scholarly journals Future imaginaries in the making and governing of digital technology: Multiple, contested, commodified

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-236
Author(s):  
Astrid Mager ◽  
Christian Katzenbach
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Sociotechnical Imaginaries ◽  
Introductory Article ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Society ◽  
State Actors

Visions of the future are omnipresent in current debates about the digital transformation. This introductory article and the full special issue are concerned with the function, power, and performativity of future visions and how they relate to the making and governing of digital technology. Revisiting existing concepts, we particularly discuss and advance the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries. In difference to ephemeral visions and partisan ideas, imaginaries are collectively held and institutionally stabilized. Nonetheless, we hold that they are multiple, contested, and commodified rather than monolithic, linear visions of future trajectories enacted by state actors. Introducing and summarizing the articles of the special issue, we conclude that imaginaries are increasingly dominated by technology companies that not only take over the imaginative power of shaping future society, but also partly absorb public institutions’ ability to govern these very futures with their rhetoric, technologies, and business models.

scholarly journals Future imaginaries in the making and governing of digital technology: Multiple, Contested, Commodified

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Mager ◽  
Christian Katzenbach
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Sociotechnical Imaginaries ◽  
Introductory Article ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Society

Preprint (March 2020) forthcoming in New Media & Society:Mager, A. & Katzenbach, C. (2020). Future imaginaries in the making and governing of digital technology: Multiple, Contested, Commodified. New Media & Society. Online First. doi: 10.1177/1461444820929321.Visions of the future are omnipresent in current debates about the digital transformation. This introductory article and the full special issue are concerned with the function, power, and performativity of future visions and how they relate to the making and governing of digital technology. Revisiting existing concepts, we particularly discuss and advance the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries. In difference to ephemeral visions and partisan ideas, imaginaries are collectively held and institutionally stabilized. Nonetheless, we hold that they are multiple, contested and commodified rather than monolithic, linear visions of future trajectories enacted by state actors. Introducing and summarising the articles of the special issue, we conclude that imaginaries are increasingly dominated by technology companies who not only take over the imaginative power of shaping future society. They also partly absorb public institutions’ ability to govern these very futures with their rhetoric, technologies and business models.

Governance and Business-Society Relations in Areas of Limited Statehood: An Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 000765032098508
Author(s):  
Sameer Azizi ◽  
Tanja Börzel ◽  
Hans Krause Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Social Inequality ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Global South ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Introductory Article ◽  
Collective Goods ◽  
International Ngos ◽  
State Actors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Critical Reflections

In this introductory article we explore the relationship between statehood and governance, examining in more detail how non-state actors like MNCs, international NGOs, and indigenous authorities, often under conditions of extreme economic scarcity, ethnic diversity, social inequality and violence, take part in the making of rules and the provision of collective goods. Conceptually, we focus on the literature on Areas of Limited Statehood and discuss its usefulness in exploring how business-society relations are governed in the global South, and beyond. Building on insights from this literature, among others, the four articles included in this special issue provide rich illustrations and critical reflections on the multiple, complex and often ambiguous roles of state and non-state actors operating in contemporary Syria, Nigeria, India and Palestine, with implications for conventional understandings of CSR, stakeholders, and related conceptualizations.

scholarly journals Digitalization management system of Russia’s federal cities focused on prospective application throughout the country

2021 ◽  
Vol 110 ◽  
pp. 05011
Author(s):  
Yulia V. Kelesh ◽  
Elena A. Bessonova
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Uneven Development ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
The Future ◽  
Effective System ◽  
Prospective Application ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Transformation Processes

The spread of digital technology around the world is accompanied by the uneven development of digitalization processes on the territory of different countries. Russia is no exception. The problem of digitalization management in the Russian Federation must be solved by building an effective system of its management. In order to implement digitalization management throughout the country, it is necessary, first of all, to establish this process on the territory of federal cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sevastopol. Federal cities have all opportunities for building an effective system of digitalization management which in the future could be applied in other Russia’s regions without any serious failures and significant losses. The review and assessment of trends in the current development of digitalization in Russia’s cities of federal importance, the identification of priority digital technologies and priority areas of digitalization in them, the evaluation of their digital life level indicates the unresolved issues of digitalization management in the cities under consideration. A competent organization of digitalization management in federal cities based on the proposed directions will ensure the successful development of digital transformation processes within their territories, and other Russia’s regions will be able to adopt their experience in the future.

