A Framework for Managing Information during the Design and Development of Complex Systems

Many products developed today are becoming increasingly reliant on embedded software to facilitate customisation. Such products are becoming extraordinarily complex systems to design, update and maintain throughout the entire product life cycle. To support the design of complex systems there is a need for a complete re-conceptualisation of the traditional approaches to the management of information throughout the design and development process. This research is being undertaken within an action research framework and involves professionals from across the automotive sector, including participants from major OEMs; suppliers and support organisations and small start-ups. This paper sets out a new conceptual view for managing the information needed to support the design and development processes for complex systems. The framework has been evaluated through a number of workshops and is now informing work on a business transformation project in a large OEM for luxury cars

Navigating the gap between purposeful action and a Serving Information System

Thesis from De Montfort University, Milton KeynesThis work has been directed at the problem of developing practical means of supporting those involved in a problem situation, in designing their own information systems. The research is underpinned by an interpretive stance, and assumes that information systems are created to support purposeful action in continuously socially constructed organizational settings. It is argued that the initial phase of information system design necessitates undertaking sense making to create a shared appreciation of the situation amongst those involved. One of the main difficulties of designing technology-based information systems is that the methods suited to sense making in social situations are entirely different to the methods and techniques that have been employed to marshall knowledge into a suitable format to facilitate software design. The work offers the notion of navigating an inquiry process from a focus on creating ideas for purposeful action, to creating a logical specification for a technology-based information system. To facilitate this shift in focus, some explicit intellectual devices, or navigational devices, are offered, to structure and support further debate. These navigational devices enable those involved in the situation of concern, the clients, to conceptualise how purposeful action might unfold in the real world, so that some ideas for a serving system can be considered. Previous work addressing this problem area has been criticised for failing to provide a coherent movement from any ideas for purposeful action, to a logical specification for a supporting technology-based information system. By regarding the process of Client Led information system design as a collaborative sense making effort, the design process can be regarded as a learning system, or an appreciative system in Vickers' sense. By employing the same principles of inquiry throughout the design process and by using devices that maintain a similar view of any potential action, it is argued that a sense of coherence can be maintained and this is supported by experiences from practice.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) within the second round of the programme: Systems Engineering for Business Process Change (SEBPC, 1996

End-user engagement in the design of communications services: lessons from the rural Congo

End-user engagement is considered essential when designing new socio-technical systems, but in the context of designing large-scale infrastructural systems, such as communications networks, this ideal is rarely put into practice. We examined the challenges in engaging end-users in the design of communications services, by exploring how communities from 15 villages in the rural Congo, incorporated mobile phones into their daily lives. To analyze the changes in social and cultural capital that resulted from mobile phone use, we applied Bourdieu’s capital theory. This analysis exposed the difference in perceived value of the communication services between end-users and the business owners of the infrastructure. The paper concludes by suggesting new forms of partnership with end-users in order to craft ways in which infrastructures, and related organizations and practices, can best cohere with local cultural views, specifics, beliefs, needs, or realities of concerned participants

The Role of Workarounds in Benefits Realisation: Evidence from a Field Study in Saudi Arabia

Recent studies show that more than half of Saudi Arabian (SA) organisations fail to realise business benefits from their IS investments. This has been largely attributed to the contextual misalignment between information technologies and the needs of developing countries. In the IS literature on benefits realisation, the application of benefits dependency networks (BDN), have been established as being helpful in improving IS projects outcomes. This research investigates current IT development practice in SMEs in Saudi Arabia and reports on some of the challenges that these businesses need to overcome to achieve benefits from their IT investments. Evidence from the literature and a field study suggests that workarounds are widely used when implementing new IT, particularly to facilitate the continuation of embedded cultural practices. The paper argues that integrating the Theory of Workarounds into frameworks for benefits realisation would offer a useful conceptualisation of IT implementation practice to support businesses in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia to improve outcomes when investing in IT

Using capital theory to explore problem solving and innovation in small firms

Purpose: This study investigated how small firms work at a micro-level, applying Bourdieu’s Capital Theory to give insight into the way individuals use the social and cultural capital at their disposal, to innovate and solve problems. Design/Methodology/Approach: We applied qualitative methods to explore problem solving and innovation activities at the micro-level in small firms, using interviews and thematic analysis. Findings: Our findings reveal that, compared to firms with lower levels of social and cultural capital, firms which possess higher levels of social and cultural capital have a higher success rate in problem solving and are more likely to engage in innovative activity. Social and cultural capitals complement and reinforce one another in small firms, for example an enhanced ability to utilise networks (social capital) allows small firms to access a greater diversity of knowledge (cultural capital). Originality/Value: Little is known about how different forms of capital are utilised in the day-to-day operations and problem solving of small firms: the application of Bourdieu’s Capital Theory offered an original frame in which to explore these activities

