COORDINATING INNOVATION IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE: THE CASE OF TRANSFORMING OFF-SHORE PROJECT DELIVERY
ABSTRACT. The relationship between digitalization, digital innovation, and digital transformation is an emerging topic in information systems (IS) research. Whereas IS researchers widely acknowledge that digitalization underpins both digital innovation and digital transformation, just how and by what mechanisms link digital innovation with digital transformation remains underexplored. Differentiating between ‘digital infrastructure innovation’ and ‘innovation in digital infrastructure’, this paper contributes towards current discussions by empirically elaborating how the open-ended and generative potential of digital innovation in practice has to be negotiated against the installed base of technical and organizational arrangements in digital transformation. We pursue this argument through a case study of digital innovation coordination in an inter-organizational digital innovation project with the goal of instigating digital transformation within the offshore construction industry.
ICT RESOURCES & CAPABILITIES, ECONOMIC CRISIS AND CRM ADOPTION
ABSTRACT. Firms are going to implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, in order to be more competitive in todays highly changeable economic and business environment. Studies show that CRM implementation is affected by organizational, technical and environmental factors and also show that there are mixed results concerning how successful firms have been in adopting CRM systems. However, there is limited research about the factors that lead firms to adopt CRM systems.To this end, this research based on the Technology, Organization, Environment framework studies some factors that impact on the CRM adoption by firms. The findings of this study confirm that the previous experience on Information Systems by the firms is one of the most significant factors that affect CRM adoption, as well as, firms’ ICT capabilities. Also, human capital, innovation and work organization are factors that affect CRM adoption too.Finally, economic crisis seems not to affect the adoption of CRM systems.
Information Technology artifacts for increasing customers’ savings: An example of design science in the car industry
ABSTRACT. The effective design of technology could facilitate customers’ savings. For example, an Information Technology (IT) artifact focusing on car maintenance and ad hoc services could generate improvements and savings to the car driver. Addressing the lack of IT artifacts aimed at providing savings around car maintenance, and the business opportunity such gap provides, this research-in-progress’ objective is to create an IT artifact that will monitor and analyze vehicle data to discover when it is necessary to offer solutions to detected needs while embedding persuasive design principles to influence drivers’ car maintenance/service behaviors with the goal of saving money to vehicle owners. To do so, this research-in-progress will employ the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology in order to rigorously build and evaluate the IT artifact. Thus, following DSR methodology, the impact of the IT artifact on drivers’ spending on car maintenance as well as the offerings conversion ratio will be analyzed.
DOUBLE LOOP LEARNING ELEVATES THE INNOVATION DESIGN OF A PAEDIATRIC CLINIC FROM MEDIA TO INTERSUBJECTIVE DIALOGUE
ABSTRACT. We investigate the innovations actually enacted in an organisational research intervention, to identify double loop learning instances, as a counsellor-facilitator engages in therapeutic co-construction with the client. The case is situated in a paediatric clinic for children with developmental differences. Ethnography lasted three month of full immersion of the researcher-facilitator-counsellor. Followed by a co-construction process between counsellor and client to let emerge innovation design ideas. A number of double loop learning instances came to modify the practice culture of the clinic. Outstanding was the focus emerged on the intersubjective dialogue as the key element to boost impact of relational emotional interaction experiences with the child and with the parent. Other crisp concepts include attention to: breakdown in the relation with parents; dead or live speech as communication style with parents. The onset of focus on intersubjective dialogue the most striking outcome, contributed by the client.
Technological Observations for Improving Interaction and Inclusion of People with LD
ABSTRACT. Developers of computer devices and interfaces compete to produce tools that are usable and useful in the sense of assisting potential users to achieve the desired result. This usefulness angle of the discussion is what prompts us to look at existing knowledge on the potential of technology for improving social interaction and inclusion of people with learning disability (LD). We investigate how the extant literature guides conversation around premises of assistive devices and information technologies, in the context of improving interaction with people with LD, for an inclusive value co-creation in our digital society of today. Through the lens of the DART framework and the four pillars of interaction of (Dialogue, Access, Risk, and Transparency), our approach explores how the current literature treats this contemporary topic. We propose directions for further research for inclusion of people with disabilities.
ASSESSING PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE A CASE STUDY
ABSTRACT. In recent years, artificial intelligence technologies have been widely used service industry, but there are different and non-convergent thoughts about the impact of these new technologies. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence on customer satisfaction. Then the methodological approach adopted is qualitative. In particular, we conduct a single-case study on the Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com. Data were collected from the official reports of the company JD.com which employs its own artificial intelligence (JIMI), in the period 2012-2018. Our research reveals that the firm, by implementation of artificial intelligence, may improve customer’s satisfaction and, consequently, its own profitability.
IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON FIRM PER-FORMANCE: EXPLORING THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF PROCESS-ORIENTED DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES
ABSTRACT. Organizations still dependent on information technology innovation have already adopted the in AI subfields and techniques to adapt or disrupt the market while improvement their perfor-mance. Other research has examined the relationship between computing capabilities and or-ganizational performance, with a mediating effect on dynamic process-driven capabilities. We extend this flow of literature and examine the same relationship by taking into account the ca-pabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). Our conceptual framework is based on the paradox of productivity, resource-based view and dynamic capabilities. We relied on an in-depth review of 500 case studies collected on websites related to the integration of AI into organizations. Our study highlights the added value of AI capabilities, in terms of organizational performance, with a focus on improving organizational performance (financial, marketing, and administrative). Our analyses also show that companies improve their performance when they use capabilities of AI to reconfigure their dynamic process-driven capabilities.
AN ANALYSIS OF ICT ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR OF GREEK BANKS IN THE ECONOMIC CRISIS
ABSTRACT. Our study analyses the behaviour of the core ‘system-relevant’ Greek banks with respect to their ICT activity in the first years 2010-2014 of the severe Greek economic crisis, examining a wide range of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ aspects of their ICT activity concerning important ICT resources and capabilities as well as ICT plans. For this purpose, we have adopted a mixed methodology with both quantitative and qualitative part. It has been concluded that besides the standard immediate reaction to the crisis by reducing ICT-related operational costs and ICT-related investment expenditures (how-ever to small extent), the core Greek banks in a later phase of the economic crisis proceeded to the rationalization of their ICT processes/practices and improvement of their ICT capabilities, especially their ICT strategic alignment capability, the adaptation of their ICT plans to the crisis conditions and the optimization of available ICT-related resources
How do employees learn security behavior? An integrated perspective on social learning and rational decision making.
ABSTRACT. Information security has become one of the most important topics in the modern information technology of companies. It influences the way companies work and the exchange of information between them. Information security policies are one of the most important instruments for compli-ance with information security (ISC). It is particularly important that the defined rules are ad-hered to. In order to explain human behaviour with regard to ISC, this paper uses the established theory of Social Learning Theory (SLT) and Rational Choice Theory (RCT). However, they are rarely used to explain the ISC. This article aims to combine behavioral and IS research to better understand ISC. We provide an overview and description of the effects of SLT and RCT on ISC through a PLS analysis. The results of this study show that SLT has an influence on RCT and therefore the ISC can be explained by the two theories.
A Study into the Classification of Enterprise Architecture Benefits
ABSTRACT. While many authors have published on the subject, the question about the value of Enterprise Architecture (EA) remains unanswered. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a starting point, 36 subcategories of organizational goals where benefits of EA could be expected were derived from literature. To validate these subcategories, an online Delphi study has been carried out. With the help of the experts contributing to the study, 25 subcategories of organizational goals are identified where the contribution of EA is deemed at least moderate. These contributions are in line with other publications on the subject, with the exception of subcategories in the Customer perspective of the Balanced Scorecard. In our study these subcategories were deemed more important than in previous studies. In the same Delphi study, we tried to differentiate between EA development-, implementation- and exploitation activities in the contribution of EA to these subcategories, but the results are as yet inconclusive.
Digitalising heritage: organizational challenges in bringing luxury into the digital world
ABSTRACT. Luxury companies are lagging behind in implementing a properly digital transformation strategy as they have always been hesitant to invest online, holding the belief that their customers prefer the contact with the physical touchpoints rather than an interaction with a digital interface.
Only recently luxury companies embraced digitalization to ameliorate the relationship with customers and create a valuable customer experience. This strategic decision has brought a new organization problem to such companies.
The objective of this research is therefore to understand what challenges luxury companies should face to be integrated digitalization competencies into their present set of knowledge and skills that is heavily related to the values do craftsmanship and brand heritage. In order to provide meaningful result, the empirical investigation focused on the champagne industry as it shows all the critical aspects.
A Socio-Technical Perspective on Reproducibility in Research Data Management
ABSTRACT. The Open Science paradigm has brought the dissemination of experimental artifacts on the agenda of funding agencies, research institutions, and academic publishers. Managing re-search data is a crucial part of guaranteeing the reusability and reproducibility of published results. In this research, we suggest a conceptualization of reproducibility based on threats, risks, and vulnerabilities identified in current research data management (RDM) practices. By doing so, we can describe a range of threats to reproducibility and pinpoint areas where cur-rent RDM practices and the scholarly infrastructure insufficiently address these threats. Further, we elaborate on a socio-technical approach to reproducibility in RDM by collecting evidence from researchers and published experimental reports. We show that the STS approach comple-ment current IS research on RDM by offering a holistic view of reproducibility challenges in RDM.
HOW PERCEPTIONS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE AND TECHNOLOGY USE IMPACT UPON CREATIVITY IN COLLABORATIVE SPACES
ABSTRACT. This paper unpacks creative processes in collaborative spaces (CS). We fo-cus on how the positive resources related to wellbeing and work-life bal-ance derived from working in CS interplay with the use of collaborative technology in affecting individual creativity. We conducted a survey study with individuals working in 27 different CS in Italy. We propose and find a positive relationship between the perceived level of work-life balance sat-isfaction and individual creativity. We do not find a significant relation-ship between the frequency of technology mediated interactions with ex-ternal actors and individual creativity. Furthermore, the relationship be-tween work life balance and creativity is negatively moderated by technol-ogy mediated interactions with external actors. In other words, an intense use of collaborative technology with actors external to the CS can generate perceptions of overload and therefore making the impact of work-life bal-ance on creativity not significant. We conclude with theoretical and practi-cal implications.
How a start-up can move among AI diffusion stages (intention, adoption, and routinization) in order to make sustainable their innovative business model.
ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study is to analyze how a start-up modifies the intensity of AI adoption based on customers responses. I analyzed a case study (related to a start-up that relies on independence as well as technology in the field of financial advice) appears very representative in highlighting how start-up can review AI adoption. An unexpected result shows how a company, founded as a robo-based start-up, chooses to focus on independence instead of on technology. People describe customer need as simplicity and independence more than technology. For this reason, funders changed the company business model and went back along the adoption process. We describe how the company reviews its choices in terms of AI adoption, due to the perception of centrality in customers’ needs of simplicity going back along adoption stages with a sort of “reverse” process.
ABSTRACT. This work in progress aims to explore ethical dilemmas connected to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in financial portfolio management, and their managerial implications. In old school quantitative investing, portfolio allocation decisions are typically based on a well-defined investment strategy. Financial portfolio managers devise and apply investment strategies to maximize expected returns for customers’ portfolios.
The introduction of AI-enhanced algorithms enables smart machines to automati-cally revise and update investment strategies, learning from the past. AI-enhanced portfolio management systems might produce significant effects on gains and losses, raising ethical dilemmas connected with human vs. machine responsibil-ity, accountability, and risk. From the managerial point of view, a new dimension of performance measuring, competence evaluation and incentive allocation is re-quired for managing AI software developers in this area.
To explore such dilemmas, empirical evidence is drawn here from MDOTM, an innovative and successful young enterprise developing AI-driven investment strategies for financial markets.
