PurposeThis article aims to examine how the agile approach interrelates with project complexity in product development. Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a case study approach, using multiple dimensions of project complexity as an analytical framework to examine two complementary product development projects that involved the agile approach. FindingsThe findings reveal that the interrelationship between the agile approach and project complexity is intricate and, at times, contradictory. While the agile approach helps manage certain dimensions of project complexity, other dimensions may hinder its effective application. The article also reveals how the dimensions of project complexity interact with one another, shaping their interrelationship with the application of the agile approach; these interactions warrant exploration in future research. Practical implicationsThis article raises the awareness of project management and ownership roles that the application of the agile approach can help manage project complexity, although its benefits may also be constrained by that same complexity. Considering the dimensions of project complexity helps prevent overlooking factors that could hinder the application of the agile approach and the realization of its benefits. Originality/valueThis article advances the understanding of how the agile approach interrelates with project complexity, moving beyond technological complexity, which is commonly emphasized. It demonstrates that overlooking dimensions of project complexity such as interorganizational complexity undermines the application of the agile approach and its benefits.

Innovation in ecosystems becomes increasingly attractive for incumbents as the technical complexity increases and complementarities play an increasingly important role for global competition. Digital platforms are becoming one of the primary means to that end, where incumbents can gain scale effects and reap the benefits of the creative crowd while maintaining ownership of the core product. But a lion's share of these platforms hinges on the accessibility of data, and the view of the value of this data differs among actors in the system. This paper accounts for a case study of two type actors in an innovation ecosystem: the core actor (OEM) and the peripheral actor (third party service provider). From interviews with representatives of these actors, we find that their perspectives on the data and its usefulness outside its intended context differ. We label the perspectives purposive and multi-contextual; we formulate their descriptions and outline managerial implications. We argue that these differing perspectives are at the crux of establishing innovation capabilities in ecosystems based on digital platforms.

Public agencies are increasingly publishing open data to increase transparency and fuel data-driven innovation. Based on these experiences, we propose four distinct types of data feedback loops in which both data publishers and reusers play critical roles.

This paper reports on an ongoing design-driven action research effort using information systems to promote transparency in the European freight transport industry. The current lack of transparency is linked to a growth of unsustainable business practices. This can be countered by reducing information asymmetry. However, access to reliable information is hampered by the severely fragmented organizational landscape of the transport industry coupled with the ephemeral nature of services and the inherently mobile and easily reconfigured resources of the trade. The research presented here utilizes mobile crowdsourcing techniques as a means to overcome these challenges and to reduce information asymmetry in the focal transport seller-transport buyer relation. The findings point to the positive impact of a crowdsourcing approach, yet highlight the importance of a balanced holistic network approach empowering all participants -- end customers, authorities, NGOs, buyers, intermediaries and sellers -- by reflecting their diverse incentives for information sharing.

An economy based on the exchange of capital, assets and services between individuals has grown significantly, spurred by proliferation of internet-based platforms that allow people to share underutilized resources and trade with reasonably low transaction costs. The movement toward this economy of “sharing” translates into market efficiencies that bear new products, reframe established services, have positive environmental effects, and may generate overall economic growth. This emerging paradigm, entitled the collaborative economy, is disruptive to the conventional company-driven economic paradigm as evidenced by the large number of peer-to-peer based services that have captured impressive market shares sectors ranging from transportation and hospitality to banking and risk capital. The panel explores economic, social, and technological implications of the collaborative economy, how digital technologies enable it, and how the massive sociotechnical systems embodied in these new peer platforms may evolve in response to the market and social forces that drive this emerging ecosystem.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a research outlook on the concept of decentralized freight intelligence, i.e. autonomous freight making localized routing decisions. A review of research literature on decentralized intelligence in freight transport serves as the foundation of the analysis. The analysis reveals a scarcity of scientific evidence to suggest a successful introduction of decentralized freight intelligence. Among numerous conceptual findings, the analysis reveals a dearth of research on the clear and present challenges of introducing and adopting decentralized freight concepts in contemporary multi organizational open freight systems. For practitioners this paper provides useful input on future ICT development in the transport field. In particular, due to the lack of guidance on adoption of decentralized freight, a focus on non-networked benefits of information technology is to be recommended. Given the large number of projects, papers and various initiatives related to decentralized freight intelligence, this paper, to the authors' best knowledge, provides a novel technology adoption perspective on decentralized freight intelligence research.

