Transforming Sensemaking and Perceptions on Meteorological Data to Inform Emergency Decision-Making

2023 | Group Decision and Negotiation | Citations: 0

Authors: Lobosco, Dacy Câmara; de Carvalho, Paulo Victor Rodrigues

Abstract: After the catastrophe that occurred in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, ... Expand

Abstract: After the catastrophe that occurred in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, especially in the city of Nova Friburgo in January of 2011, caused by heavy rains, the population's perception of the risks associated with heavy rains was greatly affected. In the other hand, the civil defense agencies have great difficulties to predict the impacts of rainfall due to the limitations of the existing monitoring systems and due to the existing vulnerable communities. This paper describes how sharing sensemaking between the involved parties can transform the population's perceptions about rainfall impact to meteorological data for civil defense by filling gaps in the existing monitoring system and enable civil defense teams to inform and to guide the expectations of population for a more efficient response in emergency situations. Based on the Design Science Research methodology that seeks to develop and design solutions to solve a specific class of problem, a mobile phone application to share information between members of communities and the civil defense team was developed and tested. The test to verify the sensemaking transformation was done through a case study involving volunteers from the community and the civil defense team of Nova Friburgo during a real rainfall situation. The results showed that the continuous and iterative flow of information enables the sharing of sensemaking, indicating the importance of this process for decision-making during emergency response actions. Collapse

Topics: sensemaking decision making emergency management mobile application smartphone

Methods: survey qualitative interview design science case study literature study

Theories: cognitive dissonance theory

Navigating digital transformation through an information quality strategy: Evidence from a military organisation

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Struijk, Mylène; Angelopoulos, Spyros; Ou, Carol X. J.; Davison, Robert M.

Abstract: The use of digital technologies for extracting information from various data sou ... Expand

Abstract: The use of digital technologies for extracting information from various data sources can help organisations to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making. The increasing availability in volume, velocity, and variety of data, however, can give rise to significant risks and challenges in ensuring a high level of information quality (IQ). Pre-digital organisations can be particularly susceptive to such challenges due to their limited experience with digital technologies and IQ governance. We adopt a theory-infused interventionist research approach to assist a pre-digital multinational military organisation in navigating its digital transformation (DT) by focusing on IQ. We design and implement an IQ strategy (IQS) by drawing upon organisational information processing theory and examining how the level of IQ can affect the balance between information processing requirements and capacity. We demonstrate that an IQS that incorporates both technological, as well as IQ governance solutions, can support organisations in setting the scope of their DT, decreasing employees' resistance to change, and increasing their satisfaction, while concurrently improving organisational efficiency. Our work stresses the importance of IQ in the digital era and delineates how pre-digital organisations can navigate DT by strategically addressing IQ. Collapse

Topics: data quality resistance to change cloud computing systems implementation data governance

Methods: qualitative interview personal interview action research archival research company material

Theories: organizational information processing theory information systems theory

Alternative Futures for the Digital Transformation: A Macro-Level Schumpeterian Perspective

2022 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Bodrožić, Zlatko; S. Adler, Paul

Abstract: This paper develops and deploys a theoretical framework for assessing the prospe ... Expand

Abstract: This paper develops and deploys a theoretical framework for assessing the prospects of a cluster of technologies driving what is often called the digital transformation. There is considerable uncertainty regarding this transformation’s future trajectory, and to understand and bound that uncertainty, we build on Schumpeter’s macro-level theory of economy-wide, technological revolutions and on the work of several scholars who have extended that theory. In this perspective, such revolutions’ trajectories are shaped primarily by the interaction of changes within and between three spheres—technology, organization, and public policy. We enrich this account by identifying the critical problems and the collective choices among competing solutions to those problems that together shape the trajectory of each revolution. We argue that the digital transformation represents a new phase in the wider arc of the information and communication technology revolution—a phase promising much wider deployment—and that the trajectory of this deployment depends on collective choices to be made in the organization and public policy spheres. Combining in a 2 × 2 matrix the two main alternative solutions on offer in each of these two spheres, we identify four scenarios for the future trajectory of the digital transformation: digital authoritarianism, digital oligarchy, digital localism, and digital democracy. We discuss how these scenarios can help us trace and understand the future trajectory of the digital transformation. Collapse

Topics: digital transformation problem solving quality management armed conflict volcanic eruption

Methods: synthesis theory development

Under pressure: Understanding the dynamics of coordination in IT functions under business-as-usual and emergency conditions

