Browsing by Author "Haskamp, Thomas"

Business process management (BPM) is changing in the digital age. As a result, organizations are confronted with new logics that their business processes adhere to: processes are designed to allow for easy adaptability, infrastructure becomes progressively more flexible, and process participants make their own decisions in ambiguous situations. In this context, business process change becomes increasingly important. Digital ventures-key phenomena in the digital age-heavily rely on digital technology and, hence, have the potential to change quickly. Consequently, their business processes need to change at the same speed. While the literature on BPM proposes different types of business process change and acknowledges that digital technology can enable such developments, it remains to be explored which specific characteristics of digital technology facilitate business process change. The study investigates this by drawing on a multiple case study with seven digital ventures. It finds four patterns of business process changes in digital ventures, illustrating digital technology's impact on business processes. The study compares the patterns with existing types of business process change from the literature and discusses differences and similarities, trying to advance the understanding of business process dynamics in the digital age.

The rapid evolution of digital technologies is reshaping business process management (BPM). While recent research has focused on the small-scale dynamics of these changes, for instance, by applying process mining, we know little about the large-scale dynamics of process changes over extended time periods. This study examines large-scale changes in business processes within the context of digital venturing. We present preliminary results of a single case study of TechCo, a digital venture specializing in software development. We analyze the large-scale dynamics of changes in its lead-to-cash business process from 2009 to 2023. Our investigation reveals two primary forms of business process changes: (1) reacting to growth-related events and (2) facilitating entrepreneurial growth. We point to several theoretical and practical contributions and outline the next steps in this research project.

Digital transformation is often characterized as a liminal process as organizations move from established practices to new ways of organizing afforded by digital technology. Two contrasting views exist, however, on the liminality of digital transformation. One view sees liminality as a discrete transient process, while the other sees it as an on-going continuous transition. Building on a case study around a digital innovation initiative of an incumbent automotive car manufacturer, we offer a third view. We find that digital innovation triggers a phase of punctuated, multi-layered liminality that has a material, structural and temporal layer. We explain how material, temporal and structural tensions unfold at the level of practice, triggering new forms of liminal practices. We further develop three mechanisms (boundary testing, temporal bridging, and structural recoupling) that underpin punctuated multi-layered liminality. We contribute by unpacking the relationship between digital innovation and digital transformation.

Design Thinking as an approach for wicked problem solving and the development of innovative ideas is spreading in organizations throughout the world. What is it about, how does it work, and what are the potential benefits of applying Design Thinking? Showcasing VISENSE, an industrial error monitoring start-up that emerged out of applying Design Thinking in an innovation project with the BMW Group can help you to understand how you can leverage the methodology for your company.

While digital transformation as a research phenomenon per se gains acceptance in both practice and academia, its precise conceptualization and theoretical underpinnings are discussed. To address these gaps, we propose a critical realist view on Digital Transformation. Building on a literature review on generative mechanisms in digital transformation studies, we show how the concept of generative mechanisms is used and what types of generative mechanisms are adopted. Based on our findings, we propose a research agenda that encourages further studies on digital transformation, taking a critical realist stance. Thus, we put forward ways of applying critical realism to digital transformation studies and show how critical realism can advance research through its ability for multi-level analysis and its unique understanding of change and transformation.