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In recent years, the global prevalence of smart technologies and devices has fundamentally changed the way urban spaces are constructed, consumed, and shared between visitors and residents, as well...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as an integrated set of digital innovations with the potential to unleash unprecedented opportunities as well as to create significant challenges from both technological and societal perspectives. The emergence of IoT heralds a new dimension of a digital era with impact and influence that are not yet fully clear. This signals the opening of valuable opportunities for scholarly inquiries, particularly for information systems (IS) scholars. We posit that, as the IS discipline sits at the intersection of technical, business, and social applications of IT, which are also the essential dimensions of the impact of IoT, IS scholars are well positioned to understand and contribute to advancing research on this new topic and associated phenomena. This paper outlines the distinctive attributes of IoT and their implications for existing traditions of IS research. It further highlights some illustrative research perspectives from which IoT can be studied by IS scholars. We highlight a research agenda for IS in two different ways: first, by suggesting four categories of implications on IS research: (1) introduction of the physio-digital continuum; (2) multi-level exploration of IS; (3) composite affordances; and (4) heterogeneity; and second, by introducing four thematic impact domains: (1) impact on organizations; (2) impact on technology; (3) impact on individuals; and (4) impact on society.

This study investigates the evolving nature of causal mechanisms driving the evolution of a digital platform. By drawing from a rich dataset representing the evolution of a thriving FINTECH platform (i.e. HP-EFS) over a period of 7 years, we propose to a) identify the causal mechanisms responsible for its evolution, and b) further understand the dynamic nature of these causal mechanisms. We integrate the existing literature on Generative Mechanisms with the theoretical streams of Socio-technical systems and Systems theory to address the research question. The contribution of this paper is to propose and elucidate a class of causal mechanisms, ‘Corrective Mechanisms’ for future IS research. We anchor this approach amongst existing IS ‘Generative Mechanisms’ research and argue it’s utility in complementing existing research when explaining digital platform evolution.

Governments’ objective to transition to ‘Smart Cities’ heralds new possibilities for urban data business models to address pressing city challenges and digital transformation imperatives. Urban data business models are not well understood due to such factors as the maturity of the market and limited available research within this domain. Understanding the barriers and challenges in urban data business model development as well as the types of opportunities in the ecosystem is essential for incumbents and new entrants. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to develop a framework for understanding and classifying Urban Data Business Models (UDBM). This paper uses an embedded case study method to derive the framework by analyzing 40 publicly funded and supported business model experiments that address pressing city challenges under one initiative. This research contributes to the scholarly discourse on business model innovation in the context of smart cities.

Research on urban governance has developed into a mature academic field in many disciplines including Information Systems (IS). However, there has been little focus in research on how IT governance...

[Extract] This document, “MSIS 2016: Global Competency Model for Graduate Degree Programs in Information Systems”, is the latest in the series of reports that provides guidance for degree programs in the Information Systems (IS) academic discipline. MSIS 2016 is the seventh collaborative effort between ACM and AIS (following IS’97, IS 2002, and IS 2010 at the undergraduate level; MSIS 2000 and MSIS 2006 at the graduate level; and CC 2005 as an integrative document)., (undefined), info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This paper examines how the digitisation of the social network, and the resulting interplay between its online and offline components, has impacted the role of the technological gatekeeper in research and development (R&D) settings. Previous studies have firmly established the technological gatekeeper to be a key node in the innovation process – acquiring, translating and disseminating novel information throughout the R&D social network. Drawing on social network analysis and interview evidence from a software R&D group, we find that the gatekeeper role has undergone a division of labour. Theoretically, we contribute to the body of knowledge by developing an updated technological gatekeeper conceptual framework. For practitioners, we identify the competencies exhibited by the small number of communication specialists who are largely responsible for diffusing novel information. We then advise practitioners how to maximise the contribution of these ‘stars’ to the information flow network.

Researchers estimate that information and communication technology (ICT) is responsible for at least 2 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Furthermore, in any individual business, ICT is responsible for a much higher percentage of that business's GHG footprint. Yet researchers also estimate that ICT can provide business solutions to reduce its GHG footprint fivefold. However, because the field is new and evolving, few guidelines and best practices are available. To address this issue, a consortium of leading organizations from industry, the nonprofit sector, and academia has developed and tested a framework for systematically assessing and improving SICT capabilities. The Innovation Value Institute (IVI; http://ivi.nuim.ie) consortium used an open-innovation model of collaboration, engaging academia and industry in scholarly work to create the SICT-Capability Maturity Framework (SICT-CMF), which is discussed in this paper.

