Dr Alemayehu Molla

Qualifications

• PhD, Information Systems
• MSc, Information Science
• Diploma, Computer Science
• BA,Business Management
• Graduate Certificate, Tertiary Teaching and Learning

Research Interest

Specific research areas of current interest include e-business adoption and assimilation, B2B e-business, inter-organizational routines and their impact on B2B e-business, information systems outsourcing, information systems success, ERP and culture, e-business strategy and governance, e-commerce in SMEs, the diffusion, use and impact of the Internet, and ICTs and sustainable socio-economic development.

Research Project

September 2006-December 2008, Evaluating the Impact of ICTs on the Livelihood of Rural Communities, AUD $ 86,900 (total value of 120,000). This grant is obtained in collaboration with Professor Mohini Singh from Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation competitive research grant scheme

October 2006-December 2007, E-business assimilation and its effects on the growth and export performance of Australian horticulture firms. RMIT Emerging Researcher Grant, Joint project with Konrad Peszynski.

Current Research Students

1. Richard Boateng, PhD, The University of Manchester, Dynamic Capabilities, Context and E-business Value, Joint Supervisor
2. Ahmed Abareshi, PhD, Strategic Alignment and New Organisational Forms, 2^nd Supervisor.
3. Smithtana Chaijenkij, PhD, E-government Evaluation, 2^nd Supervisor.
4. Po-Chien Chang, PhD, Understanding mobile phone usage as a converged device, 2^nd Supervisor.
5. Kelly Hutchinson, MSc, Mekong Artisans Online: E-business in a Development Context, Senior Supervisor.
6. Forough Fardipour, MSC, Critical Support Factors in ERP: A Vendor-Agent Perspective, Senior Supervisor.
7. Feeba Mootheril, MSc, B2E E-Business and its Impact on Organisational Effectiveness, 2^nd Supervisor.
8. Joerg Paschke, PhD, Achieving Business Value from IT: A Resource Based Perspective of the Mediating Effect of Continuous Dynamic Business IT-Alignment, Senior Supervisor.

Teaching Responsibilities

• INTE 1030: Information Technology Strategy
• INTE1214: E-business Models and Issues
• ISYS 2391: Strategic Information Systems and Accounting
• ISYS 2396: Enterprise Systems

Publications (Post 2000)

Journal Articles

Molla A, & Heeks, R. (2007) Exploring e-commerce benefits for businesses in a developing country. The Information Society Journal, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 95- 108.

Molla, A. Heeks, R. & Balcells, I. (2006) Adding clicks to bricks: A case study of e-commerce adoption by a Catalan small retailer, European Journal of Information Systems, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 424-438.

Duncombe, R. & Molla, A. (2006) E-commerce development in developing countries: Profiling change agent roles for SMEs, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol. 7, No. 3, August, pp.185-197.

Molla A, Taylor R, and Licker P (2006). E-Commerce diffusion in small island countries: The influence of institutions in Barbados, Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 1-15.

Boateng R and Molla A (2006). .Developing e-banking capabilities: Preliminary lessons. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, Vol 11, No. 2, pp. 1-10.

Molla, A. & Bhalla, A. (2006) ERP and competitive advantage in developing countries: The case of an Asian company, Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 1-19.

Molla, A. & Bhalla, A. (2006) Business transformation through ERP: A case study of an Asian company, Journal of Information Technology Cases and Application Research, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 34-54.

Molla, A. & Licker, P. (2005) Perceived e-readiness factors in e-commerce adoption: An empirical investigation in a developing country, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Vol. 10, No.1, pp. 83-110.

Molla, A. & Licker P. (2005) E-commerce adoption in developing countries: A model and instrument, Information & Management , Vol. 42, Issue 6, 877-899.

Brown, I. & Molla, A. (2005) Determinants of Internet and cell phone banking adoption in South Africa, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 1-9.

Waheed, U. & Molla, A. (2004) Information systems outsourcing success: A client-service provider gap analysis in Pakistan, Journal of IT Management, Volume XV, No. 1-2, pp. 1-14.

Al-Sabbagh, I. & Molla, A. (2004) Adoption and use of internet banking in the Sultanate of Oman: An exploratory study, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, July, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1-12

Molla, A. & Licker, P. (2004) Maturation stage of e-commerce in developing countries: A survey of South African companies, Journal of IT and International Development, Vol. 2, Issue 1, pp 89-98.

