Alejandro Cataldo | Universidad De Talca (original) (raw)

Papers by Alejandro Cataldo

a pesar de que es bien conocida la metodología investigación-acción (ia), los investiga- dores... more a pesar de que es bien conocida la metodología investigación-acción (ia), los investiga- dores aún recomiendan incrementar su uso en sistemas de información. en este artículo se muestra cómo ia puede ser útil para investigadores de sistemas que quieran unir la teoría con la práctica. específicamente, se describe cómo ia fue usado para validar el modelo de aceptación tecnológica (tam) en una pequeña empresa chilena: mientras los investigadores ayudaban a resolver los pro- blemas de procesos en dos áreas de la compañía, al mismo tiempo, investigaban sobre la validez de tam. tras finalizar dos ciclos de ia, los resultados permitieron incrementar significativamente la productividad de uno de los departamentos y, al mismo tiempo, validar solo tres de los cuatro postulados básicos de tam. Como conclusión se puede decir que ia es un enfoque útil para cerrar la brecha entre teoría y práctica, que además calza adecuadamente para investigaciones longitudi- nales y reduce los esfuerzos de búsqueda y negociación de casos, pero que al mismo tiempo exige altos montos de tiempo de trabajo de campo. este artículo entrega directrices y recomendaciones de cómo aplicar ia y puede ser de interés para investigadores y estudiantes que deseen ayudar a organizaciones y, simultáneamente, incrementar el conocimiento científico.

While Information Technology (IT) adoption has been widely discussed in previous studies, it is s... more While Information Technology (IT) adoption has been widely discussed in previous studies, it is still a research challenge. In this sense, a neglected research topic is understanding what users say during an IT adoption process. To contribute to this issue, we analyzed the discourses of three Chilean lecturers of first-year engineering courses during a training session of an online quiz system. Methodologically, we used discourse analysis to understand and classify the rhetoric of the users. The findings show some meaningful differences between the speech of users who adopted the system, and the user who did not. The first two users expressed themselves in the first person singular, showing commitment and assertiveness. The other lecturer used neutral and passive statements and was lacking in commitment. His communication was based on asymmetrical and intimidating power relationships. These findings show that understanding the differences in rhetoric between users could help to predict their willingness to either use IT or not. The present paper contributes by giving an answer to prominent scholars, who claim that new methodological perspectives are needed to understand better why users adopt or reject a new system. We would strongly encourage researchers and practitioners to analyze what the users say during an IT adoption process.

Researchers have suggested that small and medium businesses waste limited resources using its inf... more Researchers have suggested that small and medium businesses waste limited resources using its information technologies inefficiently. Unfortunately, current methodologies present problems when are applied to these firms. To contribute in this area, a group of researchers developed the Technological Diagnosis Alignment Test (TDAT). After we applied TDAT to 34 Chilean firms, we concluded that it needs to be integrated with another technique to become in a useful tool. In this paper, I propose that Quick Scan Audit Method is a good candidate to be integrated with TDAT and, that way, develop a complete instrument to help small and medium business.

This paper presents a test that helps practitioners and researchers to measure ICT alignment in S... more This paper presents a test that helps practitioners and researchers to measure ICT alignment in SMEs. Practitioners and researchers have suggested SMEs use ICT in a way less than optimal, wasting important and limited resources. Although researchers have proposed several instruments to solve this problem, they show operative problems when applied to SMEs. We developed and applied a test that helps SME managers to diagnose and measure the misalignment of ICT in their firms. Additionally, we propose the usage of two indicators of misalignment of ICT in SMEs. We applied this test to 34 SMEs of different regions in Chile with positive feedback on behalf of the SME owners. SMEs are less misaligned at a strategic level than at the process level (23.9% and 42.6% respectively). Also, the findings showed statistically significant differences of alignment between firms of different regions. An open question: whether it is possible that in SMEs the process-level alignment delivers more informa...

Especialistas e investigadores han sugerido que la PYME usa las tecnologías en una forma menos qu... more Especialistas e investigadores han sugerido que la PYME usa las tecnologías en una forma menos que óptima. Aunque los investigadores han propuesto varios instrumentos para resolver este problema, éstos tienen dificultades operativas. Como parte de una tesis doctoral estoy desarrollando un test que analiza la situación de las tecnologías de información en una empresa. El test mezcla técnicas de análisis cualitativos y cuantitativas. El método fue aplicado a cuatro PYME de Nueva Zelanda. Este artículo describe el método y resume uno de los casos. En general, los resultados mostraron una buena recepción del test mostrando una evolución positiva. Como siguiente paso queda aplicar el test a un grupo mayor de PYME.

This article describes the development and field-testing of a methodology, called IT-QSM (Informa... more This article describes the development and field-testing of a methodology, called IT-QSM (Information Technology -Quick Scan Methodology), which can be used to help SMEs understand how to improve their usage of IT. The methodology seeks to answer two key questions: how can SMEs increase the effective usage of existing information systems; and what new IT systems could help to increase the company performance. We used action-research and Soft Systems Methodology as a framework to develop IT-QSM. We argued that is necessary to apply qualitative research techniques to create a flexible methodology which at the same time would be both time efficient and have practical useful results for small-companies managers. The methodology has been field tested in companies in New Zealand and Colombia. Results show the methodology can make a positive contribution as a diagnostic tool, and the satisfaction of the small companies managers with the outputs of the analysis also increased across the cases. This article will be of interest to academic researchers; SME consultants, owners, and managers; and government policy makers.

ABSTRACT A constant concern of academics and practitioners have been helping small and medium ent... more ABSTRACT A constant concern of academics and practitioners have been helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to achieve the same benefits of information technology (IT) than large companies. Many instruments and techniques have been proposed for this, but they have limited application in SMEs. This thesis aims to develop a methodology to help improve the use of IT in SMEs. The methodology was called IT-QSM (Information Technology - Quick Scan Methodology). IT-QSM was developed using action-research and case study.

Ingeniare. Revista chilena de ingeniería, 2014

Aunque la investigación sobre aceptación de tecnologías de información (TI) en grandes organizaci... more Aunque la investigación sobre aceptación de tecnologías de información (TI) en grandes organizaciones es abundante, hay menos entendimiento de cómo esta trabaja en el dominio de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME). Usando la metodología de investigación-acción (IA) se intervino a dos departamentos de una pequeña empresa para proveer soporte de usuario y asistencia a la aceptación de una nueva TI, mientras que, simultáneamente, se reunían los datos para la investigación. El análisis de los datos cualitativos recogidos en el estudio reveló que las diferencias en el liderazgo contribuyeron de manera significativa al éxito en el primer ciclo de IA y al fracaso en el segundo. Los resultados indicaron que el factor clave para la aceptación de TI es la participación de un líder dentro de la organización, pero este líder no necesariamente debe ser el mismo propietario, sino que puede ser otro empleado clave dentro de la PYME. Esto es ligeramente diferente respecto de la literatura de adopción de TI en PYME, que concluye que la participación del propietario es el factor clave. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo contribuir a la ampliación de las teorías de aceptación de TI en el dominio de la PYME, analizando particularmente el factor liderazgo.

For many years researchers have been concerned about the alignment of Information Technology (IT)... more For many years researchers have been concerned about the alignment of Information Technology (IT) in businesses. Most of the published research has been focused on understanding the alignment of IT with strategy, but a more recent view is that IT alignment with processes would be better, especially for SMEs. This research presents the two different approaches to measuring IT alignment, then uses the case of a small dental clinic to contribute to understanding these two alternative approaches. The results showed that both strategic alignment and process alignment were important, but strategic guidelines set the framework for the use of IT in the processes. These results contradict the claims of researchers who defend the process approach. This work has implications for practitioners because it again highlights the importance of IT in a strategic context in SMEs. This research also contributes to the theory of IT alignment in SMEs, and we hope this will encourage other researchers to study which approach is best suited for this type of business.

Es reconocido que la investigación científica es un trabajo altamente colaborativo. En ese sent... more Es reconocido que la investigación científica es un trabajo altamente colaborativo. En ese sentido, una disciplina como la de sistemas de información se beneficia de la conformación de equipos de investigadores intra o internacionales. Lo anterior es también válido para la investigación latinoamericana y chilena. No obstante, no existe un análisis de la situación de las redes de colaboración y la existencia de equipos de investigadores latinoamericanos de sistemas de información. Para conocer la presencia de comunidades de investigación en Latinoamérica y Chile, analizamos la estructura de la red social de los investigadores de sistemas de información. Para ello, estudiamos las relaciones de coautoría de los investigadores que han publicado en Contecsi e Infonor. Nuestros resultados mostraron la conformación de conglomerados que hacen pensar el surgimiento incipiente de grupos de investigación, sin embargo, estas comunidades presentaron altos niveles de fragmentación. Estos investigadores tienden a trabajar en grupos intra-institucionales y hay un muy limitado número de trabajos entre académicos de diferentes instituciones. Esto representa un desafío para la comunidad científica regional y trabajos futuros deberían ampliar la información incluyendo otras fuentes de información como journals latinoamericanos y otras conferencias.