The sharing economy has been growing continuously in the last decade thanks to the proliferation of internet-based platforms that allow people to disintermediate the traditional commercial channels and to share excess resources and trade with one another effectively at a reasonably low transaction cost. Whereas early peer-to-peer platforms were designed to enable file sharing and goods trading, we recently witness the emergence of a new breed of peer-to-peer platforms that are designed for ordinary service sharing. Ordinary services entail intangible provisions and are defined as an economic activity that generates immaterial benefits and does not result in ownership of material goods. Based on a structured analysis of 41 internet-based rideshare platforms, we explore and layout the unique characteristics of peer-to-peer service sharing platforms based on three distinct temporal patterns that entail specific consequences for platform use as well as provide insights about their overall design imperative.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the growing importance of generic mobile computing for ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) development and governance. Specifically, building on theories of open innovation and pertinent examples, the paper aims to inform future ITS policymaking.Design/methodology/approach - Using a wide range of national, regional, and industry roadmaps together with scientific reports on the impact of specific ITS services, conclusions for ITS governance and policymaking are drawn.Findings - This paper finds that it is imperative to proactively embrace the rapidly expanding generic mobile computing service industry and critically reassert investments in dedicated ITS-infrastructure. This is of equal importance for developed and developing countries.Originality/value - The paper gives an account of current worldwide ITS policies in context. The assessment of services is intended to inform both industry and policymakers.

Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. are some of the prominent large-scale digital service providers that are having tremendous impact on societies, corporations and individuals. However, despite the rapid uptake and their obvious influence on the behavior of individuals and the business models and networks of organizations, we still lack a deeper, theory-guided understanding of the related phenomenon. We use Teece’s notion of complementary assets and extend it towards ‘digital complementary assets’ (DCA) in an attempt to provide such a theory-guided understanding of these digital services. Building on Teece’s theory, we make three contributions. First, we offer a new conceptualization of digital complementary assets in the form of digital public goods and digital public assets. Second, we differentiate three models for how organizations can engage with such digital complementary assets. Third, user-base is found to be a critical factor when considering appropriability.

Given that ubiquitous computing environments are becoming integral to organizational processes in many industries, the integration of previously unconnected technologies is a worthwhile subject of study. However, there are few studies that investigate how organizations adopt assemblages of heterogeneous technologies across contexts. Recognizing that it is only when engaged by social actors that actual consequences of integrated technologies will occur, this paper explores how the increasing availability of information in multiple social and physical contexts may impact organizational practice. An interpretive multiple-case study of road transport organizations combining heterogeneous technologies is analyzed using a practice lens. The analysis of enactments of implemented technologies revealed both intended and unintended outcomes. Reflecting on the contradictory outcomes, the paper makes two contributions: 1) it conceptualizes organizational implications of the integration of embedded, mobile, and stationary technologies, 2) it extends the current understanding of how to study the interplay between agency, structure, and technology in sociotechnical assemblages.

Ubiquitous access and pervasive computing concept is almost intrinsically tied to wireless communications. Emerging next-generation wireless networks enable innovative service access in every situation. Apart from many remote services, proximity services will also be widely available. People currently rely on numerous forms of identities to access these services. The inconvenience of possessing and using these identities creates significant security vulnerability, especially from network and device point of view in wireless service access. After explaining the current identity solutions scenarios, the chapter illustrates the on-going efforts by various organizations, the requirements and frameworks to develop an innovative, easy-to-use identity management mechanism to access the future diverse service worlds. The chapter also conveys various possibilities, challenges, and research questions evolving in these areas.

Ubiquitous computing environments grant organizations a multitude of dynamic context data emanating from embedded and mobile components. Such data may enhance organizations’ understanding of the different contexts in which they act. However, extant IS literature indicates that the utility of context data is frequently hampered by a priori interpretations of context embodied within the acquiring technologies themselves. Building on a 5-year canonical action research study within the Swedish transport industry, this paper reports an attempt to shift the locus of interpretation of context data by rearranging an assemblage of embedded, mobile, and stationary technologies. This was done by developing a vertical standard as a means to inscribe interpretive flexibility of context data. With the objective to extend the current understanding of how to enable cross-organizational access to reinterpretable context data, the paper contributes with an analysis of existing design requirements for context-aware ecosystems. This analysis reveals the complexity of accomplishing collaborative linkages between socio-technical elements in ubiquitous computing environments, and highlights important implications for research and practice.

