Cognitive automation

2022 | Electronic Markets | Citations: 6

Authors: Engel, Christian; Ebel, Philipp; Leimeister, Jan Marco

Abstract: Facilitated by AI technology, the phenomenon of cognitive automation extends the ... Expand

Abstract: Facilitated by AI technology, the phenomenon of cognitive automation extends the scope of deterministic business process automation (BPA) through the probabilistic automation of knowledge and service work. By transforming work systems through cognitive automation, organizations are provided with vast strategic opportunities to gain business value. However, research lacks a unified conceptual lens on cognitive automation, which hinders scientific progress. Thus, based on a Systematic Literature Review, we describe the fundamentals of cognitive automation and provide an integrated conceptualization. We provide an overview of the major BPA approaches such as workflow management, robotic process automation, and Machine Learning-facilitated BPA while emphasizing their complementary relationships. Furthermore, we show how the phenomenon of cognitive automation can be instantiated by Machine Learning-facilitated BPA systems that operate along the spectrum of lightweight and heavyweight IT implementations in larger IS ecosystems. Based on this, we describe the relevance and opportunities of cognitive automation in Information Systems research. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence process automation system robotic process automation database system decision making

Methods: business process modeling machine learning structured literature research literature study deep learning

Theories: probability theory

The Impact of IT Decision-Making Authority on IT Project Performance in the U.S. Federal Government

2022 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Pang, Min-Seok; Lee, Gwanhoo

Abstract: Many information technology (IT) projects in the U.S. federal government have be ... Expand

Abstract: Many information technology (IT) projects in the U.S. federal government have been plagued with failures and overruns in recent years, wasting a large amount of tax revenues and undermining the public’s confidence in the government’s ability to manage such resources and deliver on its commitments. What affects the performance of IT projects in the federal government? We find that prior literature on IT project management from the private sector setting is inadequate to answer this question. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, information systems (IS) research thus far has not considered how the decision-making authority of an IT unit influences IT project performance at the organizational level. We leverage several unique characteristics of the public sector, vis-à-vis for-profit firms, in developing our theory and hypothesis. Utilizing official datasets on IT projects and human resource records, we find that the more IT managerial officials and supervisors a federal bureau has, the lower time overruns it experiences in its IT projects. Interestingly, this relationship is weakened when the bureau has a larger number of ongoing IT projects. Our findings offer new theoretical insights for the IT project management literature and provide meaningful policy insights into government IT management. Collapse

Topics: IT project IT workforce decision making project productivity project management

Methods: theory development theoretical contribution robustness check post-hoc analysis statistical hypothesis test

Impacts of RPA on employees’ skill variety

2020 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Johansson, Björn; Engberg, Sandra; Lindgren, Ida; Sördal, Therese

Abstract: In this paper we present a literature review on automation and robotic process ... Expand

Abstract: In this paper we present a literature review on automation and robotic process automation (RPA). The review is developed into a conceptual framework that is grounded in a job characteristics model. The framework is used for analyzing empirical data from eleven semi-structured interviews in organizations that has adopted RPA. The research question explored is: How do employees perceive changes that Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has on their job characteristics? From the empirical data some conclusions can be drawn; the main conclusion being that the use of RPA has generated effects for the job characteristic "skill variety". In line with the literature, this conclusion suggests that RPA results in an upskilling, and that employees perceive an increased level of job enlargement, as well as job satisfaction, due to these changes. Collapse

Topics: task characteristic robotic process automation job satisfaction office automation task productivity

Methods: business process modeling personal interview qualitative coding qualitative interview literature study

Theories: job characteristics theory

Intensifying to Cease: Unpacking the Process of Information Systems Discontinuance

2019 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 34

Authors: Mehrizi, Mohammad Hosein Rezazade; Rodon Modol, Joan; Nezhad, Milad Zafar

Abstract: Legacy information systems consume a large portion of information technology bud ... Expand