Previous studies have firmly established the technological gatekeeper to be a key node in the innovation process – acquiring, translating, and disseminating external information throughout the R&D unit. However, the gatekeeper concept has received modest attention in recent times. We argue that the concept needs to be re-examined in light of the recent advances in Internet technologies that have dramatically altered how knowledge workers source and share their information. Drawing on social network analysis and interview evidence from a medical devices R&D group, we find that the gatekeeper role is still vital, but no longer needs to be performed by a single individual. Instead, the modern R&D group can keep abreast of the latest technological advances through a combination of Internet-enabled internal and external communication specialists. This study makes a number of important contributions. The gatekeeper theory is extended through the development of an updated conceptual framework. We also discuss the practical implications of our findings and advise R&D managers on how to organise resources to maximise optimal information flows.

Previous research has firmly established the importance of informal social networks in facilitating knowledge flows in research and development (R&D) settings. However, the explosion of Web technologies in recent years have ’flattened’ the planet and dramatically altered our understanding of what constitutes a social network. Despite this, current research has neglected to examine how Web technologies have impacted knowledge flows in R&D. To address this research gap, we revisit the highly influential technological gatekeeper theory. Drawing on social network analysis (SNA) and interview evidence from a medical devices R&D group, we find that the gatekeeper role is still vital, but no longer needs to be performed by a single individual. Instead, the modern R&D group can keep abreast of the latest technological advances through a combination of Web-enabled internal and external communication specialists. A unique contribution this paper makes to the IT-enabled social network literature is the development of an updated conceptual framework of how the gatekeeper role is performed in the modern R&D group.

Sustainable IT capabilities benefit not only the environment but also business value.

Green IS refers to the design and implementation of information systems that contribute to sustainable business processes. This article provides an introduction to core concept of Green Information Systems (Green IS) and their role within organizations. An example Green IS for energy management is discussed. The article concludes with highlights on future research challenges in Green IS. Keywords: green information systems; sustainable IT; green IT; sustainability; energy informatics; linked data

This panel discussion will provide an update of the ongoing work to revise the ACM/AIS graduate level curriculum recommendation for Information Systems (MSIS). The panel will consist of the members of the task force, who will report on a) changes in the direction of the task force's work since summer 2015 position paper; b) results of the fall 2015 data collection; and c) key decisions regarding the curriculum architecture made by the time of the panel. A major part of the panel will be reserved for open discussion and participant feedback, which will directly impact the work of the task force., (undefined), info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Information Systems research on Open Data has been primarily focused on its contribution to e-government inquiries, government transparency, and open government. Recently, Open Data has been explored as a catalyser for service innovation as a consequence of big claims around the potential of such initiatives in terms of additional value that can be injected into the worldwide economy. Subsequently, the Open Data Services academic conversation was structured (Lindman et al. 2013a). The research project presented in this paper is an interpretive case study that was carried out to explore the factors that influence the diffusion of Open Data for new service development. This paper contributes to this debate by providing an interpretive inductive case study (Walsham 1995) of a tourism company that successfully turned several city authorities’ raw open datasets into a set of valuable services. Results demonstrate that 16 factors and 68 related variables are the most relevant in the process of diffusion of open data for new service development. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the suitability of Social Constructionism and interpretive case study research to inductively generate knowledge in this field.

Historically, innovation research and development (R&D) has been investigated in terms of product and, more recently, service applications. The central argument of this paper is that information technology can support R&D in the important but relatively underdeveloped area of business process development. The methodology used in this study is design science research (DSR). The approach of the work is to outline the case of the Innovation Value Institute (IVI) which was co-founded in 2006 by University of Maynooth, Ireland and Intel with the objective of transforming information technology (IT) management. Through the application of IT to the R&D process, the institute has developed the information technology capability maturity framework (IT-CMF) for managing IT for business value. Consequently, the framework is a unique example of IT-enabled R&D, developed in the context of academic-practitioner cooperation, which has a global reach. The IVI case demonstrates that innovation in IT business processes is increasingly important as a source of competitive advantage and, in doing so, it addresses key limitations in current research.

