E.M.P. As Enabler Of New Organisational Architectures: An Italian Case Study

The opportunity for organisations to manage their own processes using electronic means has lead to the development of new inter- and intra-organisational relationships and consequently to the network firm phenomenon (Fulk, De Sanctis, 1995; Powell, 1990 ; Malone, Yates, Benjamin, 1987; Prager, 1996). Business to Business (B2B) and electronic marketplaces (EMP) are assuming an ever-increasing role in the context of inter-organizational relationships, especially in the area of information systems. In this paper, the authors aim to show how B2B marketplaces have a significant potential impact on the structure of channel relationships and IT management arrangements. For this purpose an Italian example of an EMP called Tilesquare was analysed where the development of the digital market and all the connected technologies has brought about the creation of a new type of organisation. This paper studies this new organizational scheme in the light of Transaction Cost Theory (TCT). In the context of marketplaces, Tilesquare is a particularly important case from the points of view of both the organisational integration of the various integrated participants in the digital value chain (all the possible actors of the value chain of the building and furnishing material industry are present in the market) and of the commercial coverage represented by the various participants located in different countries all over the world and integrated in the platform. IS theory traditionally investigates these phenomena from a Transaction Cost Theory (Williamson, 1975) point of view. On the contrary, the authors of this paper have taken into consideration the limitations of this approach by showing how the Strategic Network theory could provide a useful framework in order to understand the new phenomena that are distinguishing some industries. To do this, the research work of Christiaanse and Markus (2002), who have worked on new organizational assets and the development of B2B in an EMP context, has been use

Software Market Configuration: A Socio-Technical Explanation

In the case presented herein, two three-dimensional rendering software products coexist without competing, though they present similar characteristics and rely on competitive technological architectures. The market configuration for these two software products thus appears largely determined by socio-technical elements, not just the technical characteristics of the software architecture. The socio-technical regime within which the technology is embedded shapes the boundaries of the markets for both software products. Therefore, the concept of path dependency appears insufficient to explain the nature of the competition. To explain the factors that determine the market configuration, the authors introduce the concept of socio-technical regimes

E-marketplace and transaction cost theory: a possible set of new ideas

Aim of this paper is to analyse electronic marketplaces from an organisational point of view. The marketplaces are herein considered as a particular form of electronic network and are analysed in the light of transaction cost theory. Besides considering the three classical effects identified by Malone et al. (the communication effect, the electronic integration effect, the electronic mediation effect), the paper, on the ground of empirical evidences, also evaluated a fourth effect defined by Wigand as “the strategic electronic network effect”. Analysis two cases the paper describes how ICT affects the market organisation of marketplaces and the relationships among the actors that are involved in this particular electronic networks

INTERORGANIZATIONAL NETWORKS OF E-INTERMEDIARIES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

In this theory-building research, we seek to understand how the emerging systems of e-intermediation influnce the evolution of novel inter-organizational networks. We chose Yoox, a leading e-intermediary in the fashion industry, as an exemplary case. We found that the core technological capabilities of the e-intermediator, rather than deterministically triggering a single coordination strategy (as mainstream literature predicts), have been exploited to develop a range of interaction approaches, including market, hierarchy, and cooperative network relationships. At this phase of our research in progress, we can extract provisionary propositions from our field study. The most representative propositions we elaborated are the following: (i) when Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) empower e-intermediation B2B interactions, they can effectively support market, hierarchy, or cooperative network interactions; that is, ICTs facilitate inter-organizational dynamism; (ii) e-intermediation does not encourage, per se, preferential or typical inter-organizational coordination forms. Partnering organizations develop market and/or hierarchy and/or cooperative network interactions depending on their perceptions of irreplaceability, as well as on other factors such as managerial strategies, concerns, and previous relational experiences; (iii) in e-intermediation business networks, the e-intermediary´s technological leadership is more likely to produce a long-term competitive advantage if it is leveraged to feed and enrich the e-intermediary´s relational leadership dynamically over time

