Digital transformation in an incumbent organisation: the co-enactment of digital transformation through macro- and micro-level activities

Digital transformation forms an important organisational response to digital technologies and their potential digital disruptions. Especially incumbent organisations face the risk of a diminished market position if they fail to digitally transform as competitors use of digital technologies disrupts business models and affects consumer behaviour. Digital disruptions pressure incumbent organisations’ brick and mortar businesses and have already shaken established companies to the ground (e.g. Nokia or Kodak), while pushing others to the brink (e.g. the music industry). These downfalls and trends signal the importance of incumbent organisations engaging in their digital transformation in order to retain their market position. By engaging in their digital transformation, incumbent organisations seek to implement significant changes to their methods of organising by combining multiple digital technologies. The literature on organisational digital transformation sketches three areas of concern: digital transformation strategy, organisational changes (to both value proposition and internal structures) and digital technology. Across these areas of concern, it has delved into organisational activities at either the macro or the micro level of organising. Macro-level studies seem to overshadow the importance of micro-level activities that underlie them. That is, focusing on a phenomenon’s grand scheme, such studies pay little attention to the micro-level activities that enact the phenomenon. On the other hand, micro-level studies tend to miss the relation and influence that a macro-level phenomenon has on the micro level and its constitution of the macro level. They focus on the micro-level activities, neglecting the broader rules and resources that macro-level activities provide. Conceiving digital transformation as a mixed- level phenomenon occurring at both and across the organisational macro and micro levels, we thus cannot fully understand its enactment focusing on either macro- or micro-level activities but only through studying their co-enactment. This dissertation investigates how organisational activities co-enact digital transformation. Drawing on three theoretical angles – improvisation theory, institutional theory and digital infrastructures, it studies organisational activities within the literature’s three areas of concern. Acknowledging the mixed-level nature of digital transformation, it focuses on activities at both the macro and the microlevels of organising. Methodologically, it builds on an ethnography of a large European car manufacturer, an incumbent in its field, which engages in its digital transformation. This ethnographic study took place over a period of three years (from July 2017 to June 2020) and comprised participant observations and both formal and informal interviews as well as the collection of archival records. The findings from the empirical material revealed an interplay between macro- and micro-level activities which co-enacts the car manufacturer’s digital transformation. Conceptualising this interplay, this dissertation contributes to digital transformation research offering the concepts of framing and concretising to understand and explain the becoming of digital transformation as co-enactment. Framing creates space and projects direction for digital transformation. Concretising renders propositions and realisations which manifest organisational digital transformation. Accordingly, digital transformation becomes co-enacted in an interplay of macro-level activities framing micro-level activities, and micro-level activities concretising macro-level activities. The co-enactment conceptualisation emphasises digital transformation’s mixed-level nature, thus proposing the need to observe approaches suitable to further unpack and better understand the phenomenon’s becoming through the interplaying activities of framing and concretising.Digitaalinen transformaation vakiintuneen markkina-aseman organisaatiossa: Digitaalisen transformaation yhteistoiminnallistaminen makro- ja mikrotason toimintojen välillä Digitaalinen transformaatio on merkityksellinen