“Collaborating” with AI: Taking a System View to Explore the Future of Work

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Anthony, Callen; Bechky, Beth A.; Fayard, Anne-Laure

Abstract: In the wake of media hype about artificial intelligence (AI)/human collaboration ... Expand

Abstract: In the wake of media hype about artificial intelligence (AI)/human collaboration, organizations are investing considerable resources into developing and using AI. In this paper, we draw on theories of technology in organizations to frame new directions for the study of what it means to work “with” AI. Drawing on prior literature, we consider how interactions between users and AI might unfold through theoretical lenses which cast technology as a tool and as a medium. Reflecting on how AI technologies diverge from technologies studied in the past, we propose a new perspective, which considers technology as a counterpart in a system of work that includes its design, implementation, and use. This perspective encourages developing a grounded understanding of how AI intersects with work, and therefore ethnography, building on thick descriptions, is an apt approach. We argue that relational ethnographic approaches can assist organization theorists in navigating the methodological challenges of taking a counterpart perspective and propose several strategies for future research. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence spreadsheet human AI collaboration human computer interaction information system use

Methods: ethnography computational algorithm qualitative interview experiment theory development

Theories: theory of distributed cognition actor network theory

The regulation of and through information technology: Towards a conceptual ontology for IS research

2023 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 0

Authors: Butler, Tom; Gozman, Daniel; Lyytinen, Kalle

Abstract: This special issue addresses a largely neglected area of Information Systems (IS ... Expand

Abstract: This special issue addresses a largely neglected area of Information Systems (IS) research – the regulation of and through Information Technology (IT). As with other human technologies, IT artefacts present risks and can harm individuals, groups, organisations, economies, and society: However, this remains a largely unexplored topic in IS research. Nevertheless, regulators, social commentators, the media, and the public have voiced their concerns about such risks, particularly those related to artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, privacy, digital assets (e.g. cryptocurrencies), and the market dominance of digital platforms. Accordingly, regulations have been instituted or proposed to regulate IT artefacts in and across several business sectors. Additionally, in response to the informational challenges posed by a complex web of laws and regulations, regulators and business organisations have implemented IT artefacts to transform regulatory and supervisory processes or to enhance organisational risk management and compliance reporting capabilities. This special issue addresses the research challenges related to emergent issues surrounding the regulation of and through IT. In this editorial, we take stock of where the field currently stands. We advance a conceptual ontology of IT regulation to guide future research by specifying several taken-for-granted core concepts. By rendering the concepts, categories, and their relationships explicit, the model and its related research questions provide a firm foundation to generate a cumulative body of research on the regulation of and through IT. Collapse

Topics: digital platform information technology infrastructure knowledge representation big data innovation management

Methods: design artifact ontological modelling qualitative content analysis theory development literature study

Theories: institutional theory theory of affordance general systems theory

What is the Metaverse and who seeks to define it? Mapping the site of social construction

2023 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 27

Authors: Dolata, Mateusz; Schwabe, Gerhard

Abstract: The Metaverse has become a buzz-phrase among tech businesses. Facebook’s rebrand ... Expand

Abstract: The Metaverse has become a buzz-phrase among tech businesses. Facebook’s rebranding to Meta is symptomatic of this. Many firms and other actors are trying to shape visions of the Metaverse, leading to confusion about the term’s meaning. We use social construction of technology (SCOT) theory to disentangle the conflicting notions proposing that what the Metaverse is and will become relies on the collective sensemaking processes. We point out similarities and differences between various concepts presented in the public media and link them to individual actors’ monetary, political, or social motives. We describe the tensions that occur because of the conflicting interests. As the Metaverse is an emerging phenomenon, opportunities exist to reorient it toward humanist values rather than singular interests. However, the complexity of the social processes that shape the Metaverse requires a considerate approach rather than premature conclusions about the Metaverse’s characteristics. The analysis presents the Metaverse as a new, continually evolving sociotechnical phenomenon, and calls for research that explores it as a dynamic, moving target. Collapse

Topics: virtual reality societal evaluation criteria technological change virtual world database system

Methods: linguistic analysis meta analysis

Task delegation from AI to humans: A principal-agent perspective

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Guggenberger, Tobias; Lämmermann, Luis; Urbach, Nils; Walter, Anna; Hofmann, Peter

Abstract: Increasingly intelligent AI artifacts in human-AI systems perform tasks more au ... Expand

