Developing CSR in professional football clubs: drivers and phases

Purpose: Given that professional football organizations have become particularly strong socio-political business institutions, often home to numerous social and business relationships, the purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of how CSR develops within professional football clubs, along with its organizational implications, phases, drivers and barriers for corporate governance. Additionally it aims to to consider CSR development generally drawing specifically on examples from Scottish professional football whilst answering two key research questions: (1) what kind of drivers do clubs identify as reasons to develop CSR?, and (2) can developmental phases be identified during this process? Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds on a qualitative case study methodology that draws on primary and secondary data collected across 12 Scottish Premier League (SPL) football clubs. Three stages of data collection were set out including interviews, web content analysis and annual/CSR reports analysis. Findings: This research highlights internal and external drivers of change in Scottish football clubs along with institutional barriers and organizational (developmental) phases of CSR and corporate governance. Research limitations/implications: This research is limited on the CSR development across 12 SPL clubs Originality/value: The paper is the first to consider CSR in professional football clubs from a developmental point of view. Six phases of CSR development are identified and defined - volunteering, regulation, socialization, corporatization, separation, and integration - and implications for football and general corporate governance are presented

Knowledge Management in Designing and Developing ICT Consulting Services

The demand for ICT services is increasing among SME\u27s as well as large corporations in Finland. Nevertheless, many ICT service providers are still more product than service oriented in their businesses. The movement from product business to service business is not so straightforward as one might think. This paper examines the role of knowledge management in the design and development of ICT consulting services through seven practical cases. First some well known existing knowledge management frameworks and models are combined into a new model. Second, this new model will be used to examine the empirical material collected during seven practical cases of ICT consulting service design and development. Finally some managerial as well as academic implications are drawn concerning knowledge management

Introducing User-Centred Design: a Longitudinal Study of a Healthcare Informatics Organisation

Information System designers report increasing difficulties applying User-Centred Design (UCD) techniques effectively due to the growing complexity of the domains in which they work and the techniques’ prescriptive nature. The rapid growth of “Big Data” and associated analytical tools thus demands closer investigation of UCD activities and processes within the complex and rapidly-changing work domains in which they are designed, developed and used. This thesis reports a longitudinal case study from inside a commercial organisation, through a six-year Action Research collaboration to introduce and embed UCD techniques in the design of health informatics tools in the UK. An assessment of the initial modus operandi is followed by the development of personas with data from interviews, user-generated screen captures and database server log files; these informed the redesign, evaluation and testing of the organisation’s flagship product. Finally, stakeholder interviews explore the wider impact of UCD techniques. In so doing, this thesis shows the value of auto-ethnographic documentation, based on being embedded in a design team and collaborative reflection, for practice-led research; it found the organisation’s culture around UCD was dynamic and design practices can change this culture through, for example, training opportunities and fostering customer relations. Individuals and extrinsic factors played strikingly key roles in reshaping the organisation’s culture; the commitment and resilience of individuals was important for sustaining UCD activities across several reorganisations and changes in business strategy. Finally, this thesis comprehensively presents and evaluates an innovative approach for grounding personas in database server and user-generated content. These findings concern both research and practice by informing the scope of the designer’s role, educational programmes and Action Research collaborations. They call for further attention on the compatibility of design and development processes and suggest that design practice can not only be tailored to organisations, but organisations can be fitted to design practice with the reassessment of the value of some UCD activities. Finally, this thesis can inform approaches to practice-led research, and more effective and efficient strategies for the introduction of UCD techniques to other organisations from the base of their hierarchy

Managing Change When Implementing a New Project Management Methodology : A Constructive Approach to Change Management

