Cloud Computing for Small and Large Organizations

¶ … Garrison, Kim and Wakefield (2012), a discussion concerning the conclusions on the contribution the article makes to the topic and an evaluation concerning how authoritative the article should be regarded, including the qualifications of the authors, the scholarly nature of the publication, the use of citations and reference sources within the article, the intended audience of the article, and the overall format and style of writing of the article. Finally, a determination as to whether the article should or should not be considered to be authoritative according to formal academic considerations concludes the review.

Brief summary of the article

In this study, Garrison et al. (2012) provide a definition and an overview of cloud computing as well as an evaluation concerning potential success factors for deploying cloud computing resources. In addition, the authors describe the typical corresponding risks and obstacles that are associated with the adoption of information technologies, including most especially "uncoordinated adoption by stakeholders, inadequate business and technical acumen, and data security" (Garrison et al., 2012, p. 63). Following their breakdown of the constituent elements of cloud computing and their respect implications for adopting companies, the authors conclude that properly implemented and administered, the transition to cloud computing can provide companies of all sizes and types with a sustainable competitive advantage.

Authoritativeness of the article

To their credit, the authors include original research in their study as well as a review of the relevant literature. All told, the authors include 18 separate references in their study, but six studies predate 1998 (one from 1991) and one study is undated, making this information relatively obsolete, especially in a highly dynamic cloud computing analysis. Therefore, the authoritativeness of the findings that emerged from this study is called into question by the use of these outdated references. Notwithstanding this constraint, the authors all seem to possess the requisite professional credentials that would qualify them to express an opinion concerning these issues. For instance, all three authors are associate professors in management information systems (Garrison at The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business of Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee, Wakefield at the Hankamer School of Business of Baylor University, Waco, Texas and Kim at the School of Business Administration of Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea).