This paper focuses on transnational information systems (TIS) that cross organisational as well as international boundaries. Such systems are being built and used in increasing numbers, but very little attention has been paid to US in the literature. This paper describes an empirical study which gathered case study data from four TIS projects. The data were used to describe problems encountered during TIS development and management and to discuss solutions found for those problems. An interesting finding was that organisations tend to address difficulties by lowering the level of aspiration of the TIS rather than addressing difficulties head-on.Keywords: transnational information systems, IS development, IS management TRANSNATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMSThere is an increasing use of and demand for information systems that transcend national boundariestransnational information systems (ITS). On the one hand developments in information and communication technology now make it possible to support many processes and tasks that cross company and national boundaries. On the other hand economic and political developments create demand for transnational information systems. This demand is clearly evident within the European Union in the context of a European market for persons, goods, capital and services. Similar developments can be seen on a global scale due to increased Intel-nationalisation. Examples of TIS include international payments systems, systems linking public administration agencies, international traffic control, and logistics systems linking different countries. Development and management of TIS is not straightforward. The interorganisational and international nature of these systems introduces various difficulties and problems. One major reason for this may be that the participants are independent in most aspects and autonomous with regard to their own proprietary information systems. Another potential cause of difficulties is the international context which introduces cultural, legal and language difficulties among participants. Most individual TIS to date are being developed on an ad hoc basis. Practical experience and empirical research show that many problems and solutions at first glance appear to be specific to a particular development effort, but often they are not unique at all. As the needs and opportunities for TIS become more prevalent, the call for generalised knowledge and guidelines to develop and manage TIS increases. Organisations want to know how to avoid difficulties and, if problems should occur, how to address them. Instead of continuing ad hoc development there is a need for structured do's and don'ts to aid organisations that may consider using, developing, managing, or otherwise participating in TIS. A search through the literature revealed a lack of studies addressing the combined transorganisational and transnational IS setting. There is, however, a stream of literature concerning information systems linking parts of multinationals located in different countries. Several bo...

No abstract

An increasing number of transnational information systems (TIS) is being developed and operational. This paper describes a study that attempted to gather information from an empirical setting as a basis for theory building. The authors have studied three cases in an attempt to take some early steps towards guidelines for the development and management of TIS. General conclusions based on the analysis of the three cases are drawn.

Reorganizing the IS function can contribute to its efficiency and effectiveness. Management can choose from a large number of organizational options. This leads to uncertainty and a need for decision support. The knowledge of experts in this domain was elicited using think aloud protocols. Next the protocols were analyzed to derive guidelines that can be applied in practice. During the analysis, several techniques were tried. This knowledge acquisition process turned out to be very complex and labor intensive but it also was a rich source of information.

This article deals with some aspects of the compilation of input‐output tables (I.O. tables). A global view is given of the way in which I.O. tables are compiled in The Netherlands. It is indicated that in The Netherlands a number of developments are in progress that have led to an extension of the uses that are made of I.O. tables. The changing demands on I.O. tables that result from these developments can be met in future to an important degree. This has been made possible by extending and improving basic statistics and by increasing the uses made of automation facilities. Some problems remain, however, and one of these problems takes a central place in this article. This is the problem of accuracy and continuity: how can yearly I.O. tables be compiled that combine accuracy with consistency over time. Accuracy means here that the tables should be as complete as possible and in optimal accordance with all available information. Consistency over time means that estimates of details of I.O. tables compared with the same estimates for previous years reflect real economic developments. It is obvious that those two demands may conflict, particularly for years in which new information becomes available. It then must be decided whether accuracy or consistency in time deserves priority. What problems result from this decision and what are the consequences for the yearly I.O. tables? The problems arising from the conflicting demands of accuracy and continuity apply to the Netherlands in the last few years. This led to a revision of I.O. tables and national accounts for 1977. This revision resulted in an increase of estimated national income of more than 6 percent. For some components the adjustments have been much larger; this is particularly true for the services sector. More information on the 1977 revision is given in an annex.