To Plan or not to Plan? Exploring Entrepreneurial Logics in Digital Servitization

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Jaspert, D.; Ebel, M.; Maihöfer, S.; Poeppelbuss, J.

Abstract: Digital servitization is of increasing concern for manufacturers to exploit the ... Expand

Abstract: Digital servitization is of increasing concern for manufacturers to exploit the potentials of digitalization with new service offerings. In this context, substantial changes within a firm´s capabilities, processes and mindset of employees need to be considered. To better understand such changes, we carve out behavioral logics of manufacturers undergoing digital servitization. An alternate template research design is used to discover the entrepreneurial logics of effectuation, causation, and bricolage. For this purpose, we conducted 13 semi-structured interviews with experts from the German manufacturing industry. Our results show that firms approaching digital servitization via hybrid decision logics. Causation can be found within all organizations. Effectuation is integrated to various degrees. Against it, the bricolage-logic is barely present. In total, the results provide new insights for digital servitization and for organizational ambidexterity. Collapse

Topics: innovation management digital service business model entrepreneurship lean start-up approach

Methods: qualitative interview literature study design methodology personal interview design artifact

Theories: ambidexterity theory

Improving Digital-Enabled Strategic Agility with Enterprise Strategy SaaS Platform Affordances: A Manufacturing Perspective

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Kalgovas, Bradley

Abstract: Strategic Agility allows organizations to rapidly respond to market movements a ... Expand

Abstract: Strategic Agility allows organizations to rapidly respond to market movements and integrate these opportunities into their organization. Open Strategy, utilizing frameworks such as Objectives and Key Results, increases Strategic Agility by enhancing transparency and inclusiveness in strategy development and execution. However, leaders lack effective digital tools to rapidly align organizations at scale and track progress, especially when creating Strategic Agility. To address this, Enterprise Strategy SaaS Platforms (Strategy SaaS), a new breed of strategy software, is being developed to facilitate Digital-Enabled Strategic Agility (DESA). This research explores the enablers of Strategy SaaS adoption and its impact on DESA through two manufacturing cases using Integrated Affordance Theory. Results indicate Strategy SaaS enables organizations to sense, decide, coordinate, and act on their Open Strategy initiatives more effectively. However, it also requires additional enablers due to the business-led nature of implementation. The research contributes a tangible action plan for leaders to increase DESA. Collapse

Topics: software as a service affordance usability user experience strategic agility

Methods: qualitative interview case study personal interview

Theories: theory of affordance

Adaptive Governance Model with a Sociotechnical Approach

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Ortega, Jose Antonio; Pedreira, Óscar; Piattini, Mario

Abstract: Digitalisation is imposing a strong pace of change on the business ecosystem, wh ... Expand

Abstract: Digitalisation is imposing a strong pace of change on the business ecosystem, which implies the need for an adaptive governance model that moves away from the mechanistic approach of Command & Control. In this sense, we have considered complexity thinking and sociotechnical systems design as the key elements for designing such a governance model. Using an action-research approach with international Spanish organisations, we have developed a governance model based on Agile Portfolio Management. Our conclusions show that it is possible to use this approach to create an adaptive governance model, which allows to take on business transformation initiatives, regardless of their level of complexity. At the same time, the organisation is encouraged to embrace a new working mindset, one that is more organic, more transparent and gives autonomy to staff Collapse

Topics: strategic management enterprise architecture strategic agility business topic design thinking

Methods: qualitative interview action research focus group design principle survey

IT Project Selection and Organisational Agility – An Integrated Conceptual Framework

2023 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: van Raay, Adrian; Duan, Sophia; Whiteside, Naomi

Abstract: Sustained competitive advantage is elusive to organisations, in a volatile cont ... Expand

Abstract: Sustained competitive advantage is elusive to organisations, in a volatile contemporary context. Organisational agility (OA), enabled by information technology, offers hope. However, organisations that pursue agility encounter incompatibility with IT project selection (ITPS) -as they select and fund projects, before implementation. Existing ITPS literature provides rich insights into methods, processes and people but is fragmented. Without integration, the incompatibility cannot be resolved. To address this problem, this study conducted a literature review of 159 articles to develop an integrated framework for understanding OA and ITPS. Findings show that methods, processes and people in ITPS can both enable and disable OA. Following conceptual-framework-analysis, ITPS is redefined as an enabler of agility. The resultant three-layered conceptual framework shows that firms can deploy ITPS methods, processes and people that enable sensing, deciding and responding, leading to OA. This study contributes by integrating literature to facilitate further research in this area. Collapse

Topics: decision making IT investment information technology capability competitive advantage IT project

Methods: literature sample literature study synthesis

Mastering the Downward-Facing Dog: IT Flexibility and Business-IT Alignment

2022 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Minderjahn, Marie; Borgman, Hans; Heier, Hauke

Abstract: With a rising quest to leverage information technologies (IT) for attaining stra ... Expand

