Understanding the Formation of Information Security Climate Perceptions: A Longitudinal Social Network Analysis

Business process capture is a first step in the larger endeavour of business process management. In this paper we view business process capture as a knowledge conversion process. We explore the conversion of knowledge when business analysts capture information about business processes from domain experts. We identify seven process capture activities in a thematic analysis of comments made by business analysts in response to open-ended questions in an online survey. The seven activities are involving, simplifying, tailoring, training, combining, confirming, and engaging soft skills. We show how these activities involve the transfer of tacit and explicit knowledge between the business analyst and the domain expert and how the transfer conforms to the SECI modes of knowledge conversion, well known in the research domain of knowledge management. The paper contributes a SECI-based knowledge conversion model of business process capture and insight for business analysts about business process capture activities

Critical learning episodes in the evolution of Brazilian business start-ups: a theoretical and analytical tool

This study investigates critical learning episodes as landmarks in the evolution of business start-ups. A framework that combines individual learning processes with the Penrosian resource-based theory of the firm, and the concepts of search and routines from evolutionary economics provides the theoretical ground on which this study is developed. Multilevel factors, ranging from entrepreneurial agency to the institutional setting of business development services, represent different levels of analysis. These levels are connected through critical learning episodes, which are triggered by endogenous or exogenous factors and culminate in the creation of new or in the change of current organizational routines. These episodes were narrated by 43 entrepreneurs-founders through semi-structured interviews. Their business start-ups were operating for an average of 4 years (s.d.=1,9) and were linked to business incubation programmes in the two most resource-rich regions in Brazil. These start-ups were in three sectors: a) manufacturing, b) information and communication, and c) professional, scientific and technical activities. The analysis of these narratives combined qualitative (i.e., grounded theory principles) and quantitative (i.e., social networks analysis) techniques. This paper focusses on the most common type of critical learning episode: entry and survival in the market (n=36 start-ups). Results show how micro-processes of learning influence access and creation of resources at the firm level. A temporal analysis of networks configurations shows how processes of embeddedness in market relations influence intra- and inter-organizational dynamics. It is argued that critical learning episodes, for combining multiple factors and levels of analysis, are a useful theoretical and analytical tool to better understand the evolution of these businesses. In addition to this, issues of path-breaking and innovation are discussed in light of institutionalized practices of business development services

An Integrated Framework To Implement It Governance Principles At A Strategic And Operational Level For Medium-To Large-Sized South African Businesses

In today’s technologically advanced business environments, Information Technology (IT) has become the center of most, if not all, business activities; consequently, the King III report in South Africa dedicated a chapter to IT governance principles, making senior management responsible for implementing such principles. The King III’s implementation guidance lacks detail as to how to implement its principles. Although various guidelines in the form of IT control frameworks - models and standards - exist, it remains theoretical in nature. Companies tend to view these control frameworks on an individual basis, implementing them in an ad hoc manner, resulting in the implementation of an inefficient IT governance system that either addresses strategic areas, but not operational areas, of a business or vice versa. The purpose of this study is to develop an IT best practices integrated framework that can assist management in implementing an effective IT governance system at both a strategic and operational level. The integrated framework was developed by performing a detailed literature review of selected best practice control frameworks and its underlying processes.  By combining the relevant processes of the control frameworks and aligning them to general business’ imperatives, IT governance principles can be implemented at a strategic level. By identifying and linking the relevant business imperatives and control areas to the access paths of an IT system, IT governance principles can be implemented at an operational level. By making use of the integrated framework, an IT governance system can be implemented at both a strategic and operational level

Achieving supply chain integration using RFID technology: The case of emerging intelligent B-to-B e-commerce processes in a living laboratory

Purpose: Despite the high operational and strategic potentials of RFID technology, very little studies have been conducted about its role as enabler of supply chain integration to achieve high-level operational efficiency. Therefore, this study is an initial effort towards bridging the existing knowledge gap in the literature. Design/methodology: This exploratory research was conducted in one retail supply chain. A multi-method approach combining a longitudinal real-life case study and a methodology integrating several steps, including a “Living Laboratory” strategy was used and involved all members of a product line to analyze in terms of their contributing activities and their interface with other supply chain members, the aim being to explore the impact of RFID technology on inter- and intra-organizational processes and information systems. Findings: Our results provide support to the role of RFID as enabler of better integration of timeliness and accuracy data flows into information systems, business process optimization through automation, better system-to-system communication and better inter- and-intra-organizational business process integration. Furthermore, they also validate the unique characteristics of RFID technology such as enabler of realtime multiple tags items data collection and exchange within the supply chain and the read-and-write capability that may help, for example, to reuse some RFID tags within the supply chain and therefore reduce the cost related to the purchase of the said RFID tags. Finally, the study also reveals the importance of business process renovation and complementary investments during the adoption of RFID technology in order to achieve high level of business value from the technology

