Co-Chairs: M. Magni (U. Bocconi), F. Virili (U. Cassino)
ICTs are part of corporate transformations in today competitive environments. The vast majority of change projects imply redesign and adaptation of ICT solutions, and in many cases they are entirely centered around these technologies. Organizations expect to use the new ICT to run new processes, innovate products and services, gain higher responsiveness, and implement new corporate environments aimed at transforming their internal structures into better achieving organizations. To date, both practice and literature have widely shown that the effective implementation of new ICT is one of the most challenging tasks faced by managers, since it requires people to understand, absorb and adapt to the new requirements. The capacity to absorb and to fully implement the adoption of new ICTs is a key factor to gain extra competitive abilities, because the ultimate impact of ICT is mediated by a number of factors many of which require an in-depth understanding of the organizational context and human behavior. Despite the many change strategies and tactics applied so far and the fact that many research findings have associated successful tactics with organizational contexts, it is proving difficult to develop a comprehensive theory of change management and change implementation. Empirical investigation must be conducted hand-in-hand with theory building if we want to better interpret todays corporate environments. The Track encourages the interplay of theory and empirical research and is open to contributions from any perspective. Topics include (but are not limited to): Change management successes or failures; Enablers of and/or inhibitors of ICT-related change success; Relationships between ICT and business strategy; Applied change management theories and methodologies; Analysis of change management tools and techniques also from an interorganizational viewpoint; Analysis of the interaction of individual, group, and information technology during change processes; Bottom-up and top-down change processes; Change processes in technology development, adoption, deployment in multi-cultural environments; Theories and tools to interpret ICT-related changes

Co-Chairs: D. Baglieri (U. Messina), F. Cesaroni (U. Carlos III Madrid, ES)
This track invites papers that examine how new ICT tools may support firms rejuvenating activities by providing support on reorganization, and promote new business models by rethinking firms R&D strategies. Consistent with open innovation approach, firms can profit of their R&D activity by transferring the results of their innovation processes to external organizations aiming at further adopting and applying that knowledge. In ICT fields, a great opportunity is given by co-operative projects focused on research and development technologies and innovation transfer, provided that technology-based innovation processes be adapted to deep changes in organisational contexts. Advanced ICT tools offer a set of new possibilities to facilitate the use of open cooperative and decentralised models where different entities asynchronously cooperate by adapting transfer/diffusion processes and roles to specific cases, situations, countries and cultures. The objectives of the track are to disseminate findings and exchange experiences on how information systems enable and facilitate the leverage of technological knowledge supporting (open) innovation by handling ICT based innovation and to address new theories and tools and best practices in cooperative and network-based ICT transfer and diffusion. Theoretical, empirical, case studies, and policy-oriented contributions are very welcome. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• The role of IT/IS in firms strategies
• Web Intelligence and firms capabilities
• Cooperative IT transfer and innovation theory and practice
• Public-private partnerships for ICT transfer and diffusion
• Profiting from IS management: actors and business models
• Public procurement of IT services and other demand-side policies as catalysts or open innovation
• IT tools to support cooperative technology transfer and diffusion in the context of Web 2.0 and future 3.0
• Case studies and best practices for specific technologies, geographical contexts, or organizations related to ICT or ICT-supported fields
• Best practices and experiences of innovations transfer of ICT research projects
• IS and user involvement in product development

Keywords: innovation transfer, web intelligence, IS business models.

