An Action Design Research

This master’s thesis focuses on studying how modularity can be applied in designing robotic process automation (RPA) solutions and what effects it has to the RPA implementations. Past research has found several benefits of increasing modularity in designing, coordinating, and managing complex systems and many kinds of design problems have been solved with it. This thesis examines how the principles of modularity resonate with RPA. The study follows the Action Design Research method to examine a case in real-life context and to enable the participation of practitioners and end users in the case organization. It describes in detail how a modular RPA solution was created for automating an entity consisting of several different tasks in the case organization. The solution can be viewed as an artifact that can be utilized to calibrate an organization’s RPA journey by adding efficiency in RPA projects. This is achieved by enhancing the scalability and reusability of the RPA components. The results of this study suggest that RPA solutions can be viewed as complex systems into which modularity principles can be adapted, generating a variety of benefits from the viewpoints of automation development and administration. The main benefits include decreased implementation time and cost, enhanced error management, increased control of automation, increased capability to respond to versatile automation demand, and enhanced automation complexity management

Empirical Evaluation of Action Design Research

There has been a growing interest in information systems (IS) research as design research. One popular methodology is Action Design Research (ADR). Despite the popularity, ADR lacks proper evaluation based on primary data. We claim that the existing empirical evidence justifying ADR is either fragmented or based on reconstructions of prior studies conducted for other purposes. Our claim is supported by the authors of ADR who state that “ … because the VIP project was not conducted explicitly as ADR, it cannot be viewed as an exemplar of its application”. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence. Examples of empirical evidence show that ADR is highly relevant for an applied discipline such as IS, it creates a bridge between user-oriented perspectives of the IT artefact and technological perspectives and it supports a conceptual movement from a specific instance to a search for a class of problems

ACTION, DESIGN & RESEARCH – A PROCESS META-MODEL

Conducting Action and Design Research within organizations – with the objective of solving multidimensional problems, promoting effective change, developing useful artifacts, and generating actionable knowledge – involves the iterative application of a rigorous set of integrated processes. In a previous publication – based on empirical work, on a comprehensive literature review, and the practice of applying it to teach graduate students on qualitative research methods – a high-level conceptual model for Action & Design Research has been developed and published. It has identified – through the presentation of a tri-dimensional perspective, under the form of a cube – the essential processes and data components, emerging from the Organization Development, Engineering, and Science perspectives. Based on that high-level conceptual view, the objective of the current article is to detail a pragmatic approach to the main activities which are involved in the Action and Design Science Research approaches – under the form of high-level Process Meta-Models

Competence Management System Design Principles: Action Design Research

In order to sustain competitive advantage, knowledge-intensive project organizations need to invest in competence management systems (CMSs). However, there is only a limited amount of existing scientific literature on designing CMSs in practice. In this action design research from 2013 to 2016 we (1) deepened the theoretical understanding of CMSs by improving the design principles (DPs) identified in earlier research, and (2) delivered business benefits for a case company by designing organizational and technological artifacts for competence management. Previously introduced theoretical concepts guided the organizational and technological interventions that aimed for practical business benefits while maintaining scientific rigor. We revised the CMS DPs and learned the importance of aligning competence management with customer demand and the double-sided value of information assets. In conclusion, our research provides new evidence regarding how ADR can lead to significant business benefits by integrating theory and practice in a real business context

Methodological “Learning-by-Doing” for Action Design Research

This study shares the direct experiences of designing and implementing methodological “learning-by-doing” for Action Design Research (ADR) within a 5-credit module that condenses the realities of completing a full ADR project without compromising the rigour of the approach. The module is described in detail, along with the specifics of its implementation over two years and the key learnings from doing so. Adopting a confessional writing approach, documented experiences from those involved (both designers and students) provide a rich data source, analysed using autonomous and communicative reflexivity. The underlying contribution of this paper is that it provides insights into the learning of ADR, the doing of ADR, and the outcomes of a technique that simultaneously combines both. As a result, ADR educators and researchers can draw on these insights to further their teaching, learning, and research endeavours. Finally, key insights such as forced pragmatism and the challenge of problematisation add to our understanding of conducting ADR while avoiding issues such as methodological slurring