Achieving supply chain integration using RFID technology: The case of emerging intelligent B-to-B e-commerce processes in a living laboratory

Purpose: Despite the high operational and strategic potentials of RFID technology, very little studies have been conducted about its role as enabler of supply chain integration to achieve high-level operational efficiency. Therefore, this study is an initial effort towards bridging the existing knowledge gap in the literature. Design/methodology: This exploratory research was conducted in one retail supply chain. A multi-method approach combining a longitudinal real-life case study and a methodology integrating several steps, including a “Living Laboratory” strategy was used and involved all members of a product line to analyze in terms of their contributing activities and their interface with other supply chain members, the aim being to explore the impact of RFID technology on inter- and intra-organizational processes and information systems. Findings: Our results provide support to the role of RFID as enabler of better integration of timeliness and accuracy data flows into information systems, business process optimization through automation, better system-to-system communication and better inter- and-intra-organizational business process integration. Furthermore, they also validate the unique characteristics of RFID technology such as enabler of realtime multiple tags items data collection and exchange within the supply chain and the read-and-write capability that may help, for example, to reuse some RFID tags within the supply chain and therefore reduce the cost related to the purchase of the said RFID tags. Finally, the study also reveals the importance of business process renovation and complementary investments during the adoption of RFID technology in order to achieve high level of business value from the technology

Business Domain Modelling using an Integrated Framework

This paper presents an application of a “Systematic Soft Domain Driven Design Framework” as a soft systems approach to domain-driven design of information systems development. The framework combining techniques from Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), the Unified Modelling Language (UML), and an implementation pattern known as “Naked Objects”. This framework have been used in action research projects that have involved the investigation and modelling of business processes using object-oriented domain models and the implementation of software systems based on those domain models. Within this framework, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is used as a guiding methodology to explore the problem situation and to develop the domain model using UML for the given business domain. The framework is proposed and evaluated in our previous works, and a real case study “Information Retrieval System for academic research” is used, in this paper, to show further practice and evaluation of the framework in different business domain. We argue that there are advantages from combining and using techniques from different methodologies in this way for business domain modelling. The framework is overviewed and justified as multimethodology using Mingers multimethodology ideas

The use of UML activity diagrams and the i* language in the modeling of the balanced scorecard implantation process

Business management is a complex task that can be facilitated using different methodologies and models. One of their most relevant purposes is to align the organization strategy with the daily functioning of the organization. One of these models is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). In this paper, we propose a modeling strategy for the BSC implantation process. We will model it using UML Activity Diagrams and Strategy Dependency models of the language i*. The Activity Diagrams allow determining the order in which involved activities must be performed, and at the same time, to identify which people has the responsability to carry them out. The Strategic Dependency model allows showing the intentional aspects of the actors involved in the most strategic activities of this process. Finally, relationships among the actors and the people involved in the BSC implantation process are modelled using again the language i*. Although this paper only considers the case study of the BSC implantation, our proposal can be generalized to other implantation processes of systems with a high strategic impact on the organization, like ERP or CRM systems.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT

Business process management to date has not explicitly focused on sustainability as a change objective or driver. Although, approaches relating BPM and Sustainability already exist, e.g. Green BPM is the sum of all management activities that help to monitor and reduce the environmental impact of business processes in their design, improvement, implementation, or operation stages, as well as lead to cultural change within the process lifecycle. The intention behind Green BPM is the incorporation of environmental objectives into the management of business processes. To achieve this objective, BPM has to be extended by ecologically oriented complements, as are the consideration of environmental strategy as a part of the process strategy, or the awareness for energy consumption and pollution. Together with an earlier article consolidates several contributions of the BPM foundations in three underlying process change traditions: (1) the Quality Control tradition, (2) the Business Management tradition, and (3) the Information Systems (IS) tradition. These three traditions propose different approaches to business process change and each emphasizes some practices over others. Currently, there is a tendency of combining the various traditions in a comprehensive BPM approach