IT PROJECTS IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: A SOCIO-TECHNICAL JOURNEY TOWARDS TECHNOCHANGE

In a digital world in which firms struggle with digital transformation, moving beyond the mere introduction of technologies to leveraging their transformational potential becomes increasingly relevant. Technochange, i.e., the strategic use of IT to derive organizational benefits by integrating IT introduction and complementary organizational changes, presents a promising approach in the context of digital transformation. Yet for the IT function, conducting technochange requires a fundamental change in the way IT work is done. Despite previous research that addresses the particularities of technochange, no research has been conducted on the challenges faced when IT projects transition after applying a TC approach and on strategies to overcome them. In answering this question, we apply socio-technical systems theory as a conceptual research lens to study the transition process of an IS infrastructure project in a mid-size omni-channel retailer. The results of our longitudinal in-depth case study suggest that this transition process is characterized by challenges of exported problems and structural issues that can be overcome by intervention strategies of bricolage, borrowing competence, and building alliances. Our research contributes to technochange literature by outlining the transition from IT to technochange projects and provides practical guidance on how to manage this transition

Realising Telework: The Role Of Design

Telework is a form of organisational design in which organisations change their temporal-spatial characteristics in response to internal and/or external demands. This paper argues that realising such a new way of working involves the participatory creation a flexible, tailorable design, that triggers a gradual process of change. During this implementation process the design itself evolves to adjust to individual requirements and increasing understanding of needs. A case study is presented to demonstrate characteristics of telework design and its role in achieving successful teleworking

Infrastructuring primary prevention outside healthcare institutions: the governance of a Workplace Health Promotion program

Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) programs are undergoing significant changes mixing the healthy lifestyle promotion with the self-tracking opportunities offered by digital technologies. The shift to more pervasive (or intrusive) forms of primary prevention for chronic diseases requires to justify the existence of healthcare infrastructures in work settings and a redefinition of the role of employers and healthcare institutions. The paper describes and analyses a WHP initiative conducted in Italy to illustrate the infrastructuring of the governance of technologically-enhanced prevention in the workplace

A Framework for Managing Predictable and Unpredictable Threats: The Duality of Information Security Management

Information systems security is a challenging research area in the context of Information Systems. In fact, it has strong practical implications for the management of IS and, at the same time, it gives very interesting insights into understanding the process of social phenomena when communication information technologies are deployed in organizations. Current standards and best practices for the design and management of information systems security, recommend structured and mechanistic approaches, such as risk management methods and techniques, in order to address security issues. However, risk analysis and risk evaluation processes have their limitations, when security incidents occur, they emerge in a context, and their rarity and even their uniqueness give rise to unpredictable threats. The analysis of these phenomena which are characterized by breakdowns, surprises and side- effects, requires a theoretical approach which is able to examine and interpret subjectively the detail of each incident. The aim of this paper is to highlight the duality of information systems security, providing an alternative view on the management of those aspects already defined in the literature as intractable problems and this is pursued through a formative context (Ciborra, Lanzara, 1994) that supports bricolage, hacking and improvisation

The duality of Information Security Management: fighting against predictable and unpredictable threats

Information systems security is a challenging research area in the context of Information Systems. In fact, it has strong practical implications for the management of IS and, at the same time, it gives very interesting insights into understanding the process of social phenomena when communication information technologies are deployed in organizations. Current standards and best practices for the design and management of information systems security, recommend structured and mechanistic approaches, such as risk management methods and techniques, in order to address security issues. However, risk analysis and risk evaluation processes have their limitations, when security incidents occur, they emerge in a context, and their rarity and even their uniqueness give rise to unpredictable threats. The analysis of these phenomena which are characterized by breakdowns, surprises and side-effects, requires a theoretical approach which is able to examine and interpret subjectively the detail of each incident. The aim of this paper is to highlight the duality of information systems security, providing an alternative view on the management of those aspects already defined in the literature as intractable problems and this is pursued through a formative context (Ciborra, Lanzara, 1994) that supports bricolage, hacking and improvisation.Information systems security is a challenging research area in the context of Information Systems. In fact, it has strong practical implications for the management of IS and, at the same time, it gives very interesting insights into understanding the process of social phenomena when communication information technologies are deployed in organizations. Current standards and best practices for the design and management of information systems security, recommend structured and mechanistic approaches, such as risk management methods and techniques, in order to address security issues. However, risk analysis and risk evaluation processes have their limitations, when security incidents occur, they emerge in a context, and their rarity and even their uniqueness give rise to unpredictable threats. The analysis of these phenomena which are characterized by breakdowns, surprises and side-effects, requires a theoretical approach which is able to examine and interpret subjectively the detail of each incident. The aim of this paper is to highlight the duality of information systems security, providing an alternative view on the management of those aspects already defined in the literature as intractable problems and this is pursued through a formative context (Ciborra, Lanzara, 1994) that supports bricolage, hacking and improvisation.Articles published in or submitted to a Journal without IF refereed / of international relevanc

