Building data management capabilities to address data protection regulations: Learnings from EU-GDPR

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) has initiated a paradigm shift in data protection toward greater choice and sovereignty for individuals and more accountability for organizations. Its strict rules have inspired data protection regulations in other parts of the world. However, many organizations are facing difficulty complying with the EU-GDPR: these new types of data protection regulations cannot be addressed by an adaptation of contractual frameworks, but require a fundamental reconceptualization of how companies store and process personal data on an enterprise-wide level. In this paper, we introduce the resource-based view as a theoretical lens to explain the lengthy trajectories towards compliance and argue that these regulations require companies to build dedicated, enterprise-wide data management capabilities. Following a design science research approach, we propose a theoretically and empirically grounded capability model for the EU-GDPR that integrates the interpretation of legal texts, findings from EU-GDPR-related publications, and practical insights from focus groups with experts from 22 companies and four EU-GDPR projects. Our study advances interdisciplinary research at the intersection between IS and law: First, the proposed capability model adds to the regulatory compliance management literature by connecting abstract compliance requirements to three groups of capabilities and the resources required for their implementation, and second, it provides an enterprise-wide perspective that integrates and extends the fragmented body of research on EU-GDPR. Practitioners may use the capability model to assess their current status and set up systematic approaches toward compliance with an increasing number of data protection regulations

Value creation through strategic social media use in HR management

The aim of this research is to understand how social media use is impacting communication processes within organisations. This study focuses on the HR communication process: traditionally, a one-way broadcast from management to employees with limited feedback mechanisms and limited employees’ participation in content creation. Social media, as a current IT phenomenon, penetrates personal, professional and political lives. One of the hallmarks of social media is its embedded democratisation: access, means, and ability to “speak” for everyone. Social media’s democratic approach to communication challenges established top-down organisational communications. This research analyses social media use in organisations to identify under which conditions social media use becomes strategic and leads to the development of new capabilities. The source data for the qualitative comparative case study is collected in a series of one-to-one and group interviews and is then analysed within the framework of three major theoretical lenses. First, the view of HRM as a communication system is used as a setting for the data analysis. Second, rhetorical practices for internal communications were used for describing how social media is used within HRM. Finally, Resource Based View is used as an explanatory lens for the impact and value of social media use in the intra- and inter-organisational communication process. The research has theoretical and practical implications. The findings challenge the top-down approach to organisational communications and show that democratised social media use can lead to improved relationships within organisations. Contingent on the purpose and the level of embeddedness in the business processes, social media use can lead to the development of capabilities, and thus become strategic. The practical implications stem from the recognition of the potential of social media to (1) establish new and unexpected relationships between employees and (2) support the emergence of new capabilities to combine and deploy human and information resources

Organisations as complex adaptive systems : implications for the design of information systems

Today a paradigm shift in the field of organisation and management theories is no longer disputed and the need to switch from the Command-and-Control to the Leaming Organisation Paradigm (LOP) in the area of organisational theory is well understood. However, it is less well appreciated that learning organisations cannot operate effectively if supported by centralised databases and tailor-made application programs. LOP emphasises adaptability, flexibility, participation and learning. It is important to understand that the changes in organisational and management strategies will not on their own be able to produce the desired effects unless they are supported by appropriate changes in organisational culture, and by effective information systems. This research demonstrates that conventional information system strategies and development methods are no longer adequate. Information system strategies must respond to these needs of the LOP and incorporate new information systems that are capable of evolving, adapting and responding to the constantly changing business environment. The desired adaptability, flexibility and agility in information systems for LOP can be achieved by exploiting the technologies of the Internet, World Wide Web, intelligent agents and intranets. This research establishes that there is a need for synergy between organisational structures and organisational information systems. To obtain this desired synergy it is essential that new information systems be designed as an integral part of the learning organisational structure itself. Complexity theory provides a new set of metaphors and a host of concepts for the understanding of organisations as complex adaptive systems. This research introduces the principles of Complex Adaptive Systems and draws on their significance for designing the information systems needed to support the new generation of learning organisations. The search for new models of information system strategies for today's dynamic world of business points to the 'swarm models' observed in Nature

