Dialectic Tensions in the Context of Inter-organizational Integration

This study compares the perspectives on inter-organizational integration of information between stakeholders of the architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management (AEC/FM) industry in Finland. Our findings are grounded on semi-structured interviews with practitioners that participated in a project of the Finnish government. Applying the theoretical framework of dialectical analysis, we identified six dimensions where conflicting points of view may arise regarding shared information: Ontology, standards, storage, openness, monetization and the involvement of the public sector. We argue that stakeholders will have stronger motivation to integrate with new actors if they share the same vision about one or more of such challenge areas. Awareness of these tensions helps to understand and guide the development of inter-organizational information systems in networked industries

Building A Substantive Theory Of Emotions From An Iois Project

The object of this grounded theory study was a three year long, public sector inter-organizational information system (IOIS) project which spanned four user organizations, two suppliers, one national organization, a research organization and a Government Ministry. The data were elicited by means of narrative stories, observations of project meetings, diaries, project memoranda and emails sent by project members to each other during these years. Glaserian grounded theory method was used as the technique for theory building. Three core categories were identified: governance, power and emotions. The study offers two key contributions: first, it builds a substantive theory of Emotions of Control in an IOIS project, presented in the form of propositions. The theory offers an approach to understanding the meaning of emotions in project work and the consequences of emotions in collaboration. Second, we offer a window into the theory building process using Glaserian grounded theory. We argue that the findings of this study have some implications of value to researchers studying emotional issues in IOIS projects or information system (IS) projects in general, because the role of emotions in project work can be pivotal in determining project success

Illustrating The Process Of Ontology Concept Formulation In A Multi-Perspective Social Setting

Developing an ontology for use in a social process requires conceptualisation of the domain, and the influence of skills and perspectives of actors in the processes to be considered. It is essential that methodologies have a rigorous concept formulation process that ensures abstraction from the domain narration and also disambiguates the terms in the narration. However, the abstraction needs to be a parsimonious representation of a community’s collaborative terminology and concept pluralism. This paper presents a method of ontological concept formulation, using an approach based on a rigorous grounded theory method, and illustrates the process using a fragment from a case study. We have found that the method has assisted in clarifying terms emerging from the text and in grounding the conceptual understanding of natural language fragments, by interpreting concepts at the phrase level with the support of a reference lexicon, and using a basis of perspectivism. The identification of semantic relationships between concepts is conducted within the multiple adopted perspectives and permits a pluralistic approach to ontological formulatio

Understanding Governance issues in an Inter-Organizational IS project

This interpretative grounded theory (GT) study describes and analyzes governance issues in a Nordic inter- organizational information system (IOIS) project which spanned four user organizations, two suppliers, one national organization, a research organization and a Ministry. This study shows how GT can be used to gain significant insights to case study, and generate new concepts. We identified Organizing the project personnel, Leadership styles and Organizational learning and knowledge work as important selective codes that make up the Governance category. The paper concludes by discussing how organizing the project personnel, leadership styles and organizational learning issues could be attributed to governance and considers some theoretical and practical implications

Exploring standardization and integration in the implementation of industry inter-organizational information systems: a case study in the seaport of Barcelona

