Small business digital transformation in the context of the pandemic

2021 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 50

Authors: Mandviwalla, Munir; Flanagan, Richard

Abstract: The pandemic is a major crisis for small businesses. Digital transformation (DT) ... Expand

Abstract: The pandemic is a major crisis for small businesses. Digital transformation (DT) offers a lifeline for some small businesses. In this paper, we outline a rapidly conceived and implemented research project to digitalise small business. We apply action design research using the DT lens to intervene and impact 42 different small businesses over an intense six-month period. Three detailed case studies illustrate the problem, drivers, mechanisms, and challenges of DT. The results illustrate how small businesses can engage, sell, and deliver using technology, and the factors that influence the transformation process. We also discuss limitations and identify research opportunities in relation to the DT, platform, and small business literature. The paper demonstrates how IS can have an immediate impact on the livelihoods of the businesses in our community during the pandemic. Collapse

Topics: pandemic electronic commerce digital platform value creation digital transformation

Methods: action design research design science kernel theory case study

Theories: punctuated equilibrium theory

Can music improve e-behavioral intentions by enhancing consumers’ immersion and experience?

2015 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Cuny, Caroline; Fornerino, Marianela; Helme-Guizon, Agnès

Abstract: Websites must involve visitors in enjoyable and memorable experiences to entice ... Expand

Abstract: Websites must involve visitors in enjoyable and memorable experiences to entice people to revisit and recommend them. This article investigates the impact of music and seeks to explain e-behavioral intentions through two underlying processes: immersion and experience. A total of 250 persons were surveyed for their intentions to re-visit and recommend a virtual art gallery. The results reveal that music fosters e-behavioral intentions. They also emphasize that immersion and aesthetic experience (emotions and contemplation) mediate this effect. The findings, confirming the impact of music on immersion, could thus help managers design more effective Websites. Collapse

Topics: behavioral intention website word of mouth electronic commerce consumer behavior

Methods: experiment conceptual modelling data transformation principal component analysis survey

Theories: uses and gratifications theory

Identity Orientation, Social Exchange, and Information Technology Use in Interorganizational Collaborations

2014 | Organization Science | Citations: 40

Authors: Gal, Uri; Blegind Jensen, Tina; Lyytinen, Kalle

Abstract: Advances in information technologies (IT) are creating unprecedented opportuniti ... Expand

Abstract: Advances in information technologies (IT) are creating unprecedented opportunities for interorganizational collaboration, particularly in large-scale distributed projects. The use of advanced IT in such projects can foster new forms of social exchange among organizations and change the way organizations view themselves in the context of their relationships. Despite a wealth of research on IT use, social exchange, and organizational identity, little is known about how new IT and the enactment of related IT affordances within interorganizational contexts enable social exchanges and organizational identity orientations. To address this gap, we conduct multiple case studies that describe the changing use of two-dimensional computer-aided design technology and new three-dimensional modeling technologies by a leading metal fabrication company in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The case studies demonstrate that changes in the company’s IT and the enactment of related IT affordances within variable interorganizational contexts enable new forms of social exchanges. These exchanges, in turn, provide the context for the rearticulation of the company’s identity orientation. Based on these insights, we formulate a theoretical model to delineate the relationships between IT use, IT affordances, social exchanges, and identity orientation. We conclude by outlining the implications of our study and suggesting possible avenues for future research. Collapse

Topics: information system use affordance interorganizational relationship project management information technology capability

Methods: qualitative interview case study theory development triangulation literature study

Theories: theory of affordance

Pathways through Information Landscapes: Alternative Design Criteria for Digital Art Collections

2013 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 2

Authors: Wray, Tim; Eklund, Peter; Kautz, Karlheinz

Abstract: In this paper, we apply a concept driven interaction design approach to introduc ... Expand

Abstract: In this paper, we apply a concept driven interaction design approach to introduce a design theory for the presentation and navigation of digital art collections. This involves the realization of the design as a working artifact. Our approach aligns with efforts by art galleries and museums that embrace digital media. Our research raises the question of how gesture-based interfaces and novel interaction approaches can be used to provide non-linear information seeking experiences as compared to more conventional affordances for online museum collections, such as search and faceted browsing, or more traditional formats, such as print media and catalogues. We employ a unique interaction design based on the notion that, within museum collections, showing the context and relationships that surround individual objects creates a valuable web of meaning. It exploits the idea that the digital medium affords the ability to express the multiplicity of these relationships. Collapse

Topics: iOS digital media

Methods: design principle design artifact design theory design science computational algorithm

Theories: theory of affordance information systems theory

An Unorthodox Interpretive Approach in Information Systems Research: A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

2009 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Andrade, Antonio Diaz; Arthanari, Tiru

Abstract: In this paper we make the case of using photographs as a source of data for inte ... Expand

