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

TRACCIABILITÀ DIGITALEDI FILIERA Creare relazioniaziendali collaborativeper lo svilupposostenibile del territorio

Per il progetto «Tracciabilità digitale di filiera», sostenuto dalla Fondazione Cariverona, i gruppi di ricerca del Dipartimento di Management dell’Università di Verona e dell’Università eCampus hanno lavorato per identificare e sperimentare una metodologia per la creazione di valore e per la misurazione dell’impatto economico-aziendale, ambientale e sociale di un ecosistema organizzativo di aziende ortofrutticole, adottando una piattaforma cloud per monitorare la propria rete in modo efficace e per individuarne le criticità. Nel corso di due anni sono state coinvolte 17 aziende, localizzate in tutto il territorio nazionale, ed è stato sviluppato un software dedicato all'analisi dei dati raccolti per elaborare un indice sintetico di sostenibilità dell'intera filiera, in accordo con i criteri e i parametri della Matrice dell’Economia Civile. Il modello, replicabile e scalabile per sua natura, può diventare una best practice da estendere ad altre aziende e settori. Grazie al coinvolgimento di diversi attori e alla generazione di evidenze, si può offrire ai policy makers strumenti per la pianificazione e lo sviluppo sostenibili

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

Business network commons and their fragilities: Emerging configurations of local organizational fields

This study introduces the concept of business network commons as valuable, fragile resources that are available for partnering firms' collective use but that also require users' engagement and collaboration to be protected and/or (re)generated. Building on the theory of commons and the literature on self-organizing networks and organizational fields, this study identifies organizational variables that shape the network's local organizational field and play a relevant role in protecting and developing business network commons. These variables are participatory architecture, organizational integration, and the presence of specific mechanisms for opportunism prevention and resolution. The fsQCA analysis suggests that specific combinations of these three organizational variables at network level enable high firm performance through the development and protection of business network commons. The boundary conditions under which different network-level organizational configurations can equifinally lead to high firm-level performance depend on the different possible levels of fragility of the business network commons at stake

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

Risk, Human Behavior, and Theories inOrganizational Studies

The present paper regards risk, threats and organizational issues that are associated with human behavior;e.Business is no exception[2]. Organizational actors in e.Businessorganizations make security decisions with a wide variety of meanings[3]: information systems interactions, access to physical premises, behavior within the workplace, utilization of tools and work instruments, are just a few examples of the realm of security decisions that are made within all organizations, and e.Business organizations in particular. The way in which the risk is perceived greatly influences any decision. The aim of the present paper is to conjugate general risk theories in terms of human behavior and system security (as opposed to system risk) in order to identify a common baseline ofrisk and behavior, that will lead eventually lead to a structured framework that will contribute to the discipline of organizational studies

Strategic Value of Agricultural Business Networks in Sustaining Common Goods

This article aims to highlight the positive relationship between the organizational form of the agricultural business network and common goods, thus seizing their strategic value for the company in terms of protection, development, and sustainable use. The common goods analyzed in this research are of different origins: natural, such as the local environment and biodiversity, and artificial, such as cooperation and communication. To this end, a four-year longitudinal study was conducted to study the relationship between agricultural business networks and common goods. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the literature, which highlights the following as main themes: the sharing of values, the importance of trust and reputation, the central role of adaptive management, learning as participation, and environmental sustainability. The chosen case highlights how agricultural business networks can be considered both an effective tool in the protection and sustainable use of common goods and a tool that allows the development of the commons. Both these aspects have a strategic value for an organization that can derive significant benefits both from common goods developed and from the implemented organizational form and simultaneously protect the environment with strong positive externalities for itself and the community