01 - Organizational change and Impact of ICT

Co-Chairs: F. Bolici (U. Cassino), M. Magni (Bocconi U., Milano), F. Virili (U. Sassari)
ICTs are part of corporate transformations in today competitive environments, often enabling new organizational forms and business models both in Public and Private Sector. 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 ICT-enabled change management and change implementation. Empirical investigation must be conducted hand-in-hand with theory building if we want to better interpret today's corporate environments. This Track, welcoming contributions representing a wide range of perspectives and approaches, encourages the interplay of theoretical and empirical research with practice and professional views and experiences.
Topics include (but are not limited to):

02 - Accounting Information Systems

Co-Chairs: D. Mancini (U. Parthenope), B. Campedelli (Verona University), E. Bonson (University of Huelva, Spain)
The objective of the track is to bring together researchers from all disciplines related to Accounting Information Systems (AIS). Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: AIS development, business patterns, internal control developments, strategic information systems, cultural influences on AIS, performance evaluation, decision aids, business process reengineering, business process modeling, audit and assurance regarding AIS, continuous auditing and reporting, enterprise resource planning, knowledge management, and XBRL.
The track is particularly interested in research on the links between information technology with accounting, auditing, reporting, management control, and related disciplines. The track is also interested in research on Enterprise Systems and their impacts on management control, organizational processes, and performance. The track also aims to stimulate the debate and the research concerning, on one hand, the interaction between digital and network technology and, on the other hand, accounting information systems and accounting professionals. This track is aimed at discovering how such technologies affect skills and activities of accounting professionals as well as accounting information systems.
The objective is to bring together researchers from all scientific fields related to Accounting Information Systems (AIS) for a high level interaction, discussion, and exchange of fruitful ideas in the setting of the Italian AIS (ItAIS).
The track will cover a wide range of topics. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Perspectives from diverse fields such as computer science, accounting, psychology, sociology, cognitive science, political science, behavioral science, and economics as well as high-quality and theoretically sound studies of any type (quantitative/qualitative studies, action research, surveys, behavioral/experimental studies, design science, case studies, theory development, etc.) are equally encouraged. 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. All submissions must be in English and will be blind reviewed by at least two referees.

The best English papers of this track will be fast tracked for publication in the “Management Control” Journal (Franco Angeli) and in the “The international Journal of Digital Research".

Keywords: Accounting Information System (AIS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business Intelligence (BI), AIS Control, Compliance, Accountants role, IT Capability, IT Performance, Digital Transformation.

03 - Information Systems, Innovation Transfer, and new Business Models

Co-Chairs: T. Abbate (U. Messina), F. Cesaroni (U. Carlos III Madrid, ES), P. Gubitta (U. Padova)
This track invites papers that deal with the topic of Business Models Innovation and the role that information and knowledge management (and related information systems) plays in supporting firms’ efforts to reorganize their activities and redefine their competitive strategies. Particularly, this track focuses on R&D-based new business models. As the Open Innovation paradigm has largely recognized, firms may promote innovation processes by promoting cooperative projects with external actors; at the same time, they can profit from the outcomes of R&D activity by undertaking technology commercialization activities. In both cases, the transfer of technologies and of technological knowledge lies at the core of firms’ strategies. In this respect, advanced information and knowledge management systems offer a set of new possibilities to facilitate the use of open cooperative and decentralized models, where different entities asynchronously co-operate by transferring their knowledge assets. The objectives of this track is thus to disseminate findings and exchange experiences on how information systems enable and facilitate the leverage of technological knowledge supporting (open) innovation. Studies that address new theories and/or show practical examples of best practices are welcomed. Possible topics related to this track include, but are not limited to: Keywords: Open innovation, innovation transfer, web intelligence, business model innovation, information and knowledge management

04 - Human-computer interaction

Co-Chairs: L. Tarantino (U. L’Aquila), G. Tortora (U. Salerno), G. Vitiello (U. Salerno)
Modern Management Information Systems (MIS) may greatly benefit from the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), as methodologies for user-centered system design, usability engineering, accessibility, and information visualization have deep influence on technology usage in business, managerial, organizational, and cultural contexts. During the last years research and practice in HCI has continuously evolved, in response to the societal transformations occurred with the pervasive adoption of information technology in all aspects of life. The social, political, ethical, and organizational implications of emerging interactive technology are raising important research issues in the fields of interaction design, modeling and evaluation. As the user base of 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, favoring social connections and supporting collaboration.
The Track builds on the success of similar tracks of the last 5 editions of ITAIS. Considering this year main conference theme, ‘Empowering society through digital innovations’, we welcome researchers and practitioners of HCI and related disciplines who wish to offer their experience towards this ambitious goal. 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.