Co-Chairs: V. De Antonellis (U. Brescia), N. Guarino (IASI-CNR), D. Saccà (U. Calabria)
In the recent years, with the emergence of multiple Webs, like Web 2.0, the Social Web, and the Semantic Seb, the variety of available web resources has been growing significantly, from unstructured messages or posts to structured data and ontology specifications. In this scenario, modern organizations require new advanced methods and tools to support effective and pervasive information and knowledge sharing, on and across the different Webs. Integrated exploitation of available web resources can allow people in organizations to achieve a number of aims: to improve business processes; to extend business knowledge; to collaborate with potential partners; and to develop, share and access huge quantities of available resources from different sources. This track aims to present the latest research on information and knowledge management and collaboration in modern organizations. The track serves as a forum for researchers, practitioners, and organizational stakeholders to exchange ideas and experiences on ways in which new technologies and systemic tools and techniques etc. may contribute to "extract", represent and organize "knowledge" and provide effective support for collaboration, communication and sharing of information and knowledge. Relevant tools and technologies might include the semantic Web, social Web, linked data, data clouding, semantic Web services, OLAP systems, tools for data and service integration and mashup, "information" wrapping and extraction, data mining and process mining, knowledge engineering, conceptual modeling, and ontological analysis.

Co-Chairs: P. Bednar (U. of Portsmouth, UK), G. Mangia (U. Federico II, Napoli), M. Martinez (U. Federico II, Napoli)
Approaching the research on information systems (IS) adopting a critical view seems to be challenging, since it remains poorly adopted, mainly in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this stream is to stem from this marginalization of the critical approach within the IS and IT research. We want to stimulate the debate on the meaning of IS research for the understanding of the concept of value for business. Theoretical reflections on the concept of value are deemed central to any understanding of market exchange and the recent financial crisis has contributed to engage in a rethinking of market exchange relations pulling towards a re-conceptualization of the idea of value, including the perspective of ethical economy. The widespread diffusion of internet-platform related based upon forms of social production has represented the field for a new analysis of the concept of ethical value, stimulating new insights on the emancipator potential of new social media and any future infrastructure. We would appreciate papers and contributions able to give the audience critical insights on the current challenges and new perspectives for the future of critical IS research, taking into account the implications on the concept of value. Furthermore, we include into account also contributions focused on the relationship between critical perspective and mainstream approach. Through this track we want to organise an open space for critical IS researcher, stimulating the growth of new theoretical approaches. Consider the following (and not exhaustive) list of possible themes:

• the concept of value and the critical IS research
• IS in Mediterranean area
• The emancipator potential of new social media
• IS and IT through the postmodern lens
• IS and IT between sustainability and in-sustainability
• Challenging perspectives for critical IS research
• Bridges between critical IS research and mainstream approaches

Co-Chairs: A.M. Braccini (U. of Tuscia), C. Francalanci (Politecnico di Milano), A. Ravarini (LIUC)
The relevance of information technology on companies is widely recognized, but companies' decision makers still lack a complete understanding and the elicitation of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between information system and the improvements of business performance in the long run. This understanding is particularly complex when dealing with the rapidly broadening of digital innovations (such as RFID, mobile technologies, social network platforms) that impact on inter-organizational processes and services and push organization towards higher degrees of collaboration. The objective of the track is to seek original research contributions on measurable impacts of information systems on business value. The track welcomes research from different fields, from strategic information systems to enterprise architecture, focusing on new models to assess the business value of an IT-based initiative, on methodologies to design an enterprise architecture coherent the strategic aims of an organization, and on empirical studies highlighting the variables influencing the effect of IT investments on business performance.
Keywords: Business Value, Strategic Information Systems, Enterprise Architecture, IT value, IT benefits, IS performance management, Business alignment of IT.

Co-Chairs: V. Albano (LUISS), R. Dandi (LUISS), A. Rossi Mori (CNR)
The implementation of healthcare information systems and technologies (IT) is nowadays at the heart of the successful provision of healthcare services. Quality, appropriateness, and efficiency are all relevant performance dimensions on which IT-based innovation have significant impact. Whereas IT-based innovation is in principle desirable, its adoption and implementation poses a number of challenges and complexities for organizations in this field. First, multiple organizational dimensions of providers are subject to significantly change since the activities of a wide range of professionals and the way they provide services to patients are affected by the implementation of new information systems and technologies. However, professionals are often reluctant to change, and IT effectiveness may be hindered by the high degree of autonomy they held in organizations. The presence of various subcultures and the long lasting conflict between administrators and professionals may also hamper IT effectiveness. The economic impact and sustainability of IT-based innovation is another major issue in this field, where resource constraint has progressively urged organizations and systems to accurately assess the cost-effectiveness of IT-based interventions. Because of the performance of healthcare organizations is multidimensional in nature, additional concerns regard the complete and accurate assessment of IT benefits in healthcare settings. In the last few years, health technology assessment functions, roles and tools have proliferated providing robust support in decision-making regarding IT adoption and implementation. The objective of the track is to seek original research contributions on IT-based innovation within healthcare systems and organizations. The track welcomes papers (work in progress as well as research ready to be published) that address issues related, without being limited, to the following areas:

