Lessons from enterprise systems competency centers in adopting digital transformation initiatives: An assemblage approach

2023 | Information and Organization | Citations: 0

Authors: Aryal, Arun; Truex, Duane; El Amrani, Redouane

Abstract: Firms are increasingly adopting digital transformation as a strategic priority. ... Expand

Abstract: Firms are increasingly adopting digital transformation as a strategic priority. However, the path to successful transformation remains uncertain for many organizations. This paper examines the establishment and evolution of competency centers in two case study organizations, historically used in enterprise systems, in addressing the complexity and challenges of digital transformation. The interactions within these competency centers are analyzed through assemblage theory to understand the emergent relations between heterogeneous parts (technology, people, and orga­ nization) and the dynamic processes of new configurations. The insights from this research show the critical role of the competency center in any enterprise system’s success and how it could continue playing a central role in future digital transformation initiatives. By providing a new lens to examine these issues, the assemblage theory provided a new theoretical perspective to the IS field and a new alternative empirical setting to the organizational literature. Collapse

Topics: enterprise information system digital transformation enterprise resource planning IT skill business process management

Methods: qualitative interview case study personal interview design artifact literature study

Information systems for sustainable remote workplaces

2023 | Journal of Strategic Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Asatiani, Aleksandre; Norström, Livia

Abstract: This review discusses the challenges associated with the sustainability of remot ... Expand

Abstract: This review discusses the challenges associated with the sustainability of remote workplaces, which have become more prevalent due to the growing trend of work digitalization and the pandemic-induced push to remote work. These challenges are highlighted in literature across various disciplines, including information systems, but these discourses have remained isolated from each other. In this review, we consolidated and synthesized research on remote work from the perspective of individual workers by reviewing 187 articles published between 1999 and 2020 in recognized academic journals from fields including information systems, organizational studies, economics, human resources, sociology, and psychology. We identified five key themes that concern opportunities and challenges to sustainable remote workplaces: (1) key character­ istics, (2) work-life boundaries; (3) health and well-being; (4) social interaction, and (5) lead­ ership. Building on our findings we created a framework that recognizes two interrelated categories of factors influencing remote workplace sustainability – rigid base characteristics and contextual remote workplace variables – that together shape the trajectory of remote workplace sustainability in the long term. The framework also identifies the potential role of information systems in modulating the impact of the base characteristics to build continuities that encourage more sustainable remote workplaces. The paper concludes by offering a research agenda for in­ formation systems for sustainable remote workplaces based on the three IS theoretical frames: inclusion, dignity, and boundary objects. Collapse

Topics: remote work IT supported collaboration green IS pandemic task characteristic

Methods: literature sample literature study laboratory experiment journal ranking mixed method

Theories: boundary objects theory leader–member exchange theory

Digital “x”—Charting a Path for Digital-Themed Research

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Baiyere, Abayomi; Grover, Varun; Lyytinen, Kalle J.; Woerner, Stephanie; Gupta, Alok

Abstract: As of late, the use of “digital” as a qualifier to established research concepts ... Expand

Abstract: As of late, the use of “digital” as a qualifier to established research concepts is increasing. However, we have yet to clearly establish what makes a “digital x” concept distinct from an “IT x” concept when “x” stands for well-established concepts such as strategy, infrastructure, innovation, or transformation, among others. In this paper, we review the need for, and merit of, labeling focal concepts in our field as “digital x” in contrast to using the dominant, incumbent label of “IT x.” We position the shift as a call to attend to new salient features that characterize contemporary settings of information technology use and its effects. Recognizing this need, we develop guidelines for future research by arguing what novel phenomena the label of “digital x” foregrounds and how insights gained through such foregrounding contribute to scholarship in ways that the term “IT x” does not. By doing so, this paper promotes clarity for the use of the digital x concepts and introduces explicit guidelines to delineate between the nascent stream of digital x research and established modes of IT x research. We hope that the essay helps information systems scholars and scholars in neighboring disciplines attending to digital phenomena identify novel research opportunities grounded on sound conceptual foundations that will foster cumulative generation of knowledge around digital x.History: Paul Pavlou served as the Senior Editor and the Associate Editor for this article.Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1186. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation information system use digital transformation marketing management organizational transformation

