Digitalization of Municipalities Through Ecosystem Collaboration

Emerging technologies combined with new ways of doing business provides a series of new possibilities, but also significant challenges. In this paper, we study how municipalities can realize value from digitalization through ecosystem collaboration.We analyze 26 digitalization strategies representing 58 municipalities in Norway to get an overlook of the current landscape. In addition in-depth interviews are done in 5 municipalities to discover cross-case similarities and patterns. Our findings highlight important strategic measures related to different types of value for the majority of municipal digitalization approaches. We find experimental Internet of Things pilots, ecosystem collaboration and innovative approaches among the municipalities that are further ahead other municipalities in the digitalization process. The results are analyzed and discussed towards recent literature and similar international research on comparable municipalities.

Sensemaking of Shared Information: Perspective of Relevance in WhatsApp

Despite the growing literature on information sharing in Social Media there is minimal understanding of how user’s estimate relevant information from shared information in the media. This paper explores the issue of relevant information sharing in social media by using a qualitative approach drawing on Media Richness Theory (MRT) through the lens of sensemaking to collect data. A questionnaire and interview were used to obtain data from regular users of WhatsApp with different backgrounds in the social network group context. Besides the capabilities of the media the results showed additional variables Channel Influence, Social influence, Nature of the Content, Experiential influence and Individual processing capabilities by conveyance and convergence play an important role in sensemaking for the shaping of relevant information. A framework for sensemaking of media relevant information is developed; the paper extends the Media Richness concept and has also opened a new area of research for innovative knowledge to emerge to address the challenges in social media information use which is highly relevant to IS research.

Understanding Customers Perception of ATM Data Integrity

In spite of the numerous studies exploring customers’ perception of their banks, there is limited understanding of customers’ perceptions of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) data integrity issues. We therefore sought to understand customers’ perception of data integrity issues in ATM using Ghana Commercial Bank as case study. The objective was to understand the extent to which customers’ perception of ATM data integrity affect their relationship with the bank. Thus, the main research question is “To what extent is ATM data integrity issues affecting how customers transact business with the bank? The Adenta branch of Ghana Commercial Bank in Accra was used as case study. A Qualitative research approach was adopted given the exploratory nature of this study. Empirical data were gathered using a combination of observations and interviews. The informants were selected via purposive sampling technique. The study has shown that fairness expectation, assured customer delight, well-structured media post and settled perception of customer delight are the major factors that affect customers’ perception of ATM data integrity.

Institutional Drivers of Internet Voting Adoption in Ghana: A Qualitative Exploratory Studies

Internet voting system adoption in elections can bring enormous benefits to an electoral process. Though few countries have adopted it for their legally binding elections, others have discontinued its use because of perceived vulnerabilities. But it has been argued that the benefits the internet voting system provide outweigh the perceived vulnerabilities. The main purpose of this study is to examine the drivers of the internet voting system from the organizational context. The study is purely qualitative using semi-structured interviews. The interview participants were top management of EC staff, political parties’ executives and experts who were purposively selected, and thematic analysis was used to extract patterns from the data collected. The main themes that emerged from the thematic analysis include pressure from political parties, pressure from the government, legal framework, financial readiness of EC, EC top management support, convenience, accuracy, and increase voter turnouts. The discussion of the findings and the implication of the results were discussed in the study.

Symmetric Telecom Regulation, Competition and Investment

Symmetric telecoms regulation, where it is not only the operators with significant market power (SMP) at national or large geographical scales which are subject to special access obligations, has been on the agenda for long. However, emphasis has hitherto been on asymmetric regulation, but during the past few years, symmetric regulation has gradually gained weight in different EU countries, and the new European Electronic Communications Code also aims at putting more emphasis on symmetric regulation. The paper identifies the reasons behind symmetric access regulation possibly coming to play a more prominent role in EU telecoms regulation, the scope of symmetric regulation and how it is being articulated, and what the possible implications of symmetric regulation could be on the level of investment. The contribution of the paper is to discuss these different elements of understanding the potential role of symmetric regulation.

Blockchains and Transaction Costs

This paper examines current business applications of blockchain technology and discusses blockchain implications for transaction costs. Blockchains are a relatively new set of technologies that can be used for various business purposes, primarily activities related to contracting. Transaction costs comprise the operational costs of contacting (searching and communicating) as well as the costs of contracting (writing and enforcing contracts), and blockchains can be used to lower, first and foremost, the costs of writing and enforcing contracts. Other technology applications that have been investigated to a larger extent, such as multi-sided platforms, primarily help in lowering the costs of searching and communicating, while blockchains can contribute to lowering the costs of contracting.

Connected Stores, Connected Brands, Connected Consumers, Connected Goods: On Business Model Ecosystems in Internet of Packaging

This paper investigates and discusses roles, initiatives, and potentials for the business model ecosystem to enter business model innovation triggered by digital wireless technologies and capabilities of the Internet of Packagingenabled smart interactive packaging. This paper develops an overview of the Internet of Packaging technology, wireless digital capabilities, business model innovation, and business model ecosystem in connection to the investigated phenomenon. In this paper, the digital transformation from passive to network-connected enhanced packaging is considered as an accelerator for business model innovation that creates and delivers the value proposition to a wide-ranging business model ecosystem including internal and external participants. Therefore, the governance of the overall business model ecosystem should efficiently reinforce each separate business model, as well as ensure safe and reliable data mobility in the IoP digital infrastructure regarding unique secure digital identifiers.

Blockchain Ready Port Supply Chain Using Distributed Ledger

Blockchain technology, as a bedrock for distributed ledgers, offers a platform for innovation for a new decentralized and transparent transaction machinery in industries and businesses, and the port is not an exception. The inbuilt features of this technology enrich trust through transparency and traceability within any transaction of data, goods, services, and financial resources. Notwithstanding initial doubts about this technology, lately government and large corporations have offered to adopt and enhance this technology in various fields of applications, from social and legal industries, and finance to design, maritime and port networks. In this paper, the authors review the current status of the Blockchain technology and some of its applications. The potential benefit of such a technology in port and maritime supply chain is then discussed, and a vision for the future Blockchain ready port and maritime supply chain are proposed. The importation of containerized vehicles is used as an example to demonstrate how such technology can be deployed in a global port industry. Finally, the requirements and challenges to adopt this technology in the future in relation to, port and maritime systems are discussed.