05 - Information and Knowledge Management

Co-Chairs: V. De Antonellis (U. Brescia), M. Missikoff (LUSPIO), D. Saccà (U. Calabria)
In the recent years, the emergence of mobile and cloud computing, social data and big data, has radically changed the business landscape. The growth in information volume, velocity, variety and complexity, and the increased importance of information to the business make the ways of information and knowledge management extremely different from the past. Modern organizations need advanced effective methods and tools to take advantage of the ways that information is driven by cloud, social and mobile platforms. New data sharing and management models 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. Among the new research lines we wish to mention the convergence of collaborative social networks and the management of knowledge in holistic scenarios, addressed by Collaborative Awareness Platforms (CAPs). Traditional KMS are focused on business and domain knowledge, while the pragmatics and the whole knowledge lifecycle typically remains outside of the systems, embedded in the organization and the head of the people. A CAP solution instead has a holistic approach, including in the system the representation of the actors, strategies, objectives and all the knowledge elements connected to the pragmatics of the domain knowledge. Such an enhanced knowledge resource needs to be managed and maintained by the whole community, as an expression of a form of collective intrelligence.
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 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, big data, "information" wrapping and extraction, data mining and process mining, knowledge engineering, conceptual modeling, and ontological analysis.

06 - Design and Re-Design of Socio-Technical Systems

Co-Chairs: P. Bednar (U. of Portsmouth, UK), L. Caporarello (Bocconi U., Milano), P. Spagnoletti (U. LUISS)
IS research could be described having three different agendas in mind. Technical systems: represented by technical determinism. Digital systems: represented by artifact focus. Human systems: represented by work design focus. Socio-technical approaches can be used within all of these three areas of interest and paradigms. Since digital systems are intentionally incomplete and perpetually in the making (Kallinikos, Aaltonen, & Marton, 2013), the design and re-design of socio-technical systems is a continuous process involving innovators and recipients dealing with complex and evolving artifacts (Mumford, 2006). Such problem-solving approaches must be grounded on a combination of humanistic principles and on the ability to recognize the editable, interactive, open, and distributed nature of digital artifacts.
In this track, we want to focus on design-oriented IS research inspired by socio-technical principles (Baskerville, Pries-Heje, & Venable, 2009), and on the materiality of digital artifacts (Leonardi, 2011, 2013). This would include IS oriented discussions of innovation and purposeful problem solving, characterized by the design and implementation of digital artifacts, with a particular attention to individual and / or organizational contexts. Appropriate methodologies can include amalgamate components from engineering, computer science, management, social sciences including behavioural sciences.
Subjects of socio-technical and / or design oriented IS 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 – for mentioning some – meta-research that reflects socio-technical and design oriented IS research, proposes methodology advancements.

References

Baskerville, R., Pries-Heje, J., & Venable, J. (2009). Soft Design Science Methodology. In DESRIST ’09 .

Kallinikos, J., Aaltonen, A., & Marton, A. (2013). The Ambivalent Ontology of Digital Artifacts. MIS Quarterly , 37(2), 357–370.

Leonardi, P. (2011). When flexible routines meet flexible technologies: Affordance, constraint, and the imbrication of human and material agencies. MIS Quarterly , 35(1), 147–167.

Leonardi, P. (2013). Theoretical foundations for the study of sociomateriality. Information and Organization , 23(2), 59–76.

Mumford, E. (2006). The study of socio-technical design: reflections on its successes, failures and potential. Information Systems Journal , 16, 317–342.

