Deferred Action: Theoretical model of process architecture design for emergent business processes

E-Business modelling and ebusiness systems development assumes fixed company resources, structures, and business processes. Empirical and theoretical evidence suggests that company resources and structures are emergent rather than fixed. Planning business activity in emergent contexts requires flexible ebusiness models based on better management theories and models . This paper builds and proposes a theoretical model of ebusiness systems capable of catering for emergent factors that affect business processes. Drawing on development of theories of the ‘action and design’class the Theory of Deferred Action is invoked as the base theory for the theoretical model. A theoretical model of flexible process architecture is presented by identifying its core components and their relationships, and then illustrated with exemplar flexible process architectures capable of responding to emergent factors. Managerial implications of the model are considered and the model’s generic applicability is discussed

Towards technological rules for designing innovation networks: a dynamic capabilities view.

Inter-organizational innovation networks provide opportunities to exploit complementary resources that reside beyond the boundary of the firm. The shifting locus of innovation and value creation away from the “sole firm as innovator” poses important questions about the nature of these resources and the capabilities needed to leverage them for competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to describe research into producing design-oriented knowledge, for configuring inter-organizational networks as a means of accessing such resources for innovation

Tasks, cognitive agents, and KB-DSS in workflow and process management

The purpose of this paper is to propose a nonparametric interest rate term structure model and investigate its implications on term structure dynamics and prices of interest rate derivative securities. The nonparametric spot interest rate process is estimated from the observed short-term interest rates following a robust estimation procedure and the market price of interest rate risk is estimated as implied from the historical term structure data. That is, instead of imposing a priori restrictions on the model, data are allowed to speak for themselves, and at the same time the model retains a parsimonious structure and the computational tractability. The model is implemented using historical Canadian interest rate term structure data. The parametric models with closed form solutions for bond and bond option prices, namely the Vasicek (1977) and CIR (1985) models, are also estimated for comparison purpose. The empirical results not only provide strong evidence that the traditional spot interest rate models and market prices of interest rate risk are severely misspecified but also suggest that different model specifications have significant impact on term structure dynamics and prices of interest rate derivative securities.

Dynamics of Affordances and Implications for Design

Affordance is an important concept in HCI. There are various interpretations of affordances but it has been difficult to use this concept for design purposes. Often the treatment of affordances in the current HCI literature has been as a one-to-one relationship between a user and an artefact. According to our views, affordance is a dynamic, always emerging relationship between a human and his environment. We believe that the social and cultural contexts within which an artefact is situated affect the way in which the artefact is used. Using a Structuration Theory approach, we argue that affordances need also be treated at a much broader level, encompassing social and cultural aspects. We suggest that affordances should be seen at three levels: single user, organizational (or work group) and societal. Focusing on the organizational level affordances, we provide details of several important factors that affect the emergence of affordances

Tasks, cognitive agents, and KB-DSS in workflow and process management

The purpose of this paper is to propose a nonparametric interest rate term structure model and investigate its implications on term structure dynamics and prices of interest rate derivative securities. The nonparametric spot interest rate process is estimated from the observed short-term interest rates following a robust estimation procedure and the market price of interest rate risk is estimated as implied from the historical term structure data. That is, instead of imposing a priori restrictions on the model, data are allowed to speak for themselves, and at the same time the model retains a parsimonious structure and the computational tractability. The model is implemented using historical Canadian interest rate term structure data. The parametric models with closed form solutions for bond and bond option prices, namely the Vasicek (1977) and CIR (1985) models, are also estimated for comparison purpose. The empirical results not only provide strong evidence that the traditional spot interest rate models and market prices of interest rate risk are severely misspecified but also suggest that different model specifications have significant impact on term structure dynamics and prices of interest rate derivative securities.

Business Trends and Tendencies in Organization Design and Work Design Practice:Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships

Current global business environment has a strong impact on theory and practice of organizations, as well as on working behavior of their employees. Increased complexity and competitiveness is changing settled ways of organizing and working. The ultimate search for the holy grail of achieving organizational effectiveness through better design solutions is gaining momentum. There are many possible areas and means for improvement. Great opportunities emerge from better understanding of contemporary organization and work environment. To seize them, the link between organization design and work design tendencies will be emphasized. Through an in-depth theoretical research on current business trends and their impact on the changing nature of work in organizations, potentially very strong patterns between these two different environmental categories and levels of analysis will be identified. Our extensive analysis of current trends and tendencies in organization design and work design field will provide useful insights for business practitioners and researchers.business trends, organization design, work design, systems approach

Business Trends and Tendencies in Organization Design and Work Design Practice: Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships

Current global business environment has a strong impact on theory and practice of organizations, as well as on working behavior of their employees. Increased complexity and competitiveness is changing settled ways of organizing and working. The ultimate search for the holy grail of achieving organizational effectiveness through better design solutions is gaining momentum. There are many possible areas and means for improvement. Great opportunities emerge from better understanding of contemporary organizational and work environment. To seize them, the link between organization design and work design tendencies will be emphasized. Through an in-depth theoretical research on current business trends and their impact on the changing nature of work in organizations, potentially very strong patterns between these two different environmental categories and levels of analysis will be identified. By analyzing widespread network of current trends and tendencies in organization design and work design field, useful insights will be provided for business practice, as well as for future scientific research challenges.business trends, organization design, work design, systems approach