Abstract: Legacy information systems consume a large portion of information technology budgets and often impose serious limitations on organizations’ flexibility and innovation. Despite the extensive literature on how organizations adopt and use new IS, we know little about how organizations discontinue their legacy IS. Current studies suggest some actions and events to cease mechanisms such as legitimization, learning, and routinization that give continuity to the systems. However, we do not know when these actions emerge in the discontinuance process to gradually reduce the organizational commitments to legacy IS, nor do we know how ceasing one mechanism can facilitate or, conversely, hamper ceasing other mechanisms, especially when these systems involve interdependences between various components. Based on a process analysis of four software companies, we show that, contrary to the current literature, IS discontinuance is not a matter of merely ceasing each and every mechanism of an established IS; rather, it often requires that some mechanisms be temporarily intensified to prevent premature discontinuance and enable subsequent cessation of other mechanisms. Through cross-case analysis, we articulate a set of causal mechanisms that expands our understanding of how the discontinuance process can be differently shaped by organizational commitments and interdependences involved in legacy IS. Collapse

Topics: organizational commitment innovation management research and development digital innovation website

Methods: qualitative interview case study theory development triangulation multiple case study

Theories: general systems theory

Managing the e-commerce disruption with IT-based innovations: Insights from strategic renewal perspectives

2019 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Xiao, Jinghua; Wu, Yao; Xie, Kang; Hu, Qing

Abstract: Transforming brick-and-mortar businesses into integrated online–offline models p ... Expand

Abstract: Transforming brick-and-mortar businesses into integrated online–offline models poses significant challenges for firms operationally and strategically. We conduct a comparative case study to investigate strategic renewals that result in the convergence of offline and online operations and strategies driven by information technology based innovations. We explore two strategic renewal paths used by our case firms: incremental resource-complementing renewal and discontinuous resource-substituting transformation. We illuminate the role of resource endowment in strategic renewal and its impact on the renewal path and explore the role of IT as operand or operant resource in strategic renewals and its impact on their success. Collapse

Topics: electronic commerce innovation management information technology capability disruptive innovation authorization

Methods: case study multiple case study qualitative interview qualitative coding theoretical contribution

The influence of entrepreneurial action on strategic alignment in new ventures: Searching for the genesis of alignment

2018 | Journal of Strategic Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Street, Chris; Gallupe, Brent; Baker, Jeff

Abstract: which strategic alignment is pursued and the outcomes at each firm. In the Disc ... Expand

Abstract: which strategic alignment is pursued and the outcomes at each firm. In the Discussion section, we build on our results to describe patterns of alignment-related activities at each type of new venture, and to explain differences and similarities in the degree of alignment that is achieved. Most important, we also observe how aspects of the new venture context provide clues about the manner in which alignment will be pursued at a firm. Our primary contribution is thus a description of how the pattern of entrepreneurial action in a new venture shapes the development of strategic alignment. Literature review Strategic alignmentAlignment exists when an organization's goals and activities and the information systems that support them remain in harmony (McKeen and Smith, 2003). Alignment between business and IT is thus the degree of fit, integration, or consistency among a firm's business strategy, IT strategy, business infrastructure and processes, and IT infrastructure and processes (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993). Examining these components, researchers have identified six specific types of alignment: (1) the integration of business strategy with IT strategy, which is referred to as intellectual or strategic alignment;(2) the integration of business infrastructure and processes with IT infrastructure and processes, referred to as operational alignment;(3) the integration of IT strategy with IT infrastructure and processes, referred to as IT alignment; (4) the integration of business strategy with organizational infrastructure and processes, referred to as business alignment; (5) the integration of business strategy with IT infrastructure and processes, which is a type of cross-domain alignment; and (6) the integration of IT strategy with organizational infrastructure and processes, also a type of cross- Collapse

Topics: IT alignment strategic management information systems strategy decision making business model

Methods: case study qualitative interview longitudinal research field study theory development

Theories: organizational behavior theory

Rethinking the role of security in client satisfaction with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers

2015 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Goode, Sigi; Lin, Chinho; Tsai, Jacob C.; Jiang, James J.

