DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND ITS IMPACT ON IT STRUCTURE AND LEADERSHIP

With digital transformation attracting increasing attention, our study is motivated by a need to under- stand the impact of digitalisation on the transformation of the Information Technology (IT) function in pre-digital organisations. In particular, in this paper, we present a qualitative study that aims to ex- amine how digital transformation influences the organisational structure and leadership of the IT function in pre-digital organisations. The empirical study is based on a series of semi-structured in- terviews with digital leaders across a range of organisations and sectors in the UK and Scandinavia. We find four different setups both in terms of structure and leadership for the IT function following digital transformation initiatives. The study has both theoretical and practical implications on the management of digital transformation and IT function

Invisible Work Pre- and Post- Digitalisation. The case of a health authority in Norway

In this paper, we argue that, despite the increasing opportunities for transparency and visibility that come with the digitalisation of workplaces, invisible work remains a highly relevant concept, as it represents practices that are vital to the effective functioning of business operations. Drawing on a longitudinal qualitative case study, we examine invisible work practices before and after the digitalisation of a regional health authority in Norway following the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The study extends the literature in this field by showing both the changing status of invisible work and the emergence of new invisible work in digitalised workplaces. The theoretical and practical implications are then discussed

A-level results: why algorithms get things so wrong – and what we can do to fix them

When A-level grades were announced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland a few weeks ago, nearly 40% were lower than teachers’ assessments. The grades were formed using an algorithm based on the schools’ past performance and the grading process had “significant inconsistencies”, as acknowledged by the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. Following numerous protests against the unfairness of the system biased against students from poorer backgrounds, the government abandoned its decision and students received grades based on their teacher’s assessments. Still, algorithms affect decision-making in many aspects of our lives including healthcare, policing, banking, insurance, or social media. In this blog republished from the Conversation, Amany Elbanna, Royal Holloway and Jostein Engesmo, Norwegian University of Science and Technology discuss the pitfalls of algorithmic decision-making and the possible social implications related to fairness and justice

LEADERS’ SENSEMAKING IN THE FACE OF PANDEMIC-DRIVEN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Drawing on the sensemaking perspective, this study explores how business leaders with responsibility for digital related programmes, have made sense of digital transformation before and during the Covid-19, and examines the impact of this on on the wider organisational structure including their own position in the organisation. The study is qualitative in nature and is based on a series of case studies with organisations across different sectors. Analysis so far shows that as a result of the pandemic there has been a wider acceptance of the possibilities provided by digital technologies and the opportunities for digital transformation. Further, findings show that digital leaders’ commitment, resources and expectations have contributed to accelerating the process, though this has differed across different organisations. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are explored

Data Sharing Frames: How Scientists Understand the Work of Sharing Scientific Data

The curation of data is fundamental to their wider dissemination and use. This paper investigates the frames of workers who perform data curation in scientific contexts. We view data curation as a sense-making practice, where workers collaborate to disseminate meaningful data to a broad set of prospective users. Previous Information Systems investigations have suggested that data-related activities are dependent on workers’ understanding of their local work context. We expand this with an evolving and long-term view. We use a stepwise-deductive induction method to examine how scientists understand the work involved in curating scientific data for public sharing. We draw on frames as the theoretical lens of the study that enables us to identify three data sharing frames – the object, curation, and aligning frames – as important frames that shape how scientists curate data for public sharing. Our analysis provides a deeper understanding of the nuances of managing scientific data for public access. Our main contribution is the articulation of an evolving and long-term view of how workers approach their tasks in getting data ready for long-term public use

Making Data Work: A Systematic Mapping of Collaborative Data Curation Practices

A growing body of literature in Information Systems focuses on the collaborative data curation practices that support the use of novel technologies in the ongoing datafication of work and organizing. In this study, we map the practices and processes that help make data useful and meaningful so that organizations can take advantage of these technologies. We examine 54 empirical studies and focus on the individuals and groups that collaborate to make data useful and meaningful. We identify the following collaborative data curation practices: (i) engaging multiple users in cooperation, (ii) involving higher-level stakeholders, and (iii) using shared resources. We contribute to the IS literature by broadening the view of data curation as an organizational practice that requires the collective, situated, and ongoing engagement of multiple actors making flexible and interpretive decisions to identify and resolve challenges related to working with data

Digital leaders and the transformation of the IT function

With digital transformation attracting increasing attention, our study is motivated by a need to understand the impact on the transformation of the Information Technology (IT) function in pre-digital organisations. In particular, we present in this paper a qualitative study that aims to examine how digital transformation influences the IT organisational structure and leadership in pre-digital organisations. The empirical study is based on a series of semi-structured interviews with digital leaders across a range of organisations and sectors in the UK and Scandinavia. We find four different categories of both IT organisational structure and leadership following digital transformation initiatives: managing digital as projects within the IT function; managing the IT and digital functions separately with separate leaders; managing IT and digital within one function with dual leadership; and managing the IT and digital functions together with a single leader. The study has both theoretical and practical implications for the management of digital transformation and the IT function

Digital leaders and the transformation of the IT function

With digital transformation attracting increasing attention, our study is motivated by a need to understand the impact on the transformation of the Information Technology (IT) function in pre-digital organisations. In particular, we present in this paper a qualitative study that aims to examine how digital transformation influences the IT organisational structure and leadership in pre-digital organisations. The empirical study is based on a series of semi-structured interviews with digital leaders across a range of organisations and sectors in the UK and Scandinavia. We find four different categories of both IT organisational structure and leadership following digital transformation initiatives: managing digital as projects within the IT function; managing the IT and digital functions separately with separate leaders; managing IT and digital within one function with dual leadership; and managing the IT and digital functions together with a single leader. The study has both theoretical and practical implications for the management of digital transformation and the IT function