2020 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 0

Authors: Kotlarsky, Julia; van den Hooff, Bart; Geerts, Leonie

Abstract: In an era when technologies have become a backbone of most organizations, IT sup ... Expand

Abstract: In an era when technologies have become a backbone of most organizations, IT support functions are under immense pressure not only to ensure provision and reliability of IS and technologies but also to resolve IS incidents of different severity when they disrupt organizations’ “business-as-usual.” This article addresses this challenge by investigating how organizational IT functions coordinate their work under different degrees of uncertainty in order to provide reliable IT services. We conceptualize coordination in IT support functions as a process that unfolds over time through interactions between four underlying coordination practices employed to provide reliable IT services: prioritizing tasks, following procedures, using roles and responsibilities, and utilizing networks. Furthermore, we show how these coordination practices change when IT incidents cause a shift from normal (i.e. “business-as-usual”) to emergency conditions. Our empirical research in two IT functions supporting two types of organizations (traditional and fast-response) demonstrate that IT functions in these two types of organizations respond to emergencies differently. Specifically, in emergencies, an IT function supporting a fast-response organization shifts to emergency coordination practices momentarily, as it abandons “normal” coordination practices to rely on an extensive set of formal practices specifically designed for such situations. In contrast, an IT function supporting a traditional organization is unprepared for emergencies—coordinating under emergency conditions involves improvisation, because coordination practices designed to support business-as-usual are not suitable for dealing with emergency situations. Collapse

Topics: system support user requirement mainframe knowledge sharing

Methods: qualitative interview theory development multiple case study personal interview qualitative coding

Influencing Information Quality: Evidence from a Military Organization

2020 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 3

Authors: Struijk, Mylène; Angelopoulos, Spyros; Ou, Carol; Davison, Robert

Abstract: The Information Systems (IS) literature has focused on developing methods for a ... Expand

Abstract: The Information Systems (IS) literature has focused on developing methods for assessing the level of Information Quality (IQ), paying scant attention to contextual factors that influence the level of IQ and the introduction of strategic initiatives for its improvement. In this paper, we address that lacuna, by exploring the factors that can have an impact on the way people perceive IQ, and by investigating how organizations can improve their level of subjective IQ. Through a canonical action research approach and interviews with 43 individuals from a multinational military organization, we demonstrate that employees' tenure and background, as well as the organizational culture and hierarchy can have a significant influence on the level of subjective IQ. Moreover, we delineate how organizations can influence knowledge creation, employee satisfaction, organizational efficiency, and productivity by implementing an IQ strategy. Our work contributes to the IS theory by enhancing understandings regarding IQ beyond its assessment and to practice by providing organizations with ways to improve IQ. Collapse

Topics: productivity data accuracy business process management organizational context organizational culture

Methods: qualitative interview personal interview action research qualitative coding company material

Theories: information systems theory knowledge based theory of the firm

“Run Forrest Run!”: Measuring the Impact of App-Enabled Performance and Social Feedback on Running Performance

2018 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Babar, Yash; Chan, Jason; Choi, Ben

Abstract: Exercise tracking apps are a novel, scalable, and affordable tool for delivering ... Expand

Abstract: Exercise tracking apps are a novel, scalable, and affordable tool for delivering personalized behavioral interventions. While thousands of fitness tracking solutions emerge in the market, there is a lack of systematic research that quantify their effectiveness on exercise outcomes, making it hard for for practitioners and users to know the true value of these apps. Drawing on the literature on motivation literature, this paper elucidates the effects of app-enabled motivation on running performance. Specifically, this study examines the two most common forms of feedback available to users of exercise tracking apps, namely performance feedback and social feedback. We conducted a 18-month long randomized field experiment, with 1,241 military servicemen, to assess the causal effect of these feedback types on actual exercise outcomes. Results from the experiment provided evidence that these two app features improve the running times of the servicemen. We further discuss the temporality and hetoerogeneity of these effects. Collapse

Topics: mobile application frequency of use information system use social presence mobile system

Methods: experiment experimental group survey field experiment mediation analysis

QPLAN: Decision support for evaluating planning quality in software development projects

2017 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Féris, Marco Antônio Amaral; Zwikael, Ofer; Gregor, Shirley

Abstract: Decisions about whether or not to approve a project plan for execution are criti ... Expand

