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Cooperative design efforts for the development of complex IT‐artefacts

Cooperative design efforts for the development of complex IT‐artefacts Purpose – This paper contributes to the debate on the relationship between IT‐artefacts and organisational structuration by describing the dynamics surrounding the collaborative development of an innovative electronic metering system. The aim of the paper is to address a clear gap in the current literature on collaborative IT‐artefacts design, as cooperation at early design stages has barely been analysed. This work tries to understand whether and to what extent the design of an IT‐artefact is driven by the interests of a number of heterogeneous actors and how these are able to affect the artefact's evolution. Design/methodology/approach – The research relies on a case study analysis, which focuses on a consortium of heterogeneous actors (firms, the public sector, research institutes) working within the green energy industry. The research focuses on a workgroup attempting to develop an innovative IT‐artefact: an electronic metering system. Findings – The main results emerging from the field study are: the relevance of each actor's interests as a prevalent rationale for explaining the technical features of the IT‐artefact; the role of negotiation and consensus in determining the final shape of the IT‐artefact in terms of its features; and the bundling/unbundling of IT‐artefact features as a result of changes in the alignment of actors. Research limitations/implications – The research presents two clear limitations. First, the activities of the workgroup are still ongoing thus limiting some of the insights one may draw from the case study. Second, the analysis is carried out on a single case study. Further analysis should be done to increase consistency and validity of the findings. Practical implications – Findings indicate that in an open and collaborative environment, the conceptualisation and evolution of an IT‐artefact are influenced more by the political agendas of the various actors rather than by pure technical problems and concerns. The practical implications thus are that every attempt to manage such a collaborative effort must seriously take into consideration these aspects. Originality/value – Starting from the recognition that little research has been conducted on the factors influencing cooperative IT‐artefact design, this paper sheds new light on how these factors influence such cooperative activity. The authors believe that this kind of work helps lay some foundations for general models attempting to explain cooperative innovation processes such as the open innovation model. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Information Technology and People Emerald Publishing

Cooperative design efforts for the development of complex IT‐artefacts

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References (57)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0959-3845
DOI
10.1108/09593840911002432
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – This paper contributes to the debate on the relationship between IT‐artefacts and organisational structuration by describing the dynamics surrounding the collaborative development of an innovative electronic metering system. The aim of the paper is to address a clear gap in the current literature on collaborative IT‐artefacts design, as cooperation at early design stages has barely been analysed. This work tries to understand whether and to what extent the design of an IT‐artefact is driven by the interests of a number of heterogeneous actors and how these are able to affect the artefact's evolution. Design/methodology/approach – The research relies on a case study analysis, which focuses on a consortium of heterogeneous actors (firms, the public sector, research institutes) working within the green energy industry. The research focuses on a workgroup attempting to develop an innovative IT‐artefact: an electronic metering system. Findings – The main results emerging from the field study are: the relevance of each actor's interests as a prevalent rationale for explaining the technical features of the IT‐artefact; the role of negotiation and consensus in determining the final shape of the IT‐artefact in terms of its features; and the bundling/unbundling of IT‐artefact features as a result of changes in the alignment of actors. Research limitations/implications – The research presents two clear limitations. First, the activities of the workgroup are still ongoing thus limiting some of the insights one may draw from the case study. Second, the analysis is carried out on a single case study. Further analysis should be done to increase consistency and validity of the findings. Practical implications – Findings indicate that in an open and collaborative environment, the conceptualisation and evolution of an IT‐artefact are influenced more by the political agendas of the various actors rather than by pure technical problems and concerns. The practical implications thus are that every attempt to manage such a collaborative effort must seriously take into consideration these aspects. Originality/value – Starting from the recognition that little research has been conducted on the factors influencing cooperative IT‐artefact design, this paper sheds new light on how these factors influence such cooperative activity. The authors believe that this kind of work helps lay some foundations for general models attempting to explain cooperative innovation processes such as the open innovation model.

Journal

Information Technology and People – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 13, 2009

Keywords: Artefacts; Role ambiguity; Design; Innovation

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