Harnessing Complexity in High Performance Computing Ecosystems: A Complex Adaptive Systems Framework

The use of high performance computing (HPC) has been generating influential scientific breakthroughs since the twentieth century. Yet there have been few studies of the complex socio-technical systems formed by these supercomputers and the humans who operate and use them. In this paper, we describe the first complex adaptive systems (CAS) analysis of the dynamics of HPC ecosystems. We conducted an 18-month ethnographic study that included scientific collaborations that use an HPC research center and examined the processes in HPC socio-technical systems via CAS theory to devise organizational designs and strategies that take advantage of system complexity. We uncovered several significant mismatches in the variation and adaptation processes within subsystems and conclude with three potential design directions for management and organization of HPC socio-technical ecosystems

Companions Growing Apart: Exploring Actors’ Perceptions with Narratives and Masterplots in ERP Systems Development

Collaboration largely determines ERP development success but is fluid with difficulties. We propose them originating from collaborating actors’, such as developers’ and clients’, diverging perceptions. Identifying these perceptions is difficult as they often surface only when the perceptions contradict. In this paper, we utilize the narrative approach, arguing actors being storytellers sharing and living through narratives, to explore an ERP development project where a client and a vendor collaborate in a seeming well-defined manner. Interpreting the actors’ narratives and masterplots shows that they contradict each other. We argue this resulting from the parties’ different perceptions on collaboration, and their unaligned masterplots. This also explains severe problems in the project and illustrates narratives and masterplots as useful for uncovering the actors’ underlying perceptions, driving their actions

User-centredness in Large-scale Information Systems Implementation

Information systems (IS) implementation often aims to ensuring user satisfaction. However, achieving such user-centredness has remained ambiguous and challenging, and the results are not always those that were promised. This may result from several views and fluctuating and implicitly defined concepts. While some premises have been identified, they seem to mostly concern easily manageable settings where the number of users is limited, or where the possibility to tailor the system is significant. Especially in a large-scale system\u27s implementation user-centredness seems to be fuzzy. In this paper we illustrate how user-centredness unfolds in a large scale IS implementation. We conduct a qualitative case study to see what occurs when the efforts are declared user-centred. By interviewing 13 central actors from a local developer organization, we learnt that user-centredness in such context is essentially the result of joint efforts thus necessitating that each party carries out their responsibility for user-centredness and engages in collaboration with others. The paper contributes to research by sharing empirically grounded findings to be used to extend the discussion on user-centredness

Enabling long-term oceanographic research : changing data practices, information management strategies and informatics

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2008. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 55 (2008): 2132-2142, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.05.009.Interdisciplinary global ocean science requires new ways of thinking about data and data management. With new data policies and growing technological capabilities, datasets of increasing variety and complexity are being made available digitally and data management is coming to be recognized as an integral part of scientific research. To meet the changing expectations of scientists collecting data and of data reuse by others, collaborative strategies involving diverse teams of information professionals are developing. These changes are stimulating the growth of information infrastructures that support multi-scale sampling, data repositories, and data integration. Two examples of oceanographic projects incorporating data management in partnership with science programs are discussed: the Palmer Station Long-Term Ecological Research program (Palmer LTER) and the United States Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (US JGOFS). Lessons learned from a decade of data management within these communities provide an experience base from which to develop information management strategies – short-term and long-term. Ocean Informatics provides one example of a conceptual framework for managing the complexities inherent to sharing oceanographic data. Elements are introduced that address the economies-of-scale and the complexities-of-scale pertinent to a broader vision of information management and scientific research.Support is provided by NSF OPP-0217282, OCE-0405069, HSD-0433369 and Scripps Institution of Oceanography (K.S.Baker) and by NSF OCE-8814310, OCE-0097291, OCE- 0510046 and OCE-0646353 (C.Chandler)

The Alchemy of Trust:The Creative Act of Designing Trustworthy Socio-Technical Systems

