IS Architecture Complexity Dynamics in M&A: Does Consolidation Reduce Complexity?

In this paper we aim to improve our understanding of the dynamics of IS architecture complexity (i.e, the change in this complexity over time) during the execution of a consolidation IS integration strategy (IIS). Based on two case studies, we find that unexpected levels of complexity emerge during IIS execution because of an underestimation of requisite complexity and an overestimation of the potential to reduce complexity. Our analysis shows that increased complexity is due to the fact that the intended consolidation IIS is only partially executed, and to increasingly emergent IIS execution. Additionally, we find that while complexity was reduced at the portfolio level, at more detailed levels of observation complexity was actually increased. Our paper contributes to knowledge in the field by providing a deeper insight into IS architecture complexity dynamics during the execution of a consolidation IIS, and the concept of IS architecture complexity in general

Business IT Alignment through the Lens of Complexity Science

Business IT alignment has been a top concern for academics and corporate managers for over 30 years. Despite a rich literature, it is still far from been an achieved objective in companies. Leveraging on the similarities between Information and Complex Systems, researchers have recently adopted a new perspective to study Information Systems and their alignment with business. The present study is based on an extensive literature review that spans three domains of research: Information Systems, Complexity Science, and Organization Science. The paper proposes to contribute to the study and implementation of alignment by presenting a classification framework for the different alignment approaches exploiting methods derived from Complexity Science. Four types of approaches to alignment are identified and for each of them the potential contribution to alignment dimensions is discussed

Under pressure: Understanding the dynamics of coordination in IT functions under business-as-usual and emergency conditions

In an era when technologies have become a backbone of most organizations, IT support functions are under immense pressure not only to ensure provision and reliability of IS and technologies but also to resolve IS incidents of different severity when they disrupt organizations’ “business-as-usual.” This article addresses this challenge by investigating how organizational IT functions coordinate their work under different degrees of uncertainty in order to provide reliable IT services. We conceptualize coordination in IT support functions as a process that unfolds over time through interactions between four underlying coordination practices employed to provide reliable IT services: prioritizing tasks, following procedures, using roles and responsibilities, and utilizing networks. Furthermore, we show how these coordination practices change when IT incidents cause a shift from normal (i.e. “business-as-usual”) to emergency conditions. Our empirical research in two IT functions supporting two types of organizations (traditional and fast-response) demonstrate that IT functions in these two types of organizations respond to emergencies differently. Specifically, in emergencies, an IT function supporting a fast-response organization shifts to emergency coordination practices momentarily, as it abandons “normal” coordination practices to rely on an extensive set of formal practices specifically designed for such situations. In contrast, an IT function supporting a traditional organization is unprepared for emergencies—coordinating under emergency conditions involves improvisation, because coordination practices designed to support business-as-usual are not suitable for dealing with emergency situations

Understanding Knowledge Coordination Dynamics in Traditional and Fast-Response IT Organizations

This research takes a dynamic view on the knowledge coordination process, aiming to explain how the process is affected by changes in the operating environment, from normal situations to emergencies in traditional and fast-response organizations, and why these changes occur. We first conceptualize the knowledge coordination process by distinguishing between four dimensions – what, when, how and who – that together capture the full scope of the knowledge coordination process. We use these dimensions to analyze knowledge coordination practices and the activities constituting these practices, in the IT functions of traditional and fast-response (military) organizations where we distinguish between “normal” and “emergency” operating conditions. Our findings indicate that (i) inter-relationships between knowledge coordination practices change under different operating conditions, and (ii) the patterns of change are different in traditional and fast-response organizations

REAL DECISIONS IN VIRTUAL WORLDS: TEAM COLLABORATION AND DECISION MAKING IN 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS

This study investigates how 3D virtual worlds (3DVWs) support team collaboration. Based on Media Synchronicity Theory, we pose that the shared environment and avatar-based interaction allowed by 3DVWs aid convergence processes in teams working on a decision making task, leading to increased shared understanding between team members. This increases performance of decision making teams. An experiment was conducted in which 70 teams of 3 participants had to decide on a spatial planning issue. The teams interacted using synchronous text-based chat, a 3D virtual decision room, or were present in the virtual environment mirroring the spatial planning task. Results revealed that in both the virtual decision room and the virtual environment shared understanding was higher than in the text-based chat condition. This led to higher task performance in terms of consensus, satisfaction, and cohesion. Our results show that 3DVWs offer potential for team collaboration over more traditional text-based collaboration technologies

