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In this chapter, the authors highlight that the challenges related to managing modern projects are that the management problems have changed since traditional project management methods were developed. This calls for new project management methods, adapted to situations of rapid technological change and flexibility. The authors identify and highlight the limitations of both traditional and agile management methods. They pay special attention to such project characteristics as obstacles to agility, skills, leadership, stakeholders and customers. They discuss hybrid project management and identify which method is the best fit in a given situation.

Design science research is an essential part of IS research since the field should not only try to understand how the world is, but also how to change it. We argue that the aim of IS design science research should be to develop practical knowledge not only for the design of novel information technology (IT), but also for IS governance and management. Whereas at least some methodological support exists for researchers engaged in IT-centric design science research, limited support is available for researchers who want to develop design knowledge and theory for IS governance and management. To overcome this shortcoming, we suggest a socio-technical IS design science research approach. The approach has four main activities: (1) identifying problem situations and desired outcomes, (2) reviewing extant theories, knowledge and data, (3) proposing/refining design theory and knowledge, and (4) testing design theory and knowledge. The applicability and usefulness of the proposed approach is shown by means of a design science research project concerning IS integration management in the context of mergers and acquisitions.

Synchronous e-learning has received much less research attention, as compared with asynchronous e-learning. Practitioners that consider using and designing synchronous e-learning are in urgent need of guidance. In order to address this need, we propose design exemplars for synchronous e-learning. They are directed towards a primary constituent community of teachers, administrators, managers and developers of e-learning. The exemplars have been theoretically as well as empirically grounded through cross-case analyses of studies conducted between 2003 and 2006. Moreover, the exemplars have been evaluated by conducting focus group sessions with experienced practitioners having experience of using and developing e-learning. Strong support was identified for each design exemplar. The exemplars can be used as research hypotheses and be tested in future design research.

It is challenging for university teachers to adopt constructivist pedagogical practices and to make e-learning interactive. Drawing on this challenge, one possible definition of digital literacy of ...

Universities worldwide offer web‐based courses distributed by virtual learning environments (VLEs). A common theoretical framework for implementing VLEs is the pedagogical perspective of instructional design. In this paper, three perspectives of implementation from information systems implementation research and organization theory are presented: implementation as technology acceptance, implementation as diffusion of innovations and implementation as a learning process. These perspectives focus on the VLE as an information system within an organization, the university. The models reviewed offer an important complementary perspective to the pedagogical view of instructional design. The three implementation perspectives are compared and a conclusion is made concerning their implications of successful use and implementation of VLEs.

Simulation modeling is a way to test changes in a computerized environment to give ideas for improvements before implementation. This article reviews research literature on simulation modeling as support for health care decision making. The aim is to investigate the experience and potential value of such decision support and quality of articles retrieved. A literature search was conducted, and the selection criteria yielded 59 articles derived from diverse applications and methods. Most met the stated research-quality criteria. This review identified how simulation can facilitate decision making and that it may induce learning. Furthermore, simulation offers immediate feedback about proposed changes, allows analysis of scenarios, and promotes communication on building a shared system view and understanding of how a complex system works. However, only 14 of the 59 articles reported on implementation experiences, including how decision making was supported. On the basis of these articles, we proposed steps essential for the success of simulation projects, not just in the computer, but also in clinical reality. We also presented a novel concept combining simulation modeling with the established plan-do-study-act cycle for improvement. Future scientific inquiries concerning implementation, impact, and the value for health care management are needed to realize the full potential of simulation modeling.

Technological advancements in mobile computing and wireless networks open up to new applications and new user-groups in the mobile workforce However, a considerable part of the mobile workforce, such as e.g drivers or healthcare staff, is chiefly performing other tasks than interacting with their computers As a result, they are not able to pay attention to computer interaction, making them mainly off computer tasks The aim of the paper is to develop a design theory to manage off-task situations in mobile computing Interviews were performed with developers of an information system comprising mobile devices for drivers From the interviews, a design of an artifact and a design theory based on a strategy to automate routine administration task using place awareness is presented The eight components of IS design theory by Gregor and Jones is applied as a theoretical framework.

Design science research involves creating and evaluating innovative methods and approaches to be used in design practice. We present an approach to be used in the process of designing Management Support Systems (MSS). The nature of managerial work makes the design, development, and implementation of MSS a major challenge. The MSS literature suggests that determining MSS requirements and specification of MSS are the most critical phases in MSS design and development. We present an approach that can be used as a guide for MSS design, with a primary focus on MSS requirements determination and how requirements can be fulfilled using information and communication technologies (ICT). The approach builds on Quinn and associates' competing values model (CVM) of organizational effectiveness. The approach can guide MSS designers in designing MSS that support different managerial roles, i.e., the development of MSS that support managerial cognition, decision, and action.

User Acceptance of Virtual Learning Environments : A Case Study from Three Northern European Universities

Innovations in health care are often characterized by complexity and fuzzy boundaries, involving both the elements of the innovation and the organizational structure required for a full implementation. Evaluation in health care is traditionally based on the collection and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge stating the randomized controlled trial, and the quasi-experimental study design as the most rigorous and ideal approaches. These evaluation approaches capture neither the complexity of innovations in health care, nor the characteristics of the organizational structure of the innovation. As a result, the reasons for innovations in health care not being disseminated are not fully explained. The aim of the paper is to present a design – evaluation framework for complex innovations in health care in order to understand what works for whom under what circumstances by combining design theory and realist evaluation. The framework is based on research findings of a case study of a complex innovation, a health care quality register, in order to understand underlying assumptions behind the design of the innovation, as well as the characteristics of the implementation process. The design - evaluation cycle is hypothesized to improve the design and implementation of complex innovation by using program/kernel theories to develop design propositions, which are evaluated by realistic evaluation, resulting in further refinement of program/kernel theories. The goal of the design – evaluation cycle is to provide support to implementers and practitioners in designing and implementing complex innovations in health care. As a result, the design – evaluation cycle could provide opportunities of improving dissemination of complex innovations in health care.

This study examines the research approaches that underlie research on educational technology. A classification framework was developed and used when examining all articles published in four well-known journals between 2000 and 2004 ( n = 660). The aim of the study was to contribute toward an understanding of the research approaches that characterize research on educational technology. It was found that research is increasingly dominated by empirical articles that adopt a pluralistic approach, both regarding research methods but also regarding different types of non-empirical research. The focus has been to apply rather than develop frameworks, concepts, and theory. Published articles in the four journals were more different from each other than what the aims and scopes of the journals led us to believe. Finally, researchers are challenged to reflect on the state of the field and how it may be further developed.