• Design, implementation and management of healthcare information systems
• Diffusion of IT-based innovation in health care
• Adoption of IT-based innovation and organizational change in health care
• Barriers to the adoption and implementation of information systems in healthcare organizations
• Large-scale IT integration projects in health care
• Economic and organizational impact of IT-based innovation in healthcare
• Cross-country comparison of healthcare information systems
• Alliances and cooperative organizational arrangements for the development of innovative healthcare information systems
• Performance of IT-based innovation in health care organizations
• IT-based innovation and health technology assessment
• Data and systems standardisation and integration

Keywords: healthcare organizations, health systems, organizational change, health technology assessment, e-health, telemedicine, IT-costs and IT-benefits, patients.

Co-Chairs: R. Agrifoglio (U. Parthenope), A. Resca (LUISS), S. Romani (LUISS)
Since the introduction of pioneering strategic information systems, such as American Airlines' SABRE, McKesson's Economost and American Hospital Supply's ASAP, at the end of the 1970s, a dual perspective has emerged within the discipline of information systems: the business strategy perspective focused on the role of the organization itself, whereas the industrial economic perspective privileged the role of the competitive environment (Ciborra 1993). The objective of this track is to encourage submissions that overcome this dualism as a sustainable competitive advantage requires considering what actually takes place both within the walls of an organization and in the market. To conceive businesses as entities distinct from an environment does not render dynamics typical of market functioning. Technological innovations, particularly information technology and the internet, are the core of the so-called dematerialization process (Normann 2001). The dematerialization process leads to the possibility to dissect activities of a specific business according to time (i.e. e-commerce platforms are available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year), place (i.e. operators can access any financial market from anywhere), and actor (i.e. Ikea furniture is assembled by customers rather than its own employees). Information technology gives chance to reconfigure entire businesses due to the possibility to, first, unbundle sets of economic activities and, second, reallocate them in an innovative way. Production, finance, marketing, research and development, distribution channels all are subject to ongoing revaluation and improvement via new solutions. Solutions that take shape as businesses consider customers, providers, and competitors as potential partners for co-designing and co-producing. External actors and new competences are mobilized, old business borders are overcome and actors roles are reshuffled. If this reconfiguration involves not only products or services but a whole business system, an ecogenesis (Normann 2001) occurs. The rules of the game transform, leading to a new infrastructure and new business ideas that influence strategies, actions and networks of other actors within the system. Nevertheless, the spread of the internet has affected not only the business world but also the society at large. The proliferation of virtual communities is a recent but relevant event. All over the world individuals exchange information and share knowledge. Distance, time, culture, and organizational membership are no more an obstacle to collaboration and interaction. A new environment for free discussion about different topics is at hand and the literature agrees that virtual communities exist and play a key role in fostering the socialization process as well as learning. Phenomena such as peer production, user-generated content and crowdsourcing can be seen as the combination of the spread of ICT and the internet in the business world and in society. For instance, virtual communities do not only represent a virtual place to socialize and interact, but also an opportunity for marketing strategies. E-Bay, probably the most successful e-commerce initiatives, turns out to share several characteristics of virtual communities. To sum up, this track encourages contributions that cover the area in which businesses and communities meet due to the role of ICT.