Abstract: Increasingly intelligent AI artifacts in human-AI systems perform tasks more autonomously as entities that guide human actions, even changing the direction of task delegation between humans and AI. It has been shown that human-AI systems achieve better results when the AI artifact takes the leading role and delegates tasks to a human rather than the other way around. This study presents phenomena, conflicts, and challenges that arise in this process, explored through the theoretical lens of principalagent theory (PAT). The findings are derived from a systematic literature review and an exploratory interview study and are placed in the context of existing constructs of PAT. Furthermore, this article paper identifies new causes of tensions that arise specifically in AI-to-human delegation and calls for special mechanisms beyond the classical solutions of PAT. The paper thus contributes to the understanding of autonomous AI and its implications for human-AI delegation. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence human computer interaction human AI collaboration explainable artificial intelligence software developer

Methods: qualitative interview personal interview structured literature research qualitative coding computational algorithm

Theories: lemon market theory agency theory

Promoting Digital Innovation for Sustainability in the Public Sector

2023 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Joukhadar, George; Jiang, Rachel; Harrington, Kate; Thorogood, Alan

Abstract: Digital technologies and their uptake in society have advanced more rapidly tha ... Expand

Abstract: Digital technologies and their uptake in society have advanced more rapidly than any innovation in history. However, research into how the public sector uses digital innovation has been slow to develop. Government has an essential role to play in sustainability by setting and enforcing policies around subjects such as pollution and carbon taxes, making digital innovation in government critical for digital sustainability. Further, the public sector's values and priorities differ from those of the private sector, which confounds simple comparisons in areas such as digital ways of working and efficiency drivers. This paper draws on the public management literature and uses an exploratory and interpretive field study of a leading digital government. The research identifies six barriers to digital innovation within the New South Wales government, a world-leader in digital integration. The barriers are: varying digital maturity, nondigital mindset, slow mobilization, service-based silos, premature solutioning, and failure to align investment in digital innovation with broader government priorities. The paper identifies initiatives enabling world-class digital innovation and driving effective change. These enablers are structural service integration, ecosystem engagement, technology modernization, customer-centric strategies and processes, and agility in management. This paper finds that digital capability gaps and core rigidities interact requiring a comprehensive approach to realize the significant benefits offered to citizens and the environment. Collapse

Topics: innovation management digital innovation IT alignment information technology capability government system

Methods: qualitative interview personal interview field study theoretical contribution qualitative coding

Digital Identity Platforms: A Data Justice Perspective

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Masiero, Silvia

Abstract: Digital identity platforms, designed to enable secure and unique authentication ... Expand

Abstract: Digital identity platforms, designed to enable secure and unique authentication of users, are widely depicted as a means to strengthen public service systems. Yet, this vision is questioned by studies illuminating how digital authentication results in exclusions, data violations and other forms of harm generated on users. This paper contributes a vision of digital identity inspired by the concept of data justice, which views data in terms of the fairness with which users are seen, represented and treated. Drawing on a data justice framework, we study a dataset of web sources (2021-2022) in terms of the legal, informational and design-related forms of injustice stemming from digital identification. By doing so we contribute to the emerging literature on digital identity, offering a conceptual lens to understand and ultimately combat the injustice generated through it. Collapse

Topics: pandemic blog digital platform data protection information system use

Methods: design artifact theory development

Theories: distributive justice theory

Control enactment in context: Understanding the interaction of controlee and controller perceptions in inter-organisational project teams

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: McCarthy, Stephen; O'Raghallaigh, Paidi; Li, Yuzhu; Adam, Frédéric

Abstract: Control is necessary for aligning the actions of management (i.e., controllers) ... Expand

Abstract: Control is necessary for aligning the actions of management (i.e., controllers) and subordinates (i.e., controlees) around common goals. The enactment of control often fails in practice; however, as controlee perceptions may not match those of controllers, leading to a myriad of possible outcomes. Through an interpretive case study of two inter-organisational IT projects, we reveal how controlees' appraisals and responses to controls are context-dependent and play out across multiple levels (e.g., personal, professional, project and organisational contexts). We build on a coping perspective of IS controls to theorise the ‘coping strategies’ that controlees pursued relevant to these contexts and the ‘coping routes’ followed when combining different consecutive coping strategies. We find the process need not end with the selection of a single strategy but can potentially continue as both the controller and controlees make ongoing readjustments. While Behavioural Control Theory traditionally assumes the presence of a single control hierarchy, interorganisational IT projects are multi-level entities that amalgamate different structures and cultures. Our study moves beyond the existing assumptions of Behavioural Control Theory to discuss how a controller's choice of activities shapes the salience of different contexts in controlee appraisals. Collapse