Master's thesis Industrial Economics and Technology Management IND590 - University of Agder 2018Standardisation of project management seems to become more significant for several actors in the construction industry. Current models for project execution do not make enough effort to utilise expertise and experience to make the product better and the price lower, and grant few incentives to use new technology (Statens Vegvesen, 2017). An initiative by employees in Sweco Norway has resulted in the creation of a new project management methodology, which they believe will enable them to execute their projects in a more structured and standardised manner. The new methodology is a toolbox consisting of ten tools, amassed from best practices for project management at Sweco’s various locations in Scandinavia. As no standardised way of executing projects have ever existed at Sweco, project leaders have approached project management based on individual preferences, resulting in various approaches. Our thesis seeks to answer how the new project management methodology can successfully be implemented, as change efforts often fail. Thus, our research question is: How could Sweco’s new project management methodology be implemented? The Constructive is chosen for the methodological framework for our thesis. It is a research approach that seeks to develop or that will solve a practical problem (Lukka, 2003). Our construct to solve Sweco’s practical problem will be a model, consisting of phases and recommendations tailored for Sweco’s specific implementation. Data is gathered from semi-structured interviews in two of Sweco’s locations, Oslo and Bergen. Two main groups where interviewed: initiators and future users of the new methodology. To form a construct and answer the central research question, the following sub-questions have been formed: - Why is change needed? - What could inhibit the change? - How should Sweco strategise for this change? The first sub-question is answered through an analysis of the interviews. We have addressed the most reoccurring needs and themes throughout the interviews, both for initiators and users. The interviewees were questioned about their own and Sweco’s needs for improvements to their project management. It became evident that they believe, or hope, that this change will earn them benefits in several areas linked to standardisation, processes, customers, cooperation, results, progress and iii avoiding risk. This change is said to hopefully enable everyone to “speak the same language” and allow the customer better transparency throughout the project lifetime. For the second sub-question, the interviewees were asked questions about opposition to the change initiative. Our questions were based on a theoretical framework for resistance, which enabled us to categorise the kinds of resistance and later pick a suitable approach to deal with the resistance. The most significant concern of what could inhibit the change initiative was found to be resource allocation. Several wondered how they will be able to adapt to the new methodology in their already demanding schedules. The third sub-question, how to strategise for the change, is answered with a framework for analysing change. In this framework, four factors are evaluated: kind and amount of resistance, the relationship of power between resisters and initiators, knowledge about what changes are needed, and the stakes involved. The evaluation of these factors suggests in our analysis a slow approach to the change. It will require involvement and participation of others and will attempt to educate the employees in the ways they need. Half of the interviewed users also said they would be more likely to use the methodology if they are required to. The sub-questions, along with a synthesis of theoretical models for change management, has enabled us to create a construct for Sweco as guidance in their implementation process. The construct, seen below, consists of seven phases that we encourage Sweco to utilise

Exploring the impact of telehealth videoconferencing services on work systems for key stakeholders in New Zealand : a sociotechnical systems approach : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Figure 2.9 is re-used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Figures 2.11 and 2.13 are re-used with the publishers' permission.This thesis explores how the impacts of telehealth videoconferencing services (THVCS) on work systems are perceived by key stakeholders in New Zealand. Telehealth - the use of information and communications technologies to deliver healthcare when patients and providers are not in the same physical location - exemplifies how technological developments are changing the ways in which healthcare is provided and experienced. With the objectives of improving access, quality, and efficiencies of financial and human resources, THVCS use real time videoconferencing to provide healthcare services to replace travel to a common location. Despite the benefits of telehealth reported in the extant literature, there continues to be difficulties with developing and sustaining services. The aim of this inquiry is to understand how THVCS impact key stakeholders in the work system. Specifically, it seeks to examine the characteristics of THVCS in the New Zealand context, identify the facilitators and barriers to THVCS, and understand how the work system can adapt for THVCS to be sustained practice. The research design is framed by a post-positivist approach and underpinned by sociotechnical systems (STS) theory. STS theory and a human factors/ergonomics design approach inform the methodology, including the use of the SEIPS 2.0 model. Forty semi-structured qualitative interviews and contextual observations in a two-phase methodology explore the perceptions of an expert telehealth group, and providers, receivers, and decliners of THVCS. These data are analysed using the framework method of thematic analysis. The key findings suggest that to enable sustained THVCS in New Zealand, factors such as new ways of working; change; human connection; what is best for patient; and equity need to be recognised and managed in a way that balances costs and consequence and ensures fit across the work system. Theoretical contributions to knowledge are made through the development of a conceptual model from the literature, exploring THVCS with an STS theory lens and developing SEIPS 2.0. Methodologically, this inquiry contributes a theory-based, qualitative approach to THVCS research and draws on the perceptions of unique groups of participants. Significantly, the findings make practical contributions to the design of the THVCS in the New Zealand context