Digital transformation and revenue management: Evidence from the hotel industry

2020 ◽  
pp. 135481662090192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziad Alrawadieh ◽  
Zaid Alrawadieh ◽  
Gurel Cetin
Keyword(s):  
Revenue Management ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Lodging Industry ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
The Future ◽  
Key Barrier ◽  
Different Levels

To maximize their revenues and protect their market share against traditional competitors (e.g. formal lodging businesses) and disruptive business models (e.g. Airbnb), the lodging industry increasingly relies on technology in various operations. However, the extent to which hotels adopt technology innovation in their revenue management (RM) operations, as well as the benefits of and barriers for digitalization, remains unclear. Moreover, the possible impacts of digital transformation on the future of revenue managers’ professions have been largely overlooked in previous studies. Drawing on qualitative data collected through 23 semistructured interviews with revenue managers in luxury and upscale hotels across Jordan, the findings suggest that RM is going through digital transformation with different levels of sophistication. While acknowledging the benefits of digital transformation in saving time, supporting the decision-making process, and yielding more revenues, the high cost of RM software emerges as a key barrier for digital transformation. The findings also reveal that the automation of various manual heuristics in RM is far from being possible, and therefore, digital transformation is unlikely to pose a threat to the future of the RM profession.

The corona crisis as a catalyst for the digital transformation in the sanitary trade?

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 2-12
Author(s):  
Marcus Diedrich ◽  
Markus Peplinski
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Work Design ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
The Future ◽  
Framework Conditions ◽  
Working World

The term Work 4.0 is connected with the discussion about the fourth industrial revolution, but focuses on modes of working conditions – not only in the industrial sector but also in the entire working world. The digital transformation is leading to profound changes in business models, organizations and work design. The working world of the future will be more digital, flexible and networked. The corona crisis has shifted the framework conditions with regard to communication both within the company and with customers. Many companies are becoming aware that too little money and time has been invested in digital infrastructure. The aim of this essay is to fnd out to what extent the corona crisis serves as a catalyst for the digital transformation in the specialist sanitary trade. The study carried out for this purpose leads to the result that the use of video conferences and home offces have increased and will also be used more frequently in the future. In contrast, the use of targeted multi-channel measures in the form of virtual showrooms is on the decline.

scholarly journals Facing human interconnections: thinking International Relations into the future

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-289
Author(s):  
Charalampos Efstathopoulos ◽  
Milja Kurki ◽  
Alistair Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Introductory Article ◽  
The Future ◽  
And Shifts

Communities on the planet are faced with complex challenges: changing relations within and between human communities, changing relations with ecological and climatic conditions, and shifts in technology-human interconnections. The complex interconnections across issue areas – migration, environmental degradation and new technologies, for example – demand that scholars increasingly think across theories, paradigms, specialisms and disciplines. But how should we ‘hold things together’ as we try to make sense of complex realities in International Relations (IR)? This introductory article to the Special Issue ‘Facing human interconnections: thinking International Relations into the future’ discusses the open thematic of ‘human interconnections’ that is used to loosely structure the contributions. Analysis of human interconnections, as understood here, does not have a precise or fixed definition but is considered an open-ended notion with varied meanings and dimensions. Indeed, the authors engage it here in varied ways to explore their empirical, theoretical and political concerns. Yet, this notion also allows for interesting new questions to be posed on the potential and limits of IR as it faces the future, and debates around how we see interconnections between issue areas and ‘-isms’, how IR constructs ‘humans’ or ‘non-humans’ in interconnections, and what is at stake in bringing to our attention unacknowledged interconnections. Here we set out why human interconnection is an interesting notion to work with and why we need to keep its meaning open-ended. We also provide an account of six different orientations we observe amongst the authors tackling the dynamics of human interconnections in this Special Issue.

scholarly journals A Data-Enabled Business Model for a Smart Healthcare Information Service Platform in the Era of Digital Transformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yu Su ◽  
Fei Hou ◽  
Mingde Qi ◽  
Wanxuan Li ◽  
Ying Ji
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
City Development ◽  
Service Platform ◽  
Smart Healthcare

