Pat Finnegan will give an open seminar on Friday 5 December 8:15-10:00 in lecture room D105. [PDF]
Abstract:
Emerging Architectures for Service and Innovation:
Collaborative Networks in the Private and Public Sectors
This seminar will explore the following two research papers.
Feller, J., Finnegan, P., Fitzgerald, B and Hayes (2008) From Peer Production to Productization: A Study of Socially-Enabled Business Exchanges In Open Source Service Networks. Information Systems Research 19(4) – forthcoming December.
Abstract
Peer production phenomena such as Open Source Software (OSS) have been posited as a viable alternative to traditional production models. However, community-based development often falls short of creating software ‘products’ in the sense that consumers understand. Our research identifies an emerging business network archetype in the OSS sector, the Open Source Service Network (OSSN) which seeks to address the ‘productization’ challenge. To do so, OSSNs must overcome the problems associated with exchanging resources between firms. We demonstrate that OSSNs overcome exchange problems by primarily relying on social, rather than legal, mechanisms; similar to the OSS communities from which they emerged. This is made possible because OSSNs use IT infrastructures that provide high visibility for primary value-creating activities. The research utilizes a multi-method theory building approach, deriving a model from extant research, refining the model through qualitative case study analysis, and further refining the model through quantitative analysis of survey data. The paper reveals the manifestation of social mechanisms in OSSNs and how these are used for coordinating and safeguarding exchanges between firms. Specifically, we illustrate the primary importance of a shared macroculture (goals and norms) and collective sanctions for punishing firms who violate these goals/norms. Furthermore, our research highlights the interplay between digital and social networks within OSSNs, demonstrating that the use of social mechanisms is inherently dependent upon the underlying IT infrastructure.
Feller, J., Finnegan, P. and Nilsson, O (2008) “Transforming ‘The People’s Home’: Leveraging Open Innovation in Swedish Municipalities” Working Paper – University College Cork, Ireland.
Abstract
e‐Government initiatives often fall short of achieving innovative forms of government and governance due to a techno‐centric focus that leads to just minor improvements in service delivery. We argue the ability to innovate, rather than simply deploy e‐services, is central to meeting the challenges of transforming public administration. Our research examines how a network of municipalities in Sweden transforms value creation and service delivery by collaborating with each other and external parties to accelerate the creation and exploitation of innovation. Using a case study with embedded units of analysis, we identify four topologies of open innovation that transform the organisation of the municipalities and help them deliver high quality co‐created services to citizens. By examining the strategic and operational aspects that facilitate such activities, we identify the business model changes necessary to transform public authorities and services.
Biography:
Patrick Finnegan received his PhD from the University of Warwick, England, and is currently a senior lecturer in information systems at University College Cork, Ireland. His research on inter-organizational systems and electronic business has been published in a number of international journals and conferences, including Information Systems Research, Information Systems Journal, Information Technology and People, DATABASE, the Journal of Information Technology, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Electronic Markets, ICIS, ECIS, and IFIP. He is currently a Senior Editor of the Information Systems Journal and Past President of the Irish Association for Information Systems.