Abstract: Despite the conceptual importance of security perceptions in contributing to cli ... Expand

Abstract: Despite the conceptual importance of security perceptions in contributing to client satisfaction, no study has yet provided empirical evidence of the link. We argue that because security perceptions are highly subjective and depend on the client’s experiences, it is necessary to identify the perceived value of security in order to explain its effect on security. We adapt a recent model of SaaS satisfaction to include security and perceived value, and test the model on a sample of 135 SaaS clients. We find a significant positive relationship between security and satisfaction when mediated by perceived value. We also present an unmediated model in which security is not significant. Collapse

Topics: software as a service service quality cloud computing outsourcing infrastructure as a service

Methods: survey partial least squares regression literature study design artifact descriptive statistic

Social power and information technology implementation: a contentious framing lens

2011 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 33

Authors: Azad, Bijan; Faraj, Samer

Abstract: Research on the organizational implementation of information technology (IT) and ... Expand

Abstract: Research on the organizational implementation of information technology (IT) and social power has favoured explanations based on issues of resource power and process power at the expense of matters of meaning power. As a result, although the existence and importance of meaning power is acknowledged, its distinctive practices and enacted outcomes remain relatively under-theorized and under-explored by IT researchers. This paper focused on unpacking the practices and outcomes associated with the exercise of meaning power within the IT implementation process. Our aim was to analyze the practices employed to construct meaning and enact a collective ‘definition of the situation’. We focused on framing and utilizing the signature matrix technique to represent and analyze the exercise of meaning power in practice. The paper developed and illustrated this conceptual framework using a case study of a conflictual IT implementation in a challenging public sector environment. We concluded by pointing out the situated nature of meaning power practices and the enacted outcomes. Our research extends the literature on IT and social power by offering an analytical framework distinctly suited to the analysis and deeper understanding of the meaning power properties. Collapse

Topics: systems implementation project management IT project systems design digital innovation

Methods: qualitative interview case study statistical power analysis survey

INTERPRETING DIGITAL GAMING PRACTICES: SINGSTAR AS A TECHNOLOGY OF WORK

2011 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Fletcher, Gordon; Light, Ben

Abstract: Embedded within discourses of the enactment of information and communications te ... Expand

Abstract: Embedded within discourses of the enactment of information and communications technologies (ICTs) at work is often a tightly constrained range of legitimate application areas of study, a rather thin concept of user-developer relations and a context of use that precludes simultaneity, multiplicity and informality. This situation persists despite the increasing relocation of work to informal settings beyond the traditional boundaries of the work organization. In this paper we argue for the consideration of digital games as premier and hallmark examples of socially rich ICTs and demanding the attention of researchers concerned with work orgainzations. Through two intersecting ethnographies of the use of the Sony PlayStation console game, SingStar, we provide an account of ICT mediated experiences associated with playing the game. We consider SingStar in particular as socially rich as it invites us to think about: the wider capabilities of ICTs beyond work-orientated organisations; the expansion of conditions of ICT appropriation, extended collaboration practices and the co-production of sociotechnical arrangements in situ. We argue that SingStar can be thought of as glue technology that assists in crafting and strengthening social linkages amongst players. Our examination of the play and experience of this game provides a fuller account of the interrelationships of people to socialising technologies that reaches beyond traditional discourses regarding technology, organizations and work. Collapse

Topics: video game information system use technological change evaluation criteria mobile phone

Methods: ethnography personal interview field study

Theories: theory of affordance

Exploring perception of IT skills among Australian accountants: An alignment between importance and knowledge

2010 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Rai, Pranish; Vatanasakdakul, Savanid; Aoun, Chadi

Abstract: This paper investigates the alignment between the perceptions of information tec ... Expand

Abstract: This paper investigates the alignment between the perceptions of information technology (IT) importance and knowledge levels among accountants in Australia. Data were collected from a survey of 165 accountants. The results indicate that accountants have a high IT knowledge in email and communication software, and electronic spreadsheets, while knowledge in systems development and programming tools is low. Overall, the IT knowledge levels among Australian accountants are lower than the perception towards the importance of these technologies. The greatest alignment between importance and knowledge is in accounting software. On the other hand, the biggest gap is in security management skills. Accountants perceive that IT security is very important to their roles; however, they view themselves as lacking knowledge in this area. The results of this study can be used as a guideline to further develop training programs to improve the relevant IT skills among accountants. Collapse

Topics: IT skill accounting spreadsheet systems development accounting standard

Methods: survey data transformation factor analysis survey design company material