Digital Technology and Organizational Change

Within innovative companies competing in the globalized market we can observe two distinct phenomena characterizing their changes with respect to the past: the proliferation of organizational networks and the raise of a new profile of top manager/entrepreneur that has been called business designer. Scholars and practitioners are paying great attention to these two phenomena in order to characterize them and to improve their reproducibility. Since business designers are characterized mostly for their way to design and develop innovation at the level of products, services and customers relationships, while organizational networks are seen as transformers of the organization of innovative companies, there has been little or no attention to the mutual relations binding the two phenomena. In this paper I propose some first hints on how business designers promote or should promote networks and suggest that organizational networks are necessary for doing business design. The last sections discuss how Information and Communication Technology can support the effectiveness of networks and suggest the technological innovation that should accompany the raise of business designers.

The number of research studies and surveys on software project management is constantly growing. However, the state of the practice of software project management methodologies is still disparate and confusing. Therefore, project teams are often confused by whether or not they should adopt agile methodologies, or keep on working in a “traditional” way. Given this focus, this research aims at understanding, through different expert perspectives, the challenges and success factors encountered in different types of ICT projects. We adopted a qualitative research approach based on semi-structured interviews with senior project management consultants. Consultants are involved in different kinds of ICT projects: agile and plan-driven projects. The research paper has important implications for practitioners and academics. Findings show that the nature of the reported problems varies depending on whether the teams are working in an agile or in a traditional environment.

This research-in-progress aims to address the complex phenomenon of knowledge sharing within the context of social media. The objective of this paper is to examine how the affordances of social media impact knowledge sharing dynamics in intra-organizational Information Technology (IT) projects. This paper adopts Design Science Research (DSR) as research paradigm and the Technical Action Research (TAR) as validation method. One social media artifact will be designed and investigated within the context of an IT project. The expected contributions of this work will be twofold: (1) The results of this research should add to the literature on empirically tested theory of social media affordances on knowledge sharing dynamics in IT projects; (2) The instantiation of the TAR study will characterize a contribution of the type ‘situated implementation of artifact’. This research should have implications for both the Project Management and Knowledge Management communities. Practitioners should be directly benefited by this work with an in-depth understanding of social media affordances on knowledge sharing dynamics.

Systems (re-)design is discussed in the light of the socio-technical (ST) design approach and by considering how (re-)design can be made more manageable by looking at the work practices that mitigates the limits of the current ST systems. The conclusion is that ST re-design requires reconsidering how ST systems are designed, for the benefit of whom and how control is exercised.

In this paper we report upon some results of an empirical study involving employees from 32 SMEs in the UK on how they approach socio-technical principles in the design of their work systems. We are particularly interested in what extent employees are engaged with decision making, change in work practices and job satisfaction. Our findings reveal that employees would prefer more responsibilities, more involvement in the decision making and in change of work practices. Additionally, it seems that recognition and appreciation by management are the most valuable job satisfaction criteria. Therefore, our findings further support the conclusion that socio-technical principles are not outdated. From a socio-technical lens, the debate on the productivity issues should not only consider buying more technology as a crucial part of the design of a work process but additional effort is required to connect it with employees’ capabilities.

In this paper we make the point of the need to introduce a new concept, and the related term, to account for the dynamic nature of socio-technical systems and make this nature a primary concern of systems thinking to understand and intervene on this kind of systems: the cybork.

Participatory game design has been conducted with children for eliciting their expectations for games for them. However, game design is a complex interaction design process: it takes various design tasks and demands different cognitive skills. This paper reflects on it considering the products of two participatory game design studies with children, conducted in two different years in diverse primary schools.

Scholars investigating the importance of effective IT managers’ relations tend to rely on two mainstream theoretical approaches: the resource-based view (RBV) and sister theories, on the one hand; and the business-IT alignment view, on the other hand. This study proposes that these two theories, although very effective in explaining several aspects of the importance of IT managers’ relationships, are not sufficient, and could be usefully complemented by at least two further important theories: Lawrence and Lorsch’s view of organisational differentiation and integration, and the cyclical model of organisational learning proposed by Zollo and Winter. Therefore, this study presents the contribution of these four theoretical approaches (RBV, business-IT alignment, organisational integration, and cyclical organisational learning) to explaining the importance of IT managers’ relationships. For each theory, two propositions are deduced. The eight resulting propositions are briefly compared, in order to highlight the importance of theoretical cross-fertilisation and integration for a better scientific understanding of IT management value.