Aquesta tesis presenta un estudi interpretativista sobre els processos d'estandardització i integració relacionats amb la implementació d'un sistema d'informació inter-organitzatiu (SIIO) sectorial en el Port de Barcelona. Aquest treball adopta una perspectiva de conjunt sobre els SIIO. Per un costat, des d'aquesta perspectiva un SIIO està en constant en moviment durant la implementació i el seu posterior ús. Per tant, la implementació del SIIO ve condicionada per configuracions prèvies, ja que els sistemes existents influencien en les opcions i trajectòries que pot prendre la implementació. Per altre costat, de la mateixa manera la implementació ve determinada tant per aspectes materials i/o tecnològics com per aspectes socials. És a dir, la implementació es pot veure com un procés de canvi socio-tecnològic que evoluciona al llarg de la implementació del SIIO sectorial.L'objectiu d'aquesta tesis és investigar la naturalesa socio-tecnològica del procés de implementació d'un SIIO i identificar aspectes teòrics i pràctics que puguin explicar les dinàmiques que es produeixin al llarg de la implementació. En base a un estudi de cas intepretativista i en profunditat, el qual combina l'ús de grounded theory i actor-network theory, realitzo un anàlisi del procés d'implementació, i formalitzo una sèrie de contribucions teòriques i pràctiques. El primer gran tema d'estudi d'aquest treball ha estat l'estandardització que ha tingut lloc abans i durant la implementació del SIIO sectorial. El segon tema ha estat la integració dels sistemes de informació prèviament existents amb el SIIO sectorial.Les contribucions d'aquest treball tenen implicacions per la recerca. En primer lloc, aquest treball amplia el limitat, tot i que creixent, nombre de investigacions que s'han centrat en la naturalesa processual i socio-tecnològica dels SIIO. Igualment aquest treball complementa la literatura existent en SIIO, que ha proposat models de factors, ja que explica com i perquè alguns d'aquests factors són importants. En segon lloc, aquest treball contribueix a la recerca que ha fet estudis longitudinals en l'àrea de sistemes d'informació ja que proporciona una interpretació contextual i en profunditat sobre els processos d'adaptació i canvi que tenen lloc durant la implementació d'un SIIO. Finalment, aquesta tesis contribueix a la literatura sobre estandardització de SIIO mitjançant l'establiment de lligams entre els estudis que proposen models de procés i els que es centren en l'anàlisi dels grups d'interès que participen en l'estandardització.Per altre costat, aquesta tesis té legitimitat pragmàtica ja que pot servir d'ajuda per millorar la pràctica. En primer lloc, aquest treball confirma el dinamisme dels interessos dels actors que participen en els processos d'estandardització, i posa de relleu que aquests actors tenen un ampli ventall d'interessos que varia en funció de la naturalesa dels propis actors i que condiciona la seva actitud al llarg del procés. És, per tant, molt important realitzar una constant identificació dels interessos dels actors. En segon lloc, aquesta tesis mostra que la gestió de SIIO ha de posar èmfasi i dedicar recursos no solament al disseny, a preveure escenaris futurs, i a desenvolupar estratègies i accions per fer front a aquestes previsions. La gestió també ha de prestar atenció i comprendre els esdeveniments no previstos i els canvis emergents que succeeixen durant l'ús del SIIO. Finalment, la implementació de SIIO requereix que els directius donin resposta per tal de reforçar o atenuar aquests canvis emergents. És a dir, la gestió de SIIO no es pot concebre únicament com una intervenció que es pot predefinir i planificar, sinó també com una forma de reacció i resposta al context i el comportament dels altres. Aquesta tesis també suggereix una sèrie de maniobres que poden ésser d'ajut als directius i professionals involucrats en projectes d'implementació de SIIO.Esta tesis presenta un estudio interpretativista sobre los procesos de estandarización e integración relacionados con la implementación de un sistema de información inter-organizativo (SIIO) sectorial en el Puerto de Barcelona. Este trabajo adopta una perspectiva de conjunto sobre los SIIO. Por un lado, desde esta perspectiva un SIIO está en constante movimiento durante su implementación y posterior uso. Por lo tanto, la implementación del SIIO viene condicionada por configuraciones previas, ya que los sistemas existentes influyen en las opciones y trayectorias que puede tomar la implementación. Por otro lado, igualmente la implementación viene determinada tanto por aspectos materiales y/o tecnológicos como por aspectos sociales. Es decir, la implementación puede verse como un proceso de cambio socio-tecnológico que evoluciona a lo largo de la implementación de SIIO sectorial.El objetivo de esta tesis es investigar la naturaleza socio-tecnológica del proceso de implementación de un SIIO e identificar aspectos teóricos y prácticos que puedan explicar las dinámicas que se producen durante la implementación. En base a un estudio de caso en profundidad e interpretativista, el cual combina el uso de grounded theory y actor-network theory, realizo un análisis del proceso de implementación, y formalizo una serie de contribuciones teóricas y prácticas. El primer gran tema de estudio de este trabajo ha sido la estandarización que ha tenido lugar antes y durante la implementación del SIIO sectorial. El segundo tema ha sido la integración de los sistemas de información que ya existían previamente con el SIIO sectorial.Las contribuciones de este trabajo tienen implicaciones para la investigación. En primer lugar, este trabajo