Article: Alignment between organisational critical activities and websites in New Zealand Universities Journal: Journal of Business and Management (JBM) 2019 Vol.25 No.1 pp.69 - 90 Abstract: Purpose - The present study aims to identify the specific types of organisational activities that are strategically crucial for organisations to achieve success, and the websites provide strategic value to these organisations and contribute to their success. Organisational critical activities (OCAs) are recognized as being essential, have been significantly resourced, and receive regular senior management monitoring to assist the organisation to achieve success. This study focuses specifically on the evaluation of the alignment between OCAs and the websites of all New Zealand universities in 2007 and 2017. Method - This study chooses the multiple-case design methodology as its research methodology and aims to identify precisely how websites provide support to OCAs through a series of interviews and website evaluations at eight universities in New Zealand. The respondents include senior management, IT, and web teams. In total, 48 participants were interviewed. This study also utilised a list of top-ranked OCAs, and several findings when comparing changes in OCAs of websites over a 10-year time period. Findings - The case studies revealed that the top-10 OCAs of these universities' websites changed over the past decade, indicating that managements' perspective is constantly evolving. \'Strategic information provision\', \'increase branding awareness\', and \'maintaining a partnership with other institutions\' constituted topics among the top-10 entries in 2017, while they were absent from the top10 list in 2007. Limitations - Some sub-sites could not be accessed due to security reasons. For example, the finance areas of most websites were inaccessible to the researchers during the web evaluations due to issues of confidentiality. Implications - The analysed results demonstrate that websites are an important and influential platform to conduct the entire range of primary value-added activities in the value chain. In addition, after 10 years of observation, evolutionary changes can be derived and OCAs are also indicated, and adapt to environmental trends to promote sustainable operation of the organisation to conduct the entire range of OCAs to achieve success. Originality - This study is the pioneer that explores the alignment between websites and OCAs over a period of 10 years. It would also be useful to investigate such alignment in other countries and cultural settings. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Alignment between organisational critical activities and websites in New Zealand Universities

Authors: Wei-Hsi (Frank) Hung; Kai-Ju Chuang

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: Purpose - The present study aims to identify the specific types of organisational activities that are strategically crucial for organisations to achieve success, and the websites provide strategic value to these organisations and contribute to their success. Organisational critical activities (OCAs) are recognized as being essential, have been significantly resourced, and receive regular senior management monitoring to assist the organisation to achieve success. This study focuses specifically on the evaluation of the alignment between OCAs and the websites of all New Zealand universities in 2007 and 2017. Method - This study chooses the multiple-case design methodology as its research methodology and aims to identify precisely how websites provide support to OCAs through a series of interviews and website evaluations at eight universities in New Zealand. The respondents include senior management, IT, and web teams. In total, 48 participants were interviewed. This study also utilised a list of top-ranked OCAs, and several findings when comparing changes in OCAs of websites over a 10-year time period. Findings - The case studies revealed that the top-10 OCAs of these universities' websites changed over the past decade, indicating that managements' perspective is constantly evolving. \'Strategic information provision\', \'increase branding awareness\', and \'maintaining a partnership with other institutions\' constituted topics among the top-10 entries in 2017, while they were absent from the top10 list in 2007. Limitations - Some sub-sites could not be accessed due to security reasons. For example, the finance areas of most websites were inaccessible to the researchers during the web evaluations due to issues of confidentiality. Implications - The analysed results demonstrate that websites are an important and influential platform to conduct the entire range of primary value-added activities in the value chain. In addition, after 10 years of observation, evolutionary changes can be derived and OCAs are also indicated, and adapt to environmental trends to promote sustainable operation of the organisation to conduct the entire range of OCAs to achieve success. Originality - This study is the pioneer that explores the alignment between websites and OCAs over a period of 10 years. It would also be useful to investigate such alignment in other countries and cultural settings.

Keywords: Organisational critical activities; case study; website evaluation; interviews.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2019.141276

Journal of Business and Management, 2019 Vol.25 No.1, pp.69 - 90

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *

Title: Alignment between organisational critical activities and websites in New Zealand Universities

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