Trust is recognised as a significant and valuable component of socio-technical systems, facilitating numerous important benefits. Many trust models have been created throughout various streams of literature, describing trust for different stakeholders in different contexts. However, when designing a system with multiple stakeholders in their multiple contexts, how does one decide which trust model(s) to apply? And furthermore, how does one go from selecting a model or models to translating those into design? We review and analyse two prominent trust models, and apply them to the design of a trustworthy socio-technical system, namely virtual research environments. We show that a singular model cannot easily be imported and directly implemented into the design of such a system. We introduce the concept of alchemy as the most apt characterization of a successful design process, illustrating the need for designers to engage with the richness of the trust landscape and creatively experiment with components from multiple models to create the perfect blend for their context. We provide a demonstrative case study illustrating the process through which designers of socio-technical systems can become alchemists of trust

Sensemaking with Narratives in Enterprise System Implementation Projects

Tietojärjestelmähankkeet ovat haastavia. Valtaosa niistä kohtaa merkittäviä vaikeuksia, usein jopa epäonnistumisia. Vaikeuksien ja epäonnistumisten taustalla ovat usein haasteet eri osapuolten välisessä yhteistyössä. Keskeisiin osapuoliin lukeutuvat järjestelmätoimittajat, asiakasorganisaatiot, ja erilaisia konsultointipalveluita tarjoavat organisaatiot. Jokaisella osapuolella on merkittävä panos hankkeessa. Järjestelmätoimittaja kehittää ja hallitsee pohjalla toimivaa paketoitua järjestelmäratkaisua. Asiakasorganisaatiot ottavat uuden järjestelmän käyttöönsä, samalla mukauttaen toimintansa järjestelmän kanssa samaan linjaan. Konsultointipalveluita tarjoavat organisaatiot tukevat asiakasorganisaatiota sekä järjestelmätoimittajaa, pysyen neutraaleina kolmansina osapuolina. Hankkeiden haasteet on hyvin tunnistettu. Syyt haasteiden takana ovat kuitenkin vähemmän tutkittu aihe. Tässä väitöskirjakirjassa tietojärjestelmähankkeita tutkitaan uudella näkökulmalla, joka on kertomusteoreettinen näkökulma. Merkittävä haaste tietojärjestelmähankkeissa on näiden hankkeiden olomuodon epäselvyys. Tietojärjestelmähanke ei ole itsessään ihmisen kokoinen; se on sekoitus abstraktia sekä konkreettista tulkitsijan näkökulmasta riippuen. Siispä tietojärjestelmähanke on monitulkintainen; hanke merkitsee eri osapuolille eri asioita. Järjestelmätoimittajalle tietojärjestelmähanke on pääasiassa paketoidun ratkaisun toimitushanke. Asiakasorganisaatiolle se on ennen kaikkea muutoshanke. Käyttäjille tietojärjestelmähanke usein merkitsee tutun työympäristö rikkoutumista. Konsultointipalveluita tarjoava organisaatio on edellä mainittujen näkökulmien välissä. Yhteistyö tällaisen monitulkintaisen hankkeen tiimoilla on vaikeaa. Tietojärjestelmähankkeissa esiintyvien yhteistyöongelmien ratkaisu piilee siinä, miten eriosapuolet luovat käsityksensä tietojärjestelmähankkeesta. Tämä tutkimusongelma johdattaa pohtimaan kertomuksia. Ihminen luonnostaan käsittää maailmaa kertomuksin. Kertomukset kuvaavat tapahtumasarjoja, joissa yksittäiset tapahtuman on nivottu yhteen loogisilta vaikuttavin suhtein. Toistaiseksi kertomusten merkitystä tietojärjestelmähankkeissa ei ole tutkittu riittävissä määrin. Tämä väitöskirja pohjautuu väitteeseen, jonka mukaan kertomusteoreettinen näkökulma on arvokas tietojärjestelmähankkeiden tutkimukselle ja käytännölle. Tässä väitöskirjassa tutkitaan kertomuksia tietojärjestelmähankkeissa. Väitöskirjan tehtävänä on lisätä ymmärrystä kertomuksista tietojärjestelmähankkeissa. Väitöskirja keskittyy selvittämään kertomusten roolia, kuvausta, ja vaikutusta tietojärjestelmähankkeissa. Lisäksi väitöskirja selvittää kuinka tietojärjestelmähankkeissa esiintyviä kertomuksia tulee lähestyä. Tämä väitöskirja lähestyy tehtäväänsä tapaustutkimuksena. Tapaustutkimuksen kohteita on kaksi. Ensimmäisessä tapauksessa sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon organisaatiot hankkivat yhteisen tietojärjestelmän. Kyseinen tietojärjestelmä hankitaan projektiorganisaation kautta ulkomaalaiselta suurelta järjestelmätoimittajalta. Toisessa tapauksessa suuri teollisuuden alan yritys korvaa vanhan tietojärjestelmänsä uudella. Uusi järjestelmä päätetään kehittää pienen, mutta läheisen ennestään tutun järjestelmätoimittajan palveluin. Molemmissa tapauksissa esiintyy selkeitä haasteita eri osapuolten välisessä yhteistyössä. Nämä haasteet luovat kyseisiin tietojärjestelmähankkeisiin merkittäviä vaikeuksia. Tämän väitöskirjan tutkimusaineisto on kerätty haastattelemalla tutkittujen tapauksien tietojärjestelmähankkeiden keskeisiä toimijoita. Haastattelut ovat puolirakenteisia haastatteluita, joissa on keskusteltu toimijoiden näkemyksistä ja kokemuksista tutkituissa hankkeissa. Tutkimusaineistosta on tuotettu viisi vertaisarvioitua tieteellistä tutkimusartikkelia. Tämä väitöskirja pohjautuu näihin tutkimusartikkeleihin. Tutkimuksen keskeinen löydös on se, että tietojärjestelmähankkeiden osapuolet turvautuvat kertomuksiin käsittäessään tietojärjestelmähankkeita. Nämä kertomukset ovat prototyypillisiä ja mahdollisesti ristiriidassa keskenään. Näillä kertomuksilla, erityisesti silloin kun ne ovat ristiriidassa, on voima luoda yhteistyöongelmia tietojärjestelmähankkeisiin. Tästä