A Design Theory for Digital Platforms Supporting Online Communities: A Multiple Case Study

This research proposes and validates a design theory for digital platforms that support online communities (DPsOC). It addresses ways in which digital platforms can effectively support social interactions in online communities. Drawing upon prior literature on IS design theory, online communities, and platforms, we derive an initial set of propositions for designing effective DPsOC. Our overarching proposition is that three components of digital platform architecture (core, interface, and complements) should collectively support the mix of the three distinct types of social interaction structures of online community (information sharing, collaboration, and collective action). We validate the initial propositions and generate additional insights by conducting an in-depth analysis of an European digital platform for elderly care assistance. We further validate the propositions by analyzing three widely used digital platforms, including Twitter, Wikipedia, and Liquidfeedback, and we derive additional propositions and insights that can guide DPsOC design. We discuss the implications of this research for research and practice

From data to big data: the road of SMEs towards artificial intelligence

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Managing Variability in Assembly Lines

Every successful company have a diversified product portfolio based on their customer demand. Though products are branded as different variants, versions etc. most of them are similar products with little variations in their features or functions they perform. With the traditional, product centric approach to handle variation, new techniques like Clone and own were implemented in which engineers pick the most similar one available, copy it, make changes to it and present it as a new variant. Even though this approach employs reuse, but the savings occur once and only once. This project discussed how companies can exploit the commonality between the products, manage variability and get benefitted using concepts like feature based modelling, materialization etc. Feature based modelling was extensively being used in software industry, this paper focuses on using the same methods in manufacturing industry and improve the product lines for better efficiency. This project specifically investigates the assembly lines and how they can be programmed and documented to handle the portfolio of products efficiently through the entire Product Life Cycle using pure::variants, a leading variant-management tool. The use feature based modelling and variability management techniques through the assembly lines greatly reduces the evolution and development time of variants, improves cycle time and with project management documents like instruction Manuals, Bill of materials etc. Keywords: Central Variability Model (CVM), Feature based modelling, Pure Variants, Assembly Lines, Product Life Cycle

The Critical Factors of Coaching Practice Leading to Successful Coaching Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to identify the critical aspects in coaching outcomes as perceived by experienced coaches in the United States in both business and life coaching settings. Nineteen coaches provided a total of 109 critical incidents that led the client to the coaching process. Six dimensions of coaching emerged from the coding process; personal philosophies of coaching, coach functions, the coaching process, breakdown and success factors, precipitating factors and outcomes of coaching. A model was constructed to depict the relationship of the dimensions to one another. The personal philosophy of the coach influenced every other dimension. The coach functions were separated from the coaching process as they were interwoven throughout the coaching process and influenced the coaching process along with personal philosophies. The coaching process influenced factors of breakdown and success as did personal philosophies and coach functions. Factors that led to unsuccessful outcomes or breakdowns in coaching were therapeutic issues, coach/client mismatch, a lack of a willingness or ability to take action and make commitments, unrealistic expectations, lack of depth and flow in the coaching process, and negative mindsets that could not be shifted. Conversely, factors that led to successful coaching outcomes were the client connection, unconditional positive regard, the coach selection process, establishing a strong connection between coach and client, client accountability, openness and motivation. The tacit knowledge of the coach became an integral component of the study as coaches related the incidents of success and lack of success as coaches engaged in a coaching process that reflected their personal theories and perspectives. These theories could often be related back to foundational theories of coaching such as client-centered therapy, transformational learning, systems theory, and adult development theories and had become a source of tacit knowledge for study participants. The unplanned or unexpected outcomes revealed the impact of coaching on the whole person or system. Coaches reported that as clients gained successes in one area of their lives, improvement in other areas was also experienced. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible at the OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