organisationaalinen reaktio digitaalisiin murroksiin, jotka digitaaliset teknologiat ovat mahdollistaneet. Jos vakiintuneet organisaatiot epäonnistuvat muuntautumaan digitaalisesti, kun niiden kilpailijat luovat uusia liiketoimintamalleja ja vaikuttavat kuluttajakäyttäytymiseen, niille markkina-asema voi mahdollisesti heikentyä. Digitaaliset murrokset painostavat vakiintuneessa markkina-asemassa olevien organisaatioiden kivijalkaliiketoimintaa, koska ne ovat jo murskanneet etabloituneita yrityksiä (esim. Nokia tai Kodak) sekä ajaneet toisia ahtaalle (esim. musiikkiteollisuus). Nämä kukistumiset ja suuntaukset viestittävät vakiintuneessa markkina-asemassa oleville organisaatioille digitaaliseen transformaatioon ryhtymisen tärkeyttä niiden yrittäessä pitää markkinapositiotaan. Digitaaliseen transformaatioon ryhtyessään vakiintuneessa markkina-asemassa olevat organisaatiot yrittävät toteuttaa merkittäviä muutoksia organisointiinsa yhdistelemällä useita digitaalisia teknologioita. Tutkittaessa tätä prosessia, organisaation digitaalista transformaatiota käsittelevä kirjallisuus hahmottelee kolme aihealuetta: digitaalinen transformaatiostrategia, organisationaaliset muutokset (sekä arvolupaukseen että sisäisiin rakenteisiin) sekä digitaaliset teknologiat. Näiden aihealueiden sisällä aikaisempi kirjallisuus on syventynyt joko makro- tai mikrotason organisointiin tarkastellessaan organisaation toimintaa. Makrotason tutkimukset kuitenkin näyttävät jättävän varjoonsa niiden taustalla olevan mikrotason toiminnan tärkeyden. Toisin sanoen, jos keskitytään ilmiön suureen kuvaan, tutkimukset eivät kiinnitä riittävästi huomiota mikrotason toimintaan, joka toiminnallistaa ilmiön. Toisaalta mikrotason tutkimukset taas usein eivät huomaa makrotason ilmiön yhteyttä ja vaikutuksia mikrotasoon ja makrotason rakenteisiin. Ne keskittyvät mikrotason toimintaan laiminlyöden laajemmat suuntaviivat ja resurssit, mitkä makrotason toiminnalla taataan. Kun digitaalinen transformaatio ymmärretään monitasoisena ilmiönä, joka tulee esille sekä organisaatioiden makro- ja mikrotasoilla että myös niiden välillä, emme voi ymmärtää sen toiminnallistamista keskittymällä joko makro- tai mikrotason toimintaan vaan ainoastaan tutkimalla niiden yhteistoiminnallistamista. Tämä väitöskirja tutkii kuinka organisationaalinen toiminta yhteistoiminnallistaa digitaalista transformaatiota. Käyttäen kolmea teoreettista näkökulmaa – improvisaatioteoriaa, institutionaalista teoriaa ja digitaalisia infrastruktuureja – se tutkii organisationaalista toimintaa kolmen mainitun kirjallisuuden aihealueen sisällä. Se keskittyy toimintaan sekä organisoinnin makro- että mikrotasoilla tunnustaen digitaalisen transformaation monitasoisen luonteen. Metodologisesti se pohjautuu etnografiaan suuressa eurooppalaisessa autonvalmistajayrityksessä, vakiintuneessa asemassa toimialallaan, joka ryhtyy digitaaliseen transformaatioon. Tämä etnografinen tutkimus tehtiin kolmen vuoden aikana (heinäkuusta 2017 – heinäkuuhun 2020) ja sen aineisto koostuu osallistuvasta havainnoinnista, virallisista ja epävirallisista haastatteluista sekä kokoelmasta arkistotietoja. Empiirisen tutkimuksen tulokset paljastivat makro- ja mikrotason toimintojen vuorovaikutuksen, jotka yhteistoiminnallistavat autonvalmistajan digitaalisen transformaation. Käsitteellistettäessä tätä vuorovaikutusta, tämä väitöskirja edistää digitaalista transformaatiotutkimusta tarjotessaan kehystämisen ja konkretisoinnin käsitteet, joilla voidaan ymmärtää ja selittää digitaalisen transformaation tulemista yhteistoiminnallistamiseksi. Kehystäminen luo tilaa ja tuo esiin digitaalisen transformaation suuntaa. Konkretisointi tarjoaa ehdotuksia ja oivalluksia, jotka ilmaisevat organisaation digitaalista transformaatiota. Tällä tavoin digitaalinen transformaatio tulee yhteistoiminnallistettua makrotason toimintojen kehystäessä mikrotason toimintaa sekä mikrotason toimintojen konkretisoidessa makrotason toimintaa ja näiden vuorovaikutuksessa. Yhteistoiminnallistamisen käsite painottaa digitaalisen transformaation monitasoista luonnetta ja kehottaa jatkotutkimusta etsimään sopivia lähestymistapoja ilmiön esiintymiselle kehystämisen ja konkretisoinnin vuorovaikutuksessa, jotta sitä voitaisiin edelleen selvittää ja ymmärtää paremmin

