Empowering Organizations ― Enabling Platforms and Artefacts

This book presents a collection of original research papers focusing on the enabling aspects of Information and Communication Technologies. In particular, it focuses on the two topics of digital platforms and digital artefacts, and discusses their role in enabling organizations to achieve specific goals, to exploit innovative value propositions, or to leverage innovative coordination mechanisms. Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective on a variety of information systems topics, the book offers interesting insights for IS managers, business managers, and policymakers alike. It is based on a selection of the best research papers - original double-blind peer-reviewed contributions - presented at the annual conference of the Italian chapter of the AIS, held in Genoa (Italy) in November 2014.

Teresina Torre is Associate Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Genoa, Department of Economics and Business, School of Social Science, where she teaches: organization theory (bachelor’s degree) and human resource management (master’s degree). She is editor of Impresa Progetto Electronic Journal of Management and director of the International MBA – University of Lima and Genoa. She is vicepresident of Assioa – Association of Italian Organization Studies Academics and members of Aidea and Icto.Her current research interests focus on human work, its organization and assessment, and its evolution in connection with IT. She presented her research in national and international conferences such as WOA, RCM, ECIE, ECKM and ICTO; she published contribution in books and in national and international journals.

Alessio Maria Braccini is Senior Assistant Professor of Organization Theory and Information Systems at the La Tuscia University, Viterbo (Italy). He received his PhD from the LUISS Guido Carli University, where he also currently cooperates with the CeRSI Research Centre. His research interests concern the impacts of information technology on organisations, with specific regard to organizational performance, and the organizational behaviour of intense ICT users and digital natives. His research appeared in international journals such as the International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Communications of AIS, VINE: The Journal of Knowledge Management Systems, Journal of Cases in IT, and was presented in national and international conferences such as ICIS, ECIS, BIS, WOA, and ItAIS.

Riccardo Spinelli received his PhD in Service Management and Economics from the University of Genoa (Italy). He is an Assistant Professor in Management at the same institution. His research interests include the foundations of the digital economy, the relationship between the development of e-business and the internationalization of firms, the application of ICT in SMEs and the management of SMEs. He published in international journals such as the International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, the International Journal of Online Marketing and the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, and presented his research in national and international conferences such as ECIME, ICE-B, ISBE and ItAIS.