Purpose -To reveal similarities between the business process reengineering (BPR) and shared service approaches, in order to improve outcomes of shared service implementation processes through lessons learnt from previous BPR projects. Design/methodology/approach -As the focus of this paper is primarily theoretical, the paper starts out with a literature review of developments in the BPR and shared service movements. Similarities between the two change alternatives are discussed and drawn up. Findings -The paper concludes by identifying which previously learnt lessons the emerging shared service movement should take into account from the BPR era when implementing shared services.Research limitations/implications -The paper is primarily based on previous findings from a literature review. To increase insights into the contemporary shared service phenomenon, complementary research in the form of in-depth case studies are recommended. Practical implications -Based on the similarities between BPR and shared service approaches, some normative guidelines for the implementation of shared service are given to practitioners. Originality/value -This paper fills a gap in process-oriented research by comparing BPR and shared service approaches in order to reveal similarities, which in turn enables practitioners to draw on pre-existing research findings in their present shared service projects.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to combine translation theory with aspects of socio-technology and systems theory to study the adoption of shared services in a public-sector organization. The paper aims to involve the process of translating the shared-services idea in concert with people and policies, both in terms of inputs and outputs. Design/methodology/approach -An interpretive case-study strategy was applied. Findings -The mutual impact of process, people, and policies shed light on what influences the adoption of the shared-services idea. The translation process considers different people and policy aspects, transforming the idea into a specific configuration that reflects the organization's individual conditions.Research limitations/implications -The in-depth case study enables better understanding of the adoption of shared services at an organizational level. The paper enriches previous research on the translation of management ideas. It is limited to the extent that it focuses on one particular case, which restricts the possibilities for a wider generalization. Practical implications -The paper indicates a lack of national policies to embrace the shared-services idea fully at the studied organization. The paper can aid governments in paving the way for the adoption of management ideas in public-sector organizations. Originality/value -The paper extends previous research on the adoption of management ideas and, especially, how the idea of shared services is adopted. It illustrates the translation process, how this process shapes personal and factual outcomes, and what this means for the adoption of the shared services idea at an organizational level.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to empirically explore management challenges that management must overcome in the early phase of adopting IT-shared services. Organizations to an increasing extent adopt IT-shared services as a means to providing organization-wide IT services. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data from 20 case studies were analysed. The data were originally collected in a variety of predominantly large-size organizations from the public and private sectors in six different countries. The data used were collected between 2002 and 2010. Findings – Our research identifies seven reoccurring themes in the collected data, all being common management challenges. These challenges are evident within the whole organization – including their service-consuming business units – as well as their service-providing IT units. The seven challenges are related to the ability to deliver IT services, communication between IT and non-IT staff, IT-service portfolios, nature of IT services, power and control, pricing and service-level agreements. Research limitations/implications – Gaining a deeper understanding of the seven common challenges is essential for further research on how to manage the successful transition towards organization-wide shared-services arrangements. Originality/value – This study provides fundamental insights into the complex endeavour of adopting IT-shared services in organizations. It furthers the understanding of common management challenges, which management needs to consider in the early stage of an organization-wide adoption of IT-shared services.

This study approaches the question of whether on-line shopping preferences differ from a gender perspective. Data is collected by the means of an on-line survey (n = 170) in which male and female on-line shoppers rank the importance of various features that have an impact on their shopping experience. The results show no gender differences at the construct level. However, when comparing the ranking of individual features some statistically significant differences exist. Males, for example, rank accurate description of products and fair pricing significantly more important than females. Females on the other hand consider return labels significantly more important than their male counterparts. The implications for research are twofold. First, the study provides additional insights into on-line shopping preferences from a gender perspective. Second, the study demonstrates that significant differences might not show on the construct level but only when features are individually compared with each other. The implication for practice is to help businesses enhance their on-line shopping platforms to better consider the particular needs of male and female on-line shoppers.

Purpose The project management literature provides a fairly united picture of the importance of projects being successful. One success factor is represented by project managers themselves, whose personality, skills, knowledge, competencies, and traits affect project success. To better understand various project manager types, the purpose of this paper is to review the extant project management literature and propose a framework for categorising project managers based on the traits that they possess or lack. Design/methodology/approach The research commenced with identifying and collecting articles from the academic project management literature. The articles were then coded to identify different competencies and traits that a project manager needs to be successful. Based on this analysis, a framework with four main project manager types was developed. Findings The results indicate that ambiguity acceptance and translation skills are two important dimensions that project managers need to be successful. The four project manager types were arranged around two dimensions. Research limitations/implications The framework presented is based on previous research. Empirical testing of the proposed framework would be a promising direction for future research. Practical implications The framework assists reflective practitioners in identifying what kind of project manager they currently are, suggesting how they might transition into a different project manager type to increase their project management success rate. Originality/value This paper conceptualises project managers and how their personal traits relate to project success. It offers practical help to project managers in understanding their strengths and limitations, and how to become a different type of project manager.