Abstract: In this paper we make the case of using photographs as a source of data for interpretive research in the information systems field, especially for ethnographic accounts. We treat photographs as knowledge objects and examine the richness of content and context they offer. Based on experiences from anthropology and sociology, we contend that photographs should be used along with other sources of data, not only during the analysis stage but also be included in the conventional written report. We analyze the researcher’s role along three moments of research: during the fieldwork as an image maker, during the analysis stage as an image analyzer and during the writing up as an image presenter. A study on the transmission of information and use of computers in rural communities in Peru is used to explain the use of photographs along these moments of research. Collapse

Topics: information system use anonymity communication service infrastructure social network marketing management

Methods: field study ethnography grounded theory qualitative interview data transformation

New frontiers for information systems research: computer art as an information system

2006 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 3

Authors: Oates, Briony J.

Abstract: This paper proposes extending the frontiers of information systems (IS) research ... Expand

Abstract: This paper proposes extending the frontiers of information systems (IS) research by seeing computer art as a kind of information system. It explores some research questions that arise if we take such a view. A new agenda for IS research is developed, based upon six themes in computer art and related work in previous IS research. The link between IS and computer art is bi-directional: our theories of information systems could inform the study of computer art, and computer art could inform our information systems theories, possibly leading to modification or even abandonment of them. Twelve research questions are suggested, and potential barriers to IS researchers studying computer art are also discussed. The paper offers possibilities, not solutions, and makes an important contribution by suggesting new opportunities for innovative research in IS and by signposting some of the topics which could be addressed. Collapse

Topics: systems development IS discipline web page information system use systems evaluation

Methods: class diagram design science unified modeling language

Theories: information systems theory socio technical theory

Unleash Physical Limitations: Virtual Emergency Preparedness Planning Simulation Training, Methodology and a Case Study

2005 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Yao, Xiang; Konopka, Joseph A; Hendela, Arthur H; Chumer, Michael; Turoff, Murray

Abstract: Simulation is perhaps the most widely used method for training emergency managem ... Expand

Abstract: Simulation is perhaps the most widely used method for training emergency management workers. Despite its wide application, traditional simulation suffers from several constraints and limitations, which motivate us to pursue a different way – virtual simulation, as an alternative and supplement for the traditional training method. Utilization of groupware, network, and other information technologies makes virtual simulation more flexible and easier to prepare. Although virtual simulation can overcome some of the constraints related to physical simulation, so far there are little evidences that this new method can achieve similar or even better training effects compared with traditional simulation training method. To test the effects of this new training approach and the methodology to run it, several pilot trials have been conducted in the U.S. and Europe. This article is an exploratory study of a pilot emergency preparedness planning virtual simulation conducted in NJIT in late 2004. This study will help us understand the nature of virtual simulation, and help us improve the theories and designs of virtual simulation for emergency preparedness. Collapse

Topics: task complexity

Methods: simulation experiment case study group interview synthesis

A Hypermedia-Based Design Image Database System Using a Perceptional Link Method

1996 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Shibata, Yoshitaka; Fukuda, Manabu; Katsumoto, Michiaki

Abstract: We introduce a hypermedia-based distributed design image database system that ca ... Expand

Abstract: We introduce a hypermedia-based distributed design image database system that can provide simple and flexible user access capabilities based on the "kansei" link method. As proof of this concept, we have developed a prototype distributed multimedia information network incorporating the DHS model. Dubbed the Textile Design Image Database System (TDIDS), this database aids designers using apparel computer-aided design (CAD) systems in different locations, collaborating or working separately, in the design of clothes, including kimonos. Our purpose has been to create a database that will allow each designer to make the best use of his or her creativity and originality--his or her "style and sensitivity to beauty," or, in Japanese, kansei. In our hypermedia system, "metanodes" are defined as abstract nodes that are dynamically organized by multimedia objects, while "metalinks" are defined as flexible kansei links. Metanodes and metalinks are combined to organize a dynamic hypermedia space from which users can easily retrieve desired design image objects by querying a knowledge agent. The knowledge agent, utilizing the knowledge base, creates links from kansei word objects provided by the user to suitable design image objects among those stored on multimedia databases distributed across the network. The knowledge agent also performs query conversion of individual users' subjective kansei (idiosyncratic, subjective use of kansei words) into objective kansei words using each user's own "user model." These objective kansei words are then converted to equivalent color values. Color value is the means by which all stored design images are characterized. This dynamic linking of kansei word objects to equivalent design images allows individual users' kansei to influence the retrieval process. The sophisticated and flexible CAD systems of the future will require multimedia database systems with cooperative supporting capabilities similar to our kansei system. Collapse

Topics: database system knowledge base systems evaluation user satisfaction

Methods: design artifact usability testing survey