Consequences of Project Team Member Turnover for agile Information Systems Development Teams: A Multiple Case Study

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Wiesche, Manuel; Nguyen, Mai

Abstract: Turnover of IT professionals has been at the center of IT workforce research, m ... Expand

Abstract: Turnover of IT professionals has been at the center of IT workforce research, mainly focusing on individual level drivers and consequences. This paper explores how turnover events affect the dynamics of agile software development (ISD) teams. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews in seven cases to understand team-level consequences of turnover events. We found that ISD teams who directly or indirectly experienced turnover events are confronted with the following four consequences on the group level: (1) group dynamics shift, leading to (2) interpersonal voids, and (3) voids of expertise which consequently leads to (4) rebalancing resources. Through our work, we contribute to a better understanding of how coping processes that start after collective turnover occurs in agile ISD teams are shaped at the group level. Collapse

Topics: agile software development IT workforce Scrum IT personell turnover project management

Methods: qualitative interview design methodology case study qualitative coding personal interview

Theories: theory of shared mental models

A Boundary Spanning Perspective of Practical Impact: The Case of IS Practitioner Doctorates

2022 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: McCarthy, Stephen; Scholta, Hendrik; Hausvik, Geir Inge; Busch, Peter André

Abstract: IS research often seeks to deliver practical impact, in addition to the traditi ... Expand

Abstract: IS research often seeks to deliver practical impact, in addition to the traditional requirement for theoretical contribution. While an admirable goal, it is nevertheless a challenging prospect, as key questions remain around how to best facilitate a relationship between IS academic and practitioner communities. To explore this question, our paper investigates boundary spanning by 'practitioner doctorates' -PhD students with professional experience who seek to span the fields of academia and practice during their research. Drawing on in-depth interviews with practitioner doctorates, our findings point towards several factors for practical impact such as researcher legitimacy, expectation management, and adapting to changes in industry requirements. In doing so, we contribute towards an understanding of engaged scholarship in IS and take steps towards addressing the dearth of research on doctoral studies in the IS field to date. Collapse

Topics: boundary spanning systems implementation digital transformation technology adoption decision making

Methods: qualitative interview personal interview qualitative content analysis theoretical contribution case study

Rethinking Lurking: Invisible Leading and Following in a Knowledge Transfer Ecosystem

2015 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 24

Authors: Cranefield, Jocelyn; Pak Yoong; Huff, Sid L.

Abstract: The term lurker connotes a low-value role in online communities. Despite making ... Expand

Abstract: The term lurker connotes a low-value role in online communities. Despite making up the majority of members, these invisible individuals are often cast as peripheral players who should be encouraged to participate more fully. We argue that the lurker concept is problematic and that online communities, and the roles associated with them, need to be reconceptualized. We report on a study of online communities in a New Zealand professional development program. We found that two knowledge broker types played key roles in transferring knowledge: connector-leaders, who had a strong online presence, and follower-feeders, who communicated largely invisibly, via side-channels. Despite their different online profiles, both brokers used "lurking" purposively to perform two sets of invisible online activities: managing the knowledge agenda, and mentoring/being mentored. These activities supported their roles as leaders and followers, and sustained a symbiotic relationship. Decisions to "lurk" arose from the need for these brokers to negotiate diverse boundaries: the boundaries of micro-culture associated with communication contexts, the theory-practice boundary, role boundaries, and the online-offline boundary. Combining the concept of polycontextuality with boundary spanning theory, we propose an alternative way of understanding both lurking and online communities: the three-tier knowledge transfer ecosystem (KTE), a system of engagement spaces comprising diverse online and offline contexts in which individuals make continual decisions to cross between less- or more-visible settings. The study illustrates how key phenomena may remain invisible without a shift in level of analysis, and how using an anachronistic concept to frame a study can unintentionally constrain its value. Collapse

Topics: online community knowledge sharing blog Twitter boundary spanning

Methods: qualitative interview triangulation case study personal interview qualitative content analysis

Toward a Process Model of IT Adoption Ambidexterity: A Revelatory Case-Study

2014 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Montealegre, Ramiro; Iyengar, Kishen; Sweeney, Jeffrey

Abstract: Central to a process of IT adoption is the managerial ability to simultaneously ... Expand

Abstract: Central to a process of IT adoption is the managerial ability to simultaneously balance the continuous exploring of the technology and its advantages, while also exploiting it. It is this simultaneity that we refer to as IT adoption ambidexterity, and recognize as an area in need of research. Based on prior research on organizational ambidexterity, this study employed a case study to investigate IT adoption at RE/MAX LLC, a global real estate franchise. The question guiding the investigation was: how were the exploration and exploitation activities that contributed to the firm’s IT adoption balanced over time? The study yielded qualitative data to propose a process model of IT adoption ambidexterity, highlighting the capabilities that contribute to ambidexterity at each phase of the adoption. Implications of this model for research and practice are discussed and propositions for future research are offered. Collapse

Topics: technology adoption sensemaking strategic information system outsourcing boundary spanning

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

Theories: dynamic capabilities theory ambidexterity theory

Understanding online collaboration technology adoption by researchers – a model and empirical study

2011 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Bullinger, Angelika C; Renken, Uta; Moeslein, Kathrin M

Abstract: Collaboration in research continuously gains importance. Recent developments in ... Expand

Abstract: Collaboration in research continuously gains importance. Recent developments in online collaboration technology, namely social research network sites (SRNS), specifically aim to support research collaboration. SRNS allow researchers to present themselves, to network, to communicate, and to collaborate. Acceptance of this technology by researchers has received little academic attention, a void this researchin-progress addresses. Building on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and its recent extension for collaboration technology we present a study design and a theory-based research model to investigate acceptance of online collaboration technology by researchers. As technology adoption research is still dominated by quantitative studies, our study design combines qualitative and quantitative elements and thus makes a methodological contribution. Analyzing qualitative results of 11 focus group sessions, we extend the theory-based model to integrate User Resistance. Additionally, three constructs are identified as antecedents of Performance Expectancy (communication benefits and noise) and Effort Expectancy (privacy concerns). Collapse

Topics: user resistance computer supported cooperative work usage intention information privacy concern electronic mail

Methods: focus group theory development grounded theory survey group interview

Theories: unified theory of acceptance and use of technology technology acceptance model