Lessons from enterprise systems competency centers in adopting digital transformation initiatives: An assemblage approach

2023 | Information and Organization | Citations: 0

Authors: Aryal, Arun; Truex, Duane; El Amrani, Redouane

Abstract: Firms are increasingly adopting digital transformation as a strategic priority. ... Expand

Abstract: Firms are increasingly adopting digital transformation as a strategic priority. However, the path to successful transformation remains uncertain for many organizations. This paper examines the establishment and evolution of competency centers in two case study organizations, historically used in enterprise systems, in addressing the complexity and challenges of digital transformation. The interactions within these competency centers are analyzed through assemblage theory to understand the emergent relations between heterogeneous parts (technology, people, and orga­ nization) and the dynamic processes of new configurations. The insights from this research show the critical role of the competency center in any enterprise system’s success and how it could continue playing a central role in future digital transformation initiatives. By providing a new lens to examine these issues, the assemblage theory provided a new theoretical perspective to the IS field and a new alternative empirical setting to the organizational literature. Collapse

Topics: enterprise information system digital transformation enterprise resource planning IT skill business process management

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

How have firms transformed and executed IT-enabled remote work initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic? Conceptualization and empirical evidence from Spain

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Benitez, Jose; Castillo, Ana; Ruiz, Laura; Luo, Xin (Robert); Prades, Pedro

Abstract: This paper examines how firms have transformed and executed IT-enabled remote wo ... Expand

Abstract: This paper examines how firms have transformed and executed IT-enabled remote work initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. After examining archival data on a sample of 100 firms in Spain, we discover three types of IT-enabled remote work firm’s strategies: leader, agile, and survival. Leader companies have a competitive advantage over agile companies, which in turn have a competitive advantage over survival organizations. We find that firm size was crucial to executing remote work firm’s initiatives as a leader or survival. The industry significantly affected the implementation of remote work firm’s initiatives during the three pivotal periods in the telecommunications industry. Collapse

Topics: remote work IT supported collaboration pandemic competitive advantage organizational value

Methods: qualitative content analysis theory development partial least squares path modeling mediation analysis statistical power analysis

Theories: contingency theory resource based view of the firm organizational theory

The Pursuit of Innovative Theory in the Digital Age

2023 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 1

Authors: Grover, Varun; Lyytinen, Kalle

Abstract: Grover & Lyytinen (2015) urged to reassess the Information System (IS) field?s e ... Expand

Abstract: Grover & Lyytinen (2015) urged to reassess the Information System (IS) field?s exclusive dependence on reference theories and to engage more in blue-ocean theorizing. From its inception, such need has been latent in the field, because it deals with novel, fast changing, complex, and systemic phenomena that is hard to account with received theory. We note in this essay that the need for innovative theorizing is heightened given the unprecedented, pervasive digitalization of contemporary society, accelerated by ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this essay, we scrutinize further the idea of blue-ocean theorizing and review the characteristics, impediments, and merits of developing innovative theory. We define endeavors toward such theory as collectively endorsed cognitive processes which increase variance and novelty of theoretical accounts of IS phenomena. These push to deviate from the field?s established theoretical (canonical) core by relaxing six assumptions that guide dominant, legitimate forms of the field?s theorizing. We identify and review institutional barriers that curb the development of innovative theory. In conclusion, we offer guidelines for how the field and its stakeholders can productively engage in developing and evaluating innovative theory. Collapse

Topics: pandemic reference discipline mobile application outsourcing online review

Methods: theory development design artifact literature study literature sample

Theories: transaction cost economics information systems theory

Maneuvering between skepticism and optimism about hyped technologies: Building trust in digital twins

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Korotkova, Nataliia; Benders, Jos; Mikalef, Patrick; Cameron, David

Abstract: IT vendors’ promises are likely to meet sound skepticism from prospective client ... Expand

Abstract: IT vendors’ promises are likely to meet sound skepticism from prospective clients. If a particular technology is in vogue and seen as a “hype,” clients are under pressure to buy the technology while, at the same time, skepticism about its claimed benefits might be reinforced. Finding a balance between optimism and skepticism is essential. In this qualitative case study, we examine how an oil and gas supplier company in Norway deals with different pressures when adopting and subsequently implementing digital twin (DT) technologies. DTs offer the promise of creating a digital representation of the physical assets that can keep production facilities operating efficiently and optimally and, as such, have been heralded as enabling the next frontier of productivity improvements. Our results reveal a set of different pressures promoting the decision to adopt the hyped technology. Yet, when descended to the local context, the hype status of DTs evokes multilevel perception segmentation that hype interpreters maneuver by building trust. Based on this analysis, we propose a framework of trust-building mechanisms that contribute to a more nuanced understanding of adoption of hyped technologies and enable practitioners to deal with hype-induced perception obstacles. Collapse

