Artificial Intelligence for the Financial Services Industry: What Challenges Organizations to Succeed?

As a research field, artificial intelligence (AI) exists for several years. More recently, technological breakthroughs, coupled with the fast availability of data, have brought AI closer to commercial use. Internet giants such as Google, Amazon, Apple or Facebook invest significantly into AI, thereby underlining its relevance for business models worldwide. For the highly data driven finance industry, AI is of intensive interest within pilot projects, still, few AI applications have been implemented so far. This study analyzes drivers and inhibitors of a successful AI application in the finance industry based on panel data comprising 22 semi-structured interviews with experts in AI in finance. As theoretical lens, we structured our results using the TOE framework. Guidelines for applying AI successfully reveal AI-specific role models and process competencies as crucial, before trained algorithms will have reached a quality level on which AI applications will operate without human intervention and moral concerns

Business Intelligence in NHS WALES

The paper investigates the challenges of implementing Business Intelligence (BI) in NHS Wales. The study is informed by extant literature, a modified Delphi approach that draws on the knowledge of ten expert panelists from the NHS/Welsh public sector, and from the extensive industry experience of one of the authors of this study. Our adapted Delphi methodology lends itself to supporting the nature of this research since it not only structures a group communication process to explore and seek consensus on specific aspects of BI implementation in NHS Wales, but it also identifies the mean priority accorded by our expert panel to approximately eighty BI-related questions. The specific findings are presented under the following six headings – tools, resources, data, business drivers, business process needs and business service needs. The findings, in general, highlight that the existing BI services in NHS Wales are not presently supporting the delivery of evidence-based business decisions

AMCIS 2006 Panel Summary: Towards the Service Oriented Enterprise Vision: Bridging Industry and Academics

The complexities and costs of current information architectures, infrastructures, and distributed data and software have provided impetus to emerging conceptualizations of the Service Oriented Enterprise (SOE). The foundations for SOE can be found in current applications of service oriented architecture (SOA), service oriented infrastructure (SOI), business process and workflow, computing resource virtualization, business semantics, service level agreements, increasing standardization, and other areas of applied research. This article reports on a panel held at the 2006 Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) in Acapulco, Mexico, regarding the impacts of SOE tenets on the IS field. Two organizations that are at the leading edge of the SOE continuum [American Express and Intel] in terms of vision and experiences were represented by Margaret Mitchell and George Brown. In addition, MIS academics were represented on the panel by the authors, researchers from Arizona State University. Both industry and academics brought unique perspectives. American Express\u27 SOE approach addresses organizational structure and business intelligence project workflow issues. The company hosts one of the largest IT infrastructures capable of handling untold numbers of transactions each second. Intel\u27s SOE approach addresses the orchestration of services and workflows in the cross-architecture environments characterizing the modern extended global enterprise. Intel is playing a lead role in establishing the OASIS (the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) SOA Reference Model (called \u27ebSOA\u27)

Sales performance and intuition – the role of gut feelings

This dissertation extends the dual theory of salesperson information processing by examining the relationship between salespersons\u27 emotional intelligence (EI) and their preference for and use of decision-making styles (intuition and/or deliberation) in the selling process. This dissertation contains two studies, Study 1 employs a descriptive research design and Study 2 uses experimental manipulations to investigate the role that intuition and deliberation play within the sales process. Data for both studies come from a sample derived from a national online panel of business to business salespeople. Study 1, using a survey approach, assesses two competing models and one post hoc model that are theoretically differentiated on the bases of cognitive awareness and effort. Findings from Study 1 demonstrate that a salesperson perceived use of intuition and deliberation are unique constructs that each positively influence creative selling and job performance. Also, emotional management relates to intuition and is a positive antecedent to deliberation. This provides supporting evidence for the theory of emotional intelligence. Finally, the post hoc model reveals that creative selling plays an important supporting role in shaping job performance. Study 2 employs a between subjects 2 (intuition versus deliberation decision mode) X 2 (positive versus negative emotional perception) X 2 (positive versus negative message) experimental design. Findings from Study 2 reveal that salesperson deliberation is necessary to perceive accurately emotions in others. This is in line with the theory of emotional intelligence, which holds that EI is an ability. In addition, there is evidence that subjects in the intuition condition retain less information regarding the sales dialogue but have roughly the same pattern of responses for purchase probability, tone of the sales dialogue, and attitude toward the product. This provides evidence that a salesperson\u27s intuition is a valuable input to guide actions during the sales interaction. Finally, there is evidence of the two processing systems, deliberation and intuition, working together and affecting how salespeople process information and make decisions. These findings support the theory of dual processing and provide insight into the decision making process within the context of sales. The work also provides a strong basis for future research

Attributes of Embodied Leadership: A beginning in the next chapter of leadership development

Research and guidance on leadership behaviour has been documented throughout history, from the epics to more recent leadership theories, evolved over the last century. Why then, when there is so much research and advice available are leaders still making so many errors? A review of literature in leadership studies reveals that recommendations have often been descriptive, assumptive and prescriptive without considering various differences in individuals. Additionally, leadership development often utilises methodologies in which individuals are trained to ‘act’ as leaders rather than fully embody leadership behaviour. This paper explores the generic attributes that describe embodied leadership behaviour. Semistructured interviews were performed on a panel of individuals from different backgrounds and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Along with the interviews, the works of Scharmer (2008) and behavioural traits identified in leadership by Derue, Nahrgang, Wellman and Humphrey (2011) were also taken into consideration. A final consensus was reached using a set of ten attributes that potentially contribute to embodied leadership behaviour; being non-judgemental, embracing uncertainty, active listening, congruence (morals and ethics), intuition, reflective practice, sense of meaning/purpose, holistic decision making, authentic presence and intention

Reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts: Procedural and Operational Changes

[Excerpt] The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 was the product of sweeping congressional investigation and deliberation prompted by perceived electronic surveillance abuses by the executive branch. Among other things, FISA established the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) to review government applications to conduct electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review (FISA Court of Review) to review the decisions of the FISC. In the wake of revelations in June 2013 concerning the scope of orders issued by the FISC, many have questioned the efficacy of the current mechanisms for reviewing the executive branch’s intelligence gathering practices. While some have proposed altering the underlying substantive law that regulates such surveillance, other proposals address the practice and procedures of authorizing such surveillance activities. This report begins with an overview of both the FISC and the FISA Court of Review, including the jurisdiction of these courts, how the judges are appointed, and the FISC’s practices and procedures for reviewing and issuing surveillance orders. The report then discusses the scope and underlying legal principles behind congressional regulation of the procedures of the federal courts, and applies those principles with respect to the various proposals to reform the FISA judicial review process. These reforms include requiring the FISC to hear arguments from “friends of the court” or amici curiae, who would brief the court on the privacy or civil liberty interests implicated by a government application; mandating that in certain instances the FISC sit en banc—that is, with all 11 FISC judges; and altering the voting rules of the FISC and FISA Court of Review