Pre-conference proceedings of the 3rd IFIP TC 13.6 HWID working conference

The committees under IFIP include the Technical Committee TC13 on Human – Computer Interaction within which the work of this volume has been conducted. TC 13 on Human-Computer Interaction has as its aim to encourage theoretical and empirical human science research to promote the design and evaluation of human-oriented ICT. Within TC 13 there are different Working Groups concerned with different aspects of Human-Computer Interaction. The flagship event of TC13 is the bi-annual international conference called INTERACT at which both invited and contributed papers are presented. Contributed papers are rigorously refereed and the rejection rate is high. Publications arising from these TC13 events are published as conference proceedings such as the INTERACT proceedings or as collections of selected and edited papers from working conferences and workshops. See http://www.ifip.org/ for aims and scopes of TC13 and its associated Working Group

Improving usability outcomes in IS projects: the views of usability practitioners

What are the key aspects to achieving acceptable usability outcomes for information systems being developed? The changing technologies and increased usage across the general population, the impacts of this in our everyday lives, at work and at leisure are exponentially increasing. The interfaces and interaction styles presented as part of these technologies have been challenged to be more intuitive, contextually sensitive, location aware, human centred and aimed at a larger community of stakeholders. Performing usability activities is an increasingly important part of the development of new technologies, applications and websites. This study examined, for Information System projects, what were the key aspects that impacted on the usability outcome of developing Information Systems. This study presents a theory that describes how projects can improve their usability outcomes. This has emerged from interviews with experienced usability practitioners currently working in the usability industry. The transcripts from the qualitative interviews were analysed using a grounded theory methodology, which was an inductive and interpretive process in nature. The result of this analysis produced twenty-seven key concepts. These concepts were compared and contrasted against the literature. The theory that emerged consists of four major themes that included: usability mindset, collaborative approach, project constraints and usability practice. The key contribution to knowledge is the relationship concept between these themes. This is the nurturing of the usability mindset for the project stakeholders through involvement in usability activities throughout the project lifecycle. This engagement provides opportunities to elicit, understand and concord the usability goals, project constraints and the technological limitations with project stakeholders. The involvement of all project stakeholders promotes usability value and acceptance, which ideally progresses to a shared usability vision for the project and ultimately a usability mindset that can be utilised beyond a specific project and across an organisation

A model for managing user experience

New innovative products are being designed while the user interface of existing products is constantly being revamped to give them a new look. All this is an effort to bring a satisfactory interacting experience for the user. However, in most cases users do not feel that they experience that benefit. The introduction of a new product, or the enhancement of the functionality and user interface of an existing product, often faces criticism and brings resistance to the acceptance and usage of the product by the users. Therefore, the change in user interface or introduction of new products does not only affect the business processes but also the lifestyles of the users, as well as their overall user experience. One of the most important components for the success of any product is a positive user experience. User experience refers to the subjective feeling of the user that results from their interaction or intention to interact with a product in order to perform a specific task in a specific environment. When the user interface and functionality of a product match the expectations of the users and make the users effective and efficient, feel safe and attain some level of self-worth from using or possessing the product, their interaction with the product becomes more satisfactory. User experience practitioners are in agreement that a change to the user interface influences the user experience of the people when interacting with the product; hence it affects change in the user experience of the people. A vast body of literature exists on the methods for evaluating user experience as well as on the principles that are aimed at guiding the design of products for a positive user experience. However, there is a lack of a means to manage this change in user experience that results from the changes in the features of the user interface or the product functionalities. This inadequacy opens up the potential for integrating change management principles in order to manage user experience. However, existing change management principles do not address the user experience aspects when managing change. Following the above premise, this study focused on the development of a model for managing user experience: the User Experience Management Model (UXM2). The UXM2 infers its components from the disciplines of user experience and change management. Its uniqueness is seated in its people-centred approach that aims to effect a free-will change in the individuals towards a long-term positive user experience. The proposed model further aims to promote the voluntary acceptance of a product, which is contrary to the mandatory change that is guided by the policies of the organization, as discussed in the study. The UXM2 was developed from a thorough argumentation of literature on user experience and change management. The components that were required for development of the model were identified from literature, and were evaluated for their relevance by means of academic publications in subject domain international conferences. The academic publications underwent double-blind peer review with subject domain experts. The model was evaluated for its relevance and potential applicability through interviews and discussions with subject domain experts. The subject domain experts consist of user experience practitioners and academic professionals in the domain of HCI. The subject domain experts also evaluated the model by means of an evaluation tool comprising of a Likert scale rating of the proposed components and related activities for managing user experience. The target users of the UXM2 are user experience practitioners and product developers who aim to promote a sustainable long-term positive user experience for the people interacting with their products. The UXM2 is aimed at being used for the design of products that are meant for institutional use, personal use, mandatory use and optional use. It is believed that adoption of the UXM2 will promote acceptance of the product by users, with an associated sustainable positive long-term user experience

