Modellability of System Characteristics - Using Formal Mark-up Languages for Change Capability by Design

AbstractChange capability enables a production system to cope with external influences in an efficient, fast and self-organized manner. Several approaches have been designed for measuring change capability by specific indicators which represent core characteristics of production systems. On the other hand, formal modelling languages are used for production system design. Unfortunately, these languages do not match with system characteristics and especially with those indicators of change capability. Due to this missing linkage, existent production system models don’t facilitate the implementation of a system's change capability by design. Goal of this contribution is to point out the possibilities of operationalization approaches and their potential to be extended for (formal) modelling of system characteristics and sub properties, exemplified by using the concept of change capability. Additionally, the potential of change capability to be representable in a formal language will be exemplarily outlined by emphasizing on Systems Modelling Language (SysML). For this purpose, a qualitative approach with an emphasis on literature- and content analysis will be applied. Results of this contribution are (1) to pinpoint the research gap (which is also of crucial practical relevance) and (2) to point out possible solution approaches for a formal modellability of system characteristics

IT Project Selection in an Agile Organisation

Organisations face a persistent challenge in achieving sustained competitive advantage in the rapidly changing business landscape. Organisational agility (OA), enabled by information technology (IT), offers hope. However, organisations that pursue agility encounter incompatibility with IT project selection (ITPS), where projects are selected and funded before implementation. Existing literature highlights the dual capability of ITPS to enable and disable agility, underscoring its continued importance for agile organisations. To tackle the incompatibility between ITPS and OA, this study presents a case study conducted at Infrastructure Co, an agile organisation that actively undertakes ITPS. Findings show the need for a redesign of traditional ITPS governance to facilitate agility. Infrastructure Co achieved this by delegating and decentralising ITPS processes and decisions away from the enterprise-project-management-office into projects. This study contributes by presenting revelatory empirical findings, addressing this important new research question

Knowledge Creation and Firm Performance: Mediating Processes from an Organizational Agility Perspective

Knowledge creation has emerged as a critical area in information systems research in the past decade (Nonaka 1994). However, the mechanism through which knowledge creation enhances firm performance remains unclear. This paper examines the role of organization agility as a mediator between knowledge creation processes and firm performance. Our survey study of 134 firms indicates that two forms of organizational agility – customer agility and operational agility, significantly and fully mediate the effect of knowledge creation on firm performance. Our findings extend prior research by providing insights into the role of organizational agility in facilitating the effect of knowledge creation processes on firm performance. Implications for researchers and managers are discussed

Large-Scale Agile Transformation: A Case Study of Transforming Business, Development and Operations

Today, product development organizations are adopting agile methods in units outside the software development unit, such as in sales, market, legal, operations working with the customer. This broader adoption of agile methods has been labeled large-scale agile transformation and is considered a particular type of organizational change, originating in the software development units. So far, there is little research-based advice on conducting such transformations. Aiming to contribute towards providing relevant research advice on large-scale agile transformation, we apply a research-based framework for evaluating organizational agility on a product development program in a maritime service provider organization. We found that doing a large-scale agile transformation involves many significant challenges, such as having a shared understanding of the problem, getting access to users, and getting commitment to change that needs to be done. In order to overcome such challenges, we discuss the need for a holistic and integrated approach to agile transformation involving all the units linked to software development.publishedVersio

THE DETERMINANTS AND ROLE OF AGILITY IN DIGITAL ORGANIZATIONS

The changes in the business environment due to digital technologies and an increasing pace of innovation, have to be reflected in the organizational design of firms. In particular, agility has been put forward as an approach to cope with upcoming changes and to ensure organizational effectiveness in times of digitalization. We conceptualize agility as two types – detecting and re-acting agility. In this paper, we analyze the organizational design and identify determinants for these two types of agility within the design. In our empirical study, we identified agility as a determinant of organizational effectiveness and discuss the relevance of agility in new forms of organizing in today’s business environment. Our research is based on a quantitative study in the professional services industry where we conducted a survey with 217 respondents. The findings of our study carry theoretical contributions regarding the determinants of agility in the organizational design and the further delineation of detecting and reacting agility. Both of them carry essential importance for the design of digital organizations. Building on that, we derive managerial implications that yield the need to update the organizational design. In addition, we determine new forms of organizing and anchor agility as a management objective for digital organizations