WELCOME ADDRESS
Prof. Alberto Carotenuto (Rector of the University of Naples Parthenope)
Prof. Riccardo Marselli (Dean of the Department of Business and Economics)
Prof. Maria Ferrara (General Conference Chair)
Conference and Programme Chairs
Keynote session chair: Francesca Ricciardi (University of Turin, Italy)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Modern Data Collection Methods for Computer User Behaviors(with exemplars from security and privacy research)
A significant body of MIS research focuses on individual computer user behaviors in various contexts, such as technology adoption, electronic commerce (and egovernment), information disclosure, information privacy concerns, and security behaviors. We will explore the trade-offs between various research methods (e.g. lab experiments, field experiments, surveys, interviews, and more). We will discuss a range of rigorous research methods for studying computer user behaviors, including the use of treatments (manipulations) in experiments, manipulation checks, mitigating social desirability bias, evaluating possible common method variance (bias), neuro-physiological data collection methods, and more.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:Merrill Warkentin (Mississippi State University, USA)
Merrill Warkentin is the James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems in the College of Business and a William L. Giles Distinguished Professor at Mississippi State University, and was named an ACM Distinguished Scientist in 2018. His research, primarily on the impacts of organizational, contextual, and dispositional influences on individual behaviors in the context of information security and privacy and in social media (cited over 15,000 times (h-index = 35), has appeared in MIS Quarterly, Journal of MIS, Journal of the AIS, European Journal of Information Systems, Information Systems Journal, Information & Management, Decision Sciences, Decision Support Systems, and others. He is the author or editor of seven books, and has authored or co-authored over 300 published manuscripts, including over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles. He ranks #15 in the world (2016-2018) in number of publications in the AIS Senior Scholar Basket of Journals. He serves or has served in editorial roles for MISQ, ISR, JAIS, EJIS, Decision Sciences, I&M, and other journals. He has held officer and other leadership positions at AIS, DSI, IFIP, and ACM. He has chaired several international conferences and was the Program Co-Chair for the 2016 AIS Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS).
Rethinking sustainable public organizations by technology
ABSTRACT. Public organizations should contribute to value creation moving towards sustain-ability as a vision for change, strategy and action by developing the potential of information technology in order to redesign trust-based relationships sustaining governance networks within ecosystems, promoting co-production of public ser-vices, strengthening the agile working as a means to empower the employees and develop smart and digital platforms within ecosystems. As organizations seeking sustainability, public organizations should evolve as communities that develop technological sources to facilitate value creation within society. Public organiza-tions should achieve sustainability and develop the community adopting a logic service view using technology in order to drive the transition from using technol-ogy in government to develop digital, smart, lean and open platforms that enable value creation, innovation and networking as source that help drive public organi-zations to design a sustainable pathway for future and wealth of communities.
A GENERALISED CO-EVALUATION MODEL OF PUBLIC POLICIES
ABSTRACT. Formulating government policies involves a wide network of stakeholders and policymakers and numerous techniques and strategies. Moving from policy formulation to policy evaluation, a key challenge is to enable the effective involvement of this network in the evaluation activities that aim to examine the implementation and impact of a public policy. This paper studies the process of evaluating the quality of policy formulation and the effectiveness of its implementation introduced by the Open Government Partnership, a global open government initiative, and illustrates related aspects and challenges. Building on this study, the paper proposes a generalised open and inclusive evaluation model that may be applied for assessing the effectiveness of public policy development and implementation. Although based on the domain of open government, the proposed co-evaluation model may be of wide applicability to other public policy domains thus supporting the new role of government ‘as a platform’.
Social and ethical shifts in the digital age: Digital technologies for governing or digital technologies that govern?
ABSTRACT. Organizational efficiency and economic development has benefited significantly from the ubiquitous nature of information technology in today’s governmental machinery and in society, but what of its serious implications at the macro and micro level? The argument of the paper is that technology-driven social changes require – and facilitate – a policy response. Exploring the wider implications of ICT used by governments through the lenses of two analytical frameworks (i.e., the ‘tools of government approach’ and the ‘data-driven agency approach’) elabo-rated in two seminal books allows us to formulate a number of information policy recommendations for contemporary decision makers seeking viable solutions to ethical concerns. The conceptual discussion aims to spur an early and pro-active engagement with the social impacts of technology.
PERCEPTION, USE AND IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND CASE OF NORTH AND SOUTH KIVU REGIONS, DRC
ABSTRACT. The eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has faced natural disasters such as volcano eruptions and their associated plume pollution, the outbreak of hemorrhagic virus of Ebola and manmade crises. The same region is potentially exposed to Carbone dioxide and methane from Lake Kivu. For the people living in such conditions, it is very important to steadily access to real-time situational information. In order to examine the perception and the impact of social media use in managing disasters, we proposed and empirically validated a re-search model drawn on the following: the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, social media use, and two usage impacts. The model was tested with 402 respondents using the struc-tural equation modelling partial least square method. Because social media is perceived to be easy to use and useful, they are used in disaster management. Their use impacts the information accessibility and adaptability.
ABSTRACT. This paper is about the socio-technical findings of a project that was carried out for an organisation in the educational sector. The main aim of the project was to explore the possibilities of developing a mobile AR authoring tool that educators would use to create AR experiences in attempt to improve their teaching methods. A novel ‘solution’ was designed and prototyped, which initially seemed to have great potential, but as the project progressed it gradually became evident that although the solution was possible, it was not necessarily a good solution. The project ended up being a prime example of the nowadays common phenomenon of designing efficacious but ineffective solutions for ill-defined problems. This paper analyses the project in retrospective from a soft systems thinking point of view, reflecting on the problems and limitations of attempting to solve problems with ill-defined boundaries and requirements using hard systems thinking.
PARADOXES OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND COP-ING STRATEGIES: A RECORDS MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY
ABSTRACT. As a change in a setting displaying scarcity of resources, plurality of choices and technological change, Digital Transformation implies Paradoxes of Change. We wonder how a paradox lens can help us leverage Digital Transformation. We investigate the case of a records management company engaging with digitizing and digitalizing of their offers. We implement 23 hours of semi-directive interviews, two site visits and written sources analyses. We find that paradoxes of Digital Transformation can be managed leveraging specificities of digital technologies. Organizing and performing paradoxes are addressed through temporal and geographical splitting strategies, relying on external and internal skills, before developing the resources to hire. National-level reflection complements the strategy. Performing is demonstrated via expertise-oriented online and offline communication sup-ports. The paradox of belonging, fuelled by splitting strategies is the most difficult to manage, addressed through reframing discourse. On the basis of these dynamics, we suggest an exploratory model.
Adoption of Human Resource Information Systems in Danish SMEs
ABSTRACT. This paper examines the determinants for Danish SMEs to adopt Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). To do so the paper applies the Technology, Organizational and Environmental (TOE) framework of in-novation adoption and qualitative analysis. Perceived benefits, organizational HRIS knowledge and expertise and top management support are proven sig-nificant in driving HRIS SMEs’ adoption decision in the four cases. With the use of HRIS, SMEs HR management has especially improved work efficien-cy and been able to grow faster.