Abstract: Decisions about whether or not to approve a project plan for execution are critical. A decision to continue with a bad plan may lead to a failed project, whereas requesting unnecessary additional planning for an already high-quality plan may be counterproductive. However, these decisions can be influenced by psychological biases, such as the endowment effect, optimism bias and ambiguity effect, which are enhanced when uncertainty is substantial and information incomplete. As a result, a non-biased model for evaluating the quality of project planning is important to improve planning approval decisions and resource allocation. This paper introduces a novel artifact (QPLAN) that evaluates and improves planning quality, and a case study to demonstrate its effectiveness within a business environment. Collapse

Topics: IT development project project management systems development knowledge base IT project

Methods: survey case study qualitative interview mixed method longitudinal research

Organizational Constraints to Adaptation: Intrafirm Asymmetry in the Locus of Coordination

2015 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Aggarwal, Vikas A.; Wu, Brian

Abstract: We assemble a panel data set of firms in the U.S. defense industry between 1996 ... Expand

Abstract: We assemble a panel data set of firms in the U.S. defense industry between 1996 and 2006 to examine the drivers of heterogeneous incumbent firm adaptation following the industry-wide demand shock of September 11, 2001. This shock entailed not only an increase in aggregate demand but, more importantly, a shift in the relative attractiveness of individual product areas, resulting in the need for firms to reshuffle their product portfolios in response to changing demand conditions. The exogenous nature of the shock allows us to empirically identify the effect of preshock interdependence structures on postshock adaptation outcomes. We find that the locus of coordination inside a firm can explain differential postshock adaptation performance: because interdependencies spanning organizational boundaries are more difficult to manage than those contained within such boundaries, coordination across product areas creates greater adaptation challenges compared with coordination within product areas. We further investigate the moderating effects of product complementarity and organizational grouping, finding results consistent with our hypothesized mechanisms. As one of the first studies to empirically link a firm’s locus of coordination with its adaptation performance, this study contributes to our understanding of the role of interdependence and organization design in dynamic environments. Collapse

Topics: organizational productivity organization structure digital ecosystem technological change anonymity

Methods: theory development qualitative interview literature study conceptual modelling quasi experiment

A Model-Driven Method for the Systematic Literature Review of Qualitative Empirical Research

2012 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Oates, Briony June; Edwards, Helen; Wainwright, David William

Abstract: This paper explores a model-driven method for systematic literature reviews (SLR ... Expand

Abstract: This paper explores a model-driven method for systematic literature reviews (SLRs), for use where the empirical studies found in the literature search are based on qualitative research. SLRs are an important component of the evidence-based practice (EBP) paradigm, which is receiving increasing attention in information systems (IS) but has not yet been widely-adopted. We illustrate the model-driven approach to SLRs via an example focused on the use of BPMN (Business Process Modelling Notation) in organizations. We discuss in detail the process followed in using the model-driven SLR method, and show how it is based on a hermeneutic cycle of reading and interpreting, in order to develop and refine a model which synthesizes the research findings of previous qualitative studies. This study can serve as an exemplar for other researchers wishing to carry out model-driven SLRs. We conclude with our reflections on the method and some suggestions for further research. Collapse

Topics: database system business process management decision making organizational context virtual teamwork

Methods: modeling language business process model and notation synthesis design science conceptual modelling

Theories: soft systems theory

Illusions of control and social domination strategies in knowledge mapping system use

2011 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 6

Authors: Dudezert, Aurélie; Leidner, Dorothy E.

Abstract: In recent years, the overload of information has driven companies to develop vis ... Expand

Abstract: In recent years, the overload of information has driven companies to develop visualization technologies as a way to graphically represent knowledge for decision making. On the basis of visualization technologies and on knowledge modeling techniques, knowledge maps (Kmaps) help represent the knowledge assets of a company as graphical discrete objects. Yet such systems, because of their visual representation of knowledge, are prone to creating illusions. Using a case study of three firms’ use of Kmaps in their Human Resource departments and drawing upon Bourdieu's social theory, illusion of control theory, and IS as signal and symbol theory, our study provides a critical perspective on the use of Kmaps by groups of actors to reinforce their social domination in business organizations. We find that Kmap use can lead to illusions of knowledge control and illusions of executive control and that in response to the potential for knowledge illusions, three social domination strategies – a signal and symbol strategy, an avoidance strategy and an evidence strategy – are employed. Implications of these results on Knowledge Management and Information Systems Management future research are discussed. Collapse

Topics: human resource management website organizational memory knowledge representation IS discipline

Methods: case study qualitative interview theory development qualitative content analysis company material

Theories: illusion of control social sciences theory theory of practice