amplia el limitado, aunque creciente, número de investigaciones que se han centrado en la naturaleza procesual i socio-tecnológica de los SIIO. Igualmente este trabajo complementa la literatura previa en SIIO, la cual ha propuesto modelos de factores, ya que explica cómo y por qué algunos de estos factores son relevantes. En segundo lugar, este trabajo contribuye a la investigación que ha realizado estudios longitudinales en el área de los sistemas de información ya que proporciona una interpretación contextual y en profundidad sobre los procesos de adaptación y cambio que tienen lugar durante la implementación de un SIIO. Finalmente, esta tesis contribuye a la literatura sobre estandarización ya que establece vínculos entre los estudios que han propuesto modelos de proceso y los que se centran en el análisis de los grupos de interés que participan en la estandarización.Por otro lado, esta tesis tiene legitimidad pragmática ya que puede servir de ayuda para mejorar la práctica. En primer lugar, este trabajo confirma el dinamismo de los intereses de los actores que participan en procesos de estandarización, y pone de relieve que los diferentes actores tienen una amplia gama de intereses que varía en función de la naturaleza de los propios actores y que condiciona su actitud a lo largo del proceso. Es, por lo tanto, muy importante realizar una constante identificación de los intereses de los actores durante la implementación. En segundo lugar, esta tesis muestra que los directivos encargados de la implementación de SIIO han de poner énfasis y dedicar recursos no sólo a diseñar, prever escenarios de futuro, y desarrollar estrategias y acciones para cumplir con estas previsiones. La gestión también ha de prestar atención y comprender los acontecimientos no previstos y los cambios emergentes que se sucedan durante el uso del SIIO. Finalmente, la implementación de SIIO requiere que los directivos den respuesta con el fin de reforzar o atenuar estos cambios emergentes. Es decir, la gestión de SIIO no se puede concebir únicamente como una intervención que puede ser predefinida y planificada, sino también como una forma de reacción y respuesta al contexto y al comportamiento de otros. Esta tesis también sugiere una serie de maniobras que pueden ser de ayuda para los directivos y profesionales involucrados en proyectos de implementación de SIIO.This dissertation presents an interpretive study of standardization and integration processes related to the implementation of an industry inter-organizational information system (IOIS) in the Seaport of Barcelona. This thesis adopts an ensemble view of the IOIS. First, from this perspective an IOIS is in constant flux as it is implemented and used in practice. Thus implementation becomes path dependent in the sense that existing systems influence the implementation choices and paths. Second, the implementation is being partly materially determined and partly socially constructed. That is, implementation may be viewed as socio-technical change processes that evolved around the implementation of the industry IOIS.The objective of this thesis is to inquire into the socio-technical nature of IOIS implementation process and identify theoretical and practical issues that can provide a relevant explanation of the implementation dynamics. Based on an in-depth interpretive case study, which is combined with actor-network theory and grounded theory, I conduct an analysis of the implementation process and formalize a set of theoretical and practical implications. The first main theme of this work has been the standardization effort that has taken place before and during the implementation of the industry IOIS. The second main theme is related with the integration of the adopters' pre-existing systems with the industry IOIS.The contributions that arise from this research have implications for research. Firstly, it adds to the limited but growing group of researchers that have focused on the processual and socio-technical nature of IOISs, as well as adds to the factor-based IOIS literature by detailing how and why some of these factors become important. Secondly, it contributes to longitudinal IS research by providing a deeper contextual understanding of the processes of adaptation and change that underlie IOIS implementation. Finally, it contributes to IOIS standardization literature by establishing links between the process and stakeholder models. On the other hand, this thesis has pragmatic legitimacy as it may serve as a helpful guide from which to improve practice. Firstly, this work confirms the dynamism of the stakes during the standardization process and highlights that the stakeholders that participate in the standardization have a range of stakes that vary among their nature and drive their attitude towards the process. Thus a continuous identification of participants' stakes appears to be very important. Secondly, this thesis shows that IOIS management has to place emphasis and devote resources not only to design, predict future conditions, and develop strategies and actions to meet those predictions, but also to pay attention and understand the unexpected events and emergent changes that arise during the use of the IOIS. Finally, IOIS implementation requires management to respond in order to reinforce or attenuate the emergent changes. That is, the IOIS management cannot only be conceived as predefined planned intervention, but also as a form of reaction and response to situational demands and others' behavior. In addition, this thesis provides a set of maneuvers that may guide managers and practitioners involved in the implementation of IOISs