07 - Critical and Criminal Organization: the Dark side of ICT

Co-Chairs: G. Mangia (U. Federico II, Napoli), M. Martinez (Seconda U., Napoli), A. Stachowicz-Stanusch (Silesian U. of Technology, PL)
The investigation of Information Systems (IS) from the perspective of critical management studies seems to be occasionally adopted by researchers, specifically in the Mediterranean area. When critical approaches for the investigation of IS and IT related phenomena appears pushed to the side, we invite them to come the fore. The track aims at stimulating debate on the role of IS in organization and society from the critical perspective, focusing to this regard especially on the concept of value.
Theoretical reflections on the concept of value are deemed central to any understanding of market exchange. The recent financial crisis contributed to engage in a rethinking of market exchange relations pulling towards a re-conceptualization o the idea of value, including the perspective of ethical economy. Moreover the widespread diffusion of Internet platforms started to support forms of social production, representing a new field for a fresh analysis of the concept of value. The discussion of the potential shift in meaning and in relevance of the concept of value from the mere perspective of an economic transaction, to the social and public value embedded in the emancipation potential of the Internet, of social media, and of IT platforms in general is open. In addition, the topic of Big Data and social forecasting has gained more and more attention. Some argue that Big Data is a game changing revolution that will fundamentally change how information is collected, stored, managed and consumed thereby positively transforming the business as well as the social life. Others are more critical – focusing on the risks and consequences associated with Big Data and social forecasting.
We would therefore welcome research papers and contributions capable of stimulating the audience with critical insights on the current challenges and new perspectives for the future of critical IS research, taking into account the implications of the concept of value, both from the individual, organizational, and public perspective. Furthermore we would also take into account contributions focused on the relationship between critical perspective and mainstream approaches, especially if they do not consider them as antagonists and if they try to build bridges between them.
The tracks aims at organizing an open space for researchers adopting a critical perspective to stimulate the generation of new knowledge and the growth of new theoretical approaches to the study of IS related phenomena.
The track welcomes papers discussing the following (but not exhaustive) list of possible themes:

08 - Polis and organization: addressing e-Participation issues

Co-Chairs: F. De Cindio (U. degli Studi di Milano), P. Depaoli (U. LUISS), T. Federici (U. of Tuscia)
In the last ten years increasing research efforts have been dealing with e-Participation projects and their theoretical implications. Yet, the characterization of this area is still in the making, and not surprisingly so. The phenomenon is in fact rapidly evolving both for the continuing diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and for the growing number of heterogeneous actors (e.g. individuals, movements, public bodies, private local and global organizations). Moreover, the digital interaction concerns different levels and processes of participation: information, consultation and decision-making.
The issues at stake are several: e.g. the availability of open data to be exploited for public as well as private purposes, new empowered relationships between citizens and their governments (e-petitioning, e-consultations, online deliberation, etc.), new political bodies, the role of the so-called "civic media", new forms of control, and so on.
Furthermore, within a single organization, co-operation and co-decision systems concerning actors and stakeholders are changing, affected as they are by digitalization. This evolution appears to take place across the board: in public and private companies, in non-profit organizations, in political parties and movements.

This track aims at promoting the e-Participation discourse through: The track welcomes papers discussing the following (not exhaustive) list of possible topics: A number of selected papers of this track will be fast-tracked for publication in a special issue of the Philosophy and Public Issues journal.

09 - Sociomaterial interactions: innovative perspectives in the analysis of organizational related phenomena