Towards Design Principles for Data-Driven Decision Making: An Action Design Research Project in the Maritime Industry

Data-driven decision making (DDD) refers to organizational decision-making practices that emphasize the use of data and statistical analysis instead of relying on human judgment only. Various empirical studies provide evidence for the value of DDD, both on individual decision maker level and the organizational level. Yet, the path from data to value is not always an easy one and various organizational and psychological factors mediate and moderate the translation of data-driven insights into better decisions and, subsequently, effective business actions. The current body of academic literature on DDD lacks prescriptive knowledge on how to successfully employ DDD in complex organizational settings. Against this background, this paper reports on an action design research study aimed at designing and implementing IT artifacts for DDD at one of the largest ship engine manufacturers in the world. Our main contribution is a set of design principles highlighting, besides decision quality, the importance of model comprehensibility, domain knowledge, and actionability of results

Action Design Research - An Integrative Research Method for Studying Design

It is the premise of this position paper that a combination of design research and action research can be very useful for studying high performance designs. However, there has been a separation between the two approaches. A growing body of literature is recognizing these cross fertilization possibilities between AR and DR. Researchers argue for similarity between the two (J\u27rvinen 2007; Lee 2007; Figueiredo and Cunha 2007) as well as caution against fusion (Iivari 2007). Others suggest a middle ground stating that in some situations and contexts, the two may be integrated (Cole et al. 2005; Sein et al. 2007)

Taking Action: Extending Participatory Action Design Research with Design Thinking

Digital transformation adds new possibilities but also more complexity to people’s everyday life. To address complex problems within the field of Information System Research, it is advisable to include a variety of stakeholders into the research and design process. Therefore, it is not only necessary to locate the problem solution within the realm where the problem occurs, but also to get the input of the people who have the appropriate insights. In this paper, we propose to use Design Thinking as a course of action for the conduction of particaptory Action Design Research projects

Can Process Facilitation Improve Globally Distributed Collaboration? An Action Design Research

Distributed collaborators still face problems to organize, to coordinate, and to build consensus. Collaboration tools still have difficulty to configure, to use, and to help facilitate collaboration management. In this study, we conducted an action design research on Company A that relies on distributed collaboration for their business activities. Based on the design theory of collaboration engineering, we designed a process facilitation support application to address the problems identified from Company A with real organizational problems. After rounds of iteration, we proposed two artifacts including facilitated collaboration process and collaborative tools for applications of process guidance. Findings suggest the benefits of facilitated process guidance on globally distributed collaboration. The results of survey show consistently high satisfaction towards the tool and process guidance from the employees. Our research serves as an exploratory investigation in the field of distributed collaboration, and provides evidence regarding the organizational challenges in a business context

Advocating for Action Design Research on IT Value Creation in Healthcare

Today there is mixed evidence that health IT decreases costs and/or improves care quality in the US. Some of the same factors that have driven delays in realizing the benefits from IT investments in other industries (i.e., time consuming process changes) are apparent in the U.S. healthcare industry, which is only now digitizing its fundamental patient data, the electronic health record. The healthcare industry itself is in transition and new IT may not provide full benefit unless it is accompanied with a restructuring of healthcare delivery. Traditional ex post approaches to measuring IT value will limit the ability of healthcare IT value researchers to add value to practice now especially as government incentives in the US drive significant investment. But generalizing results from traditional IT value research to the healthcare setting is risky due to differences between healthcare and other industries. I advocate for action design research that uses existing theory as a foundation, but adapts it to the specific unique characteristics of this industry. By actively participating in the design and evaluation of new socio-technical systems, IT value researchers can generate grounded theory to explain value creation in healthcare while influencing practice now