Co-Chairs: R.M. Araujo (Unirio, BR), M. Snene (U. Geneve, CH), S. Za (LUISS)
From Service Dominant logic perspective, service is the application of competences for the benefit of another, that involves at least two entities, one applying competences and another integrating the applied competences with other resources (value-co-creation), determining a benefit. These interacting entities are called service systems, defined as a dynamic value-cocreation configuration of resources, including people, organizations, shared information (language, laws, measures, methods), and technology, and connected internally and externally to other service systems by value propositions. Every service system can be both a provider and client of services. Service science is the study of service systems, aiming to create a basis for systematic service innovation. Service science combines organization and human perspectives with business and technological understanding to categorize and explain the different types of service systems that interact and evolve to co-create value. Service-dominant logic may be the philosophical foundation of service science, and the service system may be its basic theoretical construct. Services Sciences are building a concrete framework for cross-disciplinary purposes. Thus service is understood in this context with its multiple facets: economic, organizational, human, collective, ontological, regulatory, secure, trustworthy, and implemented by means of informatics The goal of this tracks is related to an understanding of this emerging field of studies, providing contributes based on the Service Science perspective in a cross-disciplinary setting. Furthermore it could be also interesting to investigate the relationships among this perspective with others more consolidated theories, focusing on different points of view from organizational to technological aspects. Indeed works related to a critical comparison among different theoretical approaches, are fostered for a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses of this new emerging perspective. Contributions from transdisciplinary fields bases on services and fondamental studies of services science are highly encouraged.

Co-Chairs: A. Carugati (Aarhus School of Business, DK), T. Di Mascio (U. L'Aquila), B. Pernici (Politecnico Milano)
The track aim at presenting research in the wide area of information systems development and design methodology, with a special focus on designing information systems in complex organizations, virtual enterprises and interconnected organizations. Model based design methods and tools and empirical work on design experiences are both interesting in the track. In addition, papers discussing the relationship between technological and organizational points of view and constraints during the design are also of interest for the call.

Co-Chairs: L. Tarantino (U. L'Aquila), G. Tortora (U. Salerno), G. Vitiello (U. Salerno)
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is an interdisciplinary research and practice field that deals with the design, evaluation, and use of interactive technologies. The field has gained increasing attention in the last decades due to the pervasiveness of Information Technology in our lives. Traditional HCI topics, such as user-centred system design, usability engineering, accessibility, and information visualization are important to Management Information Systems (MIS) as they influence technology usage in business, managerial, organizational, and cultural contexts. As the user base of business interactive systems is expanding from IT experts to consumers of different types, including elderly, young and special needs people, who access services and information via Web, new and exciting HCI research topics have emerged dealing with broader aspects of the interaction, such as designing for improving the overall user experience, favouring social connections and supporting collaboration. Moreover, the introduction of advanced interactive devices and technology is dragging researchers attention towards innovative methods and processes for interaction design, modeling and evaluation, which take fully into account the potential of modern multimodal user interfaces. The Track builds on the success of similar tracks of last two years conference programs; it welcomes researchers and practitioners of HCI and related disciplines to discuss theories, practices, methodologies, techniques and applications about the interaction among humans, information and technology. Submissions of research papers, experience reports, as well as research in progress articles are encouraged. Authors may contact track's co-chairs to check whether or not the nature of their submission is appropriate for this track.

Co-Chairs: P. Depaoli (U. Urbino), R. Winter (U. St. Gallen, CH)
According to Hevner et al. (Hevner et al. 2004) two scientific approaches characterize much of the research in the information systems (IS) discipline, namely behavioral science and design science research (DSR). Behavioral science addresses research through the development and justification of theories that describe, explain or predict existing phenomena in a domain. Design science DSR addresses research through the construction and evaluation of innovative artifacts that are intended to solve important, relevant design problems in the domain. Both types of research reflect the respective foundations and methodologies in order to provide guidance for researchers. This track is aimed at discussing IS research that focuses on innovation and problem solving instead of understanding and/or explaining existing IS phenomena. Appropriate methodologies amalgamate components from engineering, computer science, management, and also from social sciences. Common to all design science research in IS is that:

