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

Balancing on the Triple-Bottom-Line: Tensions in the Success Factors of Digital Business Models for Sustainability

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Böttcher, Timo; Petry, Jana; Weking, Jörg; Hein, Andreas

Abstract: We need innovations that enable a sustainable economy and sustainable private co ... Expand

Abstract: We need innovations that enable a sustainable economy and sustainable private consumption to meet the grand challenges of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As an essential source of innovation, startups play a crucial role in improving sustainability by creating innovative and sustainable products and services as part of their business models (BMs). Since BMs are at a firm's core, BMs are a decisive factor that influences whether startups fail or thrive; we analyze the success factors of sustainable BMs. We interviewed 16 experts from 15 startups implementing sustainable BMs based on digital technologies and one incubator specializing in sustainability. We identify six success factors representing tensions in digital BM design that entrepreneurs need to address. Our analysis shows how the design of sustainable digital BMs differs from regular digital BMs and how the tensions affect the success of startups. For established firms, the results guide BM design and technology use. Collapse

Topics: business-to-business value creation systems implementation entrepreneurship innovation management

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding theory development

Examining Underrepresented Communities’ Intention Towards Digital Entrepreneurship: A Dual-Theory Framework

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: David, Dessa; Zu, Xingxing

Abstract: ... Expand

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Topics: digital entrepreneurship IT career digital business entrepreneurship electronic business

Methods: survey design survey conceptual modelling

Theories: technology acceptance model theory of planned behavior

Shopping for digital innovation— The role of startup acquisitions for digital innovation in incumbents

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Dekova, Ani; Böttcher, Timo; Krcmar, Helmut

Abstract: Incumbent firms increasingly acquire startups for digital innovation. Startups ... Expand

Abstract: Incumbent firms increasingly acquire startups for digital innovation. Startups excel at sensing market opportunities, and incumbents provide valuable resources and knowledge to seize these opportunities in digital business models. While extant research has explored the benefits resulting from such acquisitions, the reasons and strategic motivations for startup acquisitions remain unclear. This paper seeks to explore the motivations behind such acquisitions and their impact on digital business strategies. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of 124 startup acquisitions by retail incumbents, we identify six reasons incumbents acquire digital startups and two strategic goals pursued through these acquisitions. They illustrate how and why the acquisitions contribute to the incumbents' strategic goals for digital innovation and growth, and propose three testable hypotheses to deepen our understanding of this relationship. This study provides valuable insights for incumbents seeking to collaborate with startups and identifies startups suited for acquisition or collaboration. Collapse

Topics: digital innovation innovation management digital entrepreneurship business model digital business strategy

Methods: literature study qualitative coding triangulation survey grounded theory

Technical, Strategic, and Cultural Bottlenecks of Born-Global-Digital Firms

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Fraccastoro, Sara; Ojala, Arto; Gabrielsson, Mika

Abstract: A born-global-digital firm belongs to the group of firms that apply and develop ... Expand

Abstract: A born-global-digital firm belongs to the group of firms that apply and develop digital technologies to achieve early internationalization. However, there might be different types of bottlenecks related to foreign market entries and the development of digital services affecting those markets that limit such firms’ global activities. In this work, we divide these bottlenecks into technical, strategic, and cultural forms. This multi-case study examines the impact of those bottlenecks and how that might be overcome. We provide practical and theoretical alternatives to bypass the impediments created by the bottlenecks. Collapse

Topics: digital service marketing management social media website digital product

Methods: qualitative interview case study longitudinal research design artifact personal interview

What do growing early-stage digital start-ups look like? A mixed-methods approach

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Griva, Anastasia; Kotsopoulos, Dimosthenis; Karagiannaki, Angeliki; Zamani, Efpraxia D.

Abstract: Digital entrepreneurship is one of the most important and impactful forms of ent ... Expand

Abstract: Digital entrepreneurship is one of the most important and impactful forms of entrepreneurship. However, the majority of digital start-ups fail to scale, despite their potential to achieve growth. Moreover, what constitutes growth is significantly different for start-ups as compared with established firms: they have limited financial performance, and their growth cannot be accurately measured by metrics such as customers, revenues, profits, and turnover at the early stages of the new venture creation process or before the start-up has reached sus­ tainability. Therefore, the first objective of this research is to contribute to the definition of growth by examining less tangible dimensions of growth. Moreover, the second objective is to identify the characteristics of early-stage digital start-ups experiencing growth. Based on a mixed-methods approach, which combines an adapted Delphi study, a questionnaire-based survey, and a comparative case study, our results suggest that growing digital startups exhibit a set of characteristics that include: an agile culture combining clan with adhocracy; the ability to nurture their absorptive, innovative, and adaptive capabilities effectively; and a human capital with adequate entrepreneurial skills, emotional attachment to and fitness with the start-up. Collapse