Marketing to Jedi Knights may be just as reliable as current market segmentation methods

Marketing to Jedi Knights may be just as reliable as current market segmentation method

The benefits of using reduced item variable scales in marketing segmentation

This study investigated the use of two reduced item constructs in marketing research, Involvement Scale and Consumer Expertise and their relationships. Previous findings suggested that both constructs could use reduced items and that they would be useful as marketing segmentation tools. Response rates to consumer questionnaires are declining; therefore, shorter questionnaires in marketing communications are more likely to be completed. This study establishes the current reliability of using these two reduced item constructs in automotive research and tests their validity using triangulation questions. Data collection used a novel approach in which respondents to a motor show used the new Apple iPad to complete an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the reduced item constructs are reliable and valid and would be useful for research involving large ticket items. They would be particularly useful to researchers where they are used as part of, rather than the main focus of, the research

Institutional theory and sustainable energy practices 1 An Institutional Theory Perspective on Sustainable Practices across the Dairy Supply Chain

Institutional theory and sustainable energy practices 2 An Institutional Theory perspective on sustainable practices across the dairy supply chain Abstract The need for sustainable practices in the food supply chain, particularly in the area of energy reduction, is becoming acute. The food industry currently has to contend with multiple competing pressures alongside the new challenges of sustainable production. We applied Institutional Theory to explore the role of supermarkets in the development of legitimate sustainable practices across the dairy supply chains. The paper focuses on dairy supply chain organizations and their consumption of energy. We conducted 70 semi-structured telephone interviews with various stakeholders across the supply chain. Findings revealed that the majority of actors in the supply chain identified supermarkets as the dominant player, and that the supermarkets exert pressure on other smaller organizations across the supply chain that. Although some organizations wished to pursue a sustainable agenda through integrating new rules and legitimate practices within their own organization, the dominant logic appeared to be one of cost reduction and profit maximization. There was also evidence that supermarkets and other large organizations attempt to replicate publically available information on green successes for imagery purposes. We conclude that the dominant logic of cost reduction is so well established that challenging the dominant logic may prove difficult. The challenge is therefore to complement the dominant logic with sustainable practices across the whole supply chain, a role Government needs to play. This will require a broader more systemic approach to encouraging sustainable practices including investment and financing practices, so that all members of the dairy supply chain can co-operate and contribute to energy reduction

Managing action research: the PEArL framework

The difficulty of managing and validating Action Research field studies has been widely discussed. Several different approaches to Action Research have emerged, and one of the most widely used models is Checkland’s FMA model, where a framework is provided to facilitate interested individuals in ‘recovering’ the route of the inquiry. In this paper, I argue that the FMA model is a valuable tool for planning the application of theoretical ideas in a practical situation, but that, as a guide to Action Research, it still fails to provide a sense of the manner in which an inquiry is undertaken. The PEArL mnemonic has been previously offered as a guide to facilitate researchers, participants, and those interested in gaining an appreciation of the manner in which an inquiry is conducted. In this paper, it is argued that applying the PEArL elements does not provide insight into the dynamic nature of collaborative inquiry. In order to gain a sense of the manner in which an inquiry was undertaken it is necessary to apply the PEArL mnemonic alongside a framework that facilitates the flow of the action research cycle. To illustrate the framework, an Action Research field study is described that was undertaken with residents and key workers in a shelter for the homeless, where the aim was to create a shared understanding of complex needs and support requirements

Market segmentation strategies for complex automotive products

With the advent of 'big data', the purpose of this empirical study was to take the opportunity to rethink conventional market segmentation strategies. This is particularly relevant for the automotive industry which is going through a period of rapid change with advanced technologies such as electric powered and autonomous vehicles, creating increased concerns as to how this complexity is communicated effectively. A mixed methods approach was utilised to collect data from multiple sources, incorporating in-depth discussion groups, semi-structured interviews, an online survey, and data collection of communication processes through the attendance of new car product launches. The results suggest that marketing departments should rethink their data capture methods to collect more relevant consumer information, not the contemporary trend of needs, attitude, and motivation variables that are difficult to identify and collect, but basic information on their level of familiarity with products through previous experience and exposure. The basic dimensions identified are characterised by a consumer's expertise, involvement, and familiarity with a product. The findings are synthesised into a theoretical framework to define differing levels of product complexity, which would enable manufacturers to provide more closely defined market segmentation strategies when communicating new product information