components.

Based on previous studies, Duncan [1995] stated that IT infrastructure includes a group of shared, tangible IT resources that provide a foundation to enable present and future business applications [Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Davenport & Linder, 1994; Earl, 1989; Keen, 1991; McKay & Brockway, 1989; Niederman, Brancheau, & Wetherbe, 1991; Weill, 1993]. These resources include: (1) computer hardware and software (e. g. , operating systems); (2) network and telecommunications technologies; (3) key data; (4) core data-processing applications; 5) shared IT services. Duncan [1995] also stated that IT infrastructure includes the alignment of IT plans to business objectives, the IT architecture, and the skills of IT personnel. Broadbent and Weill [1997] noted that IT infrastructure capabilities enable the various types of IT applications required to support current and future business objectives, and enable the competitive positioning of business initiatives. McKay and Brockway [1989] described IT infrastructure as the enabling foundation of shared IT capabilities upon which the entire business depends.

This foundation is standardized and shared by business functions within the organization, and typically used by different organizational applications. Byrd and Turner [2000, p. 172] provided a thorough definition of IT infrastructure as: “… the shared IT resources consisting of a technical physical base of hardware, software, communications technologies, data, and core applications and a human component of skills, expertise, competencies, commitments, values, norms, and knowledge that combine to create IT services that are typically unique to an organization.

These IT services provide a foundation for communications interchange across the entire organization and for the development and implementation of present and future business applications. ” As can be seen from these definitions, the IT infrastructure is composed of two components: a technical IT infrastructure and a human IT infrastructure. The technical infrastructure consists of the applications, data, and technology [Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Broadbent, Weill, O’Brien & Neo, 1996; Henderson & Venkatraman, 1993].

The human IT infrastructure consists of the knowledge and capabilities required to manage organizational IT resources [Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Lee, Trauth & Farwell, 1995]. Davenport and Linder [1994] suggested that a robust IT infrastructure enables employees to be able to perform their respective jobs, both from having the available technology and the necessary technological skills. Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility Early work on IT infrastructure flexibility described the concept without actually defining it.

Weill [1993] asserted that an IT infrastructure should be flexible to be able to handle increased customer demands without increased costs. Davenport and Linder [1994] stated that IT infrastructure flexibility should be viewed as a core competency of the organization and suggested that an effective IT infrastructure is flexible and robust. Duncan [1995] observed that one organization’s IT infrastructure may enable strategic innovations in business processes, while another’s IT infrastructure may limit such innovations.

She referred to this characteristic as IT infrastructure flexibility and suggested that both business and IT application development capabilities reflect the flexibility of infrastructure components. She suggested that infrastructure flexibility improves systems developers’ ability to design and build systems to meet organizational business objectives. She described IT infrastructure flexibility through the characteristics of connectivity, compatibility, and modularity. She maintained that an organization with high modularity, compatibility, and connectivity would have high technical IT infrastructure flexibility.

Compatibility is the ability to share any type of information across any technology component throughout the organization [Duncan, 1995; Keen, 1991]. Tapscott and Caston [1993] noted that IT compatibility helps p organizational boundaries, empower employees, and make data, information, and knowledge readily available in the organization. Connectivity is the ability of any technology component to communicate with any of the other components inside and outside of the organizational environment [Duncan, 1995].

Tapscott and Caston [1993] emphasized that IT connectivity enables seamless and transparent organizations that are independent of time and space. Connectivity facilitates the sharability of IT resources at the platform level. Modularity is the ability to easily reconfigure (add, modify, or remove) technology components [Duncan, 1995]. She also stated that modularity is the standardization of business processes for sharability and reusability (e. g. , structured programming and component-based software architectures).

Schilling [2000] suggested that modularity is a continuum describing the degree to which a system’s components can be separated and recombined. Byrd and Turner [2000, p. 172] defined IT infrastructure flexibility as “…the ability to easily and readily diffuse or support a wide variety of hardware, software, communications technologies, data, core applications, skills and competencies, commitments, and values within the technical physical base and the human component of the existing IT infrastructure. Historically, the flexibility of the IT infrastructure has been viewed as necessary to accommodate a rapidly changing business environment [Byrd & Turner, 2001]. This flexibility enables businesses to effectively use IT to prosper in dynamic environments. The literature review points out that strategic IT-business alignment and core business applications are embedded in the definitions of IT infrastructure and IT infrastructure flexibility.