Methods: ontological modelling ethnography design artifact theory development survey

Theories: semiotic theory

Workarounds as generative mechanisms for bottom-up process innovation—Insights from a multiple case study

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Bartelheimer, Christian; Wolf, Verena; Beverungen, Daniel

Abstract: Workarounds are goal-driven deviations from the standard operating procedures pe ... Expand

Abstract: Workarounds are goal-driven deviations from the standard operating procedures performed to overcome obstacles constraining day-to-day work. Despite starting as temporary fixes, they can become established across an organisation and trigger the innovation of processes and IT artefacts that can resolve misfits permanently. Although prior research has elicited antecedents and types of workarounds, it is not known how workarounds diffuse in an organisation and, thereby, innovating co-workers' activities, IT artefacts, and organisational structures. The results of our multiple two-year case study provide unique empirical insights into the diffusion of workarounds and how they can act as generative mechanisms for bottom-up process innovation. Collapse

Topics: business process management innovation management business process innovation organization structure business process redesign

Methods: design artifact case study business process modeling qualitative interview qualitative coding

Theories: socio technical theory structuration theory

ADAM - Towards a Software Model for the Automatic Detection of Data Attributes and Metadata in Business Processes

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Baumann, Nick; Schäffer, Thomas

Abstract: In the current era of digital transformation, organizations are faced with an u ... Expand

Abstract: In the current era of digital transformation, organizations are faced with an unprecedented volume of data that requires proper management. In order to effectively manage this data, organizations need to understand the data's requirements and usage. In addition, organizations want to leverage this data to improve their business processes and gain valuable insights. Unfortunately, many organizations lack visibility into which data attributes are being used within their processes and at what stage of the process they are being used. To address this problem, this paper presents a prototype called ADAM that uses process mining to identify data attributes and their associated metadata from processes. We provide a detailed description of the requirements gathered for the prototype and explain the design and implementation of ADAM. In particular, we show how ADAM can be utilized to identify data attributes and their specifications used in processes from an SAP ERP system. Collapse

Topics: process mining enterprise resource planning business process management electronic mail relational database

Methods: design artifact qualitative interview case study design science event log

The impact of enterprise architecture management on information systems architecture complexity

2023 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Beese, Jannis; Aier, Stephan; Haki, Kazem; Winter, Robert

Abstract: Significant investments in information systems (IS) over the past decades have l ... Expand

Abstract: Significant investments in information systems (IS) over the past decades have led to increasingly complex IS architectures in organisations, which are difficult to understand, operate, and maintain. We investigate this development and associated challenges through a conceptual model that distinguishes four constituent elements of IS architecture complexity by differentiating technological from organisational aspects and structural from dynamic aspects. Building on this conceptualisation, we hypothesise relations between these four IS architecture complexity constructs and investigate their impact on architectural outcomes (i.e., efficiency, flexibility, transparency, and predictability). Using survey data from 249 IS managers, we test our model through a partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling (SEM). We find that organisational complexity drives technological complexity and that structural complexity drives dynamic complexity. We also demonstrate that increasing IS architecture complexity has a significant negative impact on efficiency, flexibility, transparency, and predictability. Finally, we show that enterprise architecture management (EAM) helps to offset these negative effects by acting as a moderator in the relation between organisational and technological IS architecture complexity. Thus, organisations without adequate EAM are likely to face large increases in technological complexity due to increasing organisational complexity, whereas organisations with adequate EAM exhibit no such relation. Collapse

Topics: enterprise architecture IT manager IT development project missing data organization structure

Methods: survey focus group survey design structural equation modeling partial least squares path modeling

Modern Centaurs: How Humans and AI Systems Interact in Sales Forecasting

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Beese, Jannis; Fahse, Tobias

Abstract: Recent achievements of artificial intelligence (AI) have caused organizations t ... Expand