Co-Chairs: A. Comi (U. Reading, UK), L. Giustiniano (U. LUISS), A. Resca (U. LUISS)
The objective of the present track is to attract papers that aim to contribute to the long-lasting debate about the “social” and the “material” in the investigation of IT-related organizational phenomena – such as for example the introduction of new information technologies throughout the organization.
The concept of “sociomateriality”, proposed by Orlikowski, is considered to be one of the latest attempts in this regard. On the basis of Karen Barad’s works, a novel ontological perspective (or the study of the nature of reality) is proposed. The distinction about the “social” and the “material” vanishes in favour of a more comprehensive view in which phenomena emerge due to the presence of specific interactions. In other words, phenomena are not the result of interactions among pre-existing entities but entities and related phenomena establish thanks to specific interactions.
“Sociomateriality” so conceived poses interesting challenges at empirical level requiring the envisaging of related methodologies and methods for the research activity. Inevitably, the unit of analysis is no more a specific entity such as a team or an organization but the dynamics of the interactions that actually give shape to a team or an organization.
Nevertheless, the present call is not limited to contributions related to the encounter between the “social” and the “material” according to Orlikowski’s perspective. Recently, scholars such as Mutch, Leonardi, Kautz and Jensen, and Bratteteig and Verne have questioned the validity and, in some cases, also the opportunity of this perspective. This means that any critical viewpoint is also welcome.
The track welcomes papers discussing the following (but not exhaustive) list of possible themes:

10 - e-Services and Social Networks, Virtual Organizations and Smartcities

Co-Chairs: C. Metallo (U. Parthenope), L. Mola (U. Verona), Ø. Sæbø (U. Agder)
Internet has affected not only the business world but also the society at large. Distance, time, and culture limits are no more an obstacle to interaction and collaboration among individuals and organizations, but seem to belong to the distant past. The rapid expansion and popularity of the Internet has encouraged the development of new ways to work and interact within organizations, changing the traditional working procedures and extending firm’s boundaries. For instance, it have favorite the proliferation of virtual communities, fostering the social and exchange processes among individuals. Furthermore, the spread of Internet has also encouraged the development of business and market strategies, changing the nature of the organizations and their relationships with suppliers and customers. Social platforms, market places and online work places are becoming the trading zone of commercial lives and social lives alike and as such are affecting the design of global communities and organizations. Many of these platforms have been created with the aim of riding the technological evolution of the Internet and building their competitive advantage or organizational transformations on the intensive, if not exclusive, use of network technologies. Some experiences have ended up as big failures (e.g., Covisint reported in Klein, Krcmar, 2006), others have disappointed stakeholders’ expectations (e.g., Barnes and Noble, (Barnes, Vidgen, 2002)), yet others have reached enormous success revolutionizing entire markets, industrial sectors and public administrations. The Track aims at discussing papers that seek to analyze the evolution of these platforms in their role as the enablers and constrainers of global collaborations. This track encourages theoretical and empirical contributions that cover the following topics, but are not limited to:

11 - IT and Project Management, Skills and Professionalization

Co-Chairs: P. Di Nauta (U. Foggia), D. Muzio (U. Newcastle, UK), O. Allal-Chérif (KEDGE Business School Bordeaux, FR)
This track is concerned with project management with particular emphasis on the three sub-themes listed below. Nevertheless, papers with other specific focuses will be also taken in consideration.

Theme “Project Management approach in Project-based Organizations”
Advances in project management and the development of the so-called project-based organizations rely more and more on IT solutions enabling co-ordination among workers, even if remotely located. Although the large availability of actual technical solutions, the topic of understanding which skills are actually needed for managing projects in a IT-mediated setting. Hence, some issues seem to arise: Theme “Complexity, project and knowledge management, skills and methods”
The world of decision makers and business in general have always been interested in research on complexity, since the widespread conviction that traditional interpretation schemes and predefined schemes reveal their inadequateness to guarantee survival in the turbulent dynamism of the context. Organizations need to shift their focus from an operational approach (techniques) to a government (methods) one. Day by day professionals of Project Management face this kind of situations. Their role in organizations aims at a methodological framework for decision making and meta-models of reference for a systems approach to Project Management, that can be read as an effective technique which supports decision making in complex contexts, by acting as a compass that orients in the convergence toward shared goals. A Project Manager, then, even if his skills are not always well identified and itemized, acts as a sort of scaler of complexity. In this direction, some challenging questions arise: Theme “The professionalization of project management”
Project management represents one of the most iconic occupations of the knowledge economy. It is in rapid expansion everywhere in the world and is developing some solid professional institutions around PMI in the US and IPMA in Europe. Yet there are question marks on whether traditional professional models and practices, developed with references to the 19th century liberal professions, are appropriate for a new organizationally located knowledge based occupation like project management or whether this should develop new models of professionalism and new approaches to professionalization. Accordingly, this track raises the following questions: Keywords: project management, knowledge management, project-based organizations, complexity, decision making/problem solving, information technology, information systems.

