In this thesis it is argued that the use and design of computer artefacts can be fruitfully studi... more In this thesis it is argued that the use and design of computer artefacts can be fruitfully studied by focusing on use problems and design contradictions, defined as problems and contradictions in rela tion to organisational improvements planned by the IT-practitioner. The position taken in this the sis is that the important thing with computer artefacts and systems design is their contributions to human organisations at large. The purpose is to contribute to the design of contributing computer ar tefacts by studying, first, use problems and design contradictions, and second, the importance of ITperspectives held by the practitioner. That is, the practitioner's tacit assumptions about what compu ters really are. On the overall level a conclusion is drawn that both researchers and practitioners should em phasis the IT-perspectives held by IT-practitioners and the tacit dimensions influencing practice.
Purpose -Although the potential of innovation networks that involve both university and industry ... more Purpose -Although the potential of innovation networks that involve both university and industry actors is great variances in cultures, goals and knowledge poses significant challenges. To better understand management of such innovation networks, the authors investigate different strategies for balancing diversity. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -In this multiple case study, the authors draw on network and trading zone theory to examine the strategies of four research centers that govern university-industry innovation networks. Findings -The authors provide empirically grounded descriptions of strategies for balancing diversity in innovation processes, extend previous theorizations by suggesting two types of trading zones (transformative and performative), and identify four strategy configuration dimensions (means of knowledge trade, tie configuration, knowledge mobility mechanisms and types of trust). Research limitations/implications -Further research is needed on transferability of results when, e.g. cultural collaboration and communication patterns change, and performance implications of different configurations. The research provides conceptual tools for future research on the impact of different diversity strategies. Practical implications -The findings point to the importance of identifying desired types of innovation outcomes and designing the appropriate level of diversity. To implement the selected strategy, managers need to configure communication channels and strength of relationships, establish associated capacity for knowledge transfer and build appropriate levels of trust. Originality/value -While extant research has provided a solid understanding of benefits from diversity in boundary spanning innovation processes, this paper outlines strategies for managing associated challenges.
The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new products and se... more The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new products and services related to ICT. We argue that customer integration into the development process as a whole is a key for enhanced innovation processes. Building on early experiences from two projects conducted with a living lab approach we ask how this approach can help organizations utilize important resources in an open innovation system and guide universities -as driving engines in R&D activity systems -to become key players in open innovation systems and to improve their environments for research and education. Exploring the outcome from the projects and how customers are integrated into value creation processes during the course of design and use, we argue that innovation systems management and customer integration are important assets not only to increased efficiency and quality, but also for enhanced innovation. We coin the term 'ecology of innovation' to sum up the potentials related to innovation and value creation.
International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development, 2012
The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new products and se... more The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new products and services related to IT. We argue that customer and end-user integration into the development process as a whole is a key for enhanced innovation processes. Building on experiences from two regional IT innovation projects conducted with a living lab approach, we ask how this approach can help organisations utilise important resources in an open innovation system and guide universities -as driving engines in regional innovation systems -to improve their environments for research and education. Exploring the outcome from the projects and how customers are integrated into value creation processes during the course of IT design and use, we argue that innovation systems management and customer integration are important assets not only to increased efficiency and quality, but also for enhanced innovation.
Collaborative forms of innovation between heterogeneous actors have lately attracted much attenti... more Collaborative forms of innovation between heterogeneous actors have lately attracted much attention from scholars and practitioners alike. While there is a growing interest from industrial actors to make use of academic knowledge, universities are facing increased incentives and pressure to contribute to economic growth. Despite these efforts, effects of academy/industry collaboration are hard to trace. Except from problems of measuring effects contradictions between stability desired in alliances and the flexibility ...
Abstract. The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new produ... more Abstract. The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new products and services related to ICT. We argue that customer integration into the development process as a whole is a key for enhanced innovation processes. Building on early experiences from two projects conducted with a living lab approach we ask how this approach can help organizations utilize important resources in an open innovation system and guide universities–as driving engines in R&D activity systems–to become key players ...