Topics: IT project interorganizational system organizational context electronic health systems development

Methods: case study theory development conceptual modelling qualitative interview theoretical contribution

Theories: control theory

A method for resolving organisation-enterprise system misfits: An action research study in a pluralistic organisation

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Morquin, David; Ologeanu-Taddei, Roxana; Paré, Guy; Wagner, Gerit

Abstract: Although off-the-shelf enterprise systems (ES) have been widely adopted in organ ... Expand

Abstract: Although off-the-shelf enterprise systems (ES) have been widely adopted in organisations, the extant literature repeatedly documents ES failures caused by misfits between organisational processes and the ES. Although some misfits can be identified early in the ES lifecycle, others emerge in the onward and upward phase (i.e., after the implementation) and, hence, must be resolved reactively. Prior research on misfits and resolution strategies has primarily focused on the implementation phase, often assuming that close-to-perfect information on the misfit's nature and characteristics is available. However, no study has examined how to effectively complete a shared diagnosis and resolution of misfits when diverging individual user perceptions are taken as the starting point. Such situations may be particularly pronounced in pluralistic organisations, where a variety of interdependent processes and potentially competing perceptions of processes are prevalent. The main objective of this study is to address this gap. To this end, we propose a pragmatic method for the diagnosis and resolution of misfits between organisational processes and enterprise systems, which builds on an actionable conceptualization of misfits. This method builds on theoretical concepts of affordances, affordance actualization, user participation, and change agentry. To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, we conducted an action research study in a university hospital. Our analysis focused on a specific misfit involving the hospital's ES-supported clinical processes. The findings suggest that the method effectively diagnoses and resolves misfits and optimises the resources required for their resolution through efficient management of user participation. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical contributions of our work. Collapse

Topics: affordance user experience business process management participatory design usability

Methods: action research design methodology personal interview company material field study

Theories: theory of affordance

Leveraging Ambidexterity in a Digital Platform Ecosystem: Insights from a Complementor’s Perspective

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Vieru, Dragos; Plugge, Albert; Bourdeau, Simon

Abstract: This case study explores ambidextrous practices of a complementor firm within a ... Expand

Abstract: This case study explores ambidextrous practices of a complementor firm within a Microsoft-owned digital platform ecosystem (DPE). We draw on organizational ambidexterity and social mechanisms as lenses to analyze how a complementor deals with paradoxical practices of exploration and exploitation in the context of a DPE. By identifying deep structures and surface structures and their related social mechanisms we shed light on the role of ambidextrous complementors in a DPE. Our analysis implies that the identified social mechanisms illustrate how the complementor creates new ideas with other DPE actors to nurture capability development (exploration) and how these ideas are transformed into practice (exploitation). In addition, our findings imply that the complementor’s support of a platform contributes to an increased commitment to the platform owner. Collapse

Topics: innovation management digital ecosystem knowledge sharing telephone electronic mail

Methods: qualitative interview field study triangulation case study personal interview

Theories: ambidexterity theory

Entrepreneurial Framing and Negotiations of Product Boundaries: A Qualitative Study on the Social Construction of Product Innovation in AI Ventures

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Zebhauser, Jonathan; Rothe, Hannes; Sundermeier, Janina; Koranteng, Samuel

Abstract: The diffusion of AI-technology disrupts labor and industries and gives rise to ... Expand

Abstract: The diffusion of AI-technology disrupts labor and industries and gives rise to a diverse range of new ventures and product innovations. Such product innovations involve the negotiation of product boundaries among actors in innovation networks, including ventures, investors, and customers. These negotiations consist of social and cognitive translations. For digital products, actors share a common understanding of resource configuration, mainly based on cognitive resonance. However, AI-driven products introduce the "black-box" problem that hinders cognitive translation-based negotiations within innovation networks, as they are not fully cognitively traceable, but emotionally resonant. Using a qualitative research approach and the notion of entrepreneurial framing, we investigate the impact of AI on the negotiation of product boundaries and digital innovation. We reveal that AI-ventures, to maintain "cognitive" superiority, focus on cutting-edge technology while limiting negotiation to non-technology aspects, such as revenue streams and business models, creating "cognitive moats" for non-expert actors. Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence innovation management business model digital product digital innovation

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding theory development longitudinal research survey

Theories: technological frames of reference