scholarly journals Researching navigation of project complexity using action design research

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mogens Frank Mikkelsen ◽  
John Venable ◽  
Kirsi Aaltonen
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Formative Evaluation ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Action Design Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Complexity

PurposeProject complexity is becoming increasingly challenging for project managers. Much valuable research has been done on the concept of project complexity. The research reported in this paper aims to provide a new means (the “Complexity Navigation Window”) and guiding principles for the navigation of project complexity in practice.Design/methodology/approachThis paper applied action design research (a methodology for design science research) to design and evaluate the Complexity Navigation Window (CNW), which will serve as a representation of project complexity as a key component of the user interface for a decision support system (DSS) for managing project complexity.FindingsFormative evaluations of the CNW by 16 project management practitioners indicated that the artefact is relevant, comprehensible and heading in a promising direction to guide decision-making. The evaluation also highlighted project managers' difficulty in using the (conceptual) representation by itself to assess a project's current situation accurately, which in turn limits their ability to understand a project's current complexity and decide an appropriate course of strategy. A conceptual framework by itself is insufficient. This finding motivates further research to develop and evaluate a DSS that would partially automate the assessment process (by surveying stakeholders and automatically assessing and representing project complexity according to the CNW), which should aid in increasing the accuracy (and timeliness) of project complexity assessments and contribute to appropriate strategy formulation and timely revision.Practical implicationsThe formative evaluation of the CNW indicates relevance for practitioners and the further features of the DSS may still yield even higher perceived utility from the full artefact.Originality/valueThe paper provides improved understanding of practitioners' perceptions of project complexity and ability to assess it for a given project. The paper describes the design of a new visualisation for navigating and managing complexity. The paper further presents four strategies for managing project complexity. Finally, the paper also provides a methodological discussion on the potential of ADR in advancing project management research.

Motivating an action design research approach to implementing online training in an organisational context

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Rogerson ◽  
Elsje Scott
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Design Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Research And Design ◽  
Real World Situation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of action design research (ADR), a combination of action research and design science research, when conducting research where both practical relevance and academic rigor are required. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents ADR in action in order to motivate its use when investigating real-world organisational concerns requiring practical solutions, whilst also fulfilling academic requirements. Findings – When research methodology aligns to research objectives, the resulting synchronicity can elevate the outcome considerably. From this study, which attempts to address concerns of informing practice, as well as advancing theory, ADR appears to be an extremely effective research tool. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to a single organisation and it would not be possible to make statistical generalisations. It is hoped, however, that the findings can be generalised to a theory that can be used in a similar setting. It would be valuable to discover whether other studies using ADR also find such effective alignment between relevance and rigour. Practical implications – The research involves an intervention in the finance course offerings for staff training in the workplace. The detailed description of each of the seven ADR stages could prove useful for other researchers contemplating using ADR. The paper offers an example of ADR in practice. Originality/value – This paper outlines the suitability and advantages of adopting an ADR approach, where the goal is to meet the challenge of implementing a solution in a real-world situation, whilst also adding to academic theory and knowledge.

scholarly journals How to go global: A transformative process model for the transition towards globally distributed software development projects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Drechsler ◽  
S Breth
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Distributed Software Development ◽  
Distributed Software ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
Globally Distributed

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Association for Project Management and the International Project Management Association We employ design science research to develop a process model for the management of globally distributed software development (GDSD) projects. The model provides guidance for transforming established project frameworks in organizations to cope with additional challenges that a global project scale entails. The model integrates extant GDSD project management knowledge and makes it actionable for project managers, especially those with limited GDSD experience. The model was evaluated and found to be effective in transforming an actual GDSD project with teams in Germany, Poland, and India. Interviews with project managers with and without GDSD experience support the model's wider applicability to other contexts and IT project types. The model can also be used in GDSD project retrospectives to identify areas for improvement. In a research perspective, our model constitutes a novel type and instance of a social meta-artefact intended to transform existing social artefacts to retain their usefulness in evolving contexts.

