Stefano Za

Digital platforms as sources for organizational and strategic transformation: a case study of the midblue project

The paper is centered on the role of technology and specifically of IT in the recombination of the factors of production. Particularly, the objective is to see how this technology contributes to the formulation of business strategies, the outlining of organizational structures and the alignment with the business environment. A theoretical framework is proposed that combines three perspectives. The first perspective stresses the importance of digital architectures in the modalities through which firms organize for innovation. Second, organization as a platform outlines a scenario for generating multiple organizational forms based on recombination of existent resources, routines and transactions. Third, digital platforms are seen as determinant tools for a dematerialization process that consents to recombine the factors of production for achieving a competitive advantage. The Midblue project provides an illustrative example of how strategy, structure and information technology co-evolve in organizations and how digital platforms can trigger transformation at both strategic and organizational levels.

Smart City Research as an Interdisciplinary Crossroads: A Challenge for Management and Organization Studies

This paper seeks to define the boundaries of Smart City research and to draw a map of the interdisciplinary community focusing on this emerging issue. To do so, we analysed the texts included in the websites of two major international Conferences on Smart Cities, and we used the Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to examine a representative sample of 114 publications on Smart Cities. We found that Smart City research was hosted in Architecture and Social Sciences journals in the first place, but since 2007–2008 the interest in this issue boomed among Engineering and Computer Science scholars. Whilst there is a growing number of publications describing many ICT-enabled solutions for enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability and livability of cities, only few studies have addressed the organizational issues implied in such innovations so far. On the other side, our graph describing the interdisciplinary links within the 118 analysed publications shows that management studies occupy a strategic position within the interdisciplinary network of Smart City research. Then, Management and Information Systems scholars are given the opportunity to fill an important gap in an emerging stream of studies.

Applying media synchronicity theory to distance learning in virtual worlds: a design science approach

The use of 3D virtual world platforms in learning is growing in popularity. While there are many learning affordances for such environments, including the possibility of doing things impossible in reality, there are some noted drawbacks. In particular the way they can be used for distance learning deserves consideration. In this paper, we focus on the issue of synchronicity and on how it limits the flexibility that distance learning affords. We use e-learning theory and media synchronicity theory to propose an explanatory design theory for distance learning using 3D virtual world to address the problem of synchronicity.

Knowledge Creation Processes in Information Systems and Management: Lessons from Simulation Studies

This chapter aims to contribute to the debate on the relationship between Information Systems (IS) and other Management (MGT) fields of studies. We present the preliminary results of the publication statistics, co-citation, and cross-citation analyses performed on a dataset of 54 and 169 “simulation related studies” published in top IS and MGT journals in the last thirty years. The analysis shows that this stream of research allows to comparatively analyze the evolutionary trends of research outcomes and impact, and to better understand the cumulative tradition of the knowledge creation process in the IS and MGT communities. Although research in IS is unlikely to build on and cite prior research, its influence on other fields is proportionally similar in magnitude to the external influence of MGT studies.

Information Systems: Crossroads for Organization, Management, Accounting and Engineering

This book examines a wide range of issues that characterize the current IT based innovation trends in organizations. It contains a collection of research papers focusing on themes of growing interest in the field of Information Systems, Organization Studies, Management, Accounting and Engineering. The book offers a multidisciplinary view on Information Systems with the aim of disseminating academic knowledge. It would be particularly relevant to IT practitioners such as information systems managers and IT consultants.The 12 sections cover a broad spectrum of topics including: eServices in Public and Private Sectors; Organizational Change and the Impact of ICT in Public and Private Sectors; Information and Knowledge Management; Human-Computer Interaction; Information Systems, Innovation Transfer, and New Business Models; Business Intelligence Systems, their Strategic Role and Organizational Impacts; New Ways to Work and Interact with the Internet; IS, IT and Security; Blending Design and Behavioral Research in Information Systems; Professional Skills, Certification of Curricula, Online Education and Communities; IS Design, IS Development, Metrics and Compliance; ICT4LAW: Information and communication technologies to help firms, public administrations, legislators and citizens to operate in a highly regulated world.The content of each section is based on a selection of original double-blind peer reviewed contributions.