Bridging the Gap at Ecosystem Level : Enhancing Business Model Innovation in Internet of Things-Enabled Platform Ecosystems

Digitaalinen murros haastaa yrityksiä ja yhteisöjä tarjoamaan innovatiivisia palveluita asiakkailleen ja lisäämään omaa kannattavuuttaan uusia liiketoimintamalleja luomalla. Esineiden internet (IoT) on tunnistettu potentiaaliseksi uudenlaisen arvon mahdollistajaksi. Odotetuista hyödyistä huolimatta onnistuneesti toteutettuja IoT:llä varustettuja alustaekosysteemejä on toistaiseksi vähän. IoT-tutkimus on pääosin keskittynyt teknologisten edistysaskeleiden ottamiseen, kun taas liiketoimintamallien innovaatioiden merkitys on suurelta osin sivuutettu. On kuitenkin muistettava, että teknologian onnistunut käyttöönotto on suurelta osin kiinni hyvin määritellystä liiketoimintamallista ja sen arvolupauksen onnistuneisuudesta Sosiaalisen vaihdannan teoria (SET) on olennainen IoT:llä varustettujen alustaekosysteemien kontekstissa. Sen mukaan toimijoiden tulee kokea arvon vaihtaminen oikeudenmukaiseksi eli kokea saamansa arvo riittäväksi tekemiinsä panostuksiin nähden. Tätä teoreettista viitekehystä hyödynnettiin tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettäessä, miten digitaalisen murroksen aikoina liiketoimintamallien innovointia (BMI) voitaisiin parantaa IoT:llä varustetuissa alustaekosysteemeissä. Siten toimijoiden pysyvyyttä voitaisiin parantaa ja verkostojen ulkoisvaikutuksia lisätä. Tämän tutkimuksen tulokset lisäävät teoreettista ymmärrystä arvon vaihtamisesta IoT:tä hyödyntävien alustaekosysteemien kontekstissa. Tutkimuksessa tunnistettiin sosiaalisen arvon dimensiolle kaksi erilaista tulkintaa. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan myös todeta, etteivät teoriat – saati käytännön tekijät – huomioi ehdollista arvoa alustakontekstissa. Tutkimus tunnisti monitieteellisesti IoT:n ja alustaekosysteemien liiketoimintamalli-innovaatioiden luomiseen tarvittavat osat. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa luotiin uusi malli BMI:lle, joka yhdistää kaksi uutta työkalua eli ekosysteemin arvotaseen ja alustakanvaasin. Käyttämällä mallia iteratiivisesti strategisena työkaluna luodaan arvokasta näkemystä ekosysteemin toimijoille, minkä avulla he voivat luoda yhdessä yhteisen arvolupauksen ja mahdollistaa positiiviset verkostovaikutukset. Lisäksi tämä tutkimus edistää tutkimusmenetelmiä esittämällä uuden tavan tarkentaa konseptien ominaisuuksia kirjallisuuskatsauksen avulla. Parannettu menetelmä on yhdistelmä lumipallomenetelmää, Porter sanarunkohaku-algoritmia ja temaattista analyysiä. Näitä hyödyntämällä voidaan luoda kattava ja strukturoitu synteesi oleellisesta kirjallisuudesta ja edistää monivivahteisempaa ja syvempää ymmärrystä tutkimusaiheesta. Menetelmää voidaan hyödyntää myös muilla tutkimusalueilla täsmällisten kirjallisuuskatsausten tekemiseen. Tämä tutkimus avaa väylän arvolupausten arvioinnin tutkimiseen IoT:llä varustetuissa alustaekosysteemeissä. Lisää tutkimusta kuitenkin tarvitaan ennen kuin liiketoimintamahdollisuudet realisoituvat odotetusti. Ehdotettua mallia tulee tutkia vielä useammilla ja pidempikestoisilla tapaustutkimuksilla. Lisäksi monialainen tutkimus voisi tunnistaa yhtäläisyyksiä ja eroavaisuuksia IoT:llä varustettujen alustaekosysteemien haasteissa ja mahdollisuuksissa. Lisäksi tulisi tutkia, miten uudet ja tulevat teknologiat vaikuttavat arvolupauksen muodostamiseen ja arvon tuottamiseen. Tämän tutkimuksen tuloksissa korostetaan ekosysteemissä toimimisen vaatimaa kulttuurimuutosta. Perinteisesti yritykset ovat keskittyneet oman voittonsa maksimoimiseen, mutta ekosysteemeissä tulisi keskittyä koko ekosysteemin kokonaisarvon maksimoimiseen. Tämän kulttuurimuutoksen tarvetta ja sitä, miten muutos voitaisiin saada aikaan, tulisi tutkia lisää. Yhteenvetona voidaankin todeta, että tämä tutkimus edistää niin liiketoimintamallien innovoinnin teoriaa kuin käytäntöjäkin IoT:llä varustetuissa alustaekosysteemeissä. Se tarjoaa BMI-mallin, joka rakentuu ekosysteemin arvotaseen ympärille. Se mahdollistaa ketterän mallin, jolla IoT:llä varustetun alustaekosysteemin toimijat voivat iteratiivisesti luoda ja kehittää arvolupaustaan. Tämä tutkimus myös kirkastaa käsittelemiään konsepteja ja tarjoaa tuoreen lähestymistavan kirjallisuuskatsauksen tekemiseen. Tämä tutkimus voi auttaa yrityksiä ja yhteisöjä ymmärtämään liiketoimintamallien innovoinnin