Design science research with focus groups – a pragmatic meta-model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Telmo Antonio Henriques ◽  
Henrique O’Neill
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Design Science Research ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meta Model ◽  
Is Implementation ◽  
Practical Guidelines

PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to present a pragmatic and systematic approach to conduct and document Design Science Research (DSR) activities with Focus Groups (FGs), exploring its continuous usage and providing traceability between problem, requirements, solutions and artefacts.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to conduct the research and produce the meta-model for DSR with FG, a DSR approach was adopted using a conceptual model for Action Design Research already available. The artefact is the result from a specific literature review to define requirements, a careful design and a refinement stage where it was widely used and tested in real IS implementation projects.FindingsRigorous and committed stakeholder engagement is a critical success factor in complex projects. The main outcome of this research is a specific meta-model for DSR with FG that delivers new insights and practical guidelines for academics and professionals conducting and documenting real-world research and development initiatives deep-rooted in stakeholders' participation.Research limitations/implicationsThe meta-model has been endorsed as a practical and useful artefact by the stakeholders participating in the IS projects where it was adopted. However, to fully demonstrate its capabilities and to become more robust, the model has to be further used and tested in other application situations and environments.Originality/valueThe usage of FGs in DSR has already been proposed as an effective way, either to study artefacts, to propose improvements in its design or to acknowledge the utility of those artefacts in field use. The paper provides a sound contribution to this line of research by presenting a meta-model that integrates process and data, as well as a set of practical templates and forms that may be used by researchers and practitioners to conduct their projects.

scholarly journals Towards Participatory Action Design Research: Adapting Action Research and Design Science Research Methods for Urban Informatics

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bilandzic ◽  
John Venable
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Design Science Research ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Design Research ◽  
Urban Informatics ◽  
Research And Design

This paper proposes a new research method, Participatory Action Design Research (PADR), for studies in the Urban Informatics (UI) domain. PADR supports UI research in developing new technological means (e.g. using mobile and ubiquitous computing) to resolve contemporary issues or support everyday life in urban environments. Situated in a socio-technical context, UI requires a close dialogue between social and design-oriented fields of research as well as their methods. PADR combines Action Research and Design Science Research, both of which are used in Information Systems, another field with a strong socio-technical emphasis, and further adapts them to the cross-disciplinary needs and research context of UI.

scholarly journals How to go global: A transformative process model for the transition towards globally distributed software development projects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Drechsler ◽  
S Breth
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Software Development ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Distributed Software Development ◽  
Distributed Software ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
Globally Distributed

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Association for Project Management and the International Project Management Association We employ design science research to develop a process model for the management of globally distributed software development (GDSD) projects. The model provides guidance for transforming established project frameworks in organizations to cope with additional challenges that a global project scale entails. The model integrates extant GDSD project management knowledge and makes it actionable for project managers, especially those with limited GDSD experience. The model was evaluated and found to be effective in transforming an actual GDSD project with teams in Germany, Poland, and India. Interviews with project managers with and without GDSD experience support the model's wider applicability to other contexts and IT project types. The model can also be used in GDSD project retrospectives to identify areas for improvement. In a research perspective, our model constitutes a novel type and instance of a social meta-artefact intended to transform existing social artefacts to retain their usefulness in evolving contexts.

scholarly journals A design science nas pesquisas em design no Brasil

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iana Uliana Perez ◽  
Mônica Moura ◽  
Fausto Orsi Medola
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Design Science Research ◽  
Action Design Research

Este artigo apresenta a abordagem da design science como alternativa para as investigações em design e nas ciências sociais aplicadas em geral. Para a sua redação, foi empreendida Revisão Bibliográfica Sistemática no Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações da Capes, verificando-se a incidência dos termos “design science” e “action design research”. O levantamento permitiu a identificação de 14 teses e dissertações em design que adotaram métodos próprios da design science, como Design Science Research (DSR) e Action Design Research (ADR). Para caracterizar esses métodos, é apresentada análise comparativa das pesquisas de três teses que adotaram a DSR; também é relatada a experiência de realização de uma pesquisa de mestrado que utilizou a ADR. A discussão ressalta as contribuições desses métodos e os aspectos que precisam ser aprimorados para sua operacionalização.

