Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Mass Collaboration and Learning: Structure and Methods

The rapid emergence of social networks and collaborative communities supported by the Internet and associated innovative technologies, and the increasing demand for continuous improvement and fostering lifelong learning have led to unprecedented waves of novelty in the ways people create and share knowledge in different spheres. In this regard, mass collaboration (MC) through Internet-based solutions has opened new windows of opportunity to collaborate massively and learn collectively in ways that seemed impossible even a few decades ago. Learning ecosystems can benefit from mass collaboration where large numbers of minds collectively drive intellectual efforts to learn in the form of knowledge building and sharing. Mass collaborative learning (MCL) is a new paradigm that represents a significant shift away from the traditional teacher-centered approach towards a self-directed model in virtual communities in which contributing members take on creative roles to maximize their learning and that of their peers. Furthermore, MCL provides greater opportunities for distributed contributors to engage in virtual global learning and take the advantage of powerful social communities of experts and counterparts. Even though MCL opens up an apparently limitless field for promoting social inclusion in effective learning, not all aspects, features, and characteristics of this phenomenon are quite clear and discovered at present. In order to design, implement, and exploit such a learning approach, influencing constituents should be identified, and appropriate conditions need to be provided. However, existing literature offers limited information, guidance, and support for the creation, operation, coordination, and development of MCL initiatives. In this context, there are a number of identified critical issues, specific problems, gaps, and inconsistencies, and this thesis is correspondingly conducted to propose a Meta-Governance framework for MCL initiatives (MGF-MCL). This framework, by benefiting from various other related ideas, models, and methods, tries to give further insights into an integrated perspective of the most complex concerning issues and also some internal and external aspects of governance for the MCL initiatives. Furthermore, the MGF-MCL intends to provide some directions, guidance, and support for the implementation, operation, and development of MCL initiatives. In this thesis work, in order to (a) guide our research endeavor, (b) concretize our research design, (c) design, develop, validate, and apply the MGF-MCL, and (d) understand the practical value of our findings, we have followed the design science research process (DSRP) approach. We have evaluated the validity and applicability of the MGF-MCL through a mix of methods namely, case studies in EU projects, peer-review publications, and an MCL illustration case. A number of scenarios made within the case studies have brought together several industry and academic experts to evaluate the validity and applicability of MGF-MCL. The peer reviews of contributed publications also assessed the quality of the work and helped to establish the validity of MGF-MCL based upon the expert knowledge of other researchers. The MCL illustration case provided empirical evidence, relying on observation and experimentation. In terms of research, the findings of our work offer direction and support for the creation, operation, and implementation of MLC initiatives.A rápida emergência de redes sociais e comunidades colaborativas apoiadas pela Internet e tecnologias inovadoras associadas, e a crescente procura de melhorias contínuas e a promoção da aprendizagem ao longo da vida levaram a ondas de inovação sem precedentes na forma como as pessoas criam e partilham conhecimentos em diferentes esferas. A este respeito, a colaboração em massa (MC) através de soluções baseadas na Internet abriu novas janelas de oportunidade para colaborar massivamente e aprender colectivamente de formas que pareciam impossíveis mesmo há algumas décadas atrás. Os ecossistemas de aprendizagem podem beneficiar da colaboração em massa, onde grandes números de mentes impulsionam colectivamente os esforços intelectuais para aprender sob a forma de construção e partilha de conhecimento. A aprendizagem colaborativa em massa (MCL) é um novo paradigma que representa uma mudança significativa da abordagem tradicional centrada no professor para um modelo auto-dirigido em comunidades virtuais em que os membros contribuintes assumem papéis criativos para maximizar a sua aprendizagem e a dos seus pares. Além disso, a MCL oferece maiores oportunidades a contribuintes geograficamente distribuídos para se envolverem na aprendizagem global virtual e tirarem partido das ricas comunidades sociais de especialistas e homólogos. Embora a MCL abra um campo aparentemente ilimitado para promover a inclusão social na aprendizagem efectiva, nem todos os aspetos, facetas e características deste fenómeno são totalmente claros e conhecidos actualmente. A fim de conceber, implementar, e explorar uma tal abordagem de aprendizagem, devem ser identificados os constituintes relevantes, e devem ser criadas condições de suporte apropriadas. Contudo, a literatura existente apenas oferece de forma limitada informação, orientação e apoio para a criação, operação, coordenação e desenvolvimento de iniciativas MCL. Neste contexto, há uma série de questões críticas, problemas específicos, lacunas e inconsistências identificados, e esta tese é correspondentemente desenvolvida para propor um quadro de Meta-Governança para iniciativas MCL (MGF-MCL). Este quadro, ao beneficiar de várias outras ideias, modelos e métodos relacionados, tenta fornecer uma perspectiva integrada das questões mais complexas e também de alguns aspectos internos e externos de governação para as iniciativas MCL. Além disso, o MGF-MCL pretende fornecer alguma orientação e apoio para a implementação, operação e desenvolvimento das iniciativas MCL. Neste trabalho de tese, a fim de (a) orientar o nosso esforço de investigação, (b) concretizar o nosso projecto de investigação, (c) conceber, desenvolver, validar, e aplicar o MGF-MCL, e (d) compreender o valor prático dos resultados, seguimos a abordagem do "DESIGN SCIENCE RESEARCH PROCESS" (DSRP). Avaliámos a adequação e aplicabilidade do MGF-MCL através de uma combinação de métodos, nomeadamente, estudos de caso em projetos da UE, publicações com revisão por pares e, um caso de ilustração MCL. Vários cenários feitos no âmbito dos estudos de caso envolveram vários peritos da indústria e da academia para avaliar a validade e a aplicabilidade do MGF-MCL. As revisões por pares das publicações produzidas neste trabalho também permitiram aferir a qualidade do trabalho e ajudaram a estabelecer a validade do MGF-MCL com base no conhecimento especializado de outros investigadores. O caso da ilustração de MCL forneceu uma evidência empírica, apoiando-se na observação e experimentação. Em termos de investigação, os resultados do nosso trabalho oferecem orientação e apoio para a criação, operação e implementação de iniciativas MLC