ANTECEDENTS OF IT DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DIGITAL DATA GENESIS

Dynamic capabilities represent an important determinant of competitive advantage in turbulent environments. However, despite intense work in the area, the topic of dynamic capability antecedents remains heavily under-researched. Understanding the sources of dynamic capabilities would give organizations the instruments to rationally improve their chance to obtain and sustain competitive advantage. We contribute to the literature on information technology dynamic capabilities focusing on three sources of dynamic capabilities: organizational processes, firm history and firm\u27s assets. We lay the theoretical and methodological groundwork for our explanation and we empirically test the model focusing on an emerging capability we term Digital Data Genesis (DDG) . We define DDG as the dynamic capability of (1) choosing information technology to unobtrusively generate and capture data in digital form, (2) integrating the IT in the appropriate business processes, and (3) managing the digital data so captured. Our results show that the organizational processes of sensing and learning, the historical information dynamic capability, and the historical IT dynamic capability influences the DDG dynamic capability

IT Driven Modernization in Agriculture

The information systems (IS) literature has largely neglected the study of implementations of large scale strategic initiatives to modernize the agricultural business. This paper reports on an ongoing empirical study that follows the efforts of a multibillion-dollar organization to modernize its operations through the modernization of its supplier base. Modernization, as an external force effecting organizations, is a new and different phenomenon respect to organizational change normally considered as an internal effort. Modernization is an ongoing, evolutionary, process performed by organizations in order to survive and prosper. Yet, the rationality of the decision to modernize is likely to face the forces of entrenched traditions and practices, the feelings and the social significance of established ways of those with the power to derail the modernization project. Using institutional theory as theoretical lens to study the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in modernization strategy, the paper suggests that managers should care beyond the reasons for change, considering the physical, social and cultural needs of the stakeholders involved. Our study extends the extant literature on agribusiness management highlighting the tensions between the initiator of the modernization effort and the suppliers with their need to adapt and respond

How do enterprise software providers adapt their strategies to the cloud? An analysis through SAP Hana journey based on the evolution of SAP’s discourse (2010-2018)

This paper seeks to provide a better understanding of software business providers’ strategy when adapting to the emergence of cloud computing markets. Based on a longitudinal case-study and on a historical content analysis of SAP’s discourse, it highlights four main periods of adaptation, since 2009. The analysis of these four periods emphasizes the existence of an initial superior technology (HANA) on the ERP market when referring to cloud-based solutions. Overall, the evolution of SAP’s strategy is understood as a change from a high level of control over the administration of its technological environment to a more flexible strategy that gives alternative options such as Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) mode. Yet, content analysis shows that SAP never sought to give that much freedom to client firms, given their capabilities for designing but also for mitigating corresponding risks

Mobility as a Service: An Exploratory Study of Consumer Mobility Behaviour

Key challenges in transportation need to be addressed to tackle the problems of fossil fuel emissions and worsened air quality in urban area. The development of a more efficient and clean transport system could benefit from mobility as a service (MaaS). The present paper aims to understand the determinants of the intention to adopt such a service. We test the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) on mobility behavior and intention to adopt mobility as a service, and we analyze the role of perceived cost saving as a determinant for the perceived ease of use. Data were collected through a survey on a sample of 201 potential adopters. The findings show that for such a technology, perceived usefulness fully mediate the influence of perceived ese of use on the intention to adopt. Moreover, the effect of perceived cost saving on perceived ease of use is moderated by the life cycle of the technology. Implications for marketing managers and policy makers are discussed

BI as a service: an attempt to understand the leading adoption factors

The research question of this study attempts to identify which are the leading factors for the adoption of a sourcing Software as a Service model for Business Intelligence applications. The objective is to build a model containing enabling factors for the adoption of BI solutions. We seek to expand on the Benlian et al. model which is based on a theoretical framework including axioms from Transaction Cost Theory, Resource Based View, Theory of Planned Behavior. In order to better understand the phenomenon under investigation, we will use also the Organizational Culture Theory. It is a theoretical research in progress