Understanding collaboration in inter-organisational information systems: Implications for supply chain management

This thesis seeks to explore how management can work together to adopt an Inter-organisational Information System (IOIS) for Supply Chain Management (SCM) at different levels of collaboration sophistication. 20 common issues associated with collaboration and adoption of IOIS for SCM, were identified from the current literature. Two theoretical frameworks were developed. First, an IOIS for SCM Adoption Framework was constructed to understand the IOIS for SCM adoption process. Secondly, an Inter-organisational Collaboration Framework was constructed and used as a lens to examine and understand the process of inter-organisational collaboration. Five underlying theories, namely agency, needs and motivation, resource dependency, cultural and negotiated order, were drawn on to develop an understanding of collaboration in this latter framework. The study of collaboration for IOIS adoption is exploratory. Eight organisations were approached from three industries and sixteen interviews were carried out with managers who are involved in the supply chain activities. Data was primarily collected using an interview instrument based on literature, and documentary and archival evidence. Interviews were transcribed and cross-case analysis was conducted on the data. Three of the four levels of collaboration sophistication were supported. At the highest level of collaboration, namely cooperation sophistication, the organisations that were studied have growth motivations, same interests and common business objectives, and prepare to develop strategy and finance projects while reengineering their business processes and redesigning their supply chains collectively. Collaboration is not limited to one dimension but multi-dimensional. An organisation collaborates with its partners in one project but that at the same time, they may not want to collaborate on a different project due to differences in business objectives. When there is a disagreement between parties, negotiation is an important process to help resolve their differences. The process of collaboration was summarised into three perspectives: industry, intra-organisational and inter-organisational. These perspectives can assist practitioners who need to understand how to address the process of collaboration in the adoption of IOISs for SCM with their partners

Digital collaboration in the wood-based construction industry: deployment of Building Information Modeling

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is intended to promote efficiency in building design and serves as a design space where multiple actors engage in collaborative work. BIM is both a new technology and a new way of working, providing a common environment for all information defining a building, facility, or asset, together with its common parts and activities (Pittard, 2013). This thesis explores the deployment of BIM technology in the Norwegian wood-based building industry and contributes to understanding how BIM can be applied to improve collaborative work in this sector. The dissertation is interdisciplinary in nature, and offers contributions to the fields of information systems (IS), construction informatics (CI), and construction management. It builds on and extends the discourse on BIM deployment in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The motivation for undertaking this study is that BIM systems provide the opportunity for increased effectiveness in the process of construction. BIM systems promise to deliver integration across the people, groups, and organizations working in the construction supply chain. The anticipated benefits of BIM include performance gains, increased clarity in information sharing, and a reduction in errors during construction design. BIM systems open up a number of possibilities for the wood-based building industry, such as increasing automation and prefabrication. Higher levels of automation will become possible once project teams have succeeded in collaboratively creating digital BIM models that are sophisticated enough to be turned into machine-readable files

The adoption of interorganisational information systems by South African firms: a technological, organisational and environmental perspective