Advancing service design research with design science research

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 577-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Grenha Teixeira ◽  
Lia Patrício ◽  
Tuure Tuunanen
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Design Science Research ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Present Design

Purpose Service design is a multidisciplinary approach that is key to service innovation, as it brings new service ideas to life. In this context, the development of new service design methods and models for creating new service futures is an important stream of service design research. Such developments can benefit from a systematized research methodology that builds on existing knowledge and robustly evaluates the suitability of research contributions. To address this challenge, the purpose of this paper is to present design science research (DSR), an established methodology from the information systems field, and examine how it can be useful for service design research by supporting the development of new artifacts, such as service design constructs, methods and models. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents DSR and related literature and shows how DSR can support service design research through a step-by-step approach. A methodology to develop prescriptive-driven solutions for classes of problems, DSR can support service design research in developing rigorous and relevant research. One illustrative example of a service design research effort using the DSR approach is presented. Findings Building on DSR’s robust methodological background, this paper discusses how DSR can support service design research, namely, through the development of new methods and models, and how DSR can be adapted to leverage service design research participatory, iterative, human-centric and creative approach. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of DSR and proposes it as a methodology to conduct service design research, offering step-by-step guidance on the application of DSR in service design research and discussing how it can be adapted according to the specific characteristics of service design research and drive future research.

Cycles of action and reflection as the basis of transformative innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-154
Author(s):  
Mónica Ramos-Mejía ◽  
Juan Manuel Jauregui-Becker ◽  
Marlies Koers-Stuiver ◽  
María-Laura Franco-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims at explaining the design process of a learning model targeting potential entrepreneurs with no technical or business expertise aiming to develop sustainable business models in deprived areas. The case that the paper explores focuses on experiential learning and learning in adulthood to design a learning model that considers context and socio-demographic characteristics, makes clear the interconnections between sustainability principles, entrepreneurship rationale and design methodologies and includes actions and processes of reflection and contextual interaction. Design/methodology/approach Following a recursive argument, the paper applies design research methodology (DRM) to systematically design the “transformative innovation model” that Product Co Creation Centers (PC3) from the University of Twente (The Netherlands) has developed. Findings Building on Kolb’s cycle of experiential learning, the result of applying DRM is a learning cycle of confrontation, observation, practice and application. The proposed learning model is applied to a specific setting in Colombia, allowing to verify and validate whether the learning model leads to the expected outcomes. It is argued that an interdisciplinary approach, a focus on feedback loops and the consideration of the context are important elements for addressing and transforming complex problems related to sustainable development from the bottom-up. Originality/value This paper contributes to academic research in management emphasizing a solution-finding approach based on a prescription-driven research process, informed by design science research.

ISO 21500 and success management: an integrated model for project management

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilton Takagi ◽  
João Varajão
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Standards ◽  
Management Effort ◽  
New Vision

PurposeProjects are one of the main ways used to develop organisations and turn their strategic initiatives into a reality. To support project management, several entities (e.g. associations, institutes, etc.) provide standards, guides and project management methodologies. However, despite its wide coverage of project management knowledge areas, standards currently have no specific processes focused on planning and evaluating success. The absence of these processes can limit the vision of managers and their teams on what most contributes to the success of a project. Aiming at contributing to fill this gap, this paper proposes the integration of success management processes in the ISO 21500 standard.Design/methodology/approachTo develop the integration model, a Design Science Research approach was adopted for the construction and evaluation of the resulting artefact.FindingsThe result is an integrated model and insights for its application in practice. The model aims to help managers and their teams to identify which success management activities need to carry out and how to integrate them with the other processes of the ISO 21500 standard.Research limitations/implicationsThe integrated model was applied in only one project. Another limitation is the difficulty in comparing the results obtained due to the small number of works focused on success management (namely related to planning, measuring, controlling and reporting success in practice) and its integration with project management standards, guides and methodologies.Originality/valueThe integrated model, based on success management and the ISO 21500 standard, is an important and original contribution to understand and achieve success in projects. This promotes a new vision of balanced management, directing the management effort to the areas that effectively contribute to success in each project.

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