Influence of a six month endurance exercise program on the immune function of prostate cancer patients undergoing Antiandrogen or Chemotherapy: design and rationale of the ProImmun study

Background: Exercise seems to minimize prostate cancer specific mortality risk and treatment related side effects like fatigue and incontinence. However the influence of physical activity on the immunological level remains uncertain. Even prostate cancer patients undergoing palliative treatment often have a relatively long life span compared to other cancer entities. To optimize exercise programs and their outcomes it is essential to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Further, it is important to discriminate between different exercise protocols and therapy regimes. Methods/Design: The ProImmun study is a prospective multicenter patient preference randomized controlled trial investigating the influence of a 24 week endurance exercise program in 80–100 prostate cancer patients by comparing patients undergoing Antiandrogen therapy combined with exercise (AE), Antiandrogen therapy without exercise (A), Chemotherapy with exercise(CE) or Chemotherapy without exercise (C). The primary outcome of the study is a change in prostate cancer relevant cytokines and hormones (IL-6, MIF, IGF-1, Testosterone). Secondary endpoints are immune cell ratios, oxidative stress and antioxidative capacity levels, VO2 peak, fatigue and quality of life. Patients of the intervention group exercise five times per week, while two sessions are supervised. During the supervised sessions patients (AE and CE) exercise for 33 minutes on a bicycle ergometer at 70-75% of their VO2 peak. To assess long term effects and sustainability of the intervention two follow-up assessments are arranged 12 and 18 month after the intervention. Discussion: The ProImmun study is the first trial which primarily investigates immunological effects of a six month endurance exercise program in prostate cancer patients during palliative care. Separating patients treated with Antiandrogen therapy from those who are additionally treated with Chemotherapy might allow a more specific view on the influence of endurance training interventions and the impact of different therapy protocols on the immune function. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS0000473

Perioperative Inflammation and Microcirculation in Surgery: Clinical Strategies for Improved Surgical Outcomes

Impaired microcirculation secondary to underlying vascular endothelial dysfunction is increasingly recognized to play a central role in the pathophysiology associated with numerous postoperative complications. Noxious stimuli, including direct injury from surgical trauma and hypoxia (e.g., ischemia‐reperfusion injury), trigger adrenergic‐inflammatory‐thrombotic‐immune cascades to impair the microcirculation, with consequent perfusion‐related postoperative complications. The endothelium, characterized by exquisite sensitivity to inflammation and low proliferative potential, has limited self‐repair capacity that is dependent on circulating bone marrow‐derived endothelial progenitor cells for regeneration. As such, the extent to which the endothelial physical and functional integrity is preserved mirrors not only underlying cardiovascular health but is also an important factor in susceptibility to postoperative morbidity. This review explores the effect of perioperative inflammation on the microcirculation and some of the current protective strategies available to clinicians. “Prehabilitation,” with preoperative exercise to improve the underlying endothelial function and bone marrow responsiveness for endogenous endothelial repair mechanisms, and anti‐inflammatory strategies to limit activation of the endothelial‐thrombotic‐inflammatory cascades may provide clinical strategies to preserve the microcirculation to engender optimal surgical outcomes

Über die Evolution der Struktur sich autokatalytisch vermehrender Moleküle

Auf der Erde entwickeln sich immer neue Spezies und passen sich an das Ökosystem an. Diese ständige Weiterentwicklung der Spezies ist im Allgemeinen schlecht verstanden. Wir stellen in dieser Arbeit ein molekulares Modellsystem vor, welches spontan neue Moleküle erzeugen und bestehende autokatalytisch vermehren kann. Dieses System kann dazu genutzt werden, die grundlegenden Prinzipien der Evolution zu untersuchen. Das System wird sowohl in einer Gillespiesimulation analysiert als auch experimentell durch eine Implementierung in DNA mit Hilfe der Taq-Ligase. In beiden Fällen kann eine Phase, in der alle möglichen Moleküle entstehen, und eine Phase, in der eine strikte Längenverdopplung stattfindet, festgestellt werden. Die Erweiterung des Phasenraums der vorkommenden Polymere durch eine zufällige Reaktion führt zu einer Längenverdopplungskaskade, welche für alle Reproduktionsarten (enzymatisch, autokatalytisch, sexuell) stabil ist. Dieser theoretische Prozess kann prinzipiell immer weiter fortgeführt werden und ist nur durch die zur Verfügung stehenden Ressourcen beschränkt.On earth, ever new species evolve and adapt to the ecosystem. This unceasing progress of the species’ evolution is generally poorly understood. In this work, we present a model system, which spontaneously generates new molecules and autocatalytically proliferates existing ones. This system is satisfactory to examine fundamental principles of evolution. The system is analysed both with the help of a Gillespie simulation and a realisation using DNA and Taq DNA ligase. Both implementations show a phase in which all possible molecules emerge and a phase in which a strict length-doubling of polymers is observed. The expansion of the phase space of occurring polymers is induced by a spontaneous reaction and leads to a length-doubling cascade, which is stable for all types of reproduction (enzymatic, autocatalytic, sexual). In principle, this theoretical process may progress continuously and is only restricted by available resources

