Interorganizational processes in buyer–supplier dyads: An information intensity perspective

ABSTRACT

In an increasingly global business environment, organizations interact with partners, suppliers and customers who are geographically spread and exchange information regularly. Without a robust information technology infrastructure, the speed and effectiveness of this information exchange is limited. Business-to-business (B2B) electronic business applications are a class of interorganizational information systems (IOIS) that facilitate such information exchange arising out of interorganizational processes (IOPs). The success of any e-business initiative depends on the successful implementation and the actual use of such IOIS. This study uses the concept of information intensity (II) to identify the information sharing requirements arising from IOPs, thus presenting opportunities for B2B Web site use, with specific reference to organization-specific customer-facing and supplier-facing IOIS. We use data from four buyer–supplier dyads, eight medium- to large-scale organizations in the Indian context and identify a generic set of dominant IOPs in buyer–supplier interactions. Through these we present the sources of II in IOPs along three dimensions – complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity which influence the feature set in the IOISs. We conclude with implications for IOIS design, implementation and use.

KEYWORDS:

• Business-to-business
• information intensity
• case study
• Web site
• information technology

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Merlin Nandy

Merlin Nandy is Managing Consultant at IBM India Private Ltd. She is Fellow of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (Ph.D.) in the area of management information systems. Her research focuses on the use of various Internet-based technologies by end users and organizations, and the factors that impact such use. She is Certified Solution Consultant in SAP CRM Telesales and a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). She is primarily engaged in a presales consultant role with focus on EB, ERP applications and intelligent automation. She has published in various information systems conference proceedings including AMCIS, HICSS and ICEB.

Priya Seetharaman

Priya Seetharaman is Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. She is a Fellow of IIM Calcutta (Ph.D.). Her primary research areas include adoption, use and evolution of information technology in organizations, IT governance, IS/IT strategy, health-care systems and agricultural supply chains. Her papers have appeared in the Journal of Management Information Systems, Information & Management, Computers in Human Behaviour, Online Information Review, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change, among others. She has also published in various leading information systems conference proceedings including ICIS, AMCIS, HICSS, ECIS, ACIS and DSI.