merkityksen ja näin johtaa ne luomaan kestävämpiä ja kannattavampia ekosysteemejä.Digital transformation is challenging businesses and societies to offer innovative services to customers and to increase profitability through the development of new business models. The Internet of Things (IoT) has been identified as a potent enabler for novel services and businesses. However, despite the potential benefits, successful implementation of IoT-enabled platform ecosystems remains scarce. Research on IoT has mainly focused on technological advancements, while the importance of business model innovation has been largely overlooked. The research in the field of IoT has predominantly focused on technological advancements, disregarding the critical aspect of business model innovation. However, successful implementation of technology largely relies on a well-defined business model that delivers outstanding value propositions. Social Exchange Theory (SET) is a theoretical framework that is pertinent in the context of IoT-enabled platform ecosystems. According to SET, actors in value exchange should find the distribution of value equitable vis-à-vis the effort invested in value creation. Therefore, in the present research, SET is adopted as a conceptual framework to explore how ecosystem-level business model innovation (BMI) in IoT-enabled platform ecosystems could be enhanced to increase actor retention, and to internalize network externalities to increase the positive network effects during times of digital transformation. The contribution of this research extends beyond the theoretical development of value exchange in the context of IoT-enabled platform ecosystems. This research identifies two different views of social value and recognizes that in the ecosystem context, conditional value is often overlooked in theoretical discussion and neglected by practitioners. This research also contributes to BMI theories in the IoT-enabled platform ecosystem context by identifying, in an interdisciplinary manner, the required building blocks, i.e., characteristics of a platform ecosystem BMI, and IoT. Further, a model for BMI is created, which combines two novel frameworks, namely, the Ecosystem Value Balance and the Platform Canvas. This provides ecosystem actors with valuable insights to co-create a joint value proposition and enable positive network effects by utilizing the model iteratively as a strategic tool. In addition, this research advances research methodologies by presenting a novel approach to clarifying concepts through literature reviews. The method involves a combination of snowballing, Porter stemming, and thematic analysis, which enables a comprehensive and structured synthesis of relevant literature and promotes a more nuanced and deeper understanding of the research topic. This approach can be applied in other research fields, too, to achieve more rigorous and accurate literature reviews. Although this research opens up avenues for researching value proposition evaluation in IoT-enabled ecosystems, more attention to the business opportunities that can be realized is necessary. The proposed model needs validation with more and longer-term cases, and a cross-industry study could explore potential similarities and differences in the challenges and opportunities of IoT platform ecosystems. Moreover, further research is required to validate the proposed model, explore potential similarities and differences in IoT platform ecosystems, and investigate the role of emerging technologies in shaping the value proposition and value creation processes. Further, the research emphasizes the need for cultural change in companies operating in ecosystems, as traditionally companies have focused on maximizing their profits instead of maximizing the overall value for the whole ecosystem. In conclusion, this research contributes to the theory and practice of business model innovation in IoT-enabled platform ecosystems by offering a BMI model which relies on value balance in ecosystem contexts and proposes a model for IoT platform ecosystem actors to co-create joint value propositions. It also clarifies related concepts and offers a novel approach to literature reviews. This research can help businesses and societies to understand the importance of business model innovation and to create a more sustainable and profitable ecosystem