This paper examines the front-end process of inter-organizational IT innovation. In particular, it focuses on the nature and role of architectural knowledge. Such knowledge is important for development of architectures capable of serving the goals of heterogeneous actors and technologies. Yet, surprisingly little research has been done on how architectural knowledge may be developed through collective achievements. This paper presents a theoretical model of architectural knowledge development in inter-organizational IT innovation. Applying this model throughout an action research project within the Swedish transport industry, the paper identifies four dimensions of architectural knowledge that proved important for facilitating an industry-wide ubiquitous computing environment. The four dimensions are technology capability awareness, use context sensitivity, business model understanding, and boundary-spanning competence. We conclude the paper by outlining the theoretical and strategy implications of the model and the four dimensions of architectural knowledge.

The capability to establish boundary‐spanning practices within and across organizations has for long been recognized as a key strategic resource. As organizations are becoming distributed and dynamic, they will be increasingly populated by multiple functional, geographical, hierarchical and professional boundaries. The inherent complexity of such settings makes it difficult for organizations to leverage their boundary‐spanning practices. Information technology (IT) systems have been hailed as a critical enabler of boundary spanning. However, there is little knowledge on how organizations are affected by the introduction of different types of IT systems. Building on an interpretive case study of Swedish transport organizations, this paper explores consequences of sensor technology for boundary spanning. The paper contributes with an understanding of what coexisting use contexts mean for boundary‐spanning practices. A theoretical implication is that such multi‐contextuality requires an integrative view on boundary spanning that combines insights from the organizational innovation and work practice literatures.

Ubiquitous computing environments grant organizations a multitude of dynamic digital traces composed of context signals emanating from embedded and mobile components. However, previous research indicates that the utility of context data is frequently hampered by a priori interpretations of context embodied within the acquiring technologies themselves. This paper reports an 18 month action research study seeking to rearrange an industry wide assemblage of stationary, mobile, and embedded technologies and associated organizations for the purpose of facilitating cross-organizational access to reinterpretable digital traces of context data. This was done by embedding the notion of seamfulness in an open standardized interface as a means to shift the locus of interpretation of context data in ubiquitous transport systems. In environments such as these, open access to context data is of essential importance to create opportunities for flexible interpretations of mobile work for uses not anticipated by preconfigured representations. However, this requirement essentially clashed with the business strategies of actors providing context data acquiring technology. This clash resulted in a negotiated design compromise of limited access and a well defined expansion of additional uses of context data between the involved actor groups. Addressing the issue of how organizations can derive value from context data, the contribution of this paper is an analysis of the complexity of accomplishing links between socio-technical elements in ubiquitous computing environments.

Many transport organizations seek to develop seamlessly integrated computing environments. A central problem in attempts to realize such ubiquitous transport systems is the divide that exists between stationary transport management systems and mobile applications such as embedded vehicle sensor networks and in-vehicle services for message handling. Originating from different innovation regimes, these technologies are heterogeneous in that they rely on different technological platforms and knowledge bases, as well as the institutionalized settings from which they have emerged This paper assesses how the mobile-stationary divide plays out in practical efforts to develop ubiquitous transport systems inroad haulage firms. This assessment is conducted through a multiple-case study that identifies socio-technical challenges associated with this divide. Building on this assessment, the paper contributes a set of implications for enterprise-wide ubiquitous computing environments where coordination of diverse sets of mobile units is central to organizational performance. On a general level, these implications are important for any organization attempting to integrate mobile and stationary information systems.

The emergence of ubiquitous computing offers new possibilities and opportunities for organizations attempting to improve their productivity and effectiveness. In particular, the promises of ubiquitous computing are attractive to organizations such as transport firms, in which coordination of diverse sets of mobile units is central to organizational performance. This article analyzes the use of ubiquitous transport systems in Swedish road haulage firms and discusses the opportunities and challenges for the early adopters. It pays specific attention to the mobile-stationary divide; that is, the set of challenges associated with integration of mobile and stationary people and systems into a seamless computing environment.