The curriculum recommendations for master’s level degree programs in Information Systems (most recently, MSIS 2006) have served the IS community well and formed a strong foundation on which many departments have built their graduate programs. Changes in technology, the way in which IS/IT solutions are procured and provided, and the need to raise the profile of master’s programs in IS, however, have created a need to review the master’s level model curriculum. This article builds on recent discussion on this topic within the IS community and is intended to move the conversation regarding the curriculum revision forward. Through three program exemplars and integrative discussion, the article identifies and addresses key questions related to the curriculum revision and provides guidance for any department that is currently in the process of modifying its degree program.

Sustainable IT (Information Technology) involves the responsible management of resources (both IT and non-IT) encompassing environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Sustainable IT has the potential to be a significant contributor to an organization's sustainability strategy. In this teaching case, we examine what Intel IT has done to transform its operations with Sustainable IT, resulting in the avoidance of significant CO2 emissions and cost savings. This teaching case challenges the reader to analyze the Sustainable IT capability at Intel. The case includes insights into strategic and operational challenges of planning and managing Sustainable IT.

Customer/human-centered design can positively affect insight and idea generation in a natural and meaningful way by helping operations team members review chronic or open-ended problems with a new lens. Dell’s experience has been consistent with other organizations in that Design Thinking as a methodology can be applied to many problem spaces to generate innovative solutions. This paper examines cases studies of the application of Design Thinking in Dell in the context of current thinking in Design Thinking in the academic and practitioner communities.

Smart Cities has emerged as an important research challenge among IS researchers in recent years. The grand claims that have been done about the potential of Smart Cities are grounded in a wide range of IT-related artifacts that were designed in theory and/or implemented in practice. Today, due to the growth of the level of knowledge maturity in this context, IS research in this field is more focused on the development of a nascent Smart City theory. The key concepts introduced in literature were collected through an eight-steps systematic literature review [19] and analyzed using [20]’s concept definition matrix. Based on this, this paper aims at reflecting upon research methodologies for conducting IS research in this field, and demonstrates the suitability of Action Design Research [43]. A Smart City research project that successfully used this methodology is also described to further support this statement.

With the continued global trend of rural to urban population migration, traditional city management approaches are being challenged to both develop and sustainably manage the economies, societies and environments of their cities. Many are turning to the application of computing technologies to address these challenges. While computing technologies are becoming ever more advanced, appropriate management approaches and frameworks for a city to optimize contributions from such computing technologies are often lagging behind. This paper presents a vision for sustainable connected cities (SCC), and a nascent city management framework called the Sustainable Connected Cities Capability Maturity FrameworkTM (SCC-CMFTM) - for how to implement such a vision, and a case study application. The contributions of design science research are briefly discussed in relation to these approaches.

It is being increasingly acknowledged, in both the IS and sustainability literature that the greatest opportunity for “green” information systems is in the reduction of energy consumption and associated green house gases through the optimal design of supply and demand networks. This paper reports the findings of a multiple case study investigation into how a comparatively new green IS framework - energy informatics – might be used to enhance the design of bikeshare schemes. The central concept of bikeshare is to provide an affordable alternative to motorized transportation and in so doing reduce congestion, noise, and pollution. The findings from the research validate an extended version of the framework and add to the current body of knowledge on the capacity of information systems to support environmental sustainability. Future research will be required to understand the degree to which the framework can inform the design of supply and demand networks in other domains.

This paper proposes that a new green IS framework – Energy Informatics – may provide the best means of optimising the design of supply and demand networks. The framework proposes an integrated systems solution which incorporates technical and architectural design elements, eco-goals, and human stakeholders and places a particular focus on the role of information systems in effectively integrating and managing service supplier and service user information to optimize network efficiency. The paper explores the potential of the framework through a case study of an innovative bikeshare initiate from MIT called The Copenhagen Wheel. The study demonstrates that the framework has the potential to inform system design in the bikeshare domain. Further research will be required to determine its potential in informing other supply and demand areas.

We propose a new innovation model that leverages Design Science Research concepts and principles. The goal of this paper is to outline the six stages of DRIVES with brief descriptions of the activities performed during the stages. An industrial consortium provides some observations on the application of DRIVES for innovation.

The purpose of this chapter is to argue that the approach of engaged scholarship provides interpretive space for practitioners who are introducing change in their organization. In this case, the change involved implementation of process innovations, which continue to be an important challenge for business and public sector bodies. The research domain was a subsidiary of APC by Schneider Electric located in Ireland and involved a two-year study where the principal researcher had the status of a temporary employee. A new form of Action Research (AR) called dialogical AR was tested in this study. Key finding from an analysis of the interviews showed that the approach was both helpful and stimulating for the practitioner.

