The Contribution of Shared Knowledge to IS Group Performance.

Author List: Nelson, Kay M.; Cooprider, Jay G.;
MIS Quarterly, 1996, Volume 20, Issue 4, Page 409-432.
A major issue facing managers of information systems organizations is the increasing pressure to demonstrate the business value of the firm's investment in information technology. The working relationship between the IS department and other diverse organizational groups can have a major contribution to increasing IS performance. This paper explores the concept of shared knowledge between IS groups and their line customers as a contributor to IS performance. Shared knowledge is achieved through the mechanisms of mutual trust and influence between these groups. The relationship of mutual trust, influence, and shared knowledge with IS performance is tested empirically using path analysis in a study of 86 IS departments. The results of this study show that shared knowledge mediates the relationship between IS performance and trust and influence and that increasing levels of shared knowledge between IS and line groups leads to increased IS performance. Recommendations are given for ways managers can develop mutual trust and influence between these diverse groups and, therefore, achieve higher levels of shared knowledge and IS performance.
Keywords: influence; IS group performance; IS-user interaction; Shared knowledge; trust
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#238 0.245 shared contribution groups understanding contributions group contribute work make members experience phenomenon largely central key common especially major conceptualizing study
#68 0.210 business units study unit executives functional managers technology linkage need areas information long-term operations plans mission large understand knowledge current
#144 0.108 knowledge transfer management technology creation organizational process tacit research study organization processes work organizations implications practice explicit models consultants transfers
#93 0.102 performance results study impact research influence effects data higher efficiency effect significantly findings impacts empirical significant suggest outcomes better positive
#114 0.071 performance firm measures metrics value relationship firms results objective relationships firm's organizational traffic measure market study improve accounting measuring aggregate
#172 0.057 trust trusting study online perceived beliefs e-commerce intention trustworthiness relationships benevolence initial importance trust-building examines discussed building future context transactions