Molla, A. & Licker, P. (2001) E-commerce systems success: An attempt to partially extend and respecify the Delone and Mclean model of IS success, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Volume 2, No. 4, pp 131-141.

Molla, A. (2000) Downloading or Uploading? The information economy and Africa’s current status, Journal of Information Technology for Development, Vol 9, No. 3&4. pp. 205-223.

Book chapters

Molla, A. & Duncombe, R (imprint, 2007), E-commerce innovation in SMEs: A Motivation-Ability Perspective, IN Zaho, F. (ed) Information Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation, IGI Publishers [Accepted March 2007]

Molla, A. (2006) E-readiness and successful e-commerce diffusion in developing countries: Results from a cluster analysis. IN S. Kamel (ed) Electronic Business In Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges, Harshley:Idea Group Publishing, pp.214-233.

Refereed conference articles

Lertwachara, K. Ayanso, A. & Molla, A (2007) An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Law Enforcement Against Online Music Piracy, 2007 IRMA International Conference, May 19-23, 2007, Vancouver, Canada.

Molla, A. (2007) Exploring the space and practice of e-business in the fair trade supply chain, Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, May 28-31, 2007, São Paulo, Brazil,

Molla, A. Taylor, R. & Licker, P. (2006) E-commerce diffusion in small island countries: The influence of institutions, Conference on Information Technology and Economic Development, July 21-23, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.

Molla, A. & Lee, W. (2006) Critical elements in the implementation of ERP, 51^st International Council for Small Business Conference, June 18- 21, Melbourne, Australia, pp.1-9.

Molla, A, Meletiou, G. Okunoye, A. (2006) Factors that influence SMEs’ adoption of application service providers, IN Khosrow-Pour (ed.) Emerging Trends and Challenges in Information Technology Management, Proceedings of 2006 Information Resources Management Association Conference, Washington DC, May 21-24, pp. 635-638.

Molla A., Taylor, R & Licker P. (2006) The influence of institutions on the diffusion of e-commerce in Barbados, 7^thGlobal Information Technology Management World Conference (GITMW, 2006).

Molla, A. (2005) Assessing B2C e-commerce success using the customer e-commerce satisfaction construct, 6^th International We-B Conference, November 23-25, Melbourne Australia, pp. 324-335.

Duncombe, R and Molla, A.(2005) E-commerce development in developing countries: Profiling change agent roles for SMEs, Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) 2005 Conference, November 1-3, Blackpool, UK, pp.1-18. (Nominated for best-in-track paper).

Duncombe R. and Molla, A. (2005) An evidence based framework for assessing the role of change agents in the promotion of e-commerce for SMEs in developing countries, Development Studies Association Conference, September 7-9, Milton Keynes, UK, pp.1-19.

Molla, A., Waheed, U. & Okunoye, A. (2005) Relationship antecedents in outsourcing success: investigation of three outsourcing relationships, Information Resources Management Association Conference, May 15-18, San Diego, USA.

Molla, A. Loukis, I. & Licker, P (2005) Implementing ERP in organizations: Institutions, agents and their cultural dispositions, In the Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Global Information Technology Management (GITM) World Conference, GITMA, June 5-7, 2005, Alaska, USA, pp.183-186.

Molla, A., Kabuye, M. & Bailur, S. (2005) Institutions and ICTs in the Makerere university: Bridging digital divide or broadening donor dependence? Proceedings of the Eight International Working Conference of IFIP WG 9.4 Conference, IFIP, May 25-28, Abuja, Nigeria, pp. 180-193.

Molla, A. (2004) Exploring the reality of e-commerce benefits among South African businesses. In Chen, J (ed) Shaping Business Strategy in a Networked World, Proceedings of ICEB 2004, Volume 2, International Academic Publishers, World Publishing Corporation, pp. 1301-1307

Molla, A. (2004) Navigating the domains of e-commerce for development, In Palvia, P. and Pinjani, P. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Global IT Management World Conference, GITMA, pp. 107-110.