We present a methodology to support innovation processes in business contexts. The methodology consists of three phases. First, an innovation team composed of stakeholders, domain experts and knowledge engineers collects domain knowledge. This knowledge is used as source for creative sparks, which are representations of preliminary ideas for innovation. In the second phase of the methodology, creative sparks are identified to ignite a collaborative activity by the innovation team, which may lead to identification of new innovative ideas. Thus we provide hints on how to search and select the creative sparks and how to organize brainstorming activities. In the third phase, selected ideas are elaborated and validated in the specific business context. In this paper we focus on the first two phases and present an innovation management system to support them. In particular, we describe the CREAM software system that allows generation of creative sparks from a knowledge base comprising predefined idea patterns, a domain ontology and a set of business rules. Although the proposed methodology is general purpose here we show an application in the business intelligence sector.

The present study builds on diffusion of innovation (DOI) and institutional theories to address the current lack of cross-national studies on e-HRM adoption and usage. The core research question asks about the factors influencing e-HRM adoption and usage for HRM. We analysed direct effects related to country, organizational and HRM factors among 3815 organizations in 21 countries in a multilevel approach. The results largely supported the hypotheses. Specifically, national systems supporting innovative behaviours determine the extent of e-HRM adoption. The economic sector of activity, size, global competition and educational level were associated with e-HRM adoption and usage at the organizational level. Moreover, a strategic orientation of the HR function seems to be a prerequisite for e-HRM adoption and usage. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Customer loyalty is even more important in the e-commerce since the costs of serving customers decrease as long as the customers’ number increases. Convenience, variety seeking, trust, security, social interaction, returns policy are helpful elements to predict e-satisfaction, and this latter, constitutes the primary cause of e-loyalty. The aim of the paper is to better explore the impact of different drivers in enhancing the satisfaction and loyalty perceived by customer when purchasing online in a B2C context. Results show that not all the antecedents represent drivers enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. In particular, the constructs related to ease of use and trust on the e-retailer/s are found to be always positively linked to all the three dependent variables (satisfaction, repurchase intention and WOM), while monetary savings and security do not impact on these three outcomes. Considering the effect of return policy, it impacts both on satisfaction and overall loyalty.

This study describes the process of big data adoption in three major Brazilian banks and unveils the process of implementing a new technology platform in a “pluralistic context”. Besides requiring huge investments, big data implementation also demands an articulation between the many centers of power within the bank and a redefinition of concepts once dominant in the organization. The four moments of the translation model proposed by the Actor-Network Theory—problematization, interessment, enrolment and mobilization—are used as elements for describing and understanding the big data adoption journey. A cross-case analysis unveils a similar model for incorporating big data in the three studied banks. Initially brought into the bank by a small group of pioneers, the new concept of big data is explored by study groups created to amplify knowledge about the concept and related technologies. These pioneer groups then start working on connecting with other business areas, on the path to consolidate the need of big data in the bank. Thus the purpose of this study is to understand the process managers inside the organization from the point they became aware of the relevance of big data for their businesses and how they create conditions for it to be incorporated to the bank’s corporative strategy.

E-learning is pervading higher education, being a convenient training opportunity in a busy and demanding society. Despite being a popular phenomenon both in research and in practice, e-learning is however far from being successfully implemented in any context. This is a matter of both inadequate exploration of the learners’ perspective and insufficient reflection about the implications for the instructors. This paper focuses on the first aspect, surveying 277 university students about their opinion and experience of e-learning. The results are partially unexpected and expected: first, despite recognizing a positive future trend for e-learning, students are still confused with regard to its meaning and have a only limited awareness of its potentialities. Secondly, despite the general familiarity with its use, there is still a high percentage of students who haven’t used e-learning yet and who are uninterested in using it. Thirdly, e-learning seems to present more advantages than disadvantages, yet there are still many areas to work on to make e-learning really works. Based on these findings, we develop some managerial implications for instructors and educational organizations.

The paper presents early results of the first European applied game-jam network called JamToday. The JamToday Network was set-up in 2014 with the support from the European Commission Programme CIP-ICT-PSP being the first pan-European Network dedicated to applied game design. It brings together different types of partners (such as creative clusters, game companies, education and research institutes, public sector institutions, municipalities etc.) from various sectors, fields and expertise for running game jams across Europe to make a real change in making games on themes like eSkills, Health & Wellbeing and Learning Maths and applying them in learning environments. The paper presents the work achieved by the JamToday Network in the first two years and very concrete and practical tools and methodologies developed by the JamToday Network to support game-design approaches for learning environments from design to transfer and evaluation.

The present study analyses individual learning in a computer-based simulation setting (business game). In particular, the study points out the importance of the team environment in stimulating individual states that may foster individual learning. By taking into account 402 individuals who participated in a computer-based simulation, we underscore that individual perception of integration climate fosters individual curiosity and decreases individual aggressiveness. Moreover, we outline that individual curiosity does have an impact on individual learning.