Abstract: Recent achievements of artificial intelligence (AI) have caused organizations to increasingly bring AI capabilities into their core business processes. Such AI-supported business processes often result in human-AI hybrid systems, which consist of an AI system, which performs most of the execution, and humans, who monitor this execution and occasionally provide additional inputs and overrides. Using sales data from Walmart, we conduct an online study to investigate if human supervision can improve upon state-of-the-art AI forecasts. Furthermore, we analyze the perceptions and behavioral intentions of the human participants over time. We find that human interventions consistently lead to less accurate forecasts and that participants initially underestimate the AI system's accuracy and overestimate their own potential to improve upon AI forecasts. However, perceptions quickly shift over the course of the study, causing the participants to perceive the AI system increasingly favorably, which also leads to behavioral changes and better hybrid system performance. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence IT productivity information system use task productivity perceived usefulness

Methods: regression analysis method survey LightGBM conceptual modelling experiment

Theories: technology acceptance model

Scaled Agile Framework Meets Traditional Management – A Case of a Financial Services Provider

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Bitzer, Michael; Brax, Franziska; Teuchert, Antonie

Abstract: Inspired by the success of agile practices in small teams, organizations seek t ... Expand

Abstract: Inspired by the success of agile practices in small teams, organizations seek to achieve agility at scale, leading to large-scale agile transformations. Several frameworks have been developed to guide organizations through this process. While multiple challenges for adopting scaled agile frameworks have already been identified, research on the interplay between traditional management approaches and scaled agile frameworks is scarce. We conduct an in-depth exploratory case study with a German financial services provider to identify tensions that arise when applying a scaled agile framework in a non-agile environment. As a result, we derive 13 tensions along with three areas: goal-setting, planning, and reporting. Thereby, we advance the understanding of tensions within large-scale agile transformations and provide a foundation for future research on scaled agile practices in traditional organizations. Further, we provide insights for managers to ensure the successful application of scaled agile frameworks. Collapse

Topics: scaled agile framework agile software development Scrum marketing management customer relationship management

Methods: qualitative interview design methodology case study triangulation personal interview

Strategies for the Aesthetic Experience of Business Processes

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Blattmeier, Monika

Abstract: Business processes require knowledge and generate knowledge when data and infor ... Expand

Abstract: Business processes require knowledge and generate knowledge when data and information are combined with personal experience. Information systems can support business processes in highlighting the importance of formal, but also hidden knowledge structures. In particular, the implicit knowledge incorporated in people and organizational routines contributes to the uniqueness of business processes. Aesthetic business processes offer a holistic knowledge management concept that aims to mobilize implicit knowledge. Based on C. Alexander's pattern theory and visualizations, it is about perceiving the Gestalt of business processes. The metaphor Gestalt refers to the atmosphere of business processes, which is to be sensually experienced. This article aims to (a) show different strategies, (b) model the Gestalt of aesthetic business processes, and (c) visualize information culture to make aesthetic experiences successful in everyday organizational life. Aesthetic experiences might remain fragmentary or become fulfilling when we "have an experience", but ultimately open up a variety of perspectives. Collapse

Topics: business process management

The aestheticization of business processes: Visualizing their Gestalt for collective thinking

2023 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 0

Authors: Blattmeier, Monika

Abstract: Business processes, simply defined by Davenport as ‘structures for action’, orga ... Expand

Abstract: Business processes, simply defined by Davenport as ‘structures for action’, organize the creation of value in a company. In addition to being carried out visibly, processes also have an inner dimension which remains hidden in the existing mechanistic metaphor of process management models. Aesthetic business processes draw from systems theory and Gestalt theory in order to uncover this inner dimension. The aim of this phenomenological investigation presented here is to describe the super-summative nature of business processes, in other words, to understand them holistically as a Gestalt. Mechanical Engineering students at a university of applied sciences analyzed business processes at different companies to discover patterns which they then visualized with the process participants at those companies. They used Christopher Alexander’s pattern language as a paradigm to make implicit knowledge buried in those business processes explicit. Using this technique, aesthetic business processes were identified as patterns. The format of the patterns served as a tool for collective thinking and as a form of expression for the Gestalt of aesthetic business processes in their visualization. A pattern language as an overview of the many ways to combine business process patterns has yet to be reconstructed based on this investigation. The shared visualizations highlighted the nature of the business processes and made it possible to see, in a metaphorical way, their significant interactions. Collapse

Topics: business process management sensemaking manufacturing information system covid 19 pandemic

Methods: theory development qualitative interview experiment phenomenological method case study

Theories: gestalt principles of perception general systems theory