• the design problem is specified based on a comparison of existing solutions against important, relevant design problems in organizations
• the design solution is iteratively constructed using state-of-the-art knowledge both from IS theory and successful design solutions and design practices
• the utility / progress of the proposed design solution is demonstrated, maybe even validated by experiments, case studies, surveys, or other instruments
• the generality of the proposed design solution (its reuse potential, its contribution to the knowledge base, its implications for IS theory) are discussed

Subjects of design research can be problem analyses, concepts/ontologies, design theories, models of any kind, methods of any kind, or actual IS instantiations in companies, government agencies or in private households. Also welcome is meta research that reflects design science research, proposes methodology advancements, etc. Submissions can be both completed research reports or research in progress papers as long as the basic design research components are visible and can be discussed.

Co-Chairs: R. P. Dameri (U. Genova), D. Mancini (U. Parthenope), Eddy H.J. Vaassen (Tilburg University, NL)
In this track, the Accounting Information System is considered as a complex system composed by a mix of elements (such as data, information, human resources, tools, accounting models and procedures) strictly interrelated and basically involved in collecting, classifying, elaborating, recording, storing, accounting data. AIS plays a strategic role in decision processes, inside and outside companies; it have a strong impact on business strategic activities. But, AIS is often considered a standard instrument for accounting automation. The aim of the track is to give clear evidence to AIS strategic role and to define instruments and practices to identify and evaluate this strategic role. This track is particular interested on paper and research that investigate this system:

• from inside, analyzing the relationships between its components to improve efficiency and effectiveness in order to better support decision making, especially analyzing the link between accounting models and information technology; information technology and the accountants role (Chief Financial Officer, Internal auditor, Compliance officer, and so on);
• in its relation with other relevant enterprise systems such as management control system, performance measurements, internal control system, risk assessment system;
• in different contexts, such as private and public companies, interorganizational networks, SMEs or multinational enterprises.

Appropriate topics of this track include (but are not limited to):

• Accounting software evaluation models and methods
• AIS and Financial reporting quality
• AIS audit, risk assessment, CoSo and Cobit
• AIS compliance, compliance metrics and compliance software
• Changing role of accounting human resources during IT implementation and usage
• Enterprise Resourse Planning, Business Intelligence and AIS
• Impact of IFRS, XBRL, internal control laws on AIS
• Management accounting, strategic cost accounting and IT
• Internal reporting and IT
• Performance measurement systems and IT

Papers are also welcome, bringing together researchers and practitioners to improve different research perspectives on AIS. Theoretical or empirical studies are equally encouraged as well as different kind of research methodology. Completed research and research-in-progress papers will be accepted.
Best papers selected for this track will be fast tracked for publication in the "International Journal of Accounting Information Systems", and in "Management Control (Franco Angeli)".
Keywords: Accounting Information System (AIS), Management Information System (MIS), Business Intelligence (BI), AIS Compliance, Accountants role, IT.

Co-Chairs: M. Cavallari (U. Cattolica), R. Di Pietro (U. Roma Tre), G. Tejay (Nova Southwestern U., US)
Dependence on networked information systems means enterprises are more vulnerable to security attacks which can disable temporarily their activities and induce losses in business profits and client trust. Organizations in todays business environment can no longer rely on technology alone to protect information and information infrastructure, and requires a business-aligned approach to successfully mitigate information risk. For this reason, there is a real need to build an integrated approach for more efficient management of information security. The growth in global regulatory and compliance requirements, lack of available resources, the complexity of implementing privacy solutions and constant need to balance protection with organizational needs are few of the challenges. The track also encourages contributions to better understand the unclear role of regulatory compliance and business resiliency in an organization and its technical infrastructure, whether they constrain the organizational structure or are constrained by a certain rigidity of the organization itself. Furthermore, information security choices have an impact on the behavior of e-service customers in both public and private sectors and this makes the analysis of non-functional requirements a critical phase in the lifecycle of new platforms and solutions. This track will consider topics associated with both the management of security in networked information systems and the design of security mechanisms. Submissions may span a broad range of topics, including (but not limited to):