This project looks into the perception of the benefits and drawbacks of Internet usage by elderly people, born from the mid 1920s to the early 1940s, also known as the ‘silent generation’ (Lustria et al. in Health Informatics Journal 17(3):224–243, [1]). As governmental services are gradually becoming online, elderly people are required to use the Internet in order to complete the compulsory task(s). The Internet can be a challenging technology for the silent generation due to their experience and knowledge in using the computer and Internet. At the same time elderly people are anxious about Internet security, as they believe they can be victimised, hence the reason why the generation avoids the technology as much as possible. Participants also believed there was no need to use the Internet, as they have managed without the technology throughout their career. The paper also discusses the key elements by outlining the benefits and drawbacks relating to age-related disabilities, affordability, and privacy/security issues. In addition accessibility, usability and design issues are discussed and how that benefits and affects interaction with the Internet from a socio-technical perspective. During the observations participants were observed on how they interact with the Internet. The research suggests participants’ experienced accessibility, usability and design issues (i.e. using the mouse, keyboard, font-size, and logging-in).

Modern organizations, particularly in Healthcare, increasingly adopt knowledge Intensive Processes (KIPs) and use work teams to perform knowledge intensive tasks and coordination activities. Despite a growing interest on the topic of KIPs, studies analyzing the role of interactions among knowledge workers and their collaboration dynamics as drivers of process performance are still lack in the literature. This research aims to offer a methodological support towards a more quantitative and systematic analysis of such process dynamics. Thus, a state of the art is assessed by a structured and in-depth investigation of the academic literature. Results focus on Sociometric badges/sensors as an innovative way and potential valuable tool to quantitatively analyze social dynamics of collaboration in KIPs by measuring participant interactions and group behavior. Main benefits and possible alerts are identified and analyzed in order to provide valuable directions for applications and further research.

This chapter aims to demonstrate the positive impact of the use of ICTs and knowledge work content on employees’ wellbeing. Our focus is on generations at work, and specifically generation X, which is underexplored in the current research debate but relevant in terms of the organizations’ human capital. The relationship between knowledge work content and wellbeing of Generation X has been explored along with the impact that the use of ICT may have in this relationship. The findings of the analysis, carried out on a sample of 5,557 employees in Europe (data source: WVS 2010–14), demonstrate that the use of ICT is important for the wellbeing of all generations. We also demonstrate that different levels of knowledge work content have an impact on employees’ wellbeing, and this relationship is stronger for Generation X, while increase in ICT usage may have an adverse effect on it. Our results offer interesting stimuli for a debate between scholars and practitioners in the management of employees, calling for attention to the controversial effect of ICT usage and to this mid-generation, too.

Nowadays, organizations face the co-presence of three generations of workers (“baby boomers”, Xers and Yers). However, another generation will join the workforce in the next years: the generation Z. Accordingly, companies must be able to understand their characteristics and expectations, in order to manage their generation mix. This study aims to fulfill a consistent gap in the extant literature, also providing important managerial implications, when formulating three propositions: (a) there are specific aspects which Zers give more importance when choosing their job; (b) the use of technology and the typology of technological devices characterize the digital employee experience of the generation Z; and (c) the entry of the new generation of workers has an impact on diversity management practices within organizations. After a comprehensive review of the literature, we analyze and discuss the results of a survey among 298 young people, belonging to the generation Z. The findings reveal both a universal profile of the future generation of workers, together with their digital behaviors.

This paper reviews the literature on electronic health records and summarizes a few persistent challenges that electronic medical record (EMR) systems must address relating to security and safety of patients. A discussion on patient engagement and its connection with confidentiality in Health IT is followed by examples with an emphasis on the personal health record portal implementation at Kaiser Permanente. Next, through review of practitioner and architectural guideline documentation, a summary of concepts for electronic health records architectural considerations for privacy with the implementation of technologies such as access controls, encryption and data handling best practices. In this position paper, two major initiatives are revealed: (1) The premise of patient engagement and (2) the guidelines for a “Robust Health Data Infrastructure Architecture” platform for Health IT.

This paper reports the first validation steps of the prototype of a Time Accounting System (TAS), which has been designed and developed to investigate how a technology that facilitates service exchanges using local currency can be accepted in a developing country, namely in Bangladesh. The paper describes the results of two Confirmatory Focus Groups (CFGs) that have been developed to assess the functionalities of the TAS. The main goal of these CFGs was to investigate how interactive and simple the system must be to be accepted by users, given that, based on some previous studies, the idea/concept of a TAS is expected to spread over in Bangladesh.