Towards Digital Business Process Models in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study based on the Onboarding of Student Employees
ABSTRACT. Digitalization is one of the major challenges which also effects higher education institutions. However, a lot of organizational business processes in the administration of higher education institution are still analog and paper-based. We conducted an in-depth case study at one of the top-ranked higher education institutions based on the onboarding process of student employees. The results contribute to theory with a digital business model in higher education institutions. Research can use the results to develop measurements for new digital skills and competencies and implications for other related areas such as participatory user design, artificial intelligence, e.g., contract validation, and outsourcing/offshoring, all business processes involving multiple stakeholders who bring in different re-sources to the process. Practitioners can apply the digital business model to discuss this topic and enable them to set up appropriate relationships with other organizations. Organizations can apply this concept for value co-creation in their networks.
Creating a New Innovation Orientation through Idea Competitions
ABSTRACT. This paper conducts an in depth case study of the implementation of an idea competition in a consulting company. Based on 27 interviews with company managers as well as users and users of the idea competition, the case shows how the implementation of the idea competition in the company has changed the innovation orientation of the company along several dimensions including creativity and empowerment, innovation infrastructure, innova-tion influence and innovation intention.
SCREENING METHODS FOR DETECTING ANTICOMPETITIVE AGREEMENTS BY USING AN ICT BASED APPROACH
ABSTRACT. The economic companies, by virtue of their daily activities, are often in contact one another, and these interactions can sometimes lead to anticompetitive agreements. Some agreements concluded by the economic operators are absolutely necessary for the development of their current activities. On the other hand, the economic operators usually conclude secret agreements that are harmful to the economy and to the consumers as well, because they violate the competition rules. In order to detect such practices and to eliminate them, the competition authorities have at their disposal leniency policies and analytical methods for detecting anticompetitive behaviours. The effective application of analytical methods for detecting cartels leads to the increase of leniency policies’ efficiency. For companies, advances within ICT have brought a slew of cost savings, opportunities and conveniences. Tn this view, worldwide Competition Authorities must develop new tools to screen and detect cartels.
Strategic issues of the current context of Smart Cities and the Industry 4.0. Case study: Trends on the Romanian market
ABSTRACT. The industry 4.0 has become one of the main strategic issues globally in terms of automation and interconnectivity of several sectors, being considered the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 factors, such as the internet of things have emerged sustaining more efficient controlling systems and numerous parties, including users and municipalities in managing complex contextual situations.
Through the Delphi method based on interviews and questionnaires we inquired the implementation degree and trends for the coming years of some of the most important Smart City and Industry 4.0 tools in the Romanian market. While there is still a significant gap between the needs of the population, infrastructure and the current implementation level of these tools, significant progress has been made though.
The relevance of the study lies in the novelty of the practical approach for the Romanian market referring to this field, that have not been previously inquired.
SHAPING THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THE CASE OF BLOCKCHAIN-BASED BUSINESSES
ABSTRACT. The latest developments in the blockchain industry have generated innovations and new business models across dozens of economic sectors. In Europe, the value of token sales performed through Initial Coin Offerings in 2018 alone was around $4.1 billion, greatly exceeding those from the US and Asia. However, only few European countries have managed to be flexible enough to adapt their regulations to a completely new way of doing business and raising funds. Switzerland, the UK, Estonia, Gibraltar and Malta are leading the race due to a friendly, but secure regulatory system. The aim of our paper is to explore the main reasons for which crypto businesses choose these countries as hosts for their companies. We will explore the regulations which make these countries attractive in order to develop some policy recommendations that could make countries such as Romania more attractive for digital businesses.
ANALYZING UNIVERSITY STUDENT DATA TO DETERMINE THE KEY FACTORS OF COURSE FAILURE
ABSTRACT. The field of data analysis has seen an incredible blossom in recent years. Organizations around the world increase their reliance on analytical approaches in order to boost their productivity and improve their profitability. Similarly, academic institutions try to exploit their data in a way to get meaningful insights into their institution, which will help them increase the quality of education, reputation, and economic status. One way to improve the quality of education is to find the key determinants of student failure and be able to support them. This paper employs machine learning to model student data with the task of finding patterns of student performance within the data. The analysis has proven that student performance could be predicted early through the course spell using various static and dynamic features. The key predictor of student performance was the interaction and the engagement of students with the virtual learning environment.
PUTTING DECISION MINING INTO CONTEXT: A LITERATURE STUDY
ABSTRACT. The value of a decision can be increased through analyzing the decision logic, and the outcomes. The more often a decision is taken, the more data becomes available about the results. More available data results into smarter decisions and increases the value the decision has for an organization. The research field addressing this problem is Decision mining. By conducting a literature study on the current state of Decision mining, we aim to discover the research gaps and where Decision mining can be improved upon. Our findings show that the concepts used in the Decision mining field and related fields are ambiguous and show overlap. Future research directions are discovered to increase the quality and maturity of Decision mining research. This could be achieved by focusing more on Decision mining research, a change is needed from a business process Decision mining approach to a decision focused approach.
Designing Capability Maturity Model for Agile Transformation Excellence
ABSTRACT. Adopting Agility to survive in a highly volatile and uncertain environment becomes first priority for most organisations willing to innovate and disrupt entire markets. Most companies, however, face significant challenges to effectively manage organisational change while developing Agile capabilities. In this paper the author adopts Design Science approach and develops an artefact - Capability Maturity Model (CMM), which promises to help organisations (1) to assess the current maturity of their Corporate Agility capabilities, (2) to create a basis for defining their target state, (3) to enable fact-based communication with a large group of stakeholders concerning organisation’s agility transformation, and (4) to derive concrete measures (roadmap) for directed improvement of the capabilities. Unlike existing Maturity Models that focus on the control of certain capabilities (doing things right), the proposed artefact focuses on developing the necessary capabilities in a sequence appropriate for a given type of organization (doing the right things).