Exploring Foundations for Using Simulations in IS Research

Simulation has been adopted in many disciplines as a means for understanding the behavior of a system by imitating it through an artificial object that exhibits a nearly identical behavior. Although simulation approaches have been widely adopted for theory building in disciplines such as engineering, computer science, management, and social sciences, their potential in the IS field is often overlooked. The aim of this paper is to understand how different simulation approaches are successfully used in IS research, thereby providing hypotheses that allow deriving methodological guidelines for subsequent studies. A survey of 69 pieces of IS research provides the grounding for defining a taxonomy of simulation approaches and for identifying possible application patterns linking simulation approaches to their theory contributions, research domains and information views.

Modeling Dependence Networks for Agent Based Simulation of Online and Offline Communities

Far from simply being a concept useful in investigating social relationships, social networks are rapidly becoming a diffuse phenomenon to deal with in everyday life. The goal of this paper is to provide insights from the design research perspective, both for online and offline communities. Starting from the idea that the phenomenon under investigation emerges from the interaction of autonomous agents in an environment in which other agents interact with each other in order to reach their own goals, we adopt a Multi-Agent Simulation (MAS) approach to study social networks dynamics of online and offline communities. In particular, we built an agent-based simulation of dependence networks, considered crucial for the interaction of cognitive agents and for the exchange of resources between them. As results we have been able both to better define some hypotheses on dependence networks dynamics and to highlight possible future research particularly useful for the design of digital platforms.

Towards the Redesign of e-Business Maturity Models for SMEs

This paper shows the results of the conceptual part of a research aimed at redesigning e-business stage models for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). The literature review shows that these models are based mostly on a techno-centric perspective and are rather mechanistic in their approach to the development of e-business in smaller firms. Based on design science—which offers a methodology capable of understanding business needs deriving from the interplay of people, organization and technology—a non-linear stage model for the development of e-business in SMEs is proposed. Different levels of interaction in the exchange of information between a firm and its suppliers and customers characterize e-business: the model includes four levels and it outlines their main organizational implications. The model is not meant to be prescriptive, that is it is not intended to serve as an evaluation ladder for public administrations deciding to grant financial support to SMEs investing in e-business. Rather, it has an interpretive, organizational character: (i) entrepreneurs can be supported in their understanding and evaluation of the organizational needs connected with the exploitation of a given opportunity by means of different levels of digital interaction and (ii) policy makers can be guided in promoting the appropriate support (e.g.: training and advisory services) to different kinds of SMEs.

The role of media dependency in predicting continuance intention to use ubiquitous media systems

The emergence of new integrated forms of ubiquitous computing devices, allied with the proliferation of fluid multi-device platforms, enabled the development of Ubiquitous Media Systems (UMS). This new and complex form of connected IT artifact encapsulates various functions and provides fluid information access across a variety of channels enabling users to accomplish a multitude of tasks and interact fluidly in a ubiquitous digital ecosystem. This significant technological evolution has engendered an urgent need to revisit our understanding of technology usage through the lens of theories that encompass the multifaceted nature of UMS. Relying on a media system perspective, this research investigates the role of individual media dependency in predicting continuance intention to use ubiquitous media systems. It argues that technology dependency has an unexplored facet that is goal-oriented in nature. Data collected from 150 UMS users were used to test the developed conceptual model. The results confirmed the overall effect of ubiquitous media systems dependency on individuals reasoned continuance usage decision. The findings suggest that the level of dependency towards a UMS raises the perceived positive attributes about the system: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use; as well as the cognitive appraisal about the discrepancies between initial expectations and post-use performance.

A Design Theory for e-Service Environments: The Interoperability Challenge

The delivery of e-services across organizational boundaries poses a number of issues in terms of design of inter-organizational systems that support service delivery effectively. In this context interoperability emerges as a mandatory requirement for the design of Information Technology (IT) platforms supporting collaborative e-service environments. In this paper we address this issue by presenting a design theory for IT platforms supporting e-services based on both a deep understanding of the interoperability concept and a design research approach. Through the analysis of a cooperation framework developed in the context of an EU funded project, we instantiate the theory by providing the concrete example of a solution addressing this design problem.