This article is a response to the assessment by IS scholars that there are significant research questions to be addressed in the important topic of information systems innovation. For example, Swanson concludes that current theory explains little about IS innovation; Avgerou describes it as a relatively unexplored subject, and Fichman identifies signs of exhaustion in the current research agenda. The result of our analysis is an adaptation of ecological systems theory (EST) in order to apply it to the IS innovation landscape. We then build on the theoretical framework to propose an agenda for future research in terms of research directions, research themes, and study designs. Finally, implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

In this paper Smart City initiatives will be explored from the perspective of the enabler factors required for such intitiatives to be successful. In detail, we see smart cities made of five collectively exhaustive dimensions, i.e. Technology, Social Infrastructure, People-Private-Public Partnerships, Governance and Management, and Smart Information Services. Thus, after a brief introduction of the domain of analysis, the starting point will be a systematic review of the literature. Then we will describe each perspective explaining why and how it has to be considered. Finally we will propose some discussions, in particular around the applicability of our framework for embedded assessment and measurement tools (e.g. Balanced Scorecard).

Track I: New Methods in Design Science Research; International audience; The concept of product semantics and its focus on meaning is used to interpret design research as design. It is argued that we may conceive of design research as design in two realms: The practical and the academic. In doing design research, there is a reciprocal shaping of artifacts: Better artifacts (contributions to practice) through appropriation of knowledge and methods from the academic realm, and better knowledge artifacts (contributions to academia) by drawing relevance and experiences of appropriation from the practical realm. We adopt a product semantics view to discuss research as design. Product semantics highlights the meaning of artifacts with respect to their (i) stakeholders, (ii) artifacts-in-use, (iii), artifacts-in-language, (iv) artifact lifecycle, and (v) ecology. Based on this interpretation, we propose activities that should characterize the practice of doing design research. Finally we provide an example of Design Research Practice in action.

This chapter describes the IT Capability Maturity Model (IT-CMF), a high-level process capability maturity framework for managing the IT function within an organisation. The framework identifies a number of critical IT processes and describes an approach to improving maturity for each process. The design environment of the IT-CMF is challenging as the processes are based on “open innovation” principles. An example of the application of the IT-CMF to the Intel Corporation Information Technology organisation is outlined. The practical usefulness of the framework lies in its potential to organise and structure a complex portfolio of IT innovation activities in a manner that enabled continuous improvement.

The panel on Green and Sustainable Information Systems at the 21st International Conference on Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE’11), held in London in June 2011, was held to discuss issues in Environmental Sustainability and Information Systems within the Information Systems Engineering research community. This panel report describes the panelists’ views on using information systems for improving sustainability and on improving the energy efficiency of the data centres on which information systems are based. The current topics of research, possible contributions of the IS community, and future directions are discussed.

In the effort to measure the business value and impact of Enterprise Architecture (EA), we need to adapt an appropriate form of information systems research in order to cope with the encountered challenges. For this purpose, we employed Design Science Research (DSR), a problem-driven approach to provide a solution represented as artifacts to provide the required utility to our stakeholders. The main contribution of this research is the detailed focus on how artifacts are actually conceived in an organizational context and the realization that a complex environment demands for more than just one artifact. Therefore, we are in need of a flexible research methodology. The DSR in this case is conducted within a well-known information systems research framework and follows widely accepted principles and guidelines. We explain the business need that arose from the current business practices in the course of a case study and describe the flexible research methodology we pursue and how we intend to solve the problems we identified as current DSR approaches lack the necessary flexibility we were looking for in practice. This flexibility greatly improves the management of our project in the organizational environment in terms of planning and implementation. Furthermore, we outline the evolutionary state of the artifacts during our adapted research process.

Power usage within a Data Center (DC) goes beyond the direct power needs of servers to include networking, cooling, lighting and facilities management. Data centers range from closet-sized operations, drawing a few kilowatts (kW), to mega-sized facilities, consuming tens of megawatts (MWs). In almost all cases, independent of size there exists significant potential to improve both the economic and environmental bottom line of data centers by improve their energy efficiency, however a number of challenges exist. This paper describes the resulting maturity model, which offers a comprehensive value-based method for organizing, evaluating, planning, and improving the energy efficiency of mature data centers. The development process for the maturity model is discussed, detailing the role of design science in its definition.