Exploring ‘People’ as the key element in enterprise architecture implementation: A Critical Realist Perspective

TOGAF (2009) describes the purpose of Enterprise Architecture (EA) is to optimise enterprisewide systems - the often-fragmented legacy of data processes (both manual and automated) - into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supports the delivery of the business strategy (The Open Group Architecture Framework [TOGAF], 2009). However, for a number of reasons organisations still have difficulties establishing an effective EA (Raadt & Vliet, 2008; Gartner, 2009; and Janssen & Klievink, 2012, among others) and various reports suggest up to two thirds of implementations do not fulfil expectations (Roeleven, 2010). Being organisation wide with a strong governance element EA has significant social implications and social dependence, yet many implementations wrongly treat EA as solely a technical program. This thesis argues that the lack of focus on the ‘people’ element of EA could be the reason why many organisations still struggle with EA implementation. Recognising the importance of people in EA implementation requires acceptance of implementation as a social program, heavily influenced by the structural and cultural systems surrounding the architecture. In order to address the need for greater recognition of the role of people and the social aspects of EA implementation, this thesis adopts critical realism (CR) and its most recognised methodology, the morphogenetic approach (MA). Realism emphasises ontology and strongly argues that ontology, methodology and epistemology are closely linked – as Fleetwood (2005, p. 197) suggests, ontology matters: “The way we think the world is (ontology) influences: what we think can be known about it (epistemology); how we think it can be investigated (methodology and research techniques); the kinds of theories we think can be constructed about it; and the political and policy stances we are prepared to take”. In order to examine the social implications of technology implementation it makes sense to adopt a wellrecognized social theory like critical realism. This social realist approach proposes an analytical separation between structure, culture and agency (people) in order to examine their interactions over time. The MA suggests three important cycles – structural conditioning, social interaction and structural elaboration that provide a platform for examining possible change. Archer also importantly suggests that the emergent properties of collectivities and individuals differ. Such a model has clear value for examining the “people” acceptance of the new impositions and opportunities provided by the EA implementation. It acknowledges the sociocultural consequences of interactions between the structure and the culture to provide particular situational logics that direct, but do not determine the actions of people. The MA emphasises strongly the role of time in situation examination suggesting that structure and culture predate subsequent actions by involved agents. The thesis describes particular situational logics or mechanisms emanating from the interaction between structural and cultural systems that encourage particular behaviours in response to the EA program. These actions are then further examined in the sequence of MA cycles. Since mechanisms are only effective if people adopt them or not, another important element in this study is the part played by “reflexivity”. Reflexivity highlights the linkage between people concerns, projects and practices as people act in order to promote their concerns, and form projects to advance or to protect what they care about most. Reflexivity is an important mechanism for explaining how people’s ultimate concerns impact on their approach to the impositions of EA. An Australian university implementing EA (termed UX for anonymity) has been used as a case study in this research – this fortuitous timing allowed a careful and detailed examination of implementation over a 3-year period from initial rollout to ultimate acceptance. The study describes the challenging environment of university implementation where “academic freedom” is paramount and individual and group autonomies are threatened by EA – the study presents the important mechanisms and situational logics that direct people’s actions within the complex social context of a university. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used as the primary method of data collection across UX stakeholders. A range of interviews were held throughout the study period with the university IT Governance Committee, the University Architecture Board, the CIO, and the Enterprise Business Group, as well as individual end-users such as teaching staff, researchers, students, and administrative staff of the faculties, schools and service centres. The MA provided a basic structure for unravelling the social complexity and helped guide the interview questions to identify the generative mechanisms hidden in the real domain, and to highlight the conditions that encourage individual and collective acceptance of EA practices. The reflexivity indicator developed by Archer –ICONI– is used throughout to explain how personal projects are formed and how they mediate the exercise of structural/cultural constraints and enablement within EA implementation. Passive participation in regular EA implementation meetings at UX was also important and useful to unearth possible perceived causal possibilities emanating from within the program itself and evident within the social context of implementation. Underpinned by a critical realist perspective, the thesis demonstrates that the MA is a powerful analytical tool to uncover the hidden mechanisms (the situational logics of structures and cultures) and social responses that enable success of EA implementation. The research examines the particular situational logics evident within the University under study and how these provide opportunities and constraints to the acceptance of EA over time. Equally important was reflexivity theory in attaining knowledge and understanding about what it is about people’s internal relations that makes EA implementation succeed. This thesis offers organisations a means to focus on the deeper issues of EA implementation programs by understanding the social complexity surrounding the architecture. The recognition of people as a key element in EA implementation provides a useful explanation of how the key stakeholders (and their power, influence and interests) may constrain and enable EA implementation. By including reflexivity as an important mechanism, organisations will be in a better position to understand the role of people and their interactions with preexisting structures and cultures operating over different time periods – reflexivity suggesting that “people” always have the possibility to do otherwise than expected, largely dependent on their personal history and their current personal projects and ultimate concerns