Product/Brand co-creation methodology crossing marketing, design thinking, creativity and management: ideas(r)evolution

This thesis introduce a new innovation methodology called IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION that was developed according to an on-going experimental research project started in 2007. This new approach to innovation has initial based on Design thinking for innovation theory and practice. The concept of design thinking for innovation has received much attention in recent years. This innovation approach has climbed from the design and designers knowledge field towards other knowledge areas, mainly business management and marketing. Human centered approach, radical collaboration, creativity and breakthrough thinking are the main founding principles of Design thinking that were adapted by those knowledge areas due to their assertively and fitness to the business context and market complexity evolution. Also Open innovation, User-centered innovation and later on Living Labs models emerge as answers to the market and consumers pressure and desire for new products, new services or new business models. Innovation became the principal business management focus and strategic orientation. All this changes had an impact also in the marketing theory. It is possible now to have better strategies, communications plans and continuous dialogue systems with the target audience, incorporating their insights and promoting them to the main dissemination ambassadors of our innovations in the market. Drawing upon data from five case studies, the empirical findings in this dissertation suggest that companies need to shift from Design thinking for innovation approach to an holistic, multidimensional and integrated innovation system. The innovation context it is complex, companies need deeper systems then the success formulas that “commercial “Design thinking for innovation “preaches”. They need to learn how to change their organization culture, how to empower their workforce and collaborators, how to incorporate external stakeholders in their innovation processes, hoe to measure and create key performance indicators throughout the innovation process to give them better decision making data, how to integrate meaning and purpose in their innovation philosophy. Finally they need to understand that the strategic innovation effort it is not a “one shot” story it is about creating a continuous flow of interaction and dialogue with their clients within a “value creation chain“ mindset; RESUMO: Metodologia de co-criação de um produto/marca cruzando Marketing, Design Thinking, Criativity and Management - IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION. Esta dissertação apresenta uma nova metodologia de inovação chamada IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION, que foi desenvolvida segundo um projecto de investigação experimental contínuo que teve o seu início em 2007. Esta nova abordagem baseou-se, inicialmente, na teoria e na práctica do Design thinking para a inovação. Actualmente o conceito do Design Thinking para a inovação “saiu” do dominio da area de conhecimento do Design e dos Designers, tendo despertado muito interesse noutras áreas como a Gestão e o Marketing. Uma abordagem centrada na Pessoa, a colaboração radical, a criatividade e o pensamento disruptivo são principios fundadores do movimento do Design thinking que têm sido adaptados por essas novas áreas de conhecimento devido assertividade e adaptabilidade ao contexto dos negócios e à evolução e complexidade do Mercado. Também os modelos de Inovação Aberta, a inovação centrada no utilizador e mais tarde os Living Labs, emergem como possiveis soluções para o Mercado e para a pressão e desejo dos consumidores para novos productos, serviços ou modelos de negócio. A inovação passou a ser o principal foco e orientação estratégica na Gestão. Todas estas mudanças também tiveram impacto na teoria do Marketing. Hoje é possivel criar melhores estratégias, planos de comunicação e sistemas continuos de diálogo com o público alvo, incorporando os seus insights e promovendo os consumidores como embaixadores na disseminação da inovação das empresas no Mercado Os resultados empiricos desta tese, construídos com a informação obtida nos cinco casos realizados, sugerem que as empresas precisam de se re-orientar do paradigma do Design thinking para a inovação, para um sistema de inovação mais holistico, multidimensional e integrado. O contexto da Inovação é complexo, por isso as empresas precisam de sistemas mais profundos e não apenas de “fórmulas comerciais” como o Design thinking para a inovação advoga. As Empresas precisam de aprender como mudar a sua cultura organizacional, como capacitar sua força de trabalho e colaboradores, como incorporar os públicos externos no processo de inovação, como medir o processo de inovação criando indicadores chave de performance e obter dados para um tomada de decisão mais informada, como integrar significado e propósito na sua filosofia de inovação. Por fim, precisam de perceber que uma estratégia de inovação não passa por ter “sucesso uma vez”, mas sim por criar um fluxo contínuo de interação e diálogo com os seus clientes com uma mentalidade de “cadeia de criação de valor