Global Information Management

An important line of research on global information management examines the effects of national culture on information technology (IT) development, operations, management, and use. Structural conditions are physical, social, and economic arrangements that shape e-commerce business models and influence individual and organizational use of the Internet. Examples include geography (which affects the physical distribution of goods purchased online), space (which influences the choice of access technology for e-commerce), and financial infrastructure (which is related to credit card use). Research in the field of global information management (GIM) is an area of information systems research that has grown tremendously in the 1990s (Palvia, 1998). A large number of research studies have been published that have examined issues relating to the development, use and management of information systems in a global context. In general, most of these studies have either been key issues studies,(where the researcher(s) surveys IS practitioners to determine what they feel are the key issues in this area), or they have been anecdotal studies that have described a particular development of an information system (Dutta & Doz, 1995; Shore,1996; Neuman & Zviran, 1997). A survey of the literature in this area indicates that no systematic framework is guiding GIM research. It appears that current GIM research is being driven by temporal, “hot” issues in the field and not by a structured approach to knowledge accumulation. In our view, this seems to be leading to research that may have little enduring value, that possibly duplicates itself, and that does not stretch the boundaries of what we know.What is needed is a general framework for research into GIM that aids in categorizing research that has already been done and that helps to identify where important research is still to be done. In a sense, this framework will be a manifesto for research into GIM. A manifesto is defined as a “statement of intentions or views” (Webster’s, p. 699). In this case, this manifesto is intended to help guide GIM research and challenge GIM researchers to look at their field from a broad perspective.