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Forums and Blogs and Wikis, Oh My!—An Analysis of On-Line Sources of Support for End-User Development

In: Information Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Henri Korvela

    (Åbo Akademi University)

Abstract

Many small and medium-sized enterprises still seem to rely on very basic information systems, often including self-developed applications based on office suits, such as spreadsheet and database programs. However, this end-user development activity is often supported modestly, if at all, in organisations. Using on-line sources would be one way to alleviate these issues, but which source would or should developers pick to use? This paper presents and argues a framework of four key factors: context, cooperation, interactivity, and immediacy that, it is argued, influence end-user developers’ ability to obtain/use development support. These four factors which were derived from an extensive literature review are used to analyse and compare the effectiveness of several existing support sources (mainly focusing on the on-line versions) for end-user developers: personal contacts; help desks; trial and error; several different knowledge repositories; virtual communities and Internet searches. Based on this analysis, tempered with the perceived needs of (mainly novice) developers from real life situations, the paper concludes that virtual communities is the most suitable support source (in the sense that it fulfils needs that developers may or may not be ware of), especially for this category of end-user developers.

Suggested Citation

  • Henri Korvela, 2014. "Forums and Blogs and Wikis, Oh My!—An Analysis of On-Line Sources of Support for End-User Development," Progress in IS, in: Jan Devos & Hendrik Landeghem & Dirk Deschoolmeester (ed.), Information Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, edition 127, pages 353-373, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:prochp:978-3-642-38244-4_18
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-38244-4_18
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