Topics: digital twin production management technology adoption technology diffusion video conference

Methods: qualitative interview case study longitudinal research single case study synthesis

Theories: technological frames of reference institutional theory

Digital Resilience: A Conceptual Framework for Information Systems Research

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

Authors: Tim, Yenni; Leidner, Dorothy

Abstract: In this editorial, we explore the role of IS in shaping the capacity to recover ... Expand

Abstract: In this editorial, we explore the role of IS in shaping the capacity to recover from exogenous shocks. Based on a synthesis of existing literature, we discuss the interplay between IS and resilience, as examined by various streams of research, and consolidate these insights under the banner of "digital resilience." Our exploration culminates in a new conceptual framework of digital resilience from which we formulate avenues for future research. Through this work, we aim to encourage and support further research and practical strategies focused on digital resilience, ultimately strengthening our collective capacity to navigate the diverse disruptions of our shared future.Yenni Tim is a senior lecturer in the School of Information Systems and Technology Management (SISTM), University of New South Wales (UNSW) Business School, Australia. Her research program addresses practical challenges at the intersection of digital capacity and societal resilience, using qualitative and design research methodologies. Yenni currently serves as a managing editor for Collapse

Topics: information system use innovation management systems design value creation IS management

Methods: synthesis literature study

Editorial Introduction

2023 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Zwass, Vladimir

Abstract: The Guest Editors of the Special Section that opens this third issue of the ann ... Expand

Abstract: The Guest Editors of the Special Section that opens this third issue of the anniversary 40 th volume of Journal of Management Information Systems (JMIS) frame the contributions the included papers make to our knowledge of information systems (IS) as "Digital Strategies for Business Readiness." This frame is becoming ever more appropriate with the several decades of the organizational deployment of information technology (IT). Without a strategic approach to this deployment, organizations are simply not ready to compete in the marketplace, or-in the case of administrative entities, which do not face competition-do not provide adequate support for the mission of the entities where they are embedded. Productivity analyses, the absence or presence of IT in the productivity statistics, and the adequacy of these statistics to measure IT productivity are only a part of this far larger picture.It is crucial to understand that advanced general technologies, such as IT, enable societies and organizations to make choices. The technology is necessary as an enabler of business models, products, and processes. But it is the choices we make in the deployment of the technology for the organizational and societal benefits that lead to the effective strategic positioning of the firms and-we expect-to the wellbeing of societies. The socio-technical core of our discipline that combines the understanding of the age-defining technology with the knowledge of business and administration is uniquely positioned to guide all of us to better choices.We are speaking about the readiness to do business-or the absence of this readiness. The readiness can wane when swept away by a major new technological wave. IT is not singular: We have witnessed several technological opportunities (or challenges) that have required organizations to revise their strategic and operational course, to mention only integrated mainframe families, personal computing, Internet-Web, smartphone, cloud computing, and now neural network-based artificial intelligence (AI). It is in the assimilation of the generative AI and in its adhesion to the existing IS that the competitive battles of the present decade will be fought. As shown by the Special Section, among many publications in JMIS and in other scholarly journals, our scholarly discipline has laid a firm groundwork for the assessment of the existing organizational IS capabilities that is necessary to move to the next competitive framework.The Special Section, guest-edited by Robert J. Kauffman and Atanu Lahiri, encompasses the work by the thought leaders of our field on the optimal bundling strategy for digital goods, the impacts of integrating recommendations into the consumer search, the effects of the bot involvement in blockchain-based social media platforms, and the dynamics of strategic investment and pricing in multisided platforms, with the specialized consideration of several industrial segments. The papers demonstrate both the theoretical and methodological diversity of our discipline, and its contribution to the actionable understanding of the current and potential future environments of our economies and organizations. The Guest Editors provide an extensive introduction to the Special Section.The paper opening the general section of the issue analyzes choices to be made in the deployment of IT in the healthcare setting. Healthcare informatics is now firmly a part of Collapse

Topics: system deployment enterprise architecture price management blockchain digital good

Methods: chatbot

A Deeper Look at Cloud Adoption Trajectory and Dilemma

2022 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 1

Authors: Hsu, Pei-Fang

Abstract: Different from previous cloud adoption studies that focus on the benefits and co ... Expand

