Evaluation of Action Design Research

Design science research (DSR) is a legitimate research paradigm in the discipline of information systems (IS). One prominent DSR method is Action Design Research (ADR). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the ADR method based on empirical experiences from a research project. We have found that the ADR method is highly relevant to an applied discipline such as IS. It creates a bridge between the organisational perspective and the technical perspective of the IT artefact. Moreover, the ADR method supports the dual mission of developing theory and producing knowledge that supports IS practitioners. The findings also include empirical evidence pointing towards a lack of prescriptive guidance with respect to the challenges such as: how to identify appropriate evaluation strategies, how to identify the abstraction mechanisms required to move from the specific-and-unique to the generic-and-abstract, and how to formulate design principles. Although we found adequate support at the macro level, the ADR method needs more detailed support for operationalisation in practice. To address this issue, we propose a number of guidelines that either seek to improve the ADR method or support those who apply ADR

DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR HUMAN-CENTRED AI

Advancements within artificial intelligence (AI) enable organisations to reformulate strategies for exploiting data in order to refine their business models, make better decisions and maintain a competitive advantage. We recognise the technical advantages of AI. However, our view is that the technical perspective as a base for decision-making is necessary but insufficient. Several studies in human science report that essential human knowledge and competencies that affect decision making are not represented in AI systems. Based on this observation, we have developed design principles for developing decision-support systems (DSS) that combine human intelligence (HI) with AI. The design principles are: design for amplified decision-making, design for unbiased decision-making and design for human and AI learning. The design principles constitute the scientific contribution to the emergent field of Human-Centred AI. The contribution to practice consists of a DSS (a digital prototype) that supports the combination of HI and AI

Design Science Research Constructs: a Conceptual Model

Design science research (DSR) has become an accepted as well as legitimated research paradigm within the IS discipline. DSR has had a significant impact on IS research and it has the potential to become even more successful. One reason for not being fully adopted is due to gaps in the understanding of DSR constructs. Our literature review has revealed that constructs often are: abstract, synonymous, overlapping, offering slightly different definitions, and difficult to grasp. One implication of these problems is that it might be hard to communicate research results not only to other researchers within the DSR community but also to other disciplines. Consequently, the purpose of this study has been to suggest a conceptual model that includes key DSR constructs and their relationships that can contribute to the understanding and communication of the DSR phenomenon

ITIL compliance with a Service Perspective: a Review Based on Service-Dominant Logic

Information technology implementation continues to be a challenging process for many organisations and one of the challenges is the transition to service orientation. To apply a service perspective is not a minor change of attitude; it is a paradigm shift for the whole IT sector. Providers of IT services can no longer afford to focus on solving technical problems, they now have to consider the quality of the ser-vices and focus on the relationship with customers. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the popular ITIL frameworks comply with a service perspective. We have used service-dominant logic as an analysis model to find out how ITIL corresponds to a service perspective. The findings show that while ITIL highly corresponds to the service perspective in some aspects it fails in others, such as rec-ognising the customers as value co-creators and that products are a distribution mechanism for ser-vices

Challenges Concerning Data-Driven Innovation

Digital transformation is highly relevant to most organisations in the business and the government sectors. One important aspect of digital transformation is the capability to exploit data in order to develop new services. For a number of businesses, this capability has become an imperative to their survival in an ever more competitive market. Today, data exploitation is of vital importance for innovation and economic growth. However, there is a lack of consolidated knowledge about the challenges of managing processes for service innovation. The purpose of this study is to elaborate on challenges concerning data-driven service innovation. We have used the Grounded Theory approach to identify such challenges which are: lack of a systematic process, problems with data access, distrust of data, lack of appropriate digital tools and insufficient competence. Our conclusions reveal that data is rarely used as a strategic resource in data-driven service innovation and that there is a lack of data management

Empirical Evaluation of Action Design Research

There has been a growing interest in information systems (IS) research as design research. One popular methodology is Action Design Research (ADR). Despite the popularity, ADR lacks proper evaluation based on primary data. We claim that the existing empirical evidence justifying ADR is either fragmented or based on reconstructions of prior studies conducted for other purposes. Our claim is supported by the authors of ADR who state that “ … because the VIP project was not conducted explicitly as ADR, it cannot be viewed as an exemplar of its application”. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence. Examples of empirical evidence show that ADR is highly relevant for an applied discipline such as IS, it creates a bridge between user-oriented perspectives of the IT artefact and technological perspectives and it supports a conceptual movement from a specific instance to a search for a class of problems