Molla A. & Licker, P. (2002) PERM: A model of e-commerce adoption in developing countries, IN M. Khosrowpour (Ed.) Issues and Trends of Information Technology Management in ContemporaryOrganizations, Proceedings of 2002 Information Resources Management Association International Conference, Seattle, USA May 19 –22, 2002 pp. 527-530

Molla, A., Mekonnen, T. & Licker, P. (2002) IT implementation in the public sector of a developing country: Issues and challenges IN the Proceedings of the 3^rd Annual Global Information Technology Management World Conference, New York, USA June 23- 25, 2002.

Molla, A. (2001) Logging into the information economy: Africa’s options and challenges, In the Proceedings of the 2^nd Annual Global Information Technology Management World Conference, Dallas, USA, pp. 113-117.

Molla, A (2001) Determinants of e-commerce quality: The customers perspective, In the Proceedings of Bitworld 2001 Conference, Cairo, Egypt, ISBN 09 05304 365

Other peer reviewed papers

Duncombe, R. and Molla, A. (2006) .SMEs and e-commerce in developing countries: Frameworks for assessing the role of change agents, Development Informatics Working Paper No. 26, IDPM, The University of Manchester, ISBN: 1904143776.

Molla, A. & Loukis, I. (2005) Success and failure in ERP technology transfer: A framework for analyzing congruence of host and system cultures, Development Informatics Working Paper No. 24, IDPM, The University of Manchester. ISBN: 1904143679.

Molla, A. (2004) Exploring the reality of e-commerce benefits for businesses in a developing country, Development Informatics Working Paper No. 22, IDPM, The University of Manchester. ISBN: 1904143628.

Molla , A. (2004) The impact of e-readiness on e-commerce success in developing countries: Firm level evidence, Development Informatics Working Paper No. 18, IDPM, The University of Manchester. ISBN: 1904143482.

Administration roles

• PhD Program assistant coordinator, School of BIT, RMIT
• Business Portfolio Human Research Ethics Sub Committee Member, RMIT
• Research Committee Member, School of BIT, RMIT

Research Grants and Awards

1. Australian Rural Industries Research Development Corporation (RIRDC), The Impact of ICT on the Livelihood of Rural Communities, (With Mohini Singh), AUD $ 86,900 (total value of AUD $ 120,000), September 2006-December 2008.
2. University of Manchester, Faculty of Humanities Small Grants Scheme, The Diffusion and use of the Internet in Africa and the Middle East: The case of Jordan (With S. Al-Jaghoub), UK £4910, August 2004- December, 2005.
3. Main grant holder of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) for a doctoral research on e-readiness and e-commerce success, 2002, CAD $5000.
4. Collaborative grant holder with Partners in Development (PID Plc, VA, USA) an IDRC funded Extending the Benefits of E-commerce to Africa Project, USD $ 29,900, January-September 2001.
5. University of Cape Town Information Systems Postgraduate Scholarship for 2002, South African Rand 25,000
6. United Nations, The Information Economy in Africa: Foundations, Opportunities, Challenges and Research Agenda, USD $ 4000, July- August, 2000
7. IDRC, Innovative Uses of ICTs for Variety of Development Applications in Africa, CAD $ 5000, September-December, 1999.
8. Holder of The Harry Crossley Foundation’s Information Systems Doctoral Bursaries for 1999, 2000 and 2001, South African Rand 50,000 per year.

Committees and Panel Membership

1. Member, International Program Committee, Information Resources Management Association (IRMA) 2007 Conference
2. Editorial Board Member, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, since 2004
3. Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Information Technology Management, since 2004
4. Editorial Board Member, Journal of Information Technologies and International Development, since 2003

Examiner/Reviewer/Chair

1. PhD external examiner, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, 2003.
2. External examiner for a Masters of Business dissertation, University of Cape Town, South Africa, 2004.
3. External research grant assessor for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 2005.
4. Reviewed research manuscripts for:
• International Journal of Electronic Commerce
• Journal of Electronic Markets
• Journal of Computer Mediated Communications
• Journal of IT and International Development
• Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce
• Journal of Information Technology Management

5. Reviewed conference articles for:

• Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems
• Working for E-business
• Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences
• Annual Global Information Technology Management World
• International Conference on Information Systems
• South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists
• South African Computer Lecturers Association (SACLA)
• Annual Conference on Management in Ethiopia (ACME) conferences

6. Session chair at:

• Working for E-business Conference, Australia (November, 2005)
• International Conference on E-business, China ( December, 2004)