Abstract: With a rising quest to leverage information technologies (IT) for attaining strategic objectives, enterprises require sufficient flexibility to cope with dynamic business environments. The flexibility of IT infrastructure is investigated in this study as a mechanism to induce more aligned business and IT activities in large organizations. To complement earlier findings of IT flexibility’s influence on alignment, this study operationalizes three models. Using standardized survey responses from 130 organizations from around the globe, structural equation modeling is applied. Investigating the impact of IT flexibility on alignment, we find a positive and meaningful effect of IT flexibility on alignment. Moreover, positive effects on several alignment practices are found. Although no moderating effect of cloud adoption rates is found, this study concluded with several meaningful implications to understand the strategic relevance of a flexible IT. Collapse

Topics: IS agility cloud computing IT alignment information technology infrastructure IT governance

Methods: partial least squares path modeling survey descriptive statistic survey design PLS tool

Digital-enabled strategic agility: it’s time we examine the sensing of weak signals

2022 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Pinsonneault, Alain; Choi, Inmyung

Abstract: Information Systems research provides significant insight into how information t ... Expand

Abstract: Information Systems research provides significant insight into how information technologies affect the strategic agility of firms. Most research to date has studied the responding element of agility at the expense of sensing. Further, extant research has mainly focused on how the sensing of formal and strong signals might influence agility. With the highly turbulent and fast-changing competitive landscape of the digital age, we argue for the need to expand the focus of this research to include examining how managers identify and make sense of weak signals, and how the sensing of weak signals influences digital-enabled strategic agility. Drawing on social network theory, this paper presents two streams of research and several research avenues that can stimulate and potentially guide research efforts on this topic. Collapse

Topics: strategic agility social media social capital social network

Theories: social network theory

Digital-Enabled Strategic Agility: The Next Frontier

2022 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Tallon, Paul P; Queiroz, Magno; Coltman, Tim

Abstract: ... Expand

Abstract: Collapse

Topics: strategic agility IT governance accounting sensemaking pandemic

Methods: literature sample case study literature study

Theories: social network theory

Digital governance mechanisms and principles that enable agile responses in dynamic competitive environments

2022 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Vaia, Giovanni; Arkhipova, Daria; DeLone, William

Abstract: Being an agile company today is no longer just about timely recognition of early ... Expand

Abstract: Being an agile company today is no longer just about timely recognition of early signs of change in order to defend an existing competitive position but rather being able to perpetually transition between a series of short-lived, temporary competitive advantages. While traditional IT governance approaches have lent themselves well to extracting value from a long-lasting competitive advantage, they can become a liability if agile companies need to continuously reinvent themselves in pursuit of a new, “transient” competitive advantage. To that end, a temporal dimension of IT governance (when and how fast to decide) becomes as important as its structural (who decides what) and procedural (how to decide) aspects. In this paper, we adopt a “ternary” view on governance and build on the extant literature in IS, strategy, and organisation design as well as exemplar case studies to explore how traditional approaches to IT governance structures, processes, and relational mechanisms are altered to improve sensing, deciding, and responding capabilities in turbulent business environments. These mechanisms are then summarised into four digital governance principles to guide future research and practice. Those principles are: 1) disciplined autonomy, 2) IS-Business convergence, 3) permeable boundaries, and 4) incremental financial commitment including fast experimentation. Collapse

Topics: IT governance strategic agility decision making digital transformation organizational change

Methods: case study

Scaling Agility: How Organizations Balance Tensions in Scaled-agile Organizations

2021 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Frey, Julian; Hund, Axel; Beimborn, Daniel

Abstract: Scaled-agile organizations (SAOs) have emerged as a response by incumbent organ ... Expand

Abstract: Scaled-agile organizations (SAOs) have emerged as a response by incumbent organizations to take on digital transformation efforts. However, these structures come with challenges, especially paradoxical tensions that need to be addressed. Therefore, we employ an exploratory common process case study series design to answer the following research questions: Which tensions underlie SAOs and how can these tensions best be balanced? We identify eight tensions on three levels and along two dimensions and show preliminary resolution strategies to manage these tensions. With this, we seek to shed light on how SAOs can be designed to minimize tensions and maximize their impact on strategic agility. In doing so, we provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners. Collapse

Topics: organization structure strategic agility organizational productivity information systems strategy digital transformation

Methods: qualitative interview case study theory development focus group personal interview

When All Products Are Digital: Complexity and Intangible Value in the Ecosystem of Digitizing Firms

2021 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 2

Authors: Rahmati, Pouya; Tafti, Ali; Westland, James; Hidalgo, Cesar

Abstract: During the last four decades, digital technologies have disrupted many industri ... Expand

Abstract: During the last four decades, digital technologies have disrupted many industries. Car control systems have gone from mechanical to digital. Telephones have changed from sound boxes to portable computers. But have the firms that digitized their products and services become more valuable than firms that didn't? Here we introduce the construct of digital proximity, which considers the interdependent activities of firms linked in an economic network. We then explore how the digitization of products and services affects a company's Tobin's q-the ratio of market value over assets-a measure of the intangible value of a firm. Our panel regression methods and robustness tests suggest the positive influence of a firm's digital proximity on its Tobin's q. This implies that firms able to come closer to the digital sector have increased their intangible value compared to those that have failed to do so. These findings contribute a new way of measuring digitization and its impact on firm performance that is complementary to traditional measures of information technology (IT) intensity. Collapse

Topics: IT investment digital innovation innovation management artificial intelligence research and development

Methods: Compustat propensity score matching descriptive statistic computational algorithm instrumental variables estimation