Topics: digital entrepreneurship human resource management entrepreneurship innovation management absorptive capacity

Methods: survey delphi study mixed method qualitative interview case study

Theories: dynamic capabilities theory

Guest editorial digital platforms and transformational entrepreneurship

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Jones, Paul; Troise, Ciro; Schiuma, Giovanni

Abstract: This article provides a summary of the manuscripts included within the special i ... Expand

Abstract: This article provides a summary of the manuscripts included within the special issue entitled Digital platforms and transformational entrepreneurship. The concept of transformational entrepreneurship has emerged recently as a phenomenon to implement effective and efficient entrepreneurial behaviours. Currently, digital platforms offer opportunities for entrepreneurs and their ventures, to enable transformation entrepreneurship. Recent global crisis such as Covid-19 have accelerated this trend. This special issue explores this phenomenon and offers insights into best practice to enable effective digital transformational entrepreneurship. Collapse

Topics: digital platform entrepreneurship electronic commerce innovation management pandemic

Methods: personal interview

Theories: theory of affordance

Identity mediation strategies for digital inclusion in entrepreneurial finance

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Kromidha, Endrit

Abstract: Digital platforms and innovations have greatly improved the mechanisms whereby t ... Expand

Abstract: Digital platforms and innovations have greatly improved the mechanisms whereby the resources needed to start a business can be obtained; yet many at the base of the pyramid still have limited access to them because they remain disconnected. While digital platforms can help to connect the possessors of resources with the entre­ preneurs who need them, the mediating processes that those who are not directly represented in such digital spaces need to undergo deserve further attention. This study builds on social identity theory and the identitybased view by considering identity as a relational and resource construct and discussing three identity media­ tion processes and strategies: connection-, familiarity-, and credibility-building. The evidence for this study was sourced from Rang De, India’s first digital micro credit platform. Understanding the identity mediation whereby disconnected borrowers seeking finance can access resources provides important insights to the emerging field of digital social innovation for business and development. Collapse

Topics: digital platform crowdsourcing entrepreneurship crowdfunding digital transformation

Methods: qualitative interview theoretical contribution theory development longitudinal research survey design

Theories: social identity theory social capital theory theory of affordance

Going Digital First while Safeguarding the Physical Core: How an Automotive Incumbent Searches for Relevance in Disruptive Times

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Liu, Shiyuan(Eric); Essén, Anna; Mähring, Magnus

Abstract: Incumbent firms typically face significant risk of losing the relevance of thei ... Expand

Abstract: Incumbent firms typically face significant risk of losing the relevance of their physical core when facing industry disruption driven by digital technologies. Existing literature emphasizes a digital first approach, whereby firm offerings are fundamentally redeveloped from a digital point of view, from the point of conception. While this prescription can help accelerate innovation, it does not tell us how incumbents might safeguard the relevance of their traditional physical core resources when going digital first. This is important, since major discontinuities in strategic repositioning, while often celebrated in digital innovation and transformation literature, create significant risks to firm survival. To this end, we conduct a grounded analysis of a European automotive firm's innovation journey over an eight-year period. We contribute to the digital innovation and transformation literature by developing a process model explaining how a digital first approach can be employed in a way that also safeguards the physical core. Collapse

Topics: innovation management digital innovation digital transformation internet of things mobile system

Methods: qualitative interview business process modeling design pattern conceptual modelling qualitative coding

When Stablecoin is No Longer Stable - A Case Study on the Failure of TerraUSD

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Nurbaev, Vladimir; Au, Cheuk Hang; Chou, Chih-Yuan

Abstract: Comparing to other price-volatile cryptocurrencies, stablecoins provide a relia ... Expand

Abstract: Comparing to other price-volatile cryptocurrencies, stablecoins provide a reliable way to store value and make transactions, and thus are more suitable for daily-life usage and investment risk control. However, there remains a lack of understanding of how stablecoin can gain success. This may lead to the introduction of stablecoins based on uninformed proposals, which may eventually fail. In turn, owners of these stablecoins may suffer from significant financial losses. Using theories of Information Systems and digital startups failures as the theoretical foundation, our study identified four underlying factors (lack of scarcity, lack of fiat reserve backup, decentralization, and failure of value creation) and two triggers (massive selling by major investors and algorithm malfunction) behind the collapse of a stablecoin, based on the case of TerraUSD's collapse. Our findings provide implications for stablecoins issuers to prioritize maintenance and foster user adoption, thus increasing the likelihood of success of stablecoins. Collapse

Topics: stablecoin value creation backup digital entrepreneurship social media

Methods: qualitative coding case study field study netnography business process modeling