Inscribing Service into IT Service Management

Processes of IT Service Management (ITSM) are often defined in frameworks and standards pre-sented as best practices. However, existing best practices are often solely directed to service provid-ers, which does not correlate to a modern service-dominant logic. Moreover, existing best practices are often regarded as too comprehensive which prevents several actors from adopting them. Thus, this paper is based on the idea that there is a need to study how foundational premises of the service dominant logic could be inscribed into essential ITSM processes. This, we argue, will support practi-tioners to embrace a service culture while streamlining their work with ITSM work procedures. To this end, we have collaborated with service providers and service customers and adopted the Action Design Research methodology in order to identify, modify and evaluate essential ITSM processes in practice. Our theoretical contribution constitutes normative knowledge of enhanced essential ITSM processes from a service-dominant logic perspective

Autorenumgebung für Serious Games - StoryTec: Eine Autorenumgebung und narrative Objekte für personalisierte Serious Games

Serious Games vereinen die Charakteristik von Unterhaltungsspielen mit einem „characterizing goal“ und Spezifika dedizierter Serious Games Anwendungsbereiche. Das Potential von Serious Games ist groß, dennoch ist die Qualität oftmals nicht optimal und die Nutzerakzeptanz entsprechend gering. Auch gibt es oftmals eine falsche Erwartungshaltung gegenüber Serious Games im Hinblick auf das Kosten-Nutzenverhältnis und auf notwendige Entwicklungsbudgets für Serious Games. Daher sind innovative Methoden, Konzepte und Technologien erforderlich, die signifikant zur Qualitätssteigerung und der erfolgreichen Verbreitung von Serious Games beitragen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden hierfür mit der Autorenumgebung StoryTec und dem Modell für narrative Objekte eigene Forschungsbeiträge zur Erstellung, Steuerung und Evaluation von personalisierten, adaptiven Serious Games vorgestellt. Basierend auf dieser Ausgangssituation werden in Kapitel 2 Serious Games Technologien als Lösungsansätze zur Erstellung, Steuerung und Evaluation von Serious Games beschrieben und die eigene Arbeit in dieses komplexe Forschungsfeld eingeordnet. Kapitel 3 und 4 beschreiben die Autorenumgebung „StoryTec“ und das Modell der „Narrative Game-based Learning Objects“ (NGLOB). StoryTec fungiert als Rapid Prototyping Umgebung, bestehend aus dem Authoring Tool „StoryTec Editor“ und den beiden Abspielkomponenten (Player) „StoryPublish“ und „StoryPlay“, die speziell Autoren ohne Programmierkenntnisse bei der Entwicklung von Serious Games unterstützen. NGLOBs dienen als konzeptionelle Grundlage von personalisierten Story-basierten Lernspielen; sie vereinen narrative dramaturgische Aspekte mit benutzerindividuellen Spieler- und Lernermodellen. Das NGLOB-Konzept wurde prototypisch realisiert und vollständig in StoryTec integriert. In Kapitel 5 „Serious Games für Bildung und Gesundheit“ werden die erarbeiteten Methoden und Konzepte anhand des Geographie-Lernspiels „80Days“ und dem personalisierten Bewegungsspiel „ErgoActive“ validiert. Abschließend werden die wesentlichen Ergebnisse der Arbeit zusammengefasst und ein Ausblick für weiterführende Forschungsarbeiten skizziert – u.a. im Hinblick auf die Konzeption eines Metadaten-gestützten Informationssystems für Serious Games, das eine (standardisierte) Beschreibung und (individuelle) Suche nach (geeigneten) Serious Games ermöglicht

A best practice for gamification in large companies: An extensive study focusing inter-generational acceptance

Gamification is increasingly successful in the field of education and health. However, beyond call-centers and applications in human resources, its utilization within companies remains limited. In this paper, we examine the acceptance of gamification in a large company (with over 17,000 employees) across three generations, namely X, Y, and Z. Furthermore, we investigate which gamification elements are suited for business contexts, such as the dissemination of company principles and facts, or the organization of work tasks. To this end, we conducted focus group discussions, developed the prototype of a gamified company app, and performed a large-scale evaluation with 367 company employees. The results reveal statistically significant intergenerational disparities in the acceptance of gamification: younger employees, especially those belonging to Generation Z, enjoy gamification more than older employees and are most likely to engage with a gamified app in the workplace. The results further show a nuanced range of preferences regarding gamification elements: avatars are popular among all generations, badges are predominantly appreciated by Generations Z and Y, while leaderboards are solely liked by Generation Z. Drawing upon these insights, we provide recommendations for future gamification projects within business contexts. We hope that the results of our study regarding the preferences of the gamification elements and understanding generational differences in acceptance and usage of gamification will help to create more engaging and effective apps, especially within the corporate landscape