Theorizing Affordance Actualization in Digital Innovation from a Socio-Technical Perspective: The case of the video game industry

Digital technology provides opportunities for new product development and innovation through affordances. However, in digital innovation, human actors are constrained by the design of technology and its interaction with different aspects of the socio-technical context. In this article, we investigate the relationship between digital technology and developers in a video game development company and its role in supporting and hindering digital innovation. We build on theory of affordances and constraints in answering the research question: How does the actualization of affordances in video game development influence the innovation process and outcome? Based on empirical analysis, we identify four affordances: Tool development, prototyping, user testing, and patching. We theorize affordance actualization and distinguish between innovation outcome and process innovation affordances. Furthermore, we theorize the dependencies between human actors, the organization, and technology in the affordance actualization process and mechanism

Creativity Under Pressure in Digital Innovation: The Case of Norwegian Game Development Start-ups

In today’s hypercompetitive market, companies are forced to be creative and innovate in order to survive. Digital technology has brought new possibilities for organisations as well as enabled thousands of start-ups to enter the marketplace. However, the constant flood of start-ups leads to intense competition increasing pressure on the companies to innovate. Developing novel ideas and bringing them to fruition is often a chaotic process influenced by pressure and uncertainty. The concept of creativity in information systems (IS) development and digital innovation has been under-researched with a too-narrow focus. This thesis aims to extend research on digital innovation and creativity and the interaction between human actors and digital technology during this process in a high-pressure environment. A case study of game development start-up companies in the Norwegian video game industry was conducted to gain empirical insight into the work situation of a high-pressure environment with creative and technologically savvy developers. A new theoretical process model is presented, as well as propositions to guide practitioners in their creative endeavours

,,Það sem stendur upp úr er sjálfstraustið mitt“ : upplifun atvinnulausra kvenna af þátttöku í virkniúrræði

Verkefnið er lokað til 20.8.2016.Atvinna er mikilvæg fyrir líf og heilsu einstaklinga. Ákveðinn hópur fólks hefur þörf fyrir virkniúrræði til að komast aftur út í atvinnulífið. Rannsóknir hafa sýnt að atvinnuleysi hefur neikvæð áhrif á einstaklinga og samfélög. Ýmis úrræði hafa verið þróuð til að virkja atvinnulausa til athafna. Athuganir á því hvaða úrræði henta best til að virkja einstakling sem misst hefur atvinnu hefur lítið sem ekkert verið rannsakað hér á Íslandi. Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar er að skoða upplifun atvinnulausra kvenna af þátttöku í virkniúrræði og á hvaða hátt þær telji að þáttaka í úræðinu hafi leitt þær til frekari atvinnuþátttöku. Leitast er við að komast að því hvort þverfaglegt virkniúrræði sem byggir á þarfagreiningu þátttakenda bæti líf þeirra á einhvern hátt og færi þá mögulega nær vinnumarkaði. Valin var eigindleg rannsóknaraðferð Vancouver- skólans í fyrirbærafræði við greiningu gagna en þeirri aðferð er ætlað að auka skilning á mannlegum fyrirbærum. Tekin voru viðtöl við sex konur á aldrinum 22-52 ára sem voru á atvinnuleysisskrá í sama sveitarfélagi. Helstu niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar voru greindar í þrjú megin þemu: 1) Uppbygging virkniúrræðis, þar sem allir þátttakendur lýstu yfir vonbrigðum með að ekki væri nægileg einstaklingsvinna með fjölskylduráðgjafa og náms- og starfsráðgjafa. Einnig var sett út á skipulag virkniúrræðis sem þeim fannst óskýrt og einhæft um tíma en voru þó ánægðir með það í heild. Þá var ánægja með einstaka þætti innan virkniúrræðisins, svo sem aðstoð frá ráðgjöfum, fyrirlestra og listasmiðju. 2) Góður félagsskapur fjallar um upplifun kvennanna af öðrum þátttakendum sem sóttu virkniúrræðið með þeim en mikið traust og stuðningur myndaðist innan hópsins. Varð þetta traust til þess að félagsleg einangrun var rofin hjá mörgum. 3) Sjálfstraust sem lýsir hvað þátttakendur fengu út úr virkniúrræðinu en það birtist í aukinni félagsfærni, betra sjálfstrausti, sjálfsmati og sjálfsþekkingu. Þegar boðið er uppá virkniúrræði er mikilvægt að þeir fagaðilar sem starfa með atvinnulausum hafi í huga að úrræðið sé á sem heildrænasta máta, að það sé vandlega útfært áður en til framkvæmda kemur og það byggi á þarfagreiningu þátttakenda. Lykilorð: sjálfsmynd, sjálfsnám, valdefling, stjórnrót, starfsleitar- sjálfstraust.Being employed is important for one's personal life and health. A certain group of people has great need for measures being taken towards assisting them to re-enter the labour market. Research has shown that unemployment has negative impact on individuals and societies. Various measures have been developed to encourage the unemployed to take action towards their situation. Observations towards what resources have given best results to activate the unemployed individual have not been thoroughly investigated in Iceland. The purpose of the research is to examine the experience of unemployed women from participation in the activity- course and in what way they feel that participation in the activity- course has led them to further employment. The activity- course seeks to determine whether cross- disciplinary approach based on needs analysis of the participants will improve their lives somehow and potentially bring them closer to labour market. The form of this paper is qualitative, based on The Vancouver School of Phenomenology. That form is intended to increase understanding of human phenomenology using deep interviews. Deep interviews were taken with six women at the age of 22-52 who lived in the same municipality and were listed as unemployed. The results are based on theme analysis where three issues were analyzed. 1) Construction of the course, where all participants stated their disappointment with insufficient individual work with a family therapist, employment counselor and guidance counselor. The women criticized the construction of the activity- course as they felt it was unclear and repetitive for a while. How ever they were happy with the activity- course over all. They were also happy with individual elements within the activity- course. For example the assistance from the counselors, lectures and art gallery. 2) Good company, that is about their personal experience attending the activity- course and how they began to trust and supported each other. This trust enabled some of them to break out of their sociological boundaries. 3) Self esteem, describes what the women gained from participating. Their sociological skills, self esteem, confidence and self knowledge all improved. When activity course is provided it is important that the professionals who work with the unemployed have in mind that the course is in the most holistic way, that it is carefully implemented before it is executed and that it is based on needs analysis of the participants. Keywords: Identity, self directed learning, empowerment, locus of control, job search self- efficacy