Does Enterprise Architecture support the digital transformation endeavors? Questioning the old concepts in light of new findings
ABSTRACT. Digital transformation commonly refers to a disruptive process that changes profoundly the way companies compete, interact and create value. Therefore, it is critical for firms to leverage the business potential of innovative digital technologies, to update their operational and decision making processes and to develop new strategic plans. Enterprise Architecture (EA) methods and frameworks are proposed as essential techniques to handle such evolutions. However, the depth and disruptive nature of the underlying changes raise multiple questions concerning the adequacy of EA for digital transformation projects. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the extent to which existing EA approaches support such projects. It presents an analysis of interviews with both IT and business projects managers from five different companies. The analysis show that although existing EA frameworks are essential tools to support and drive digital transformation projects, some important contextual and organizational characteristics are missing.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMS - CONTROL IN THE CONTEXT OF AGILE AND TRADITIONAL APPROACHES: A MULTIPLE-CASE STUDY
ABSTRACT. Over the last years, digital transformation in organizations has been accompanied by a rise of agile principles and methodologies. Despite some few exceptions, the majority of organizations need to com-bine or manage the co-existence of agile and traditional approaches to explore new digi-tal technologies, exploit their benefits, and innovate business successfully. Up to the present, it is not well understood how organizations deal with both approaches within digital transformation programs. Drawing on control theory and the concept of ambidexterity, the purpose of this multiple-case study is to explore how traditional and agile components are managed within large digital transformation pro-grams, what formal modes and styles of control are conducted, and which tensions in control arise. Besides identifying authoritative and enabling control modes, and for instance tensions concerning transparency and cadence of outcome delivery, the important dual and “translating” role of the program manager regarding control is emphazised through this study
POWER AND BITCOINS: A CRITICAL REALISM PER-SPECTIVE
ABSTRACT. In this study, through the lens of critical realism to power, we take a close look into the power dynamics behind the Bitcoin protocol in relation to its Cypherpunk philosophical underpinnings. We focus on some of its main components that can be seen as constraining structures, and we discuss how these structures generate constraining mechanisms that restrict users’ power to act, further reinforcing other entities’’ power over them. In doing so, we illustrate that the Bitcoin Protocol, as it is used today, is in tension with the principles on which it was developed. In addition, we show that power, instead of being decentralised and distributed to the many, it has merely shifted from traditional actors to what can be seen as newcomers or atypical regulators.
ABSTRACT. The concept of Business-IT Alignment seems to reduce the attention obtained as one of the most important concerns of organizations, in terms of IT administration. This paper postulates that strategic alignment initiatives continue having the same relevance indicated by the innumerable written documents on this topic, in particular for non-IT companies, which means that digital transformation initiatives should be considering the strategic alignment between the business and the IT function as a critical issue for their success. Therefore, the persistent relevance and the need to measure it with updated instruments capable of measuring the maturity reached and feeding back to the organization, remain as a key topic. Based on an updated instrument to achieve this measurement, a study was conducted to measure the strategic alignment degree between business and IT, applied to a sample of large companies in Chile. The results of this study reveal important findings after the measurement.
Knowledge is necessary for success: The role of Social Axioms in influencing Social Network Dependence
ABSTRACT. In a world where around 3.5 billions of the entire population are active so-cial media users, the individual usage behavior of social network sites and related aspects should require further investigation. Specifically, this paper focuses on the social network dependence, considering the utilitarian and goal-oriented facet rather than the psychological one, usually referred as ad-diction. It combines an analysis of personal cultural values with Media System Dependency theory, investigating the role of social axioms in af-fecting the social network dependence. Using a large dataset composed by 622 observations, we developed and validated a research model to shed new light on the investigation of dependence phenomena in the context of social network sites, exploring the role of individual beliefs.
UTILIZING THE DIGITAL GIG ECONOMY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES
ABSTRACT. Online Gig Economy platforms provide an opportunity for income for socio-economically disadvantaged populations. The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) (a 100% government-funded institution) has actively promoted such platforms as a means of income generation for the “bottom of the pyramid” through an initiative called eRezeki (e-livelihood) since 2014. We present a research in progress, outlining our planned qualitative study. This research has policy development implications for other governments around the world for a unique way in fostering economic growth through the Gig Economy.
Interaction-Context Schema: A Proposed Model to support Interaction Analysis in Small and Medium Enterprises
ABSTRACT. Information Systems Interactions are a pivotal point in developing an understanding of a socio-technical system. From this perspective, Information Systems could be defined as the cooperation, coexistence and integration of a socio-technical approach with the social aspect. This research investigates how people communicate in a business and how this is likely to support knowledge sharing practices. Given this, the real-world practices that drive a business emphasise the interactions. This paper proposes an “Interaction-Context” schema, which factors in the interactions sparked by several stakeholders that occurs in different areas of interest of a business. Therefore, a multi-proposal expanded analysis of interactions which seek to attends diverse purposes in different contexts. The schema envisages three categories to classify the interaction. Similarly, there are three contexts which distinguish the orientation. Hence, the interplay between interactions, technology and ICT competencies, which support or develop a business, underpin the Proposed Model “Interaction-Context” schema.
Systemic Sustainability Analysis in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
ABSTRACT. Sustainability is rarely implemented in employee work practices in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The authors note that SMEs should implement sustainability practices as integrated part of work activities to ensure long term success. This paper describes an empirical study of SMEs sustainability on employee real work practices. A relevant perspective is offered by the triple bottom line approach (TBL) combined with sociotechnical theory. The attention to creating value for the future could lead to fewer sustainability issues. In addition, the analysis highlights the importance of the best use an employee knowledge and skills to ensure his satisfaction. The main issue that hinders the improvement of sustainability could be a lack of management attention to systemic integration of employee work practices. The authors argue to integrate technology in TBL approach to achieve systemic sustainability from sociotechnical perspective. The analysis aims to support enterprises to remain competitive in an evolving context.
Digital Competences for the Civil Servants and Digital Ecosystems for a More Effective Working Processes in Public Organizations
ABSTRACT. Advancements in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cloud
computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), block-chain, big data, smart-working,
information systems’ interoperability, etc. are changing the nature of the link be-
tween technology and employment in public sector. There is the potential that
these changes could bring also benefits beyond labour substitution, including
higher levels of output, better quality, and fewer errors that are achievable
through automation.
TEACHERS’ COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A DIGITAL INTER-PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY
ABSTRACT. Competence development for teachers is of increasing importance as the use of digital tools poses a challenge to the pedagogical approach within the teaching context in schools. There is a need among teachers to develop their competence when it comes to integrating digital technology into their pedagogical practices. This paper is based on an action-based qualitative study of a Nordic education project that focuses on com-petence development for teachers where inter-professional collaboration and the use of digital tools have been of great importance. The aim of this paper is to analyse how teachers’ competence develop-ment related to their innovative pedagogical skills can be supported, with the help of digital technolo-gy, by an inter-professional community of practice. Different pedagogical approaches, curricular con-tents, types of digital resources and organizational conditions are the elements that were produced in the virtual collaboration within this community of practice.
DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE AS A PREREQUISITE OF DIGITAL COMPETENCE
ABSTRACT. Although the interest of academics and practitioners is focused on concepts, such as digital competence, literacy, and skills, digital intelligence has its own distinct importance. This study proposes that measuring digital intelligence should comprise computational thinking tests, as well as tests that could be used to assess digital use and behaviour. In the context of that, a number of students at senior high schools of the Regional Unit of Thessaloniki, Greece, were tested regarding their computational thinking and their digital use and behaviour. The most interesting results are: (i) the average score of students increases as the level of education of their parents increases, and (ii) there is a statistically significant positive relationship of the students’ aggregate performance between computational thinking and digital use & behaviour, implying that they are correctly considered components of the construct of digital intelligence.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM – INNOVATION IN THE WELFARE SECTOR THROUGH ACTION DESIGN RESEARCH
ABSTRACT. Action design research is a method to produce knowledge and solve real-world problems through developing innovative IT/IS artifacts. However, the method does not provide detailed guidance in the early stages of the problem formulation. This makes the initial problem formulation process challenging, especially in situations of innovating new artifacts in complex settings. The paper explores how the Work Systems (WS) snapshot can be used as a tool for identifying and under-standing a problem domain. The study leans on a project that focuses on the welfare sector and the transition from school to employment for persons with intellectual disability. The study shows that the WS snapshot can provide some basic guidance and structure in such situations and that user journeys can assist in communicating the findings. The complexity of the welfare sector demands that significant time is spend on understanding not only the problem domain itself but also its surrounding settings.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDIES
ABSTRACT. The purpose of our study was to classify the literature review about the Electronic Medical Record and to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of these systems better. We used a comparative case study between Verona University Hospital (Italy) and Skåne University Hospital (Sweden). We conducted 71 semi-structured interviews held with the hospital staff (physicians, nurses, clinical director, and member of the board) and designed to enable the respondents to answer freely, in their own words. In the literature, it is quite challenging to understand if the Electronic Medical Record is or is not a useful system in a hospital. Many variables influence the EMR performance/quality. However, from the analysis, it is possible to check that in these two hospitals there are more “shadows” than “lights.”
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: AN EMPIRICAL CASE
ABSTRACT. Healthcare organizations are characterized by a high organizational complexity. In the last decade, technological innovation and communication (ICT) appears as the main factor of organ-izational change. The applications of ICT in healthcare are known as e-Health (E-gov 2012 Plan). In the literature, there are several identifiable e-Health tools, such as medical certificates and digital prescriptions, the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), the Electronic Health Record Longitudinal (EHR), computerized booking systems etc… Recent studies have highlighted the strategic importance for the corporate governance of these instruments, and in particular of the EMR, is the main electronic archiving tool, used to collect, store and display health and social-health data of citizens.
The change led the Cosenza Provincial Healthcare Services (PHS) to implement the EMR sys-tem, within different hospital facilities.
This document intends to answer the following research question: What are the enabling condi-tions that have favored the process of EMR implementation?
Opportunities and Benefits of People Analytics for HR Managers and Employees: Signals in the Grey Literature
ABSTRACT. With its promise to help leaders better understand and optimize their workforce, People Analytics is attracting increasing attention in Human Resource (HR) Management and executive circles and has been recently defined as one of the top 10 HR technology disruptions that could transform the way we work and manage organizations. Despite this narrative and the growing market in People Analytics tools and services, recent literature reviews show that it has been largely unexplored as a research topic, and it is little understood beyond HR innovators. To address this gap we are currently analyzing additional sources of grey literature with a specific focus on the actual and potential benefits for diverse HR management practices. This social media analysis provides insights about how scholars, business innovations, and HR are talking about the benefits and opportunities of People Analytics, as well as furthering academic conversations about this emerging area of applied data science.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN TECHNICAL AND BUSI-NESS BENCHMARKING
ABSTRACT. This paper proposes a methodology that helps understanding and modeling the relationship between business and technical benchmarking in BDT (Big Data Technology) use cases. Technical benchmarks are aimed to help IT managers in making technical decisions by measuring key performance metrics of the underlying BDT infrastructure. Business benchmarks are aimed to associate BDT use cases with measurable business benefits. In principle, making the right technical choices is key to deliver business benefits. However, the relationship between technical and business benchmarking is rarely addressed in previous research, which mostly focuses on either side of benchmarking. This methodology takes a first step towards bridging the gap between technical and business benchmarking. The paper illustrates the methodology and discusses providing pre-liminary evidence gained from a desk analysis.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS - AN ENTER-PRISE WIDE PERSPECTIVE ON AGILE PROJECT PORTFOLIO GOVERNANCE
ABSTRACT. Various companies started to implement agile and lean methods within the local perspective of projects and project portfolios, but many struggle to develop an enterprise-wide understanding concerning agile and lean approaches. This leads to high coordination efforts in project portfolio management departments (PPM) and poses new challenges for established project portfolio governance (PPG) mechanisms. In addition, project governance is an interdisciplinary phenomenon, that appears open to various interpretations depending on the perspective and theoretical lens.
Hence, it is necessary to develop an understanding of PPG and the relation to PPM, that will be suitable to align the agile perspective to an enterprise-wide understanding of agile approaches. In this work-in-progress paper, the status quo of a literature review is illustrated, which is intended to conceptualize “traditional” PPG in contrast to agile and lean approaches grounded on accepted theory.
IT GOVERNANCE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, HOW AGILE MINDSET CAN SUPPORT THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
ABSTRACT. Companies are adopting digital transformation in order to be aligned to the market changes in different ways, supported by new technologies and frameworks. Digital Transformation can include a review of the internal processes promoting a collaboration between business and IT to the focus of value creation and the ensuring of flexible adaptation. Project and program management can drive the company in the realization of products and services that follow the company strategy. Agile can transform a company’s project management practice, introducing new ways of work based on a new mind-set. The purpose of this multiple-case study is to explore how different companies have interpreted the Digital Transformation, studying their strength and weakness. The results collect the best practices and how weaknesses are managed, promoting an holistic view of the Digital Transformation supported by an IT Governance that can support organizational change using project management, through an agile mind-set and frameworks.
