E-Transformation in the publishing industry

Abstract

This thesis presents the findings and conclusions of research that was undertaken with the purpose of understanding the issues and challenges of e-transformation in the publishing industry, particularly the editorial phase, and in a government controlled environment of Malaysia. The research followed an exploratory inquiry and a case study approach, was conducted in a publishing house in Kuala Lumpur. This study was based upon data collected through in depth interview with 18 editors, documentary research (manuals, house styles, General Orders of the Government of Malaysia, forms, correspondence, other in house documents, speeches and local news), physical artefacts (132 edited manuscripts involving 33 editors), archival records (project files spanning 2 years of published works) and literature research. 10 major issues were identified and grouped into 4 categories, 4 major issues from previous failed systems identified, 9 major impacts categorised into 3 different categories were identified and 7 recommendations from the editors were identified for future systems. Focusing on these issues and impacts, several measures were recommended that would improve e-transformation in the company. Guidelines were developed to streamline the transformation and a new workflow proposed towards efficiency in a new medium. Disruption is also identified in the process of transformation. The research concludes by describing the phenomena of transformation in the editorial phase, that there are issues, impacts, disruption and unsettling points before, during and after transformation that would need to be thoroughly investigated, understood and addressed, to successfully transform the editorial phase. The research contributes to both theory and practice. It also proposed a conceptual model to understand the transformation particularly in a public sector; it developed a guideline for effective transformation and developed a workflow for the editorial phase.