Maria Kamariotou

Business Models for Open Data Ecosystem: Challenges and Motivations for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Open data provide many opportunities for businesses, such as the development of new products and services. A significant challenge for businesses and governments is the collaboration among actors who provide data, actors who consume data and actors who create new services and applications around the data. These actors synthesize a collaborative environment-called ecosystem. Open data ecosystems face many obstacles and researchers have focused their interest in establishing and validating them. The existing knowledge about the open data ecosystem from the business perspective is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the actors of open data ecosystem and their relationships, their motivations in order to increase entrepreneurial activities as well as the business model elements which are required in open data based business. 6 interviews were carried out with actors from open data ecosystem so as to receive up-to-date information directly from actors and estimated how the current ecosystem enables new business opportunities for actors providing data and for actors utilizing data. The analysis of findings is based on the Business Model Canvas and results are presented according to the perspective of each actor of the ecosystem. Findings show that although actors are highly interested in using open data, there is a need for a new kind of business ecosystem that makes a win-win condition possible for all the actors in the open data ecosystem. The interviews disclosed many motives and benefits of the open data ecosystem. Nevertheless, there are also barriers that should be carefully examined and resolved.

Information Systems Phases and Firm Performance: A Conceptual Framework

Strategic information systems planning (SISP) has been identified as a serious management issue. SISP is fundamental for organizations to succeed in current competitive global marketplace. This paper, based on a methodology about literature review, examines the phases and the measurement of phases success in order to understanding the process of SISP. Identifying 60 scientific articles, between the period 1980, when the concept of SISP appeared, and 2015, we present a composition and an analysis of the findings of a literature review and we focus on SISP process and its impact on firm performance. This paper makes two contributions. First, it explicates relevant fields about the query and concludes to a theoretical model. Secondly, this literature review analysis offers opportunities for future research.

Decision Support Systems and Business Strategy: A Conceptual Framework for Strategic Information Systems Planning

Nowadays, businesses have to be competitive and to make effective decisions in order to achieve their goals. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) and Decision Support System (DSS) contribute to this effort. This paper aims to propose the steps of a framework which combines both the SISP concept and DSS, based on previous models. These models present the steps of a DSS. This proposed framework is developed in order to acquire and store significant information for its strategic decisions and implement them more effectively. The paper contributes to the DSS literature in the two ways. Firstly, it suggests a framework which is believed to maintain the empirical research of SISP in DSS field. Secondly, it outstretches the scope of SISP on DSS research area, beginning with the need for more research to be implemented regarding the DSS in SISP through strategic management. By presenting this framework, a number of implications and proposals for further investigation are accrued.

Strategic IT Alignment: Business Performance During Financial Crisis

Information Technology has become a significant tool for businesses who act in an unsustainable environment. The need for the strategic use of Information Technology in order to add value to businesses is more urgent for Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which have been negatively affected from financial crisis. The strategic use will be achieved by aligning business strategy, objectives, and planning with Information Systems. Strategic alignment has an impact not only on firm’s profitability, but on the increase of sales, on the customer’s satisfaction, and on the competitive advantage as well. Strategic use of information management increases the knowledge about customers’ and market’s needs, as well as about the environmental circumstances, and gives the opportunity to businesses to produce new products and services which meet market’s needs and increase firm’s profitability and competitiveness. A major factor which affects the strategic alignment, except information handling, is the support of information technology by managers and the creation of a related business culture. This paper aims to provide a holistic approach for issues about strategic alignment and ending up to proposes for SMEs in order to implement the alignment process and increase their firm’s performance. The analysis of strategic alignment starts with its necessity and importance, as well as the presentation of steps and factors which influence the success of the process, the link with firm performance follows, and it concludes to the presentation of the need to be implemented by SMEs in order to increase their competitive advantage in the current turbulent financial environment.

Decision Support Systems and Strategic Information Systems Planning for Strategy Implementation

In the current changing environment, businesses have to be competitive and to make effective decisions to achieve their aims. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) and Decision Support System (DSS) contribute to this effort. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model which combines both the SISP and DSS under the concept of change management to enable the firm, to acquire and store significant information for its strategic decisions more effectively. The paper contributes to the DSS literature by suggesting a model that is believed to support the empirical research of SISP in DSS field. It expands the scope of SISP on DSS field, stating the need for more research to be conducted regarding the DSS in SISP through strategic management. By identifying phases that affect the strategic decision-making, a number of implications are accrued.

From Apps to Start-ups: Success Factors for New Entries in Open Data Ecosystem

Abstract Research focuses on factors that affect nascent entrepreneurs’ decision to create a start-up but research in the field of open data contests has not been investigated yet. So, there are no conclusions about the enhancement of entrepreneurship through the hosting of contests. This chapter aims to examine the factors that affect the decision of establishing a start-up by developers who have participated in open data contests. Interviews were conducted with developers who participated in hackathons and they aimed to launch their apps and establish start-ups. The obstacles were the limited support, marketing activities, and the lack of free data.