ICT SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE FOR CHINESE ELDERLY AT HOME: A PERSPECTIVE OF INFORMAL CAREGIVERS AND PROFESSIONALS
ABSTRACT. Informal caregivers form a significant resource pool when elderly people need assistance and support to continuous living at home. Today, state-of-the-art technology provides possibilities to apply means to ease the workload and make it possible to stay at home instead of living in institutional care such as hospitals or special sheltered accommodation. The current study analysed how information and communication technology (ICT) could support healthcare in Chinese homes from the informal caregivers’ and professionals’ perspectives. A mapping study was carried out to identify modern existing ICT solutions, and qualitative semi-structured interviews were performed to inquire perspectives of informal caregivers and professionals. The empirical study revealed that alarming, communication, monitoring, positioning and assistance are the most important reasons to acquire and apply ICT-based support for elderly at home
A Systematic Literature Review of the Application of Capability Approach in the ICT4D Studies
ABSTRACT. The applicability and operationalization of the Capability approach (CA) continue to be a lingering problem in the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) domain. The aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to review the use of the CA and its application in the ICT4D studies. The study synthesized literature from Three ICT4D journals: The Information Technologies & International Development (ITID), Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC) and Information Technology for Development (ITD). We reviewed articles published between January 2004 to January 2019. The study reveals a mismatch and misalignment on the understanding of some of the concepts of the CA such as development; there seems to be lack of dearth knowledge on development and its applicability in the ICT4D domain. This calls for a further examination and contextualisation of the concepts of the CA.
ON THE APPROPRIATION OF CONSUMERISED IT: A TRIAL AND ERROR APPROACH
ABSTRACT. Consumerized IT devices, such as tablets, are widely adopted and support both personal and pro-fessional uses with a wide breadth of applications. Our study focuses on appropriation behaviour in instances of disillusionment, that is, when technology-in-use fails user goals. Building on grounded theory methods, we analyse blog entries that provide narratives on user interaction with tablets to unpack users’ efforts to appropriate the tablet through the lens of trial and error theory. In doing so, we identify the conditions for rejection, as well as appropriation. Trial and error is shown to be a variation that extends the appropriation literature. We contribute to understanding the volitional, consumerized use of IT where the use scenarios are determined by the individual and IT use transcends the boundaries between work and personal IT use.
Applying Socio-technical Approach to Industry 4.0 Adoption: A case study of an Italian manufacturing organization
ABSTRACT. To face Chinese competition, Italian organizations started adopting Industry 4.0 (I40). I40 promises to improve efficiency through the adoption of leading-edge technologies into assembly line changing work practice. To handle I40 adoption, several studies employed technological determinism approach which only considers the delivery of technical system. However, this approach results inadequate to exploit the full potential of I40 since I40 paradigm embraces also the social systems requiring workers with high level competences. The socio-technical approach addresses this issue as allows to conjointly optimize both systems considering concerns of the social and the technical systems during the technology adoption. Therefore, the paper illustrates the applicability of the socio-technical approach performing an in-depth single case study of an Italian manufacturing presenting both the traditional work systems, adoption process and the new I40 work system. We contribute to the literature showing three enabling factors for effective I40 and I40 improvements in the work-systems.
HUMAN OR MACHINE? A STUDY OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM THROUGH AN AFFORDANCE LENS
ABSTRACT. The tendency of humans to apply human-like attributes to non-human objects– a phenomenon known as anthropomorphism– has received growing attention by scholars across multiple disciplines. With increasing popularity of service and personal robotics and conversational agents, scholars of information systems have begun to shed light on some of the technology features and processes related to anthropomorphism. This study applies a socio-technical approach using affordance theory to examine the relationship between technology and anthropomorphic perceptions among users. Evidence is gathered from an empirical study involving the introduction of interactive voice response (IVR) with savings clients of a savings and loans company in Ghana. The findings high-light four main ways that the IVR technology exhibited human-like qualities within the user-technology interaction (as perceived by users). This paper illustrates how a study on the relationship between technology and anthropomorphism might be conducted through an affordance perspective. It also offers implications for technology development.
ABSTRACT. Behind everything we do in our daily lives there is a reason for doing it. This paper looks into the reasons behind DDoS attacks as a form of cyberattack along with attacker personas. Next to investigating DDoS attacks technically, it is suggest that there is a need for a socio-technical approach to these attacks to investigate why they occur and the reasoning the attacker(s) could have for launching these attacks. This paper finds several motives behind DDoS attacks and discusses the profiles that attackers can be sorted into. Also discussed are the motives that attacker profiles can have for launching DDoS attacks. Although mitigation techniques are in place to control the damage a DDoS attack can cause to a company, if the motives can be addressed then these attacks could be prevented. Using case studies, visualisations and tables, the motives behind DDoS attacks and attacker personas are presented.
The role of digital competencies and creativity for job crafting in public administration
ABSTRACT. Over recent years, the way public workers perform and interpret the own work has radically changed.
Among these changes, what seems to have had a decisive impact is the advent of information technol-ogy. The informatization, digitalization, and computerization of procedures and jobs has made learn-ing and the use of digital competencies necessary to face constant change and to take advantage of it. Digital competencies consist in knowing how to use the information society technologies for work, leisure, and communication with confidence and a critical spirit. So those who manage to develop basic skills in information and communication technologies can juggle in this changing scenario.
In this ongoing study we hypothesize a relationship between digital competencies and job crafting. We hypothesize that civil servants developing this type of competencies can act proactively on their work by modifying its contents, relationships, and cognitive perception if they are creative. Implica-tions are discussed.
New technologies for preventing and reducing verbal and non-verbal assaults against health care professionals within hospitals: The state of art
ABSTRACT. This study investigates the main implications of new technologies within health care setting, mostly hospitals, in preventing and reducing verbal and non-verbal assaults against health care professionals. Health care professionals, especially within hospitals taking into account both needs to strongly reduce the costs (spending review policy) and to provide effective services to citizens for making them to live well with good care. Also, new technologies provide further innovative solutions for facing some specific challenges, such as the continuous and numerous episodes of violence and aggressions received by health care professionals during their work. This phenomenon is very spread especially within public hospitals in the world, above all in Italy. This study aims to analyse this phenomenon through a review of the main contributions of the literature on the topic and in the practice for building a clear and complete picture and give some useful suggestions.