Global Risk Leadership and Resilience: A US/India Information Technology Start-up Case Study

Globalization can take many forms. In the case of a technology start-up firm operating across cultures, it could be said that its world is fundamentally global. More properly stated, E-commerce Start-up (ECS) operates within a global high-tech network and thus finds itself to be competing within (and outside of) a highly interconnected system of data, commerce, and emerging economies as a service provider to some of the United States’ most recognized brands. This interconnectivity serves as a central fact for the IT firms and its risk management efforts. Beyond the obvious exposure to global risks, how does operating across cultures affect risk management and risk leadership practices within ECS? The evolutionary story of ECS, from launch to acquisition, and the analysis of four scenarios presented in this case provide insights into the challenges facing operating organizations and the risk leadership capabilities needed to recover from internal and external threats

Mechanisms Driving Digital New Venture Creation & Performance: An Insider Action Research Study of Pure Digital Entrepreneurship in EdTech

Digitisation has ushered in a new era of value creation where cross border data flows generate more economic value than traditional flows of goods. The powerful new combination of digital and traditional forms of innovation has seen several new industries branded with a ‘tech’ suffix. In the education technology sector (EdTech), which is the industry context of this research, digitisation is driving double-digit growth into a projected $240 billion industry by 2021. Yet, despite its contemporary significance, the field of entrepreneurship has paid little attention to the phenomenon of digital entrepreneurship. As several scholars observe, digitisation challenges core organising axioms of entrepreneurship, with significant implications for the new venture creation process in new sectors such as EdTech. New venture creation no longer appears to follow discrete and linear models of innovation, as spatial and temporal boundaries get compressed. Given the paradigmatic shift, this study investigates three interrelated themes. Firstly, it seeks to determine how a Pure Digital Entrepreneurship (PDE) process develops over time; and more importantly, how the journey challenges extant assumptions of the entrepreneurial process. Secondly, it strives to identify and theorise the deep structures which underlie the PDE process through mechanism-based explanations. Consequently, the study also seeks to determine the causal pathways and enablers which overtly or covertly interrelate to power new venture emergence and performance. Thirdly, it aims to offer practical guidelines for nurturing the growth of PDE ventures, and for the development of supportive ecosystems. To meet the stated objectives, this study utilises an Insider Action Research (IAR) approach to inquiry, which incorporates reflective practice, collaborative inquiry and design research for third-person knowledge production. This three-pronged approach to inquiry allows for the enactment of a PDE journey in real-time, while acquiring a holistic narrative in the ‘swampy lowlands’ of new venture creation. The findings indicate that the PDE process is differentiated by the centrality of digital artifacts in new venture ideas, which in turn result in less-bounded processes that deliver temporal efficiencies – hence, the shorter new venture creation processes than in traditional forms of entrepreneurship. Further, PDE action is defined by two interrelated events – digital product development and digital growth marketing. These events are characterised by the constant forking, merging and termination of diverse activities. Secondly, concurrent enactment and piecemeal co-creation were found to be consequential mechanisms driving temporal efficiencies in digital product development. Meanwhile, data-driven operation and flexibility combine in digital growth marketing, to form higher order mechanisms which considerably reduce the levels of task-specific and outcome uncertainties. Finally, the study finds that digital growth marketing is differentiated from traditional marketing by the critical role of algorithmic agencies in their capacity as gatekeepers. Thus, unlike traditional marketing, which emphasises customer sovereignty, digital growth marketing involves a dual focus on the needs of human and algorithmic stakeholders. Based on the findings, this research develops a pragmatic model of pure digital new venture creation and suggests critical policy guidelines for nurturing the growth of PDE ventures and ecosystems