Risk sources, agility strategy and company performance among manufacturing small and medium enterprises in Malaysia

Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), with its significant contribution to a country’s economy is gaining a corresponding interest from the research community. However, SMEs face numerous risks that could affect their performance resulting in its inability to rise to its full potential. Thus, this paper seeks to study the effect of risk sources (innovation and technology adoption risk, infrastructure risk and legal and regulation environment risk) towards company performance while introducing agility strategy in improving performance. Data was collected through a survey to Malaysian SME manufacturing companies yielding a response from 152 companies. Data were analysed using PLS-SEM. Findings indicate that innovation and technology adoption risk and legal and regulation environment risk have a significant effect on company performance. Meanwhile, the introduction of agility strategy does indicate a role in improvement of company’s performance in handling these risk sources. It would seem that agility strategy plays an effective role in mitigating risks therefore improving SME’s performance, contributing to knowledge of effective mitigating strategies in the field of risk management in supply chain for SMEs

Organizational Agility Conceptual Model

Organizational agility is a complex and multidimensional concept. One of the challenges in researching organizational agility is its unified definition and concept. Li terature analysis reveals various dimensions and frameworks are used to analyze organization agili- ty. Many of them focus on narrow industry or only approach the organizational agility concept from limited perspective. This article attempts to combine different approaches and angles to organiza- tional agility to a more cohesi ve and encompassing conceptual model that is applicable to variety industries and organizations. The variety and combination of attributes, characteristics, capabili- ties, and practices make the measurement of organizational agility are analyzed. Building on research main frameworks for analyzing organizational agility concept are identified. Conceptual organiza- tional agility model based on organizational agility attributes, capa- bilities and practices framework is presented. This article contrib- utes to research by providing more unified concept, which can be adapted in studying organizational agility in a wide and global range of organizations, regardless of the industry they operate in

Business-IT Alignment Effects on Business Agility

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of business-IT Alignment effects on business agility. The questionnaire of this study was given to 504 people via online survey who work as a manager in 3 public, 9 private and 16 foreign capital banks in Turkey.  334 valid questionnaires were collected back and analyzed.  Corellastion, Regresion and Multiple Regretion analysis were used. According to the findings business-IT alignment has a positive effect on the business agility. As sub dimensions intellectual alignment and business alignment have a positive effect on the business agility. When we look at Business –IT alignment effect on business agility dimensions. It has positive effects on all six dimension of business agility (Agile Values, Technology Workforce, Change Management, Collaboration & Coordination and Flexible Infrastructure.).

The Effect Of Brand Image On Product Purchase Intention With Customer Satisfaction As A Mediation Variable (Study Of Semen Gresik Consumer In East Java)

PT Semen Gresik terus berupaya untuk mebentuk image produknya sebagai produk premiun agar dapat mempertahankan statusnya sebagai market leader, strategi tersebut bertujuan untuk membentuk brand image yang kuat dan menjaga kepuasan pelanggan agar mampu menciptakan niat beli yang berkelanjutan. Saat ini permintaan semen nasional masih labil dan sulit diprediksi, sehingga perlu dilakukan evaluasi korelasi antar variabel tersebut. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengevaluasi hubungan antara citra merek, kepuasan pelanggan dan niat membeli. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah pelanggan produk semen Gresik yang berada di wilayah 1 Jawa Timur yang meliputi wilayah Surabaya, Gresik, Sidoarjo, dan Mojokerto. Teknik pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan non-probability sampling, sedangkan metode pengumpulan data menggunakan purposive sampling dengan 3 kriteria yaitu: 1) agen, pengecer atau toko, 2) telah menjadi dealer lebih dari 2 tahun dan 3) memenuhi kriteria sebagai distributor atau toko yang aktif. Hasil penelitian ini diperoleh 134 kuesioner, kemudian dilakukan analisis deskriptif dan analisis jalur (path analysis) dengan program pengolahan data Partial Least Square (PLS). Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah a) variabel citra merek berpengaruh positif terhadap variabel niat membeli dan kepuasan pelanggan, b) variabel kepuasan pelanggan berpengaruh positif terhadap niat membeli, c) kepuasan pelanggan memediasi hubungan antara citra merek dengan niat membel