X-ray at your home: the Business Process analysis of R@dhome service
ABSTRACT. This paper explores a modeling and simulation framework in healthcare following a process-centric approach. We focus on the use case of home radiology (R@dhome), a hospital service that provides x-ray exams at the patient's home. Our approach starts with data analysis to extract relevant information. In a second step we apply business process modeling, exploiting standard language to improve communications and the understanding with managers and stakeholders. Our framework includes the simulation of business process to detect weakness, bottlenecks, as well as performs scenario analysis. In particular, we investigate the innovative health service and its benefits by the adoption of discrete-event process simulation. This paper provides an overview of the functioning of the actual process, taking into account time, costs and resources. The outcome of the framework allows hospital managers to investigate the hospitalization at home in a process-oriented approach to evaluate the extension of this kind of healthcare service.
Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Challenges, Opportunities in a Socio-Technical Perspectives
ABSTRACT. Nowadays healthcare is fully-fledged transformed from a basic service into an information industry, but as such it is still complex and inefficient. ICTs have been proposed to address healthcare challenges with initiatives collectively re-ferred as “e-health”. However, the new models of care e-health enables require organizations to make a major shift, which is often fraught with difficulties.
We proposed a meta-review over the organizational impacts of e-health and ar-gued for sociotechnical approach (STA) to discuss the e-health dimensions, namely the technical and social subsystems and their interaction. The aim is to focus over the “organizational changing” e-health allows, in an attempt to standardize some elements of the e-health research. We also recorded the medi-cal settings mainly involved. We contributed to the literature giving a basis for further research and supporting STA as a theoretical framework for future in-terventions. Furthermore, we identified Dentistry as a potential area for further research.
TOWARDS PATIENT-CENTRED CARE: LEVERAGING THE RECOMBINATIONAL LOGIC OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
ABSTRACT. A central challenge for healthcare is technology innovation. The literature has reported on the many challenges to IT innovation efforts in hospitals and in digital health services in general. Re-cently, the increased use of mobile apps, personal devices, web interfaces – so called lightweight technology – has introduced a novel innovation logic where recombinability seems to emerge as a core capability to enable innovation. However, we still know little about how recombination ac-tivities support digital innovation in healthcare. Specifically, we are interested to explore this issue in the context of digital innovation for patient centeredness based on the adoption of lightweight technologies. Our research builds on a comparative analysis of two case studies in Scandinavia.
CONCEPTUALIZING A WEBGIS-BASED DECISION SUP-PORT SYSTEM INTEGRATING ONLINE COMMUNITY IN-TERACTIONS FOR URBAN AND LANDSCAPE REGIONAL PLANNING
ABSTRACT. This paper explores the potential of using Online Communities for innovating decision making for urban and regional planning. Regional planning for urban development is generally implemented by gathering, processing and disseminating geospatial data related to land use and risk areas. Decision and policy making are developed by zoning scenario-based dynamics of human pressures and needs versus resources availabilities. These general principles are enforced into GIS based Decision Support Systems that synthetize optimal cost-benefit scenarios of resource allocations while managing and mitigating natural and human-driven hazards from large to local scales. Starting from the data collection from different authoritative geospatial databases, this work firstly illustrates a data homogenisation procedure aimed at building a knowledge base of the elements that characterize landscape under legal protection. Then, it conceptualizes a WebGIS-DSS aimed at involving OCs, whose contribution offers innovative scenarios in planning activities by using social networks and personal mobile devices.
Digital Content Consumption: A Cross-country Analysis
ABSTRACT. Online content consumption behavior has significantly changed. In particular, the growing success of legal media service providers such as Youtube, Netflix, or Spotify, has led to new modes of consumption. Research, however, still focuses predominately on illegal streaming and downloading behavior and its impact on media companies' commercial success. In order to paint a more comprehensive picture, we report on a cross-country study conducted in Austria and Finland, which explored digital content consumption habits and sources, young adults' attitudes towards illegal sources, and the importance of price, legality, ease of use as well as ease of access, and its influence on people's consumption behavior. Results show that young adults predominately use legal Internet sources, with music streaming provider Spotify becoming increasingly more popular. Also, respondents prefer free-of- charge (or advertisement-based) providers for which they still fall back to using illegal sources in cases where free alternatives are missing.
EATING IN A DIGITAL SOCIETY: THE INFLUENCE OF ONLINE COMMUNITIES IN THE FOOD SERVICE SECTOR
ABSTRACT. Online communities can connect potential diners with many other diners and evolve during time and with the daily contributions of users, thus constantly changing. This research aims to better understand the prosumers’ use of social media (i.e. people that are both consumers and social media users and that contribute to create digital contents) in choosing a restaurant and/or reviewing it online. In particular, we want to investigate if prosumers’ characteristics or habits, such as frequency of going to a restaurant or willingness to try new restaurants, can influence their use and perception of social media, such as looking for information, writing feedbacks, and trust online reviews. In this explorative study we adopted a quantitative methodology by using a survey on 315 Millennials prosumers. Theoretical and managerial implications are also developed.
ABSTRACT. Business IT Alignment (BITA), one of the widely explored topics in the IS research domain, remains to be challenging. The extant literature provides a long list of factors that need to be managed appropriately to achieve and maintain BITA. Among other things, both the intra-organisational as well as external factors, are found to determine whether organisations succeed to achieve BITA or not. However, previous BITA studies have been criticised for focusing on investigating a few industries and contextual factors in developed countries. This case study is aimed at addressing the lack of BITA studies in developing countries. The data was collected at a bank in Ethiopia through interviews with business as well as IT leaders. The study employed thematic analysis, which revealed several barriers to BITA. Business and IT leaders may find the result of the study invaluable to plan activities that might overcome BITA barriers and improve BITA maturity.
ABSTRACT. Sourcing of services related to development of information systems calls for a set of specific skills among all parties involved. To cater the needs for managing geographically distributed, sourced projects, a business model with an intermediary company has emerged to facilitate the co-operation between a client’s local (in-house) and external (outsourced) resources.
This paper explores the skills of a group of so-called ‘Delivery Managers’, where practice shows a growing need for other skills than the traditional system development related programming competences such as project planning, diagramming and testing.
By applying the concepts of soft and hard skills, the paper contributes to theory by a model classifying the soft skills that are in need and to emphasize the importance of communicative skills, team building, and time management skills as well as emotional intelligence in the context of distributed environment across time, space, and cultures.