• IS security management
• Corporate governance of security and privacy
• Social, legal and ethical aspects of IS security
• Security and privacy implications of new IT applications
• The economics of information security and privacy
• Digital forensics
• Trust in security and privacy enhancing systems
• Evaluation of system security and privacy risks
• Individual and corporate disclosure strategies, impacts, and the related social implications
• Identity management for Governance, Compliance, and Risk management
• Data mining to enforce business security
• Crisis Management, Incident Response and Business Continuance

Co-Chairs: C. Metallo (U. Parthenope), M. Missikoff (IASI-CNR)
Internet has created new ways of working and interacting, reduced the geographic, temporal, and organizational distance between individuals. Internet facilitates dispersed interaction across time and/or space, allowing at individuals, groups or organizations, to communicate and collaborate sharing knowledge and information. In particular, new Internet applications, such as Web 2.0 applications, allow a strong level of interaction among users and provide new work arrangements supporting both work activities and social relationships such as: remote work, telecommuting, telework, telecommunity, global and virtual teams, mobile offices, web community, social network, microblogging, etc. Recently, social networks have been growing significantly in the private and leisure sphere of people, while a similar diffusion has not been achieved in the business world. However, there is a great expectation that this will happen in the near future. The expected benefits will be very relevant, starting from the improved cooperation opportunity to the possibility of unleashing new forms of collective intelligence and open innovation. In this direction, there is the emerging idea of Enteprise 2.0, where new forms of collaboration and knowledge sharing will be achieved. In general, scholars have mainly focused on the role of technology in supporting communication and coordination processes among employees, investigating some constructs such as autonomy, job performance, motivation, worklife balance, conflict, socialization processes, quality communication, etc. The aim of this Track is to encourage the ongoing debate on the role of Internet facilitating new ways to work and interact and its social and behavioral consequences on individual employees. Theoretical and empirical research, and other contributions from any perspective are welcome.

Co-Chairs: N. Casalino (U. Marconi), M. Draoli (Digit-PA), D. Muzio (U. Manchester, UK)
The stream on IS professional skills includes issues pertaining to education and training in as well as with and through Information System technologies. The education and development of Information Systems professionals in the emerging technological and economic world of the 21st century will require innovative methods and approaches. Both formal education programmes and assessment/certification frameworks are affected by continuous developments in digital technologies whilst the new possibilities and challenges of IS and IT have implications for both IT specialists and non-specialists within organizations. The cognitive ICT chain could use the independent standards of process and governance (like ITIL, COBIT, etc.) and the competence and profile standard like EUCIP and eCF as habilitation technologies to enhance the value of learning outcomes. Furthermore, IT has led to the enhancement of the educational experience across disciplines and to the proliferation of online groups and communities both within and across organizations. Many, originally off-line activities (such as quality circles, task forces, and communities of practice) now take place online whilst IT enables knowledge creation and diffusion, co-production, mentoring, networking, and learning processes within organizational contexts. These groups, communities and activities can be highly heterogeneous in their structural configurations and span temporal and spatial boundaries; something which requires a diverse range of technological and organizational support systems and solutions. However, the necessary management competencies and support structures are often lacking whilst conflict and negative dynamics may also surface and undermine group outcomes. Furthermore, there is limited understanding of how group success is achieved in different work practices and industry contexts. Companies also find it challenging to design business models to leverage the potential of these communities. Submissions to this track may include both theoretical and empirical contributions related to professional skills, the certification of curricula, on-line education and communities.
Keywords: Professional Skills Enhancement and New Curricula, Evaluation and Certification, E-learning and Knowledge Sharing, Organizational Design and Outcomes of Online Communities.