Abstract: Different from previous cloud adoption studies that focus on the benefits and concerns of cloud computing from a technology point of view, this study takes a deeper look at two additional firm-specific forces that could better explain firms’ cloud adoption trajectory and dilemma: Path dependency and Institutional forces. Path dependency theory argues that if a firm has invested intensively in traditional IT, it may be more capable of adopting and utilizing new IT since it has accumulated knowledge. However, the firm could also be trapped in its previous path and reluctant to migrate to cloud to avoid sunk costs and switching costs. On the other hand, institutional theory provides an external view and posit that a firm facing more institutional forces from its trading community will have more incentives, as well as pressure, to adopt cloud. We developed a cloud adoption model that features benefits, concerns, path dependency, and institutional forces as prominent antecedents to understand their competing and complementary effects, and empirically tested the proposed model using 177 firms. The results show that, path dependence is indeed an important factor affecting firms’ cloud adoption behaviors; a firm with a better IT position and more satisfying IT outsourcing experiences will have greater cloud adoption intention. Institutional forces do not directly affect cloud adoption intention. Instead, institutional forces increase perceived benefits, through which, indirectly influence cloud adoption intention. The findings delineate the trajectory and dilemma that firms face when migrating to cloud and provide insights to cloud vendors in choosing their target market. Collapse

Topics: cloud computing outsourcing IT job platform as a service software as a service

Methods: survey partial least squares regression PLS tool factor analysis case study

Theories: institutional theory

Distributed IT championing: A process theory

2022 | Journal of Information Technology | Citations: 0

Authors: Negoita, Bogdan; Rahrovani, Yasser; Lapointe, Liette; Pinsonneault, Alain

Abstract: Championing is key to the success of an IT implementation. Recently, changes in ... Expand

Abstract: Championing is key to the success of an IT implementation. Recently, changes in the nature of technologies used in organizational contexts and changing organizational structures call for a renewed focus on IT championing to explain its distributed nature. Following an analytic induction approach and drawing from semi-structured interviews with 37 practitioners (physicians, residents, nurses, IT staff, and administrators) in three healthcare-related settings, the study conceptualizes distributed IT championing as a process constituted of multiple individuals’ behaviors, unfolding over time, that proactively go beyond formal job requirements in support of an IT implementation. While multiple individuals may enact similar championing behaviors, the data indicate that multiple individuals may also enact distinct, yet complementary, championing behaviors over the course of the IT implementation. Overall, distributed IT championing evolves through cycles of distinct stages of bridging-in, bonding, and bridging-out, with each stage being shaped by different dimensions of social capital. Also, IT artifacts that are particularly generative appear more conducive to distributed IT championing than closed ones. This article contributes to extant literature on IT championing by developing a process model of distributed IT championing in the context of an IT implementation. Collapse

Topics: systems implementation social capital IT workforce project management IT project

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

Theories: actor network theory social capital theory

How Human Resource and Information Systems Practices Amplify the Returns on Information Technology Investments

2022 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Tafti, Ali; Rahmati, Pouya; Mithas, Sunil; Krishnan, M. S.

Abstract: This study examines the important roles that human resources (HR) for informati ... Expand

Abstract: This study examines the important roles that human resources (HR) for information technology (IT) professionals and information systems (IS) practices for all workers in an organization play in shaping returns on firms' IT investments. In particular, we consider how incentives, autonomy, and training for IT professionals can enable a firm to better leverage the value of its IT investments. We argue that well-trained, motivated, and empowered IT professionals can help firms make better strategic choices in allocating IT investments and implementing IT projects. We also demonstrate how this moderating relationship depends upon collaborative IS and autonomy-enhancing IS practices that affect other knowledge workers in the firm. We leverage archival data for 228 firms with 736 firm-year observations and document two key findings. We find (1) that empowering HR practices for IT professionals positively moderate the effect of IT investments on firm performance, and (2) that the alignment between empowering HR practices for IT professionals and firm-wide collaborative IS practices enhances the value that firms derive from IT investments. Our results suggest that the business value of IT investments is linked to the rewards and opportunities offered to IT professionals, who have a pivotal role in the effective deployment of IT in organizations. Collapse

Topics: IT investment IT workforce computer supported cooperative work organizational productivity organizational value

Methods: survey Compustat sensitivity analysis instrumental variables estimation archival research

Theories: economic theory of complementarity

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