Digitalization of Work Systems—An Organizational Routines’ Perspective

Digitalization is a hypernym that denotes the ground-shifting impact IT artifacts have on organizations. The term implicitly refers to core topics in Information Systems research, which now enfolds at increasing magnitude, speed, and reach. However, digitalization often lacks explicit references to domestic theories, concepts, and constructs in the Information Systems literature. Fundamental mechanisms that constitute digitalization as an interplay of organizations and information systems remain unexplored. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, based on extending extant theory on organizational routines, we propose four patterns that conceptualize digitalization mechanisms as an interplay of organizational routines and IT artifacts. Second, we demonstrate how more complex transformation trajectories of routines unfold, by concatenating our patterns to form transformation stories. On either level of abstraction, further research can build on the proposed patterns to theorize on how the interplay of IT artifacts and organizational routines constitutes the digitalization of work systems

An IS-Perspective on Omni-channel Management: Development of a Conceptual Framework to Determine the Impacts of Touchpoint Digitalization on Retail Business Processes

The retail industry is continuously changing. Now, the digital transformation is yet again changing the way how retailers operate their business. After the introduction of different channel types, retailers now try to systematically manage these channels and thereby, blur the lines between those and the various customer touchpoints. This digitally-enabled channel management approach is called omni-channel management. One enabler of this approach is the digitalization of traditional customer touchpoints in brick & mortar stores. However, omni-channel management currently lacks an Information Systems (IS)-perspective and most publications mainly deal with technical or marketing aspects. Thus, the impacts and opportunities of the digitalization of specific customer touchpoints are not entirely clear, making it hard for retailers to prioritize their store innovation projects. Therefore, the overall goal of this research is the generation of a theory, which supports retailers with their decisions regarding the digitalization of customer touchpoints. In this article, a guiding conceptual framework is developed as a basis for the research design. This research design guides the ongoing research efforts to determine the impacts of customer touchpoint digitalization on retail business processes

Innovating the delivery of individual services within Flemish cities: inventory of ICT-driven heterogeneity

Flemish cities are setting up large scale reform trajectories to make their transactional service delivery more customer orientated, customer friendly and integrated. The implementation of new ICTs plays a key role in these innovation processes; there seems to be a great, technological deterministic, belief in the possibilities offered by for example mid office technologies. In this paper, we explore and compare such innovation trajectories within two Flemish cities. We describe the context, the object, the process and the evaluation of change. Based on this inductive analysis, we reflect upon the dependent and independent variables that structure the processes of change. We make use of a ‘neo-institutional theoretical lens’ to identify relevant internal and external institutional factors that shape the implementation context for the organizational changes. The analysis generates interesting findings. Whereas the external environment to a large degree functions as a stable variable, the heterogeneity between both cities is much more determined by the organizational ‘path’, i.e. the management model, capacities, subcultures, existing ICT-infrastructure, etc. Further research is needed as important questions remain unanswered. For example: does the mixed set of organizational, technological and cultural changes also actually produces the outcomes that were formulated in terms of both increased effectiveness and efficiency

Covid-19 and digitalization : The great acceleration

Peer reviewedPostprin

Digital Machines, Space, And Time: Towards A Behavioral Perspective Of Flexible Manufacturing

Recently, the diffusion of digital machines has further enhanced firms’ manufacturing flexibility, but also opened questions on potential challenges and implications in the production process. To respond to these timely issues, we adopt a behavioral perspective and comparatively explore how four different types of digital machines—characterized by increasing degrees of manufacturing flexibility—affect the perception and use of space and time for routines within the production plant. We qualitatively observe and compare 45 digital manufacturing machines, sampled across 14 firms in the British and Italian motorsport industry. A model emerges where four key mechanisms reshape the ‘space-machine’ and ‘time-machine’ routines. Such mechanisms mediate the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and firm performance. Further, we show how increasing digitalization in the manufacturing process enhances the establishment of new routines as flexible machines get introduced in the production. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications related to fostering a behavioral perspective in innovation and operations management studies

Among Followers and Rebels: Professional Identity and Digitalization of Work

The digitalization of work practices has changed the conditions for many professions. In this study, we explore the relation between professional identity and digitalization in the workplace. We join the research stream within professional identity research that views identity as a narrative construction, a story that individuals tell themselves and others to tell who they are, in this case in relation to digitalization. The empirical data derive from two different contexts: Nordic primary school teachers and European hoteliers at an international hotel chain. In total, 72 interviews were conducted. The study contributes to existing literature by providing increased knowledge on digitalization of work practices by illustrating different approaches to digitalization of work that extend over a specific profession. Theoretical contributions involve suggesting four ideal types of categorization to explain the approach to digitalization in professional life

Digitalization of the buyer-seller relationship in the steel industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to cast light on the nature of the digitalization process that occurs when digital technologies are adopted in buyer-seller relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study features a case study from the steel processing industry. Findings The present research builds on and extends the interaction approach to the context of buyer-seller relationship digitalization process. The study explicates the interrelated elements of digital infrastructure, digital communication and degree of digitalization of the buyer-seller relationship. Research limitations/implications The study aims at theoretical generalization and thus produces conceptual understanding that is to some extent applicable to various contexts. The generalization of the empirical insights to other process-focused industries is to some extent possible. However, further research in versatile empirical contexts is needed to validate the results. Practical implications For managers, the study presents a success case of digital technologies use for improving a buyer-seller relationship. Originality/value The originality of the present research is in the way it depicts how a buyer-seller relationship is gradually digitalized in successive digital technology adoptions, that is, a virtuous cycle of digitalization, that creates and alters the digital infrastructure and digital communication processes between the buyer and the seller resulting in different outcomes (degrees of digitalization in the buyer-seller relationship).Peer reviewe