Co-Chairs: G. Ajani (U. Torino), R. Candiotto (U. Piemonte Orientale)
Commercial forms and other private and public entities operate in a world which is increasingly subject to regulations of different nature and sources, like statutes, regulations and also self-regulations. At the same time, it is more and more difficult to manage the combined effect of legislative sources regulating socio-economical activities, coming from different levels like the European, national and regional ones. Production processes, in particular in the service sector, are changing continuously, due to international competition. Every change requires, however, to verify that processes are compliant with up to date norms in all the operative sectors. These complexities hold also for the public administrations, and even legislators themselves are feeling the necessity to simplify norms, make them accessible and evaluate the impact of norms. These requirements can be met nowadays by a new generation of information and communication technologies. For example, it is possible to process legal texts to semantically connect them to the relevant processes of an enterprise or public administration, so to quickly understand the relevance of a new norm. Moreover, enterprise simulation processes can be used to forecast the effect of normative change so to adapt industrial strategies. This track encourages conceptual, theoretical, and empirical papers that further our understanding of these issues. Contributions are, thus, sought concerning, for example:

• Ontologies for legal systems
• Semantic technologies for legal texts
• Information systems to support regulatory compliance
• Simulation models for enterprises taking into account regulations
• Software for regulation inventories
• Business process management systems
• Automatic monitoring of intellectual property right and copyright infringement
• Opinion monitoring technologies
• Business intelligence in highly regulated sectors
• Systems for regulatory impact assessment

Keywords: Regulatory compliance, law, business process management systems, ontologies, semantic technologies, simulation, business intelligence

Co-Chairs: F. Di Vincenzo (U. D'Annunzio), D. Hodgson (U. Manchester, UK)
Researchers and practitioners have directed considerable attention to better understanding the implementation of Information Technology (IT) to manage projects. The current business environment is complex. Managers need to make fast decisions, allocate scarce resources efficiently, and have a clear focus. Especially within organizations that are engaged in many projects simultaneously, management is faced with multiple challenges. Project managers handling different projects with different scopes, complexities and timelines face particular problems. These can be related for example to resource conflicts, problems of coordination and throughput times. Inadequate balancing of scarce resources often results in additional pressure on the organization, which leads to poor quality of information and longer lead times of projects. Interdependencies and interactions between projects and information and project overload present specific challenges as well. Managers may become overwhelmed by the amount of information that is available for decision making, losing sight of relevant information or being unaware of inaccuracies. Projects are highly autonomous units that allow dividing labor within organizational boundaries and giving firms the opportunity to focus on fewer but highly customized activities, but producing at the same time a high degree of differentiation into organizational sub-systems. Such differentiation is reflected, for example, in the partial vision of whole organizational activities, potential conflicts among projects, and different priorities that characterize scheduled activities and the project agenda. This complicates the management of interdependences across projects performing different, well-specialized tasks and activities. However, in order to achieve an adequate profitability and to stay competitive especially in knowledge-based contexts, the activities of each project must be integrated and the access to the knowledge, information, competences and - more in general - to the resources residing in other projects is required to respond appropriately to the environment. Inter-project coordination is a desirable thing especially when the adoption of new technologies or development of new project routines or information could be used and applied elsewhere in other projects of the organization. Overall, whether project-based organizations live on their ability to mobilize and conduct projects, for organizational performance as well as for that of other projects IT systems may be very useful to integrate resources generated at the project-level into the organization. In general, the use of IT in project management is considered advantageous to project managers because of the alleged contribution regarding timelier decision-making and project success. The implementation of IT in a multi project environment may help to accomplish a realistic project assignment, which is an effective strategy especially when managing multiple projects. In this Track, we invite scholars and researchers to present and discuss qualitative and quantitative papers that explore some of the issues and research areas discussed above, as well as to propose new ideas and topics to stimulate a reflection on the complex and still largely unexplored world of IT and project management.
Keywords: project management, information technology, project-based organizations, information systems.