IS Antagonism: Explaining Negative Value Creation from IS Integration in M&A

IS integration problems are often an important determinant of negative value creation in Mergers and Acquisitions. To date, these problems are commonly attributed to mis-aligned Business and IS Integration Strategies, flawed preparation or execution or negative synergies, but the role of IS itself is underemphasized. Based on a case study and expert interviews, we propose a theory addressing this issue. Our explanation focuses on the concept of IS Antagonism, referring to the destructive interaction between previously independent information systems, which occurs when these are operationally combined. This concept offers novel explanations beyond strategic misalignment and considers the nature of the information systems themselves in the integration phase. IS antagonism is omni present in M&A, which has the practical implication that we need to account for its value destructing characteristics in pre-merger synergy predictions and by securing necessary IS resources to mitigate during execution

User-generated content (UGC) in tourism: Benefits and concerns of online consumers

This study reports an attempt to enhance our understanding of the reasons behind virtual world usage. By providing a mixture of utilitarian and hedonic value, virtual worlds represent an emerging class of multipurpose information systems (MPIS). Previous research seems to fall short in explaining MPIS adoption, especially since key extrinsic and intrinsic motivators are not considered. Drawing upon IT adoption research, motivation theory and the consumer behavior literature, this research extends available works and provides insight into the influence and roles of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Hypotheses are postulated and tested using a sample of 1627 users of the virtual world Second Life. The results confirm the majority of the hypotheses and support the comprehensive model. The findings indicate instantaneous effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, and highlight reinforcing effects of intrinsic motivation. Implications for research and practice are discussed

Mind The Gap: Importance-Performance Gaps As Determinants Of User Satisfaction With Information Systems

This paper develops a new explanation for user satisfaction with IS. Combining insights from expectation (dis)confirmation theory (ECT) and importance-performance analysis (IPA), we focus on the gaps between the importance of particular IS attributes, and the performance of a system on those attributes, as an explanation for user satisfaction. We identify 12 relevant system attributes and theoretically argue how the gap between importance and performance with regard to these attributes may affect user satisfaction. Our empirical study is based on a survey (N=298) among student users of a newly implemented Student Information System (SIS). The results empirically support the relationship between importance-performance gaps and user satisfaction. For five out of 12 attributes, we find a significant negative influence of a negative gap (i.e., high importance, low performance) on user satisfaction. Our main contribution to the literature is that we provide an integrated perspective on ECT and IPA and empirically validate the relevance of importance-performance gaps for explaining IS user satisfaction. Our second contribution is that we make use of the difference score technique to measure the importance-performance gaps for user satisfaction. Thus, our contribution to the IS literature is both theoretical and methodological

How IT and the Rest of the Business Can Innovate Together

With its increasing power and sophistication, IT plays a central role in accelerating the innovation process. As such, almost every industry today is spending billions of dollars in the race to unleash the potential of digital technologies. Yet, many companies are failing to harness their IT capabilities for innovation because of the poor relationship often existing between their IT division and other business units. To aid in overcoming this problem, we present the innovation and IT posture framework. The framework identifies the four different levels of posture IT divisions typically adopt in enterprises and the various stages of maturity in each posture. Our key message is that fertile ground for IT-driven innovation will only emerge when the IT posture aligns with what the rest of the enterprise expects. Based on our research and consulting work, we also offer five key lessons that will enable CIOs and innovation leaders to overcome these collaboration shortcomings and deliver real IT-driven innovations

Computer-Mediated Communication in the Age of Communication Visibility

This article argues that a distinctive aspect of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is the way it can make communication visible to others in ways that were previously impractical. We propose a theory of communication visibility that recognizes its multidimensional nature: resulting from activities that make communication visible, efforts by actors to see communication, and a sociomaterial context that influences possibilities for visibility. The different dimensions of communication visibility are explored as they relate to possibilities for action with CMC, and the ability of third-parties to view communication between others. Centering communication visibility in the study of CMC compels scholars to ask new questions regarding the interdependence of active, strategic efforts to make communication more or less visible to others, and the ways in which communication is assessed by observers. To facilitate ongoing research we offer an agenda for incorporating communication visibility into the study of contemporary and future forms of CMC