While adoption of agile software methods is high, little hard, rigorous evidence exists as to the success of these approaches. This paper describes the design science process that will be used to create a measure for productivity in agile development environments. We consider design science to be suitable because measuring performance in software development is laden with issues around measurability, ambiguity and imperfection. As a result, we need the rigor that design science brings while still maintaining relevance.

Book chapter Sustainable ICT (SICT) can develop solutions that offer benefits both internally in IT and across the extended enterprise. However, because the field is new and evolving, few guidelines and best practices are available. There is a need to improve the SICT behaviours, practices and processes within organizations to deliver greater value from SICT. To address the issue, a consortium of leading organizations from industry, the nonprofits sector, and academia decided to develop a framework for systematically assessing and improving SICT capabilities. The SICT Capability Maturity Framework (SICT-CMF) gives organizations a vital tool to manage their sustainability capability. The framework provides a comprehensive value-based model for organizing, evaluating, planning, and managing SICT capabilities. Using the framework, organizations can assess the maturity of their SICT capability and systematically improve capabilities in a measurable way to meet the sustainability objectives including reducing environmental impacts and increasing profitability. The core of SICT-CMF is a maturity model for SICT which provides a management system with associated improvement roadmaps that guide senior IT and business management in selecting strategies to continuously improve, develop, and manage the sustainable IT capability. This chapter describes the SICT-CMF and the use of it to determine the maturity of sustainable IT capability within a number of leading organisations. The chapter highlights the challenges in managing SICT and motivates the benefit of maturity models. The development process for the SICT-CMF is discussed and the role of Design Science in the development cycle is explored. The application of the resulting model and its use to measure SICT maturity is discussed together with an analysis of the average results for organisations using the model. The chapter concludes with practical insights gained from the assessments.

What is the relationship between design science research and innovation? Our industry-academic collaboration poses this intriguing question and suggests a context and an experimental design for its study. We wish to understand the synergies between the active research areas of DSR and innovation by exploring their overlapping concepts and identifying unique ideas in each that have the potential to inform the other. We present a case study of an actual innovation process in Chevron as a source of empirical data for the exploration and subsequent analysis of how the application of DSR guidelines might inform the practical implementation of innovation processes.

Data centresare complex eco-systems that interconnect elements of the ICT, electrical, and mechanical fields of engineering and hence the efficient operation of a data centre requires a diverse range of knowledge and skills from each of these fields. The Innovation Value Institute (IVI), a consortium of leading organizations from industry, the notforprofit sector, and academia, have developed a maturity model that offers a comprehensive,value-based method for organizing, evaluating, planning, and improving the energy efficiency of mature data centres. The development process for the maturity model is discussed, detailing the role of design science in its definition.

The implementation of a viable statistical circuit design methodology requiring detailed knowledge of the vari- abilities of, and correlations among, the circuit simulator model parameters utilized by designers, and the determination of the important relationships between these CAD model parameter variabilities and the process variabilities causing them is pre- sented. This work addresses the above requirements by detailing a new framework which was adopted for a 2-pm CMOS technol- ogy to enable realistic statistical circuit performance prediction prior to manufacture. Issues relating to MOSFET modeling, the derivation of fast “direct” parameter extraction methodologies suitable for rapid parameter generation, the employment of mul- tivariate statistical techniques to analyze statistical parametric data, and the ling of the CAD model parameter variations to variabilities in process quantities are discussed. In this approach the correlated set of model parameters is reduced to a smaller and more manageable set of uncorrelated process-related factors. The ensuing construction and validation of realistic statistical circuit performance procedures is also discussed. Comparisons between measured and simulated variabilities of device characteristics is utilized to demonstrate the accuracy of the techniques described. The advantages of the proposed approach over more traditional “worst case” design methodologies are demonstrated.

Green IT is a hot topic: to be glib, it has warmed in tandem with the planet. It is seen as a potent tool in the fight against global warming. However, despite the promise of technology to deliver planetary solutions, the employment of IT has been beset by a number of paradoxes. For example the „paperless office‟ was buried in paper; the clean world of high tech was built on piles of toxic waste; and educational laptops for the developing countries ended up as second or third netbooks for the wealthy. Sometimes IT has done more to compound problems than create sustainable solutions. However to date the discussion of Green IT has either focused at the level of information technology or at the level of information systems. In this chapter we explore Green IT by focusing on a third, and neglected level information technology: information views, or „ways of thinking’. We suggest that it is this ignored conceptual level that has, in part, contributed to the paradox of IT. Specifically we differentiate instrumental from emergent thinking about technology, and identify three paradigms of sustainability which suggest very different uses of information technology to achieve the goal of a viable planet.