The Critical Factors of Coaching Practice Leading to Successful Coaching Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to identify the critical aspects in coaching outcomes as perceived by experienced coaches in the United States in both business and life coaching settings. Nineteen coaches provided a total of 109 critical incidents that led the client to the coaching process. Six dimensions of coaching emerged from the coding process; personal philosophies of coaching, coach functions, the coaching process, breakdown and success factors, precipitating factors and outcomes of coaching. A model was constructed to depict the relationship of the dimensions to one another. The personal philosophy of the coach influenced every other dimension. The coach functions were separated from the coaching process as they were interwoven throughout the coaching process and influenced the coaching process along with personal philosophies. The coaching process influenced factors of breakdown and success as did personal philosophies and coach functions. Factors that led to unsuccessful outcomes or breakdowns in coaching were therapeutic issues, coach/client mismatch, a lack of a willingness or ability to take action and make commitments, unrealistic expectations, lack of depth and flow in the coaching process, and negative mindsets that could not be shifted. Conversely, factors that led to successful coaching outcomes were the client connection, unconditional positive regard, the coach selection process, establishing a strong connection between coach and client, client accountability, openness and motivation. The tacit knowledge of the coach became an integral component of the study as coaches related the incidents of success and lack of success as coaches engaged in a coaching process that reflected their personal theories and perspectives. These theories could often be related back to foundational theories of coaching such as client-centered therapy, transformational learning, systems theory, and adult development theories and had become a source of tacit knowledge for study participants. The unplanned or unexpected outcomes revealed the impact of coaching on the whole person or system. Coaches reported that as clients gained successes in one area of their lives, improvement in other areas was also experienced. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible at the OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

DevOps for Digital Leaders

DevOps; continuous delivery; software lifecycle; concurrent parallel testing; service management; ITIL; GRC; PaaS; containerization; API management; lean principles; technical debt; end-to-end automation; automatio

Architectural disruption in aerospace

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-71).Distinctive technology and customer / supplier relationships are currently the primary sources of competitive advantage in the Aerospace industry. Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) requirements represent a significant disruption to this mode of competition. The United States Department of Defense intends to accelerate the rate of aerospace innovation and inject additional competitiveness into the procurement process through the modularization of its products and effective intellectual property management. This combination of architectural disruption and new customer capabilities has the potential to reduce the industry's opportunity to capture value from innovative technologies or a position as first supplier. Historical examples such as Polaroid and IBM demonstrate the organizational paralysis that often results from disruptions in product architecture. The competitive formula becomes ingrained in the processes, resources, and culture of mature companies and is no longer explicit knowledge, which limits the company's ability to develop the capabilities required to compete in its new environment. Competing in a MOSA environment will require the development of new organizational capabilities such as rapid experimentation, fighting standards wars, and protecting system-level knowledge. Defining the disruptive threat and the foundations of current core competencies will enable firms to develop the organizational capabilities essential for this shift in competitive context.(cont.) The author will present several historical examples of architectural disruption, a framework for evaluating the disruptive change, and an identification of organizational anchors that may hinder a particular competitor's ability to respond to MOSA. The goal of the thesis is to start a dialogue within an identified incumbent with in hopes of beginning the organizational transformation required to effectively compete in this new era.by Geoffrey Ashworth.S.M

Software process improvement as emergent change: a structurational analysis

This thesis differs from the technological perspective of SPI by identifying and analysing the organisational features of process improvement. A theoretical understanding is developed of how and why software process improvements occur and what are the consequences of the change process within a specific case. A packaged information systems organisation forms the basis for a substantive case study. Adding to the growing body of qualitative research, the study takes a critical hermeneutic perspective. In doing so it overcomes some of the criticisms of the interpretive studies especially the need for the research to be reflexive in nature. By looking at SPI as an emergent rather than deterministic activity, the design and action of the change process are shown to be intertwined and shaped by their context. This understanding is based upon a structurational perspective that highlights how the process improvements are enabled and constrained by their context. The work builds on the recent recognition that the improvements can be understood from an organisational learning perspective. Fresh insights to the improvement process are developed by recognising the role of the individual to facilitate or resist the improvement. The understanding gained here can be applied by organisations to enable them to improve the effectiveness of their SPI programmes, and so improve the quality of their software. Lessons are derived that show how software organisations can support the ongoing improvement through recognition of the learning and political aspects of the change by adopting an agile approach to SPI