A Case Study on the Selection and Evaluation of Software for an Internet Organisation

Pieter van Staaden1 and Sam Lubbe2
1 Faculty of Informatics, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
2 School of Information Systems and Technology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

The authors conducted research to determine whether IT-managers, IT auditors, Users, management, etc. (all decision-makers) use a certain evaluation and selection process to acquire software to meet business objectives and the requirement of users. An argument was used that the more thorough the software evaluation and selection process, the more likely it would be that the organisation will chose software that meets these targets.

The main objective of the research was therefore to determine whether Media24 use evaluation methods and obtain the desired results. Media24 is Africa's biggest publishing group and offers entertainment, information and education 24 hours a day and served as a good example of an Internet Service organisation that made their employees available for this research project. The results confirmed that Media24 uses suggested protocol as noted in the theory for software acquisition correctly during most stages.

Keywords: Black Box testing, business process, commercial software system, document, evaluation, request for Proposal (RFP), requirements, selection, software, vendors.

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Strategies for Teaching Research Ethics in Business, Management and Organizational Studies

Strategies for Teaching Research Ethics in Business, Management and Organizational Studies
Linda Naimi
Organizational Leadership, Purdue University, USA

Ethics education has become increasingly important in the wake of corporate scandals and scientific misconduct. The pressure to achieve at all costs has created what Callahan (2005) called our Cheating culture. We recognize that our students need preparation, mentoring and positive role models to help them in recognizing ethical issues, analyzing and reasoning carefully about them, and making responsible decisions in the face of difficult dilemmas.

Nowhere is this more critical than in the area of research, particularly human subject research. To ensure integrity in research, students and faculty must demonstrate that they understand the ethical and legal ramifications of their work prior to initiating any research. In addition to legal requirements, universities have employed a variety of creative approaches designed to promote integrity in personal and professional conduct.

This paper discusses learning theories and offers a number of effective strategies for teaching research ethics to undergraduate and graduate students in business, management and organizational studies. Successful strategies include online interactive training modules, case studies, role playing, action research, critical inquiry, simulations and online interactive tutorials, such as that offered by LANGURE. LANGURE (Land Grant University Research Ethics) is a national network of more than one hundred faculty and graduate students at eight land grant and historically black universities in the United States, engaged in developing a model curriculum in research ethics for doctoral candidates in the physical, social, and life sciences and engineering. The author teaches and conducts research in undergraduate and graduate courses in Research Ethics, Ethics, Law and Public Policy and Leading with Integrity. These courses examine the ethical, legal, and global challenges facing business leaders today.

Keywords: Research, ethics, business, management, organization, case studies

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Comparison of Web and Telephone Survey Response Rates in Saudi Arabia

Ali A. Al-Subaihi
Taibah University, Madinah, Monawwarh, Saudi Arabia

A study was conducted to compare the response rate of telephone interview and Web Survey in Saudi Arabia utilizing Internet usage statistics, as well as experimental design. Official data shows that the reason that led the majority of Saudi people to choose not to interact with Web Survey similarly to the telephone interview is not technical due to the lack of Internet coverage, but rather cultural. Furthermore, the experimental part demonstrates three main findings. First, the response rate to the Web Survey is significantly lower than to the telephone interview.

Second, Saudi males participated significantly more than females especially with the Web Survey though both had the same level of Internet access. Third, the average response rate of telephone interview is significantly above 95% for both genders, whereas the average response rate of the Web Survey is about 30%.

Keywords: web survey; telephone survey; response rate; Saudi Arabia.

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