Big Social Data Analytics: A Model for the Public Sector

The influence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) particularly internet technology has had a fundamental impact on the way government is administered, provides services and interacts with citizens. Currently, the use of social media is no longer limited to informal environments but is an increasingly important medium of communication between citizens and governments. The extensive and increasing use of social media will continue to generate huge amounts of user-generated content known as Big Social Data (BSD). The growing body of BSD presents innumerable opportunities as well as challenges for local government planning, management and delivery of public services to citizens. However, the governments have not yet utilised the potential of BSD for better understanding the public and gaining new insights from this new way of interactions. Some of the reasons are lacking in the mechanism and guidance to analyse this new format of data. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate how the body of BSD can be mined, analysed and applied in the context of local government in the UK. The objective is to develop a Big Social Data Analytics (BSDA) model that can be applied in the case of local government. Data generated from social media over a year were collected, collated and analysed using a range of social media analytics and network analysis tools and techniques. The final BSDA model was applied to a local council case to evaluate its impact in real practice. This study allows to better understand the methods of analysing the BSD in the public sector and extend the literature related to e-government, social media, and social network theoryUniversiti Utara Malaysi

What is the contribution of personal information management systems (PIMS) to the Working Model and personal work system of knowledge workers?

The thesis reports research into a phenomenon which it calls the personal working model of an individual knowledge worker. The principal conjecture addressed in this thesis is that each of us has a personal working model which is supported by a personal work system enabled by a personal information management system. For some people, these are well defined; for most they are not even explicit. By means of structured self-reflection aided by conceptual knowledge modelling within the context of a process of action learning they can be improved. That personal working model is predicted by Ashby's law of requisite variety and by the good regulator theorem of Conant and Ashby. The latter theorem states that the only good regulator of a system is a model of that system. The thesis and the work it reports result from a systemic approach to identifying the personal information management system and personal work system which together contribute to the personal working model. Starting with abductive conjecture, the author has sought to understand what models are and to explore ways in which those models can themselves be expressed. The thesis shows how a new approach to the conceptual modelling of aspects of the personal knowledge of knowledge worker was designed, built and then used. Similarly, the actual data used by a knowledge worker had to be stored, and for this purpose a personal information management system was also designed. Both these artefacts are evaluated in accordance with principles drawn from the literature of design science research. The research methodology adopted in the first phase of the research now ending also included a relatively novel approach in which the PhD student attempted to observe himself over the last five years of his PhD research – this approach is sometimes called autoethnography. This autoethnographic element is one of a number of methods used within an overall framework grounded by the philosophical approach called critical realism. The work reported in the thesis is initial exploratory research which, it is planned, will continue in empirical action research involving mentored action learning undertaken by professional knowledge workers