Digital technology has promoted service innovation and provided effective technical support for public service innovation in recent years. Smart healthcare, a key element of smart city development, has gradually become an important issue in government administration. Digital technology is deeply embedded in healthcare services and reshapes value creation through digital transformation. This study combines data-enabled platform business models and value cocreation and adopts a case study approach to develop a business model for a medical information service platform that allows stakeholders to cocreate value through service exchange and resource integration in smart healthcare ecosystems, promotes efficient and coordinated applications of information, and realizes innovative development in the medical industry.

scholarly journals Digital Business Model, Digital Transformation, Digital Entrepreneurship: Is There A Sustainable “Digital”?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Bican ◽  
Alexander Brem
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Digital Entrepreneurship

Digitalization plays a major role in contributing towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Without transformation of existing businesses, both economic and environmental challenges of the future cannot be solved sustainably. However, there is much confusion on interrelationships and terms dealing with digitization or digitalization: Digital business model, digital transformation, digital entrepreneurship. How do these terms interrelate with and to digitalization, and how do they support firms to grow sustainably? To answer this question, we identified seven core digital-related terms based on a structured literature search within the management and economics domain, namely: Digital, Business Model, Digital Business Model, Digital Technology, Digital Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Digital Entrepreneurship. Thereafter, we analyzed prior literature for deriving a common understanding and definition as a basis for interrelations within a conceptual framework. Definitions were presented in a case study setup with twelve innovation and research and development (R&D) managers from various business units of a German high-tech company. Based on these insights, we propose a conceptual framework on how Digital Readiness, Digital Technology, and Digital Business Models might sustainably relate to Innovation, moderated by a Digital Transformation Process. With this approach, we aim to equip practitioners and researchers alike in handling and addressing change through digitalization sustainably.

scholarly journals Statism, Secularism, Liberalism - Böckenförde's Contributions to German Staatsrechtslehre in the Light of Contemporary Challenges within and beyond the State

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Künkler ◽  
Tine Stein
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
State Of Exception ◽  
Constitutional Interpretation ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Social Diversity ◽  
Politics And Religion ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Future ◽  
State Actors

This introduction lays out the rationale behind the special issue examining Böckenförde's concepts and arguments in light of contemporary crises of democracy. Considering the enormous challenges facing democracies today, how should one judge Böckenförde's optimistic view of the regulatory capabilities of the state? Is it irrelevant, given the de facto power of both supra- and non-state actors? Or does Böckenförde's view still possess explanatory value, as the state remains the most important political unit? The article consists of two parts. First, Böckenförde will be introduced as a thinker whose work centred on questions of statism, liberalism and secularism. He paid special attention to the relation between politics and religion in contexts of democratic statehood. In addition to his interest in these themes, his understanding of the constitution and constitutional interpretation will be sketched. Second, we will introduce the three topoi on which the articles of this special issue focus: Böckenförde's insistence that the state of exception ought to be constitutionalised by exploring the relevance of this proposition in four different jurisdictions; whether his model of democratic secularism as open encompassing neutrality can serve as a useful starting point to manage religious and social diversity; the future of Europe. Against this backdrop, the conclusion then aims to connect Böckenförde's ideas on relative homogeneity with the contemporary crises of democracy.

scholarly journals Consultants' Tools to Manage Digital Transformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Diana Claudia Cozmiuc ◽  
Richard Pettinger
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Maturity Stage ◽  
Instrumental Case Study ◽  
Service Business ◽  
Business Cases

Digital transformation since year 2010 has provided a huge worldwide market with digital consultants as top players. Digital transformation is a socio-economic phenomenon subject to lengthy surveys and actual cases on behalf of digital consultants between 2010-2020. By the end of the 2010s, digital transformation management has been reviewed in scientific journals. This is an instrumental case study about digital transformation at PWC, Siemens and Oracle as digital technology providers and consultants. Worldwide digital technology induces digital transformation with the purpose of value creation, motivating companies. Digital consultants are top players. Digital transformation frameworks and digital maturity studies show the dimensions, stages and scales of digital transformation. Roadmaps, programs, projects guide the specific steps from one maturity stage to the target. Business cases are used to compute customer value. Customer value is stipulated in customer contracts in as a service business models. Digital transformation solutions are marketed using these tools.

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