Technology and 21st Century Business Processes

Through articles on the integration of technology into a wide range of business process, the issue makes clear how essential technology has become for organizational success. Included in this issue are articles showing the power of technology to facilitate manufacturing, project management, collaboration, inventory control, organizational relationships, and strategic planning. Each article provides evidence from major organizations to demonstrate the critical role information technology plays in the 21 st century global marketplace. The issue begins with an article focusing on understanding how a " hybrid organization " (formed from the strategic alliance of Renault and) uses Web 2.0 tools and social networking to collaborate both inside traditional organizational boundaries within alliance, and across geographical frontiers. In the article, Different perspectives on KM 2.0 new practices and web 2.0 tools at Renault-Nissan alliance since 2000, Diadj divides the history of the strategic alliance into three phases. The first phase of three years entailed Renault and Nissan relying mostly on their individual KM practices and processes. During the second phase, which began in 2004, the automobile manufacturers developed KM 2.0 and web 2.0 tools which increased collaboration between the two companies. Since 2011, the alliance has entered a third phase in which further collaboration and collaborative tools have been developed plus the alliance seems to be attaining a new level of maturity. Next, in From Entrepreneur to Big Player: A Case Study of a Software Company in Taiwan, Shaw, Shih, Fu, and Tsai describe how the software industry is facing rapidly changing technology and business operations. The authors employ an ex post facto research case study design to examine how the Galaxy Software Service Co. grew over a twenty five year period into a large software company in the Taiwanese software market which consists mainly of small and medium-sized businesses. The research was based on in-depth participation and interviews to acquire data on the company's internal operations along with the evolution of the business model from the company's inception until now. In CSF Approach for IT Planning, Bapori-kar describes how the Critical Success Factor (CSF) method and future scenario planning can aid in strategic planning. The article provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing EDITORIAL PREFACE