Research Objective 3

The third research objective was a solution-oriented mission which was set out with the objective of developing a guideline to help contractor organisations with execution of IOIS implementation. The previous two objectives prepared the ground-work where the findings and implications drawn from the preceding research tasks were used as a guidance in the development of a practice-oriented framework for implementation of the IOIS projects. The process adopted in Objective 3 was guided by the coding principles of the GT (grounded theory) which, according to Birks et al., (2012), has become an increasingly adopted research strategy in the IS research. In order to avoid any misconception on the use of the GT label, it is important to note that, the GT was adopted as a technique for a systematic exploration, analysis and synthesis of previously undertaken tasks rather than to build a new substantive theory.

A three step-process was followed in development of the strategic implementation guideline. First, as an initial step, a review of literature on existing guidelines on IS Implementation and Management was carried out. This included a variety of academic and industry-based IS-specific guidelines as well as sponsoring company’s internal IS development protocols, which are all aimed at planning, design, development, delivery and maintenance of IS and IS projects. Each guideline/protocol/framework was studied in terms of its purpose, key areas of concern, as well as the main weaknesses and strengths to help establish the general properties and formulation of the structure of an IOIS implementation framework. In the second step, the findings and implications of the research undertaken in Tasks 1 to 5 were incorporated into an IOS implementation framework. The third and final-step involved further refinement and consolidation of the framework to provide a coherent, strategic guideline for the delivery of IOIS projects.

3.5 Summary

This chapter has discussed the key issues on research methodology for the EngD project. It provided an overview of the main considerations in design of the research, including the ontological, epistemological and methodological choices and justified their adoption in the

Table 3:3 Research validation strategies employed in the case studied (Objective 2).

Tests Yin’s (2014) suggested tactics Phase in the

Research Strategies Adopted for Objective (Tasks 4 and 5) Reliability  Use case study protocol

 Develop case study database

Data collection  Development of master spreadsheet to collect all relevant information in a single, reliable, and accurate register (Task 4 and 5)

Construct Validity

 Use multiple sources of evidence  Establish chain of evidence  Have key informants review draft

case study report

Data collection Composition

 Multiple sources of evidence (observational data, email communications, development logs, archival data, questionnaires and statistical data) (Task 4 and 5)

Internal Validity

 Do pattern-matching  Do explanation building  Address rival explanations  Use logic models

Research design

 Longitudinal approach to data collection and analysis (Task 4 and 5)

 Observation of multiple cases within a single-case study (Task 4 and 5)

External Validity

 Use theory in single-case studies  Use replication logic in multiple-

case studies

Data analysis  Application of a well-established theoretical model in the IS literature: DeLone and McLean (2003) IS Success Model (Task 5)

 Comparisons with the lessons learned and critical success factors/challenges cited in the IS literature (Task 4 and 5)

context unique to this research. Theoretically, the principle aim of this EngD study is to support the cross-fertilisation between cSCM and IOIS by providing conceptual, theoretical, and practical insight into their joint-application. The very nature of an EngD research project demands that traditional research methods should be adapted and adjusted to fit the organisational realities at the sponsoring company. A multi-methodological research strategy was adopted in order to focus more distinctively on all the three objectives of the research (see Table 3:4 for the summary). The data collection was not limited to a specific method or source, and involved collection of both qualitative and quantitative data in order to aid the reliability of the findings. The form of reasoning used in the analysis were based on a combined inductive and deductive strategy supported by a variety of statistical and non-statistical methods.

Following chapter presents the research undertaken and main findings drawn from the study.

Table 3:4 The data collection and research strategies adopted in the EngD study. Research Objectives: _Rese ar ch S tr at egi es Research Tasks:

Data Collection Methods: Primary Source (P) Secondary Source (S) L ite ra tu re Re vie w Int er vi ews Q ue st ionnai re s D oc um ent A na ly si s P ar ti ci pan t O bs er vat ion (1)

Identify the current practices and challenges for ICT-enabled Supply

Chain Management by contractor organisations S urve y Re se ar ch

1. Review the state-of-the-art on construction-

specific SCM and SRM. P

2. Explore and identify the current practices and challenges for ICT-enabled SCM technologies by contractor organisations.

P S P

3. Explore the current AEC-specific Software- As-A-Service solutions that facilitate the collaboration and management of construction supply chains.

S P

(2)

Examine the main challenges and barriers in Inter-Organisational

Information Systems (IOIS) implementation projects and identify

the key factors for successful implementation

Ca

se

S

tudy

4. Examine the main challenges and barriers during supplier on-boarding phase of an IOIS implementation project.

S P P

5. Examine the post-implementation challenges; the user adoption and on-going use of a private B2B e-Marketplace system.

S P P S

(3)

Develop a guideline for IOIS implementation by contractor organisations G rounde d T he

ory 6. Synthesize the previous work and develop a

strategic guideline for contractor firms seeking integration with supply chain firms.