Architectures of participation and emergent forms of inter-organisational activity: A preliminary analysis

This research-in-progress paper explores ways in which inter-organisational networks can fulfil both collective (network) and self-interest (member) goals by implementing architectures of participation that govern and support participant interaction. We draw on recent studies to derive a conceptual framework consisting of technological, legal, economic and social mechanisms in inter-organisational networks, and using initial findings from three case studies of networks in Sweden and Denmark, we illustrate how these architectures operate. Our analysis shows the relative importance of these mechanisms in facilitating individual and collective value creation and we conclude by presenting our ongoing research plans

Network Effects in Technology Acceptance: Laboratory Evidence

This research analyzes network effects in technology acceptance on the hypothesis that the larger the user network, the more likely technology acceptance is. Still today, empirical measurement of network effects is challenging and there is a lack of experimental evidence, particularly in technology acceptance research. To overcome this limitation we reproduce a particular class of technology acceptance processes in a laboratory experiment, controlling for the user network size to verify if it can make a difference in user perceptions and, ultimately, in acceptance decisions. We measured user perceptions and analyzed the data set using standard technology acceptance models. The experiments confirm our working hypothesis, showing a significant role of network effects on key user perceptions influencing technology acceptance

Web Services System Development: A Grounded Theory Study

This study in progress presents a grounded theory analysis of a case study in the banking industry with a view to showing the role of \u201cWeb services\u201d technology in information systems development practices. The case study relates to the implementation in the Central Europe Bank (a pseudonym) of a new software application based on Web services technology. In particular, the focus is on the following research question: what are the peculiarities of the Web services software development process? A tentative answer to the question is advanced here in the form of a preliminary formulation of a descriptive theory of the Web services ISD process. In particular, an effort is made to understand whether the Web services ISD process can be considered as a short-cycle development process (Baskerville and Pries-Heje, 2004). The process under observation might be categorised in a preliminary way as a \u201chybrid\u201d one lying between methodical and amethodical development processes. Indeed, the data collected and analysed so far confirm the complexity and richness of the situation taken into consideration, offering useful insights to complete and further extend both theoretical and empirical analysis

Galectin-3 performance in histologic and cytologic assessment of thyroid nodules. A systematic review and meta-analysis

The literature on Galectin-3 (Gal-3) was systematically reviewed to achieve more robust information on its histologic reliability in identifying thyroid cancers and on the concordance between Gal-3 test in histologic and cytologic samples. A computer search of the PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted by combinations of the terms thyroid and Gal-3. Initially, 545 articles were found and, after their critical review, 52 original papers were finally included. They reported 8172 nodules with histologic evaluation of Gal-3, of which 358 with also preoperative FNAC Gal-3 assessment. At histology, Gal-3 sensitivity was 87% (95% confidence intervals [CI] from 86% to 88%), and specificity 87% (95% CI from 86% to 88%); in both cases, we found heterogeneity (I285% and 93%, respectively) and significant publication bias (p < 0.001). The pooled rate of positive Gal-3 at fine needle aspiration (FNAC) among cancers with histologically proven Gal-3 positivity was 94% (95% CI from 89% to 97%), with neither heterogeneity (I214.5%) nor bias (p = 0.086). These data show high reliability of Gal-3 for thyroid cancer at histology, while its sensitivity on FNAC samples is lower. The limits of cytologic preparations and interpretation of Gal-3 results have to be solved

Web Services and Emergent Organizations: Opportunites and Challenges for IS Development

We are living in exciting times, in which technological innovation and new forms of organization are advancing at a very fast pace. On the organizational side, the lack of stability of the so-called emergent organizations, those that are in continuous evolution and transformation, represents a big challenge for Information Systems Development practices and technologies: in a fast changing organization, there may be no optimal set of specifications for an Information System and even the traditional concept of the Information System life cycle may need to be replaced by one involving the idea of continuous development. On the technological side, the diffusion of Internet-based platforms and, in particular, the recent introduction of the so-called Web Services technological standard for dynamic component-based software development may represent a potentially interesting opportunity to build continuously changing Information Systems. In this contribution we start exploring this territory, focusing on the concepts of emergent systems and continuous development, explaining the major characteristics of Web services technology and the potential uses of it

Organizational resilience: state of the art and new future cyber inquiries

Contemporary societies, and the organizational systems on which they rely, are increasingly exposed to unexpected disruptive events, such as the recent health or geo-political crises. Organizations therefore need a certain level of Organizational Resilience (OR). Since OR is a multifaceted concept, a first aim of this article is to find a trait d’union among many studies and conceptualizations of OR, stimulating academic debate, critical thinking, and further research. An additional goal is to propose a specific direction for future research leading to a better understanding of the characteristics that make organizations more resilient to an increasing relevant adverse phenomenon, namely cybersecurity and related cyberattacks. The authors develop a systematic literature review about the concept of OR in the Management and Organization science fields. A second facet is the authors’ proposed three-stage conceptual framework of OR, which is consistent with the relevant ideas emerging from the systematic literature review. A third section focuses on the exploration of relationships between cybersecurity and organizational domains, going beyond a purely technical focus. Results show that there is a need to address many unresolved research gaps, and to systematize the fragmentation of current Organization and Management research. It is clear that many critical areas still lack a solid and more comprehensive operationalization of OR, including cyber OR

Are sustainable and innovative enterprises more equal in rewarding their women?

In this article, we pose the following research question: “Do sustainable and innovative companies reward their women equally, compared to men?” and test two hypotheses. The first recognizes the fact that innovation and R&D areas are still male-dominated, increasing the level of inequality in women's compensation, as measured by the gender pay gap (GPG), i.e., the average difference in pay between men and women, so we posit: “There is a positive relationship between innovation and the GPG”. As for the second hypothesis, in line with the ongoing debate on sustainable human resource practices, we expect that companies with a sustainability agenda will reduce their GPG so that “There is a negative relationship between sustainability and GPG”. We analyzed data from the Italian Business Census to test our hypotheses. The results show that the first hypothesis is confirmed, while the second is only partially confirmed. On this basis, policy implications and future research directions are identified

Working with Tweets: The Effectiveness of Lean Communication in Collaborative Problem-Solving

Among social network sites and tools, Twitter and other microblogging tools are characterized by their particularly "lean" communication form, based on quick and short messages, particularly appealing for personal use by the so called "generation Y". In this paper we investigate whether lean communication - and particularly Twitter - can be used as a tool for teamwork in organizations. Therefore, our research question is focused on whether Twitter could represent a viable communication tool in the future enterprise for collaborative problem solving. More specifically, whether the 140 characters limit would actually make a difference. To answer this research question, we propose here a comparative study of Twitter, a well-known SNS for microblogging, and Skype, a typical communication platform for individuals and organizations. The laboratory experiment method was selected in order to conduct a rigorous comparison with well- defined measurements. Different teams of the same size carry out a well structured problem- solving task communicating via Twitter or Skype. Comparative group performance is measured in terms of task completion time. Our results show that the lower volume of information exchanged via Twitter does not negatively affect group performance: Twitter teams are just as effective as Skype teams. These results can be partly explained in terms of media richness theory, but more interestingly they may be related to the different group dynamics within teams using different systems, and to further dimensions of investigation including the subjects, the task, the technological features and the organizational coordination modes, disclosing new paths for further research