Information quality (IQ) is critical in organizations. Yet, despite a decade of active research and practice, the field lacks comprehensive methodologies for its assessment and improvement. Here, we develop such a methodology, which we call AIM quality (AIMQ) to form a basis for IQ assessment and benchmarking. The methodology is illustrated through its application to five major organizations. The methodology encompasses a model of IQ, a questionnaire to measure IQ, and analysis techniques for interpreting the IQ measures. We develop and validate the questionnaire and use it to collect data on the status of organizational IQ. These data are used to assess and benchmark IQ for four quadrants of the model. These analysis techniques are applied to analyze the gap between an organization and best practices. They are also applied to analyze gaps between IS professionals and information consumers. The results of the techniques are useful for determining the best area for IQ improvement activities.

This paper introduces a class of graphical independence models that is closed under marginalization and conditioning but that contains all DAG independence models. This class of graphs, called maximal ancestral graphs, has two attractive features: there is at most one edge between each pair of vertices; every missing edge corresponds to an independence relation. These features lead to a simple parameterization of the corresponding set of distributions in the Gaussian case.

Are monetary savings the only explanation for consumer response to a sales promotion? If not, how do the different consumer benefits of a sales promotion influence its effectiveness? To address the first question, this research builds a framework of the multiple consumer benefits of a sales promotion. Through a series of measurement studies, the authors find that monetary and nonmonetary promotions provide consumers with different levels of three hedonic benefits (opportunities for value expression, entertainment, and exploration) and three utilitarian benefits (savings, higher product quality, and improved shopping convenience). To address the second question, the authors develop a benefit congruency framework, which argues that a sales promotion’s effectiveness is determined by the utilitarian or hedonic nature of the benefits it delivers and the congruence these benefits have with the promoted product. Among other results, two choice experiments show that, as predicted for high-equity brands, monetary promotions are more effective for utilitarian products than for hedonic products. The authors then discuss the implications of the multibenefit and the benefit congruency frameworks for understanding consumer responses to sales promotions, reexamining the value of everyday-low-price policies, and designing more effective sales promotions.

Success in the competition in the banking business is related to the development of core competencies, strategic alliances and long term strategic planning. Significant changes in the Brazilian financial sector have required banks to continually reinvent their business supported by adequate strategies and resource management. This paper, based on a survey of Brazilian banks, shows that the effectiveness of IT management is strongly related to the alignment of human resources management and formalization of the planning process. These variables influence their economic performance and ability to “compete for the future”. The survey results are useful in establishing the proper alignment of strategic IT management with corporate management and emphasize the importance of human resources and formal planning in this process.

This thesis contains no material that has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other institution. To the best of my knowledge, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text. ___________________________

Modern structural equation modeling software programs include user interfaces for the entry of graphical diagrams as a method for the production of the underlying matrices that are then manipulated in traditional ways to provide parameter estimates and fit statistics. This work presents an algorithm for the solution of the problem in the reverse order: automatically producing a graphical diagram from a matrix formula in such a way that its components are logically and hierarchically arranged. In the process, the individual path components of expected covariance between variables are calculated and feedback loops or so–called nonrecursive paths are recognized and tagged. Possible uses for this algorithm include automatic recognition of regions of structural underidentification in a model and the didactic graphical display of the components of expected covariance between variables. This algorithm relies on the matrix equations of McArdle and McDonald (1984), a general purpose SEM formulation.

One of the most striking and challenging phenomena in the Social Sciences is the unreliability of its measurements: Measuring the same attribute twice often yields two different results. If the same measurement instrument is applied twice such a difference may sometimes be due to a change in the measured attribute itself. Sometimes these

When integrated with key organizational characteristics, institutional theory can yield new insights to understand differences between firms ’ strategies. We propose that a company’s functional organization and internal power structure influence its facility managers ’ sensitivity to and interpretation of institutional pressures. Combining over 500 responses from an original survey with existing data sources, we show how two corporate departments affect how facility managers perceive and respond to various institutional pressures to adopt environmental management practices.

Information on the number and types of communication activities (including travel) engaged in over a period of four consecutive days, at two points in time about six months apart, was collected from 91 respondents. A system of structural equations was developed and estimated, expressing the quantity of each type of communication at time 2 as a function of quantities of communication of each type at time 1, the elapsed time between measurements, and exogenous sociodemographic variables. All "own" lagged effects (that is, the effect of one communication type in wave 1 on the same type of communication in wave 2) were found to be positive and (except for information object delivery) highly significant. The "elapsed time" variable was always positive and (except for personal meetings and, in one model, information object delivery) significant; these effects indicate net generation of communication activities over time. Significant "cross" lagged effects (that is, the effect of one communi...

In a 1995 article, Kettinger and Lee proposed the combining of elements from two quality assessment instruments – the User Information Satisfaction instrument, and the ServQual (Service Quality) instrument into a single information systems quality assessment instrument. Through careful analysis and evaluation, the authors selected a sub-set of items from these two instruments in order to more fully assess the perceived quality of information systems than was possible with either of the individual instruments. This study reports on a replication of their original study, and analyzes their proposed combination. The results of confirmatory factor analysis suggests that this combined instrument is valid, and the study recommends further research into the utility of the combined (and abbreviated) UIS/ServQual instrument for the purposes of assessing information systems quality.