Executives' role in digital transformation

This conceptual paper revisits and updates the concept of top management support (TMS), which has been the long-established rationale for explaining the role of top managers in digitalization activities. In our view, the concept of TMS is grounded in technological determinism, accounts for attitudinal and behavioral aspects that appear to be little more than exhortation and accepts the occasional responsibility of top managers in technology management. We consider both the crucial role that top managers may play in the digitalization process and the fact that digital technologies have become pervasive in today’s organizations. Then, we develop a model by which top managers and digital technologies are cooperatively involved for digitalization. For that, we have looked through the theoretical lens of imbrication and attention perspectives to reconstruct the role of top managers in the digital transformation process. In our view, each imbrication layer can be viewed as a process where top managers form beliefs to act on digital opportunities for strategic action. Specifically, our model provides insights into how executives’ characteristics and social processes impact the likelihood of forming either beliefs about radical or incremental opportunities requiring strategic action. Additionally, we offer several hypotheses that enrich our knowledge of the relationship between top managers and the digitalization process

Early Internationalization in the Digital Context : A Capabilities-based Approach

In the fields of international entrepreneurship (IE) and international business (IB), digitalization influences the early internationalization of firms. While we know that digitalization facilitates early internationalization, we do not yet know the exact underlying capabilities that drive this process. The dissertation attempts to bridge this gap by utilizing a capabilities-based approach. This approach offers relevant insights for both IE and IB literature and provides new understanding on how early internationalizing firms develop their digital capabilities for achieving sustainable internationalization outcomes. The dissertation consists of four essays. The first essay, which is a literature review, evaluates IE and IB literature dealing with digitalization and examines to what extent digitalization underlies the causes, processes, and outcomes of early internationalization. The second, third, and fourth essays focus on the capabilities underlying early internationalization processes and outcomes in a digital context. The essays illustrate how the development of international dynamic capabilities and learning advantage of newness of early internationalizing firms occur; they also open up the functionality of digital technology as a supportive mechanism. Theoretically, the essays contribute to IE and IB research streams by providing novel insights and understanding of the phenomenon of early internationalization in a digital context from a capabilities-based approach. Overall, the dissertation cross-fertilizes perspectives from IE, IB, and information systems to contribute to our understanding of early internationalization in the digital context. It also responds to the calls for more research on the impact of digitalization on internationalization, and capability development studies.Digitalisaatio vaikuttaa yritysten varhaiseen kansainvälistymiseen kansainvälisessä yrittäjyydessä ja kansainvälisessä liiketoiminnassa. Tiedämme, että digitalisaatio kiihdyttää varhaista kansainvälistymistä, mutta emme tiedä tarkalleen, mitkä kyvykkyydet edistävät tätä prosessia. Väitöskirja pyrkii vastaamaan tähän tutkimusvajeeseen kyvykkyyksiin perustuvan lähestymistavan kautta. Lähestymistapa antaa olennaisia näkemyksiä sekä kansainvälisen yrittäjyyden että kansainvälisen liiketoiminnan kirjallisuuteen ja lisää ymmärrystä siitä, kuinka varhain kansainvälistyneet yritykset kehittävät kyvykkyyksiään digitaalisesti siten, että kansainvälistymisen tulokset ovat kestäviä. Väitöskirja koostuu neljästä esseestä. Ensimmäinen essee on kirjallisuuskatsaus, jossa arvioidaan kansainvälisen yrittäjyyden ja kansainvälisen liiketoiminnan digitalisuutta käsittelevää kirjallisuutta ja tarkastellaan missä määrin digitaalisuus määrittää syitä, prosesseja ja kansainvälistymisen tuloksia. Toisessa, kolmannessa ja neljännessä esseessä keskitytään kyvykkyyksiin, jotka toimivat varhaisen kansainvälistymisprosessin sekä kansainvälistymisprosessin tulosten taustalla digitaalisessa kontekstissa. Esseet havainnollistavat, miten varhain kansainvälistyvien yritysten kansainväliset dynaamiset kyvykkyydet ja varhaisen oppimisen etu kehittyvät. Esseissä käsitellään myös digitaalitekniikan toimivuutta tukimekanismina. Esseiden teoreettinen kontribuutio kohdistuu kansainvälisen yrittäjyyden ja kansainvälisen liiketoiminnan tutkimuskenttään tarjoten uusia oivalluksia ja ymmärrystä varhaisen kansainvälistymisen ilmiöstä digitaalisessa kontekstissa kyvykkyyksiin perustuvan lähestymistavan kautta. Väitöskirjassa hyödynnetään kansainvälisen yrittäjyyden, kansainvälisen liiketoiminnan ja tietojärjestelmätieteen näkökulmia lisäämään ymmärrystä varhaisesta kansainvälistymisestä digitaalisessa kontekstissa. Väitöskirja vastaa myös toivomuksiin lisätä tutkimusta digitalisaation vaikutuksesta kansainvälistymiseen sekä kyvykkyyksien kehittämiseen.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed