End-user Empowerment in the Digital Age

End-user empowerment (or human empowerment) may be seen as an important aspect of a human-centric approach towards the digital economy. Despite the role of end-users has been recognized as a key element in information systems and end-user computing, empowering end-users may be seen as a next evolutionary step. This minitrack aims at advancing the understanding of what end-user empowerment really is, what the main challenges to develop end-user empowering systems are, and how end-user empowerment may be achieved in specific domains

Towards a Governance of Low-Code Development Platforms Using the Example of Microsoft PowerPlatform in a Multinational Company

The advantages of low-code platforms include the ability to better manage corporate processes. These processes can quickly become customized and business critical. Consequently, governance of low-code development platforms gains increasing importance in the IT sector. This paper contributes to the design of a governance for low-code platforms using the example of Microsoft PowerPlatform through the action-design- research-paradigm within a consumer goods corporation. The paper shows both the relationship between IT governance and low-code platforms and what challenges this poses, as well as the importance of governance of low-code platforms in relation to the field of end-user computing. This work aims at developing governance for low-code platforms, and evaluates it using several methods. Based on the results of the naturalistic evaluation, design principles for the development of a governance for low-code platforms are derived. The principles summarize suggestions for designing such governance, providing evidence-based design knowledge for developing governance of low-code platforms

Dimensions of Information Systems Success

The value added by an organization\u27s IT assets is a critical concern to both research and practice. Not surprisingly, a large number of IS effectiveness measures can be found in the IS literature. What is not clear in the literature is what measures are appropriate in a particular context. In this paper we propose a two-dimensional matrix for classifying IS Effectiveness measures. The first dimension is the type of system studied. The second dimension is the stakeholder in whose interests the system is being evaluated. The matrix was tested by using it to classify IS effectiveness measures from 186 empirical papers in three major IS journals for the last nine years. The results indicate that the classifications are meaningful. Hence, the IS Effectiveness Matrix provides a useful guide for conceptualizing effectiveness measurement in IS research, and for choosing appropriate measures, both for research and practice

Brukerinvolvering i ERP-implementeringer : raskeste vei til effektiv bruk av ERP-systemet?

Masteroppgaver i informasjonssystemer- Universitetet i Agder 2009Når en organisasjon går til det skrittet å implementere et så omfattende og komplekst system som det Enterprise Resource Planning‐systemer (ERP) er, så er det som alltid én gruppe av interessentene som sitter med minst makt. Denne gruppen er brukerne. Som bruker i en bedrift som implementerer ERP, opplever man mange omveltninger som ofte består i endrede arbeidsprosesser, nye rutiner i forhold til databruken, og svært mye nytt å lære seg for å være i stand til å utnytte det nye systemet så godt som det lar seg gjøre. Forskningen viser at dersom brukerne ikke lykkes i å henge med i denne prosessen, så vil det ha negative effekter på utfallet av implementeringen og medfølgende gevinstrealisering. Det er derfor blitt teoretisert mye rundt hvordan man best mulig kan legge til rette for at brukerne ikke faller av, hvordan de kan motiveres til å ønske å bruke systemet, og generelt gjøre overgangen smidig og effektiv for alle involverte parter. I denne oppgaven ser jeg nærmere på nettopp dette, og mer spesifikt tar for meg hvorvidt slik brukerinvolvering har noe for seg, hvordan det kan oppnås, og hvilke effekter det vil kunne medføre. Gjennom litteraturstudie og case‐studie har jeg forsøkt å avdekke hva både litteraturen finner om dette temaet, og hvordan dette forholder seg i det virkelige liv. Det nevnes til stadighet at ved endt implementering, er det brukerne selv som mislykkes med fullt ut å forstå og ta i bruk det nye systemet. Dette er tilsynelatende en stor hemmer for suksessen til systemet, og medfører ofte ytterlige kostnader i form av opplæring, motivasjon, samt unødig bruk av tid og ressurser på avvikling av eldre systemer. Ofte medfører dette dypp i produktiviteten og inntjeningen i organisasjonen, noe som kan ha svært negative effekter både på organisasjon og de ansatte i den. Det er naturlig å tro at det er en rekke årsaker til at dette problemet går igjen, og mitt ønske for denne oppgaven var derfor å identifisere på hvilken måte brukerinvolvering kan imøtekomme denne problemstillingen, og hvilke potensielle effekter dette vil ha. Med utgangspunkt i nevnte teori‐ og litteraturstudie, har jeg forsøkt å få et svar på min problemstilling ved å teste teorien opp mot virkeligheten. Teorien sier mye om både hva brukerinvolvering er, hvordan det oppnås, og hvilke effekter det har. Det store spørsmålet var derfor om dette ble tatt hensyn til i en svært ordinær SAPimplementering i en middels stor norsk bedrift. Dette ble langt på vei bekreftet, og problemstillingen min i stor grad besvart. Om ikke alle tiltakene utført i case‐studiet var like bevisste, var de like fullt virkningsfulle. Hvorvidt jeg kan trekke slutningen om at brukerinvolvering er den raskeste veien til effektiv bruk av ERP‐systemer er noe vanskelig å si, men det meste av funnene i denne studien indikerer at det er den mest effektive av de metodene som finnes i dag

Data literacy skills – why are they so important for graduates? What can business schools do to improve the current situation?

The subject of digital literacy in the UK is of great interest at the moment in the context of business, education and citizens in general. There are concerns from Government that the UK is experiencing a digital skills gap, with businesses expressing a need for staff with basic or advanced digital skills. There is some concern expressed that young people (aged 16-24) do not have a high enough skill level to meet these needs. Research has also identified that another current issue of great importance to business is the analysis and management of data. Data is easily generated and if it is dealt with appropriately and transformed into Business Intelligence it is a key business asset. Business Intelligence is a major driver in the gaining of competitive advantage. Taking the above two topics into account, it is interesting that definitions of digital literacy rarely include any mention of data analysis and management. It would be expected that data literacy would form an important part of a digital skillset, particularly with regard to business. When young people take up employment in business, it can be assumed that it would be very useful for them to have a good set of data skills. The identification of this gap was the starting point for this research, which was aimed at discovering how a range of stakeholders (business employers, students and academic staff) regarded the area of data literacy in the context of graduate employees. A qualitative approach was taken, as it was felt that the depth and richness of the data required could best be captured in this way. In terms of data collected, employers were of the common opinion that graduate employees had good skills with technology in general but had often had poor data skills. Students agreed with this and also expressed the opinion that they found the data subjects taught at University were “too hard” with a concentration on statistical skills learned using spreadsheet tools with which they were unfamiliar. Academic staff agreed with this and expressed frustration that students were quick to disengage from the subject and did not understand its importance. Further work carried out involved a sectoral analysis of HE standards and frameworks and an institutional analysis of teaching content at a number of University Business Schools. All Business Schools examined were found to take a very similar approach to the teaching of what could be identified as data literacy, using spreadsheets as a vehicle to teach a variety of statistical and quantitative techniques, with content comparable to that taught on BM9400 (Business Analysis for Decision-Making at Newcastle Business School. A set of recommendations was developed based on the results of the primary data collection coupled with key points embedded in HE standards. These recommendations underpinned a different approach to data literacy teaching designed to more closely meet the needs of employers while also engaging students. This approach was applied to a new Level 3 module which successfully ran in Semester 1 of academic year 2020/21