Über die Evolution der Struktur sich autokatalytisch vermehrender Moleküle

Auf der Erde entwickeln sich immer neue Spezies und passen sich an das Ökosystem an. Diese ständige Weiterentwicklung der Spezies ist im Allgemeinen schlecht verstanden. Wir stellen in dieser Arbeit ein molekulares Modellsystem vor, welches spontan neue Moleküle erzeugen und bestehende autokatalytisch vermehren kann. Dieses System kann dazu genutzt werden, die grundlegenden Prinzipien der Evolution zu untersuchen. Das System wird sowohl in einer Gillespiesimulation analysiert als auch experimentell durch eine Implementierung in DNA mit Hilfe der Taq-Ligase. In beiden Fällen kann eine Phase, in der alle möglichen Moleküle entstehen, und eine Phase, in der eine strikte Längenverdopplung stattfindet, festgestellt werden. Die Erweiterung des Phasenraums der vorkommenden Polymere durch eine zufällige Reaktion führt zu einer Längenverdopplungskaskade, welche für alle Reproduktionsarten (enzymatisch, autokatalytisch, sexuell) stabil ist. Dieser theoretische Prozess kann prinzipiell immer weiter fortgeführt werden und ist nur durch die zur Verfügung stehenden Ressourcen beschränkt.On earth, ever new species evolve and adapt to the ecosystem. This unceasing progress of the species’ evolution is generally poorly understood. In this work, we present a model system, which spontaneously generates new molecules and autocatalytically proliferates existing ones. This system is satisfactory to examine fundamental principles of evolution. The system is analysed both with the help of a Gillespie simulation and a realisation using DNA and Taq DNA ligase. Both implementations show a phase in which all possible molecules emerge and a phase in which a strict length-doubling of polymers is observed. The expansion of the phase space of occurring polymers is induced by a spontaneous reaction and leads to a length-doubling cascade, which is stable for all types of reproduction (enzymatic, autocatalytic, sexual). In principle, this theoretical process may progress continuously and is only restricted by available resources

The Importance of Business Continuity for Making Business: The Case of Design Kitchen

Design Kitchen is a typical, small business about to secure a major deal with a prospective customer. The crux of this deal: Design Kitchen’s ability to work as a reliable subcontractor. Business continuity (BC) teaching cases usually describe a disruption that requires reaction. This teaching case elucidates the importance of BC for making business. It provides a rich description of Design Kitchen receiving an audit, and posits the task of creating a BC plan based on this audit’s findings. Completing this case, students will learn how to analyze and identify BC risks; how to craft a BC plan; and about the complications stirring when top management is not engaged in BC. While fictional, the case description presents a composite narrative based on empirical studies of several companies’ BC risks. Besides teaching BC, lecturers can use the case text for courses of information security management or business process modeling

Responsible Artificial Intelligence Systems Critical considerations for business model design

Commercializing responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) involves translating ethical principles for developing, deploying, and using AI into business models. However, prior studies have reported tensions between commercial interests (e.g., development speed or accuracy) and societal interests (e.g., privacy or human rights) that can undermine RAI’s value proposition. Conceptually, we distinguish two business model development perspectives on AI and responsibility: innovating responsible business models leveraging AI and designing RAI business models. Taking the second perspective, we investigate the value proposition of RAI through business model design by employing a two-stage research approach consisting of focus groups and member checking. Empirically, we present the learnings from identifying the design elements for RAI business models. These include two themes that can underlie such business models: providing vs. enabling RAI systems and the observation that the tensions in RAI’s value proposition are paradoxical, not dilemmas. With our conceptual groundwork and empirical insights, we make three contributions that offer critical considerations for RAI business model design. First, we conceptualize two pathways for designing RAI business models: a corner path to commercialized RAI systems vs. direct path to commercialized RAI systems. We argue that these paths have distinct implications for the responsible in RAI. Second, we reflect the sociotechnical nature of RAI systems by emphasizing the criticality of the social for responsibility. Third, we outline a research agenda for developing RAI business models

Transferring clinically established immune inflammation markers into exercise physiology

Over the last decades the cellular immune inflammation markers neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII = NLR × platelets) have emerged in clinical context as markers of disease-related inflammation and are now widely appreciated due to their integrative character. Transferring these clinically established inflammation markers into exercise physiology seems highly beneficial, especially due to the low temporal, financial and infrastructural resources needed for assessment and calculation. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize evidence on the value of the integrative inflammation markers NLR, PLR and SII for depiction of exercise-induced inflammation and highlight potential applications in exercise settings. Despite sparse evidence, multiple investigations revealed responsiveness of the markers to acute and chronic exercise, thereby opening promising avenues in the field of exercise physiology. In performance settings, they might help to infer information for exercise programming by reflecting exercise strain and recovery status or periods of overtraining and increased infection risk. In health settings, application involves the depiction of anti-inflammatory effects of chronic exercise in patients exhibiting chronic inflammation. Further research should, therefore, focus on establishing reference values for these integrative markers in athletes at rest, assess the kinetics and reliability in response to different exercise modalities and implement the markers into clinical exercise trials to depict anti-inflammatory effects of chronic exercise in different patient collectives