syystä tietojärjestelmähankkeiden kertomuksia tulee lähestyä kriittisellä sekä analyyttisellä lähestymistavalla. Tämän väitöskirjan löydökset lisäävät ymmärrystä kertomuksista tietojärjestelmähankkeissa. Löydökset ovat hyödyllisiä niin tietojärjestelmätieteen tutkimukselle kuin käytännölle, organisaatiotutkimukselle, sekä kertomusteoreettiselle tutkimukselle.Enterprise system implementation is challenging. The majority of implementation projects face severe issues, even total failures. The antecedents behind these issues and failures are related to collaboration issues between the implementation parties. The central parties include vendors, client organisations, and third-party organisations offering consultancy services. Each party makes a significant contribution to the overall implementation. The vendor delivers and manages the underlying packaged system. Client organisations take the new system into their use while aligning their processes with those of the new system. Third-party organisations offer their support to client organisations and vendors. Increasing the success rate of enterprise system implementations thus necessitates studying this collaboration. These issues are well-recognised. However, the reasons behind the collaboration issues are less clear. This dissertation explores a novel perspective for considering this setting—the narrative theoretical perspective. A severe challenge in enterprise system implementation is the nature of these implementations. An enterprise system implementation is not the size of a human; it is a mix of abstract and concrete, depending on the interpreter’s perspective. Enterprise system implementations are thus equivocal. For the vendor, enterprise system implementation means that they deliver a packaged product to the customers. For client organisations, it is essentially a change project. For the users, on many occasions, it is a disturbance in their familiar environment. For third-party organisations, implementation lies between the aforementioned perspectives. Understandably, collaboration under such equivocal circumstances is complex. Solutions for the collaboration issues in enterprise system implementations may be found in the way the implementation parties comprehend these implementations. This leads to the people’s main sensemaking form: narratives. By nature, people are storytellers who comprehend the world with narratives. A narrative is a sequence of particularised events that occur over time. Thus far, narratives have not been studied in the context of enterprise system implementation. This dissertation argues that the narrative theoretical perspective is valuable for studying and conducting enterprise system implementations. This dissertation studies narratives in enterprise system implementations. The objective is to increase knowledge regarding this topic. The dissertation focuses on explaining the role, description, and influence of narratives in this context. It also considers a way to approach these narratives. This dissertation uses an interpretive and qualitative case study approach. The case is enterprise system implementation projects in which collaboration issues and narratives occur. This dissertation studies two instances of such a case. In the first case, social and healthcare organisations are acquiring a shared enterprise system. They acquire the system from a large offshore vendor. A third-party project company manages the implementation. In the second case, a large global organisation in the retail industry renews its enterprise system. It decides to develop the system together with a small but familiar vendor. Both cases present significant challenges in their collaborations. These challenges generate severe complications. This dissertation’s research data were collected via semi-structured interviews. The interviewees were the central actors in both cases. The interviews included discussions related to the interviewee’s perceptions and experiences about the implementations. The research data generated five peer-reviewed academic articles that comprise this dissertation. This dissertation’s main findings show that enterprise system implementation parties make sense using narratives. These narratives are prototypical and possibly conflicting. The different parties, such as the vendor, the project company, and client organisations, resort to different narratives. For instance, the vendor and the project company may be making sense of the users’ negative feedback with a narrative that explains the negative feedback as simple change resistance – nothing to be shocked about. However, the users in client organisations may perceive a narrative in which a great disturbance is being forcefully fed to them in the form of an information system. These narratives have the power to generate collaboration issues in enterprise system implementation. Therefore, narratives in enterprise system implementations should be approached from a critical narrative perspective. This dissertation proposes initial, empirically grounded first steps that adopt such a perspective in both information systems research and practice. These first steps are grounded in prototypical narrative elements, which encompass the essential nature of narratives. This dissertation increases the knowledge regarding narratives in enterprise system implementations. These findings contribute to information systems research and practice, organisation research, and narrative theoretical research

