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

The role of nonprofits as administrators in municipal sustainability planning: An exploration of four cities

Municipal governments across the United States have been integrating sustainability into their planning and economic development strategies for more than a decade. Despite this, forging a consensus on exactly what a “sustainable city” is—or how communities can pursue sustainability in financially and politically viable ways—has proven difficult. Over the past several years, however, many governments have strengthened their initiatives by harnessing the capacity of nonprofit organizations to serve as administrators of their sustainability plans. The roles of nonprofits vary between cities but often include information gathering and designing and developing plans, while the task of implementing these plans is managed by the municipal governments. This study explores this promising and emerging technique against the backdrop of theories of collaboration and cross-sector coordination and their practical application. Through an intensive case-study approach that involved interviews with key staff members in four U.S. communities, including Akron, Ohio; Elgin, Illinois; Fairfield, Iowa and ; Oak Park/River Forest, Illinois it explores these partnerships and the practical lessons that these pioneers in nonprofit-municipal collaboration suggest for other communities. The findings also illustrate the value of collaborative theory in understanding how nonprofits and municipalities can work together in the design and development of community sustainability plans. Interpreted broadly, such results can help deepen scholarly understanding of the potential value of intersectoral strategic planning initiatives among different entities

Promoting Scalability and Sustainability of ICT4D Projects Using Open Source Software

There is an increasing consensus that information and communication technologies (ICTs) bring an opportunity for developing countries to reach development goals in various areas, yet a large number of the projects that utilize ICT for development (ICT4D) are considered full or partial failures. One of the most critical challenges identified is that ICT4D practice tends to produce pilot projects, but it fails to provide scalable and sustainable solutions for capacity development. Open source software (OSS), with its particular licensing scheme and community-based development method, has been touted as a possible solution to some of the problems that ICT4D practice is often claimed to cause. However, prior research has barely discussed or empirically studied the potential of OSS in promoting scalability and sustainability of ICT4D projects. This study aims to provide an answer to the research question: How to promote scalability and sustainability of ICT4D projects using open source software? The study draws from empirical research conducted in a case project to answer the research question. The author of this study participated in a capacity development project in Kenya coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and financed by the Government of Finland’s development assistance program during years 2006-2008. The project developed a software to help in computerization of agricultural cooperatives and licensed it with an open source software license, so that it could be freely used by both agricultural cooperatives and local ICT companies, in order for the latter to be able to provide support services to the cooperatives. The action case research method was sed to both introduce change to the problematic “real-life” situation and to increase understanding of the area of concern. Consequently, this study provides a detailed description how research-based insights were used to manage the sustainability and scalability issues in the case project The results of the study include an assessment of the role of open source software in promoting scalability and sustainability of ICT4D projects, which implies that OSS may lay a foundation for the creation of a business ecosystem supporting scalability and sustainability, but OSS in itself does not solve challenges related to the demand and supply of technology. In addition, the study discusses the nature of the scalability and sustainability problem and presents a model of the elements influencing scalability and sustainability of ICT4D projects. The study contributes to the field of open source software research by focusing on a type of an OSS project that has been little studied and highlights the importance of project characteristics and context. It complements the OSS in developing country research that often discusses OSS in an overly positive manner by reporting the challenges experienced in the case project. The study also contributes to the discussion of ICT4D project failure in development informatics research by improving conceptual clarity, defining the scalability and sustainability problem in detail, identifying elements influencing scalability and sustainability and by providing insights into the role of OSS in solving the scalability and sustainability problem. For practitioners involved with OSS or ICT4D projects, the study provides conceptual tools and advises against expecting simple solutions to difficult development problems.Kehitysmaiden uskotaan voivan saavuttaa kehitykseen liittyviä tavoitteitaan tieto- ja viestintäteknologiaa (engl. information and communication technologies, ICT) hyödyntämällä. Suuri osa ICT-teknologiaa hyödyntävistä kehitysyhteistyöhankkeista kuitenkin epäonnistuu osittain tai täysin. Eräs keskeinen ongelma teknologian hyödyntämisessä kehitysyhteistyössä on ollut, että toiminnan tuloksena syntyy paljon pilottihankkeita, mutta liian harvoin skaalautuvia ja kestäviä ratkaisuja kehitysmaiden toimintavalmiuksien parantamiseksi. Avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistoja on pidetty mahdollisena ratkaisuna ICT-teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden haasteisiin, sillä niitä voidaan kehittää yhteisöllisesti ja lisensointi mahdollistaa ohjelmistojen vapaan hyödyntämisen. Avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistojen käyttöä ICT-teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden skaalautuvuuden ja kestävyyden parantamisessa ei kuitenkaan ole juuri tutkittu. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on vastata seuraavaan kysymykseen: Miten ICT-teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden skaalautuvuutta ja kestävyyttä voidaan parantaa avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistoilla? Aihetta lähestytään tarkasteluun valitun hankkeen kautta empiirisesti. Hanke oli Yhdistyneiden kansakuntien elintarvike- ja maatalousjärjestön koordinoima ja Suomen kehitysyhteistyöohjelman rahoittama valmiuksien kehittämishanke, joka toteutettiin Keniassa vuosina 2006‒2008 ja johon tutkimuksen tekijä myös itse osallistui. Hankkeessa kehitettiin ohjelmisto maatalousosuuskuntien tietokoneistamisen tueksi. Tämä lisensoitiin avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistolisenssillä, jotta ohjelmisto olisi vapaasti hyödynnettävissä sekä osuuskunnissa että paikallisissa ICT-yrityksissä. Näin paikalliset ICT-yritykset voisivat tarjota tukipalveluita osuuskunnille. Tapaustutkimusta ja toimintatutkimusta yhdistävän tutkimusmenetelmän keinoin pyrittiin sekä ratkaisemaan hankkeen haasteita että lisäämään ymmärrystä tutkimusaiheesta. Tässä tutkimuksessa kuvataan, miten aiempaan tutkimukseen pohjautuvia näkemyksiä hyödynnettiin hankkeen skaalautuvuuteen ja kestävyyteen liittyvien haasteiden ratkaisussa. Tutkimuksen tuloksena on arvio avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistojen merkityksestä ICT-teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden skaalautuvuuden ja kestävyyden parantamisessa, minkä mukaan avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistoilla voidaan luoda edellytykset teknologian skaalautuvuutta ja kestävyyttä tukevan liiketoimintaekosysteemin synnylle, mutta se ei itsessään ratkaise teknologian kysyntään ja tarjontaan liittyviä haasteita. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa käsitellään skaalautuvuuden ja kestävyyden haasteen luonnetta sekä luodaan malli ICT-teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden skaalautuvuuteen ja kestävyyteen vaikuttavista osatekijöistä. Tämä tutkimus edistää avoimen lähdekoodin tutkimusta fokusoitumalla hanketyyppiin, jota ei ole juuri aiemmin tutkittu, korostaen hankkeiden luonteen ja kontekstin merkitystä alan tutkimuksessa. Avoimen lähdekoodin hyödyntämistä kehitysmaissa koskeva tutkimus on usein esittänyt avoimen lähdekoodin mahdollisuudet hyvin optimistisesti, jättäen haasteet vähäiselle tarkastelulle – tämä tutkimus täydentääkin alan tutkimusta raportoimalla kohteena olleen hankkeen haasteista. Lisäksi tämä tutkimus edistää kehitysyhteistyötä koskevan informatiikan tutkimuksen puitteissa käytävää keskustelua teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden epäonnistumisista selkeyttämällä käsitteitä, tarkentamalla skaalautuvuuden ja kestävyyden haasteen määrittelyä, tunnistamalla skaalautuvuuteen ja kestävyyteen vaikuttavia osatekijöitä sekä parantamalla ymmärrystä avoimen lähdekoodin merkityksestä haasteen ratkaisussa. Avoimen lähdekoodin hankkeiden tai teknologiaa hyödyntävien kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden parissa toimiville tutkimus tarjoaa käsitteleellisiä työkaluja ja neuvoja, joiden mukaan vaikeisiin kehityshaasteisiin ei tule odottaa helppoja ratkaisuja.Siirretty Doriast