12 - Organizing the IT infrastructure: strategic and organizational challenges

Co-Chairs: R. Bonazzi (U. Lausanne), R. Candiotto (U. Piemonte Orientale), A. Carugati (Aarhus School of Business, DK)
In the last decade, organizations have found themselves facing a dilemma. On the one hand, they need to constantly reduce the enterprise budget for information technology (IT). On the other hand, IT has to contribute to the strategy and competitiveness of organizations. Information technology (IT) outsourcing is increasingly used as strategy to achieve both objectives under the shape of cloud computing (SAAS, PAAS and IAAS), captive outsourcing (private and secure cloud) or selective near/off-shoring for software development. Moreover, new outsourcing options - such as crowdsourcing and IT consumerization – increase the number of options and challenges as well as the pace of change. This shift towards a network approach for enterprise resource management calls for new competences, methodologies and instruments to support CIOs in managing the IT infrastructure from projects to operations, as well as to help them address the constantly emerging organizational changes.
The topic of outsourcing has been discussed in almost 20% of the articles published on CIOs in the last ten years. Using Google Scholar one can also notice how the number of publications using the keywords “Chief Information Officer”, “outsourcing” and “cloud computing” has shifted from 2 in 2007 to 112 in 2011. While traditional forms of outsourcing have been widely investigated (Lacity et al., 2010), and its most recent evolution in cloud computing is reaching maturity (Buyya et al., 2009; Luftman and Ben-Zvi, 2010; Martens and Teuteberg 2012), the interaction of these outsourcing forms with crowdsourcing and employees owned devices is still to be conceptualized in the literature. Literature on the topics is quite scant (e.g. Greiger et al 2012) and still in exploratory phases (Lebraty and Lobre 2010). The impact on the IT infrastructure of crowdsourcing and consumerization is still to be understood beyond the traditional rant about the risk for the infrastructure. The extent to which the relinquishment of control is compensated by increased organizational performances – together with the dimensions of these performances – is still to be investigated. The nexus between IT infrastructures, Cloud technologies, mobile work, and control appears to be a very promising ground for research, that remains largely unexplored. Topics relevant to this track include (but are not restricted to): In order to advance the state of research on these issues and more generally on the interplay between IT infrastructures, cloud computing, mobile work, mobile technology, and control we call for original contributions, both empirical and theoretical, that rely on a variety of methods and theories.
Keywords: Chief information officer; outsourcing; cloud computing; crowdsourcing

13 - IT-based innovation in Healthcare

Co-Chairs: C. Cuccurullo (Seconda U., Napoli), F. Iannacci (U. of Canterbury, UK), D. Mascia (U. Cattolica, Roma)
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: Keywords: healthcare organizations, health systems, organizational change, health technology assessment, e-health, telemedicine, IT-costs and IT-benefits, patients, big data analysis.

14 - IS (lost) in the Cloud

Co-Chairs: B. Di Martino (Seconda U., Napoli), M. Ficco (Seconda U., Napoli), K. Bagchi (U. of Texas, El Paso, US)
Cloud Computing is a multi-purpose paradigm that enables efficient management of data centres, virtualization of resources, and services, according to an on-demand, self-service, and pay-by-use business model. Therefore, Cloud Computing represents both a technology for using computing infrastructures in a more efficient way, and a business model for selling computing resources and services. The apparent availability of unlimited virtual resources makes possible a cheap deployment of large-scale applications and services for supporting information systems (IS) in many fields of science and engineering. On the other hand, such paradigm becomes an attractive target for malicious users. In particular, cyber attacks represent a serious danger, which can compromise the quality of service delivered to the customers, as well as enhance the costs to be incurred. In this track are solicited topics addressing security aspects related to Information Systems (IS) in the Cloud. Such topics include, but are not limited to the following: The best English papers of this track will be fast tracked for publication in the “Journal of Information Privacy and Security”.