FeatureIT : a platform for collaborative software development

The development of enterprise software is a complex activity that requires a diverse set of stakeholders to communicate and coordinate in order to achieve a successful outcome. In this dissertation I introduce a high-level physical architecture for a platform titled FeatureIT that has the goal of supporting the collaboration between stakeholders throughout the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). FeatureIT is the result of unifying the theoretical foundations of the multi-disciplinary field of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) with the paradigm and associated technologies of Web 2.0. The architecture was borne out a study of literature in the fields of CSCW, Web 2.0 and software engineering, which facilitated the identification of functional and non-functional requirements necessary for the platform. The design science research methodology was employed to construct this architecture iteratively to satisfy the requirements while validating its efficacy against a comprehensive set of scenarios that typically occur in the SDLC.ComputingM. Sc. (Information Systems

Learning in adaptive spaces:how customer experience professionals experience learning during technology-mediated interaction, and implications for organisational learning

This research investigates how customer experience (CX) professionals experience learning through their use of digital technologies in organisations, and considers the implications for organisational learning. A phenomenographic methodology was used to compare the variation in employees’ experiences of learning, and the research employed a conceptual framework of post-structuralism and complexity to investigate how digital technologies affect organisational learning and knowledge management. Complexity Leadership Theory was used as a way to interpret the complexity dynamics that occur through digitally mediated interactions in organisations, and provided a way to conceptualise these interactions as taking place in ‘adaptive spaces’. The research found that a lack of etiquette regarding the use of digital tools can adversely affect processes of meaning-creation during the technology-mediated work of CX professionals. The findings indicate that a more intentional use of technology – a ‘digital etiquette’ – can be viewed as a dynamic capability, and has the potential to improve the way in which CX professionals contribute to organisational learning. The findings also demonstrate that improving digital etiquette in adaptive spaces is an appropriate response to problems of knowledge management under conditions of complexity. The research will be of interest to those seeking a clearer understanding of the potential of the CX function to contribute to organisational learning, and also to those aiming to design programmes of learning that prepare students effectively for complex environments