Thesis (M.Com. (Information Systems))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2017Interorganisational information systems (IOIS) are automated systems which allow one or more firms to connect to their suppliers or customers in order to exchange data and information. Previous literature has suggested that the adoption of interorganisational information systems presents several benefits and challenges. IOIS is assumed to offer organisations the capability to improve business processes and provide better working relations with business partners. Despite this advantage that IOIS offers, adoption of IOIS presents complexities such as those associated with compatibility with a firm's IT infrastructure, lack of available skills, and concerns over data security and system failures. Through a review of existing IOIS literature, this study identified that four types of IOISs are available in South African, namely dyadic, multilateral, community, and hub and spoke. In addition, the technological, organisational and environmental (TOE) factors influencing the adoption IOIS were identified. A model exploring the effects of the pre-determined TOE factors on the adoption of IOIS was developed and tested. The TOE framework provided a theoretical contribution and addressed a gap in the literature into the barriers and determinants of the adoption of interorganisational information system (IOIS) across various organisations. A quantitative study was carried out and survey data was collected from a sample of 119 organisations across different sectors in South Africa. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire instrument administered online to a single key informant from each sampled organisation. The results revealed that multilateral IOIS are the most adopted systems while Hub and spoke IOIS are the least used. Furthermore, from the elven technologies which were identified in the literature review, the study revealed that groupware technologies, electronic payment system/online banking, video conferencing and electronic data interchange were the most adopted IOIS technologies within the sampled organisations. Adoption of IOIS was defined in two ways. First, IOIS adoption was measured as the number of implemented IOIS technologies. Second, as the extent which IOIS is used as communication medium with business partners and supports an organisation in decision making, business operation and replaces legacy technologies. Correlation analysis was used to test the model’s hypotheses and multiple regression was used to test the overall TOE model. The results showed that perceived compatibility, competition, and IS technical skill and education and training are most correlated with the adoption of IOIS, where adoption is measured as the extent of IOIS used as communication medium with business partners and used as support within an organisation. Top management support, trading partner pressure and perceived relative advantage of IOIS were also positively correlated with adoption, where adoption is measured as implemented IOIS technologies. Perceived complexity was found to be a barrier to IOIS adoption. This study serves as a guide for assessing factors contributing to interorganisational information system adoption and provides organisations with greater insight into the factors likely to enable and inhibit IOIS adoption. Keywords: IOS, IOIS, Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) Framework, information technology, IS department.GR201

Interorganizational Information Systems: Systematic Literature Mapping Protocol

Organizations increasingly need to establish partnerships with other organizations to face environment changes and remain competitive. This interorganizational relationship allows organizations to share resources and collaborate to handle business opportunities better. This technical report present the protocol of the systematic mapping performed to understand what is an IOIS and how these systems support interorganizational relationships

A collective mindfulness perspective of information sharing in the blood supply chain.

Purpose: This thesis aims to determine and unravel the underlying mechanisms of how inter-organisational information sharing influences blood safety and availability in the dyadic blood supply chain in normal, high tempo, and emergency conditions. Design/methodology/approach: Grounded in the critical realism paradigm and the perspective of high reliability theory particularly the collective mindfulness concept, this thesis uses an embedded multiple case study designed for theory elaboration. A combined retroductive-abductive and the basic qualitative description has been adopted as a research strategy. Two contrasting cases with three embedded cases for each main case are selected using convenient and context-based approaches, representing a centralised and tightly regulated blood supply chain in the UK as well as a decentralised and loosely regulated blood supply chain in Indonesia. The data are collected using the triangulation of semi- structured interviews, walkthroughs, and other supporting documents including artefacts and archives. Template analysis coupled with within-case and cross- case analyses are then used to analyse the data. Findings: This thesis finds that inter-organisational information sharing influences blood safety and availability through the dynamic enactments of collective mindfulness principles that reflect the inter-organisational information sharing behaviour across the operational conditions. It also finds that the blood supply chain actors in the centralised and tightly regulated context are collectively more mindful when sharing information than those in the decentralised and loosely regulated context, so that more positive changes in the blood safety and availability performance are observed in the former compared to that in the latter context. Interestingly, whilst the data reveal an emerging mechanism of heedful interrelating across a range of operational conditions, this thesis also reveals the fact that inter-organisational information sharing does not necessarily lead to positive changes in blood safety and availability. In fact, negatively enacted collective mindfulness principles can lead inter-organisational information sharing to unimproved and even potentially worse blood safety and availability performance. Originality/value: The primary contribution of this thesis lies in understanding the underlying mechanisms of how inter-organisational information sharing influences blood safety and availability in the dyadic blood supply chain across a range of operational conditions. Whilst offering practical and conceptually relevant knowledge to the blood supply chain literature, it informs the wider supply chain literature on the different collective mindfulness principles that make inter- organisational information sharing influence supply chain performance across a range of operational conditions. The use of the collective mindfulness concept offers a novel perspective that extends the current discussion on the effectiveness of that information sharing for supply chains.PhD in Leadership and Managemen