The ‘de-territorialisation of closeness’ - a typology of international successful R&D projects involving cultural and geographic proximity

Although there is a considerable amount of empirical evidence on inter-firm collaborations within technology-based industries, there are only a few works concerned with R&D cooperation by low-tech firms, especially SMEs. Providing further and new evidence based on a recently built database of CRAFT projects, this study analyzes the relationship between technology and proximity in international R&D networks using Homogeneity Analysis by Means of Alternating Least Squares (HOMALS) and statistical cluster techniques. The resulting typology of international cooperative R&D projects highlights that successful international cooperative R&D projects are both culturally/geographically closer and distant. Moreover, and quite interestingly, geographically distant projects are technologically more advanced whereas those located near each other are essentially low tech. Such evidence is likely to reflect the tacit-codified knowledge debate boosted recently by the ICT “revolution” emphasized by the prophets of the “Death of Distance” and the “End of Geography”.Research and Development (R&D); proximity; SMEs

Operation Warp Speed: Projects responding to the COVID-19 pandemic

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has profound socio-economic consequences. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, so this paper focuses on radical changes to accepted practice in project organizing in response. In particular, we focus on schedule compression to deliver outputs to mitigate the immediate impact of the pandemic on health. In the spirit of engaged scholarship, which is problem-driven rather than theory-driven, we address directly the evidence of what happened in two empirical vignettes and one more substantial case study – the CoronavirusUY app; emergency field hospitals; and vaccine development. We then suggest the implications for project management theory in discussion

Exploring the Factors Promoting Team Effectiveness in the Process of Creating International Technology Standards A Case Study of ISO/SAE-joint Standard (21434) for Road Vehicle Cybersecurity