However, the actual relationships between IT infrastructure flexibility and strategic IT-business alignment and between IT infrastructure flexibility and business applications have not been empirically tested. We test these relationships through our conceptual model. III. CONCEPTUAL MODEL IT Infrastructure Flexibility and Strategic IT-Business Alignment Strategic IT-business alignment refers to the extent to which the IT mission, objectives, and plans support, and are supported by, the organization’s mission, objectives, and plans [Hirscheim & Sabherwal, 2000].

This alignment creates an integrated organization in which every function, unit, and person are focused on the organization’s competitiveness. Sambamurthy and Zmud [1992] suggested that IT management is a problem of aligning the relationship between the business and the IT infrastructure to take advantage of IT opportunities and capabilities. Duncan [1995] first included the alignment of IT plans to business objectives in her description of IT infrastructure. She continued by noting that an organization’s IT infrastructure could be considered flexible if it enabled strategic innovations in business processes.

Broadbent and Weill [1997] stated that IT infrastructure capabilities provide the foundation for “…competitive positioning of business initiatives. ” From this discussion, we propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 1: Each component of an organization’s IT infrastructure flexibility will positively affect the organization’s strategic IT-business alignment. IT Infrastructure Flexibility and Applications Implementation Today, IT applications not only process data and provide management information reports.

Corporations now use IT applications to gain competitive advantage [Earl, 1989; Porter & Millar, 1985; Powell, 1992; Saunders & Jones, 1992; Smith & McKeen, 1993]; to create new business opportunities [Earl, 1989; Rockart & Scott-Morton, 1984; Smith & McKeen ,1993]; to improve customer service; to enhance product and service quality; and to integrate supplier and customer operations [Luftman, Lewis, & Oldach, 1993]. Several studies have included business applications as part of IT infrastructure [see e. . , Broadbent & Weill, 1997; Byrd & Turner, 2000; Duncan, 1995]. Duncan [1995] addressed business applications when she asserted that IT infrastructure flexibility enabled organizations to build applications that more closely satisfy business objectives. Broadbent and Weill [1997] stated that IT infrastructure capabilities are the “base for computer applications. ” Byrd and Turner [2000] noted that IT infrastructure flexibility enabled organizations to “…easily diffuse and support…core applications. For this study, we use the extent to which organizations have implemented a variety of business applications to examine the concept of “applications implementation. ” These eleven business applications in our study include transaction processing systems, management information systems, executive information systems, decision support systems, expert systems, data warehousing, data mining, interorganizational information systems (e. g. , electronic data interchange), knowledge management, network management, and disaster recovery.

From this discussion, we propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 2: Each component of an organization’s IT infrastructure flexibility will positively affect the organization’s extent of applications implementation. Conceptual Model This study utilizes four previously identified measures of IT infrastructure flexibility: the technical components of modularity, compatibility, connectivity, and IT personnel skills [see Duncan, 1995; Byrd & Turner, 2000]. The conceptual model representing the relationships addressed in this study is presented in Figure 1. [pic]* p

The Restoration of Old Buildings in Major Cities in the World Spends Numerous Government Expenditures. This Money Should Be Used in New Housing and Road Development. To What Extent Do You Agree or Disagree? BY sunshine’s The restoration of old buildings in major cities in the world spends numerous government expenditures. This money should be used in new housing and road development. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

There currently exists a hot debate over whether a large proportion of government expenses should be allocated to restore historical architecture or be invested in constructing new houses and roads. From my personal point of view, spending on new housing and road improvement has a far greater value between the two and its budget allocation is necessary. A primary reason that sufficient funding should be provided towards building houses and roads is that the employment provided by such public works may relieve the financial burden of working families.

For one thing, new housing and road projects may initially require tremendous amounts of labor and materials, thus creating various Job opportunities for engineers, truck drivers and electricians, among others. Once the projects are completed, ongoing maintenance work would need to be overfed in the new areas. Filling these vacancies would generate income for workers and thus ease the burden of living for many households. Moreover, reallocating the budget to make progress on new homes and better roads may enhance productivity in the economy.

Advanced basic infrastructure, road systems in particular, would establish an effective transport network. If the government were to withdraw funds from restorations and designate a higher percentage of expenditure to achieve well-maintained roads, traffic Jams could be reduced or even been eliminated to some extent. As a result, residents, consciousness and officials may waste less time on the road, which allows extra hours for other economic activities.

There is no doubt that restoring traditional buildings to their original form can stimulate the economy through the tourist industry. Examples of cultural heritage that are well preserved may attract visitors from other parts of the world and lead to profits in travel agencies, souvenir stores and hospitality companies. However, the have greater market efficiency and wider economic benefits, particularly for workers and their families. Therefore, I am in favor of funding new housing and road development.