This chapter describes the development of a prototype knowledge discovery portal (KDP) for energy informatics. The research domain is Ireland which is increasingly challenged to achieve energy efficiency targets and to implement renewable energy systems (RES). The reason for undertaking this research is to provide a mechanism to disseminate information on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to a number of sectors: community, educational, industrial and research. The prototype KDP was developed using design-science methodology. This chapter integrates information both in the horizontal and vertical axes. In the horizontal plane, it provides information to community users, educational bodies and industrial companies. In the vertical plane, it allows deeper access depending on the requirements of the user: from technological overviews to detailed data from the energy system (solar collectors, heat pump and wind turbine). Future work will involve further development of the portal and extending the KDP for energy to other technologies and sectors.

Editorial

The central thesis of this paper is that Mathematical Economics can provide a novel approach to the examination of offshoring business decisions and provide an impetus for future research in the area. A growing body of research indicates that projected cost savings from IT offshoring projects are not being met. Furthermore, evidence suggests that decision-making processes have been more emotional than rational, and that many offshoring arrangements have been rushed into without adequate analysis of the true costs involved. Building on the concept of mindfulness and mindlessness introduced to the IS literature by Swanson and Ramiller, a cost equation is developed using “deductive reasoning rather than inductive study” in the tradition of mathematical economics. The model endeavours to capture a wide range of both the quantitative and qualitative parameters. Although the economic model is illustrated against the background of a European scenario, the theoretical framework is generic and applicable to organisations in any global location. Yes

The objective of this panel is to discuss how firms can operate both an open and agile innovation process. In an era of unprecedented changes, companies need to be open and agile in order to adapt rapidly and maximize their innovation processes. Proponents of agile methods claim that one of the main distinctions between agile methods and their traditional bureaucratic counterparts is their drive toward creativity and innovation. However, agile methods are rarely adopted in their textbook, “vanilla” format, and are usually adopted in part or are tailored or modified to suit the organization. While we are aware that this happens, there is still limited understanding of what is actually happening in practice. Using innovation adoption theory, this panel will discuss the issues and challenges surrounding the successful adoption of agile practices. In addition, this panel will report on the obstacles and benefits reported by over 20 industrial partners engaged in a pan-European research project into agile practices between 2006 and 2009.

The IT-Capability Maturity Model [IT-CMF] is a high-level process capability maturity framework for managing the IT function within an organization The purpose of this paper is to explore and explain the IT-CMF as a “ method meta-model” for IT management, emphasizing the novel approach to addressing the application of design processes and design artifacts by means of a very structured use of engaged scholarship and open innovation techniques to the ongoing challenge of managing organization's IT capability.

This paper focuses on the communication concerns that unfolded in a company as it endeavored to move from its existing waterfall model to an agile environment. A task team was established to adopt an agile practice and to trial it on a customer specific project. The team was given the freedom to be innovative and adopt whatever agile practices they wished. Early enthusiasm was evident however management had concerns about viability of this new approach. Management did not see the project plans and corresponding documentation trail of the waterfall model, and from their perspective it lacked structure. Trust between management and engineers weakened primarily due to a lack of communication and a reduction in the ability to work together, resulting in the waterfall model being reinstated.

Knowledge flows are the lifeblood of any R&D organisation. These firms are increasingly discovering that the knowledge they require is often located beyond their boundaries. In this paper, we investigate how R&D groups acquire and diffuse external knowledge and the role Internet technologies play in this process. The focus of our study is on the technological gatekeeper. Previous studies have found that gatekeepers are key nodes in the innovation process. These sporadic individuals have the skills to identify useful knowledge outside the firm and disseminate this among their local colleagues. However, much of the seminal gatekeeper research has been conducted over two decades ago. In the time since, there have been huge advances in ICT and especially Internet technologies. These technologies have dramatically altered how knowledge workers source and share their information. Our objective is to advance the gatekeeper theory into an era where the knowledge worker is saturated with information. Using case study methods, we examine knowledge flows in the R&D group of an Irish medical devices firm. Our results indicate that due to advances in Internet technology, the traditional gatekeeper no longer exists to any great extent. Instead, the modern R&D group acquires and diffuses external knowledge through a combination of a “Web star” and a “knowledge transformer.”