Stephen McCarthy
ABSTRACT
Information Systems Development (ISD) research projects are those in which the conduction of research is not possible without the development of a tangible ICT solution. ISD research projects face inherent tensions between the need for exploration (i.e. radical innovation) and exploitation (i.e. incremental innovation). This requires varying degrees of openness to balance the exploration of new opportunities and exploitation of existing capabilities. In this paper, we investigate the management of openness in ISD research projects and their impact on project success. Findings from three ISD research projects are outlined which offer contrasting approaches to the management of openness. Each management approach is then evaluated according to the perspectives of success in the balance scorecard for projects i.e. Financial, Customer, Internal Business, and Learning and Innovation. Finally, key learnings from the projects are presented, as well as concluding remarks on success in ISD research projects.
- Chesbrough, H. W. Open innovation: The new imperative for creating and profiting from technology. Harvard Business Press, 2006.Google Scholar
- Dahlander, L. and Gann, D. M. How open is innovation? Research policy, 39, 6 (2010), 699--709.Google Scholar
- Janssen, M., Charalabidis, Y. and Zuiderwijk, A. Benefits, adoption barriers and myths of open data and open government. Information systems management, 29, 4 (2012), 258--268.Google Scholar
- Feller, J. and Fitzgerald, B. Understanding open source software development. Addison-Wesley London, 2002. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Hippel, E. v. and Krogh, G. v. Open source software and the "private-collective" innovation model: Issues for organization science. Organization science, 14, 2 (2003), 209--223. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Oxford Dictionary Definition of openness in English. City, 2017.Google Scholar
- Riehle, D., Ellenberger, J., Menahem, T., Mikhailovski, B., Natchetoi, Y., Naveh, B. and Odenwald, T. Open collaboration within corporations using software forges. IEEE software, 26, 2 (2009), 52--58. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Andriopoulos, C. and Lewis, M. W. Exploitation-exploration tensions and organizational ambidexterity: Managing paradoxes of innovation. Organization Science, 20, 4 (2009), 696--717. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Jansen, J. J., Volberda, H. W. and Van Den Bosch, F. A. Exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, and ambidexterity: The impact of environmental and organizational antecedents (2005).Google Scholar
- Laursen, K. and Salter, A. Open for innovation: the role of openness in explaining innovation performance among UK manufacturing firms. Strategic management journal, 27, 2 (2006), 131--150.Google Scholar
- Bledow, R., Frese, M., Anderson, N., Erez, M. and Farr, J. A dialectic perspective on innovation: Conflicting demands, multiple pathways, and ambidexterity. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2, 3 (2009), 305--337.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Pinto, J. K. and Slevin, D. P. Project success: definitions and measurement techniques. Project Management Journal, 19, 1 (1988), 67--72.Google Scholar
- Yin, R. K. Case study research: Design and methods. Sage publications, 1994.Google Scholar
- Eisenhardt, K. M. Building theories from case study research. Academy of management review, 14, 4 (1989), 532--550.Google Scholar
- Bittner, E. A. C. and Leimeister, J. M. Creating shared understanding in heterogeneous work groups: Why it matters and how to achieve it. Journal of Management Information Systems, 31, 1 (2014), 111--144.Google ScholarCross Ref
- McCarthy, S., O'Raghallaigh, P., Woodworth, S., Lim, Y. L., Kenny, L. C. and Adam, F. An integrated patient journey mapping tool for embedding quality in healthcare service reform. Journal of Decision Systems, 25, sup1 (2016), 354--368.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System. Harvard Business Review, 78, 1 (January-February 1996) (1996), 78--85.Google Scholar
- Stewart, W. E. Balanced scorecard for projects. Project Management Journal, 32, 1 (2001), 38--53.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Impacts of Openness on the Success of Information System Development Research Projects
Recommendations
Ambidexterity in Agile Distributed Development: An Empirical Investigation
Distributed software development has become a common reality with the advent of off-shore development and the need to be close to markets. Also, the dynamic nature of the environment in which businesses operate suggests the use of agile development ...
Information Technology Capability, Knowledge Assets and Firm Innovation: A Theoretical Framework for Conceptualizing the Role of Information Technology in Firm Innovation
In this paper, the author presents a theoretical framework that establishes an indirect link between IT capabilities and firm innovation by characterizing the mediating role of knowledge assets: knowledge networks and knowledge capabilities. Firm ...
Organizational learning during advanced system development: opportunities and obstacles
Special section: Strategic and competitive information systemsHigher-order organizational learning occurs when a company adopts new principles, assumptions, and paradigms, which often turn into competitive advantage. Systems development and implementation offer an opportunity for higher-order organizational ...
Comments