Making sense of enterprise systems in institutions: a case study of the re-implementation of an accounting system

Whereas previous research provides a number of accounts of failure prone enterprise system (ES) implementations, empirical evidence of the re-implementation of an accounting system in a Scandinavian high-tech company shows how the system became highly integrated, accepted by its users, and well-aligned to the work processes. To learn from this case study, we investigate the interactive and dynamic relationships among the enterprise system, people and institutional properties. We investigate the institutional structures and the sensemaking processes at play to identify how the idea of an efficient accounting system travelled from a national to a local level, how the system moved from being highly customized to becoming a standard package and how the users’ enactment of the system reinforced existing institutional practices. Based on the findings, we frame our contributions into five lessons learned: (1) An ES implementation entails mutual adaptations between the organization, human actors and enterprise system; (2) “small is beautiful” is almost a truism but may turn out to be an appropriate starting point; (3) a certain level of resilience is essential to cope with future upgrades and enhancements; (4) the recognition of professional identity and roles is vital for ES adaptation; and (5) first customizing and then un-customizing the ES may be a valuable approach towards integrating the system. We relate these lessons to ES adaptations in general in discussing the study’s contributions and implications

Operacionalização do modelo de avaliação de aprendizagem organizacional proposto por Igarashi (2009) em um polo de ensino a distância

O estudo tem como objetivo operacionalizar o modelo de avaliação da aprendizagem organizacional proposto por Igarashi (2009) em um polo de ensino a distância da Universidade Aberta do Brasil. O estudo de caráter descritivo e qualitativo segue as etapas propostas por Igarashi (2009) e apresenta a estruturação e operacionalização do modelo, o qual atende aos anseios dos autores pesquisados por possibilitar, a partir da interação com os envolvidos, a construção de um instrumento de avaliação da aprendizagem que contemple elementos intrínsecos à organização. Como resultado a operacionalização do modelo gerou conhecimento ao gestor, em termos do desempenho local e global do polo, bem como a possibilidade de se analisar ações de melhorias que apóiem o gerenciamento da organização

Un éclairage original de l'appropriation des outils de gestion : la vision improvisationnelle de Claudio Ciborra

Claudio Ciborra est un auteur majeur de la théorie des organisations et des systèmes d'information anglo-saxons. Ses travaux sont cependant relativement méconnus dans le champ francophone des sciences de gestion. Nous proposons ici de résumer l'essentiel de ses recherches et de montrer en quoi sa vision des organisations comme un lieu de bricolage et d'improvisation permet d'appréhender l'appropriation des outils de gestion sous un angle différent. Le cadre théorique est illustré par le cas de l'intranet de France Télécom sur la période 1996-2005.Ciborra ; improvisation ; bricolage ; hospitalité ; outils de gestion ; système d'information ; France Télécom.

Understanding ERP Usage as Complex Responsive Processes of Conversations in the Daily Practices of a Special Operations Force

Organizations are met with increasing demands for being in strategic control. According to conventional managerial wisdom, clearly defined tasks, uniform processes, thorough documentation and strategic oversight are all perceived as part and parcel of making large and unwieldy organizations manageable, transparent and efficient (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2008; Kaplan & Norton, 2008). To live up to these demands, numerous efforts have been undertaken, including the design and implementation of management information systems. These systems, as epitomized in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, seek to bring the organization under strategic control by creating a unified infrastructure for collecting and analyzing data from virtually all fields of organizational operations to enable planning and monitoring of activities (Kallinikos, 2006). Expectations of these systems at all levels of the organization are high as they are expected to create organizational transparency and oversight for decision making (Hanseth, Ciborra, & Braa, 2001). In this paper, we explore how ERP systems are used and impact local practice in a specialized unit within The Danish Defense. Specifically, we ask what role SAP R/31 plays in enabling and constraining everyday local practice and the handling of complexity and uncertainty at the organizational front‐line. We draw on a case study conducted in a special operations force unit within the Danish Defense, “The Frogman Corps”. The case illuminates the difficulties of using ERP systems for management control in organizations experiencing complex operational conditions, including tension between centralized control and uniformity on the one hand and unpredictability and need for decentralized decision making on the other hand