International Technology Standards play an essential role in supporting technology adoption and implementation. Emerging technologies are reshaping global commerce. New technologies have been shown to be an essential factor in boosting the economy as they offer great prospects for growth. It is a complicated journey from promising emerging technology to full industrialization and commercialization. However, the process of creating International Technology Standards itself is dynamic and complicated, consists of many underlying dimensions, and is influenced by political, economic, socio-demographic, and technological changes during the development process. Few theoretical frameworks exist to help in understanding the process of creating technology standards as well as to provide practical guidelines. This dissertation bridges this gap by conducting an in-depth case study analysis that aims to extend our knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the process of creating International Technology Standards. The case I selected is the first ever joint International Technology Standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, a Europe-based standards development organization), and SAE International (SAE, a U.S.-based standards development organization). The purpose of the standard in question is to setup global policies and guidelines for automotive 4 cybersecurity, in the era during which cars will become fully connected and will soon be autonomous. In this case study, data were collected through documents, observations, interviews, and questionnaires. A total of 18 semi-structured individual and group interviews, including 24 participants, were conducted within four months, and 25 completed questionnaires were collected. Coding was adopted as the data analysis method. The results reveal a set of Input-Process- Outcome (IPO) factors and components that impact team effectiveness in the process of creating International Technology Standards. To be specific, team structure is the most critical IPO factor that influences the team effectiveness. Additionally, an Input-Choice-Outcome (ICO) conceptual framework and several lessons-learned are offered for future International Technology Standards creation projects. The study contributes to literature and practice by providing theoretical and practitioner insights into the process of International Technology Standards creation

The joint R&D project: The case of the first Brazilian microcontroller chip

The interorganizational cooperation, through joint efforts with various actors, allows the high-tech companies to complement resources, especially in R&D projects. Collaborative projects have been identified in many studies as an important strategy to produce complex products and services in uncertain and competitive environments. Thus, this research aims at deepening the understanding of how the development dynamics of a collaborative R&D project in an industry of high technology occur. In order to achieve the proposed objective, the R&D project of the first microcontroller in the Brazilian semiconductor industry was defined as the object of analysis. The empirical choice is justified by the uniqueness of the case, besides bringing a diversity of actors and a level of complementarity of resources that were significant to the success of the project. Given the motivation to know who the actors were and what the main forms of interorganizational coordination were used in this project, interviews were carried out and a questionnaire was also made, besides other documents related to the project. The results presented show a network of nine actors and their roles in the interorganizational collaboration process, as well as the forms of social and temporal overlapping, used in the coordination of collective efforts. Focusing on the mechanisms of temporal and social integration highlighted throughout the study, the inclusion of R&D projects in the typology for interorganizational projects is proposed in this paper, which was also proposed by Jones and Lichtenstein (2008).A cooperação interorganizacional, por meio da atuação conjunta com diversos atores, permite que empresas de setores de alta tecnologia possam complementar recursos, especialmente em projetos de P&D. Os projetos colaborativos têm sido apontados em diversos estudos como uma importante estratégia para produzir produtos e serviços complexos em ambientes de incerteza e competitividade. Nesse sentido, pretende-se com a presente pesquisa aprofundar o entendimento de como ocorre a dinâmica de desenvolvimento de um projeto colaborativo de P&D em uma indústria de alta tecnologia. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, definiu-se como objeto de análise o projeto de P&D do primeiro microcontrolador da indústria brasileira de semicondutores. A escolha empírica justifica-se pela singularidade do caso e por trazer uma diversidade de atores e um nível de complementaridade de recursos que foram significativos para o êxito do projeto. Dada a motivação para conhecer quem foram os atores e quais as principais formas de coordenação utilizadas neste projeto interorganizacional, realizaram-se entrevistas bem como se utilizou um questionário e demais documentos relativos ao projeto. Os resultados apresentados evidenciam uma rede de nove atores e suas funções no processo de colaboração interorganizacional, bem como as formas de imbricamento social e temporal utilizados na coordenação dos esforços coletivos. Focalizando nos mecanismos de inserção temporal e de inserção social destacados ao longo do estudo, propõe-se a inclusão dos projetos de P&D na tipologia para projetos interorganizacionais proposta por Jones e Lichtenstein (2008).La cooperación interorganizacional en I&D, permite que empresas de sectores de alta tecnología puedan complementar recurso. Los proyectos colaborativos han sido apuntados como una importante estrategia para producir productos y servicios complejos en ambientes de incertidumbre y competitividad. Se pretende, con la presente investigación, profundizar el entendimiento de cómo ocurre la dinámica de desarrollo de un proyecto colaborativo de I&D en una industria de alta tecnología. Se definió como objeto de análisis el proyecto de I&D del primer microcontrolador de la industria brasileña de semiconductores. Dada la motivación para conocer quién fueron los actores y cuáles las principales formas de coordinación utilizadas en este proyecto interorganizacional, se realizaron entrevistas, así como se utilizó un cuestionario y demás documentos relacionados al proyecto. Los resultados evidencian una red de nueve actores y sus funciones en el proceso de colaboración interorganizacional, además de las formas de imbricamiento social y temporal utilizados en la coordinación de los esfuerzos colectivos. Enfocando en los mecanismos de inserción temporal y social destacados a lo largo del estudio, se propone la inclusión de los proyectos de I&D, en la tipología para proyectos interorganizacionales propuesta porJones y Lichtenstein (2008)