Industrial Engineering, Feb 2, 2014

The controversial 2003 article by Nicholas Carr "IT doesn’t matter" still sparks discussion in IT... more The controversial 2003 article by Nicholas Carr "IT doesn’t matter" still sparks discussion in IT and management communities. Carr claimed that IT no longer contributed to the strategy of a company because IT had become a commodity. We used Carr’s arguments to guide an analysis of two cases of successful Chilean SME companies that adopted strategically important IT. This article shows that the Carr’s conclusions may be valid in some contexts, but there are other contexts where it may be best to move in the opposite direction to his recommendations. Our conclusions find that there is an intermediate point between Carr’s position and that of his critics that best fits the two cases studied, at least in the SME context.

IIE, 2011

Although small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a key factor in the economies of all countries a... more Although small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a key factor in the economies of all countries and regions, they sometimes face big gaps in production and performance when compared to large companies. One important gap is the fact that most SMEs do not use and implement information technologies to their full potential. This entails a significant loss of resources and consequently disappoints managers about how such technology can benefit the company. For example, several studies show that acquiring hardware and software licenses can be one of the most important investments a small or medium business can make. But evidence abounds that these companies have problems in fully exploiting the functionality of their new purchases.

IIE, 2012

Research has shown that small businesses adopt information technology for their processes more sl... more Research has shown that small businesses adopt information technology for their processes more slowly than large companies. Various theories explain how different enablers and inhibitors interact during the process of implementing new technology. One of the most proven and accepted theories is the technology acceptance model (TAM). Later on, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was proposed. An interesting model was put together by Mário Caldeira and John Ward, who studied the factors that influence the successful adoption of information technology in small and medium-sized enterprises. Although the models represent an important contribution, they do not capture the dynamic nature of how an organization operates during the process of implementing an information technology solution.

The theory on the adoption and use of information technology (IT) in small and medium enterprises... more The theory on the adoption and use of information technology (IT) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is abundant. However, methodologically speaking, action-research (AR) has been little explored as a method of construction of this theory, despite the use of this methodology could improve understanding of how SMEs use IT. Therefore, we researched the use of IT in SMEs using a methodology adapted from AR. The methodology was tested in companies from New Zealand, Colombia and Chile. The use of this methodology was well evaluated by the top management of SMEs, in fact, the recommendations coming from the analysis were well received by the management of participants. These results are auspicious regarding the use of AR in SMEs and could help encourage other researchers to use this methodology, which remains little used in information systems research.

Infonor, 2012

Por muchos años, entre investigadores y profesionales ha existido una gran preocupación acerca ... more Por muchos años, entre investigadores y profesionales ha existido una gran preocupación acerca de asegurar la adopción exitosa de tecnologías dentro de las organizaciones. Un modelo clave para lograr este objetivo ha sido TAM que es el más probado y validado de todos los existentes. Dada su prolífica producción, constantemente se hace necesario repasar los aspectos más relevantes del modelo y su evolución. En este trabajo, repaso y resumo los artículos más importantes que hacen referencia a TAM. La conclusión general de este estudio es que a pesar que TAM ha demostrado ser un modelo muy sólido, aún tiene limitaciones que pueden ser vistas por otros académicos como oportunidades de investigación.

Infonor, 2013

Investigadores y practicantes han propuesto diversas teorías y modelos para explicar cuáles son... more Investigadores y practicantes han propuesto diversas teorías y modelos para explicar cuáles son los factores claves en la adopción de TI en las organizaciones. Sin embargo, en su mayoría estos modelos suponen que este proceso es individual y más bien estático, dejando de lado que la adopción tecnológica exitosa en una organización es un fenómeno que depende de la interacción de los involucrados. Entonces, para analizar la dinámica en un proceso de adopción tecnológica, nosotros investigamos dos pequeñas organizaciones muy similares, pero con resultados opuestos en el éxito de un proyecto de implementación de software. La estrategia y diseño de recolección y análisis de datos fueron estudio de casos y análisis de narrativa respectivamente. Nuestros resultados muestran que si el propietario de una pequeña empresa quiere embarcarse en un proyecto TI debe considerar el contexto político de su organización, ejercer un liderazgo claro, e involucrarse directa y activamente en el proyecto. Futuros trabajos podrían continuar en profundizar en la dinámica de la adopción tecnológica en organizaciones mayores y en los otros factores que la teoría incluye en la aceptación de las tecnologías de información.

The theory on the adoption and use of information technology (IT) in small and medium enterprises... more The theory on the adoption and use of information technology (IT) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is abundant. However, methodologically speaking, action-research (AR) has been little explored as a method of construction of this theory, despite the use of this methodology could improve understanding of how SMEs use IT. Therefore, we researched the use of IT in SMEs using a methodology adapted from AR. The methodology was tested in companies from New Zealand, Colombia and Chile. The use of this methodology was well evaluated by the top management of SMEs, in fact, the recommendations coming from the analysis were well received by the management of participants. These results are a
uspicious regarding the use of AR in SMEs and could help encourage other researchers to use this methodology, which remains little used in information systems research.

Recently researchers have begun to suggest that the study of IT alignment in SMEs should be based... more Recently researchers have begun to suggest that the study of IT alignment in SMEs should be based
on organizational processes rather than on strategy. This research investigated both approaches in
a comparative exploratory study of 38 SMEs in Chile and Colombia. Regression was used to
compare both types of alignment against IT success.
The findings did not show significant differences between strategic IT alignment and process-
level alignment although the strategic alignment approach better explained the variability of IT
success (35.8%) than the process approach (18.7%). This contradicts the findings of recent research
which has suggested that alignment models based on SME processes better explain IT success than
models based on the company’s strategy. Unexpectedly we also found that there was a very high
correlation between both types of alignment (0.810). Results showed that strategic alignment could
impact the relationship between Process-level alignment and IT success. Our conclusion is that in
spite of the fact that few SMEs are involved with extensive and formal long-term planning, there
often seems to be an implicit SME strategy that shapes the way that IT is used on processes. Despite
the exploratory nature of this study, the unexpected findings may encourage other researchers to
validate and deepen the understanding of our conclusions.

Ingeniare. Revista chilena de ingeniería, 2014

Industrial Engineering, Feb 2, 2014

IIE, 2011

IIE, 2012

Infonor, 2012

Infonor, 2013

The theory on the adoption and use of information technology (IT) in small and medium enterprises... more The theory on the adoption and use of information technology (IT) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is abundant. However, methodologically speaking, action-research (AR) has been little explored as a method of construction of this theory, despite the use of this methodology could improve understanding of how SMEs use IT. Therefore, we researched the use of IT in SMEs using a methodology adapted from AR. The methodology was tested in companies from New Zealand, Colombia and Chile. The use of this methodology was well evaluated by the top management of SMEs, in fact, the recommendations coming from the analysis were well received by the management of participants. These results are a
uspicious regarding the use of AR in SMEs and could help encourage other researchers to use this methodology, which remains little used in information systems research.

La investigación en sistemas de información recibe contribuciones de la teoría de comprtamiento y... more La investigación en sistemas de información recibe contribuciones de la teoría de comprtamiento y de la ciencia basada en el diseño. Esta última pone énfasis en el diseño y construcción de artefactos útiles para la comunidad. Sin embargo, en Latino américa se conoce poco sobre este enfoque investigativo basado en el pragmatismo. Esta presentación resume qué es Design Science Research, cómo puede ser aplicada y entrega un ejemplo de un caso de investgación. útil para investigadores, editores y revisores de artículos científicos de sistemas de información.

Presentación realizada en la Universidad Politécnica de la Costa Atlática. Esta presenatción res... more Presentación realizada en la Universidad Politécnica de la Costa Atlática.
Esta presenatción resume los resultados de una investigación relacinada con el proceso de adopción de TI en dos grupos de una PYME de Chile. Los resultados mostraron que el grupo menos motivado adoptó el sistema mientras que el más motivado adopto. En esta presentación se discute las razones de este resultado paradojal.

Esta presenatción resume los resultados de una investigación relacinada con el proceso de adopció... more Esta presenatción resume los resultados de una investigación relacinada con el proceso de adopción de TI en dos grupos de una PYME de Chile. Los resultados mostraron que el grupo menos motivado adoptó el sistema mientras que el más motivado adopto. En esta presentación se discute las razones de este resultado paradojal.