Practice research involves many different stakeholders who contribute to and derive benefit from ... more Practice research involves many different stakeholders who contribute to and derive benefit from the research in different ways. While current practice research has already begun to explore practitioner-researcher collaboration we need to further expand our understanding of how this relationship can be established and be made relevant for multiple practitioners. Against this backdrop, the research question addressed in this paper is: how are practice research collaborations established so as to be relevant to a multitude of practitioners with different motivations and goals? To address this issue, this paper examines practitionerresearcher collaborations in a large-scale regional innovation network, ProcessIT Innovations. Practice research provides good opportunities for fruitful collaborations between practitioners and researchers; however, the approach requires a dedicated effort to ensure engagement and relevance in the long-term. In practice projects it is necessary to expend a great deal of effort on facilitating practitioner-researcher collaboration and on managing the diverse set of agendas involved. Our results show that in order to make the collaborations relevant to practitioners it is important to develop the sensing capacity to detect problems and issues in the local practices. In order to enable this capacity in ProcessIT, former practitioners were hired. Moreover, our results show that contributions to local as well as general practices can be organised within an innovation system by forming branch clusters and by involving end-user and supplier companies in the projects.
Purpose -Although the potential of innovation networks that involve both university and industry ... more Purpose -Although the potential of innovation networks that involve both university and industry actors is great variances in cultures, goals and knowledge poses significant challenges. To better understand management of such innovation networks, the authors investigate different strategies for balancing diversity. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -In this multiple case study, the authors draw on network and trading zone theory to examine the strategies of four research centers that govern university-industry innovation networks. Findings -The authors provide empirically grounded descriptions of strategies for balancing diversity in innovation processes, extend previous theorizations by suggesting two types of trading zones (transformative and performative), and identify four strategy configuration dimensions (means of knowledge trade, tie configuration, knowledge mobility mechanisms and types of trust). Research limitations/implications -Further research is needed on transferability of results when, e.g. cultural collaboration and communication patterns change, and performance implications of different configurations. The research provides conceptual tools for future research on the impact of different diversity strategies. Practical implications -The findings point to the importance of identifying desired types of innovation outcomes and designing the appropriate level of diversity. To implement the selected strategy, managers need to configure communication channels and strength of relationships, establish associated capacity for knowledge transfer and build appropriate levels of trust. Originality/value -While extant research has provided a solid understanding of benefits from diversity in boundary spanning innovation processes, this paper outlines strategies for managing associated challenges.
International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, 2010
A key objective for e-maintenance efforts is to align maintenance processes with business-and ope... more A key objective for e-maintenance efforts is to align maintenance processes with business-and operational processes in order to reach organizational objectives. In the context of the process-and manufacturing industry a key objective for firms is to avoid downtime and to make sure all critical production equipment is up and running. To this end, e-maintenance has become increasingly important for the process-and manufacturing industry. Successful e-maintenance is realized by the organizational use of advanced information technology-solutions which aims at moving maintenance work from being primarily reactive (e.g. to react and respond to equipment breakdowns) to predictive (e.g. to predict when equipment are in need of maintenance before it breaks down). Building on a collaborative project with industrial organizations in the pulp and paper and the mining industry this paper explores organizational opportunities and challenges associated with the design and implementation of IT-based services for remote diagnostics of industrial equipment. We observe opportunities and challenges related to organizational innovation and learning. The paper introduces a multi-contextual perspective to better understand the opportunities and challenges associated with organizational learning and innovation. We argue that in order for e-maintenance services to be successful it must not only build on leading-edge technological solutions but also be built on an explicit model for how the maintenance work is organized and how e-maintenance efforts are aligned with overall organizational objectives.
Practice research involves many different stakeholders who contribute to and derive benefit from ... more Practice research involves many different stakeholders who contribute to and derive benefit from the research in different ways. While current practice research has already begun to explore practitioner-researcher collaboration we need to further expand our understanding of how this relationship can be established and be made relevant for multiple practitioners. Against this backdrop, the research question addressed in this paper is: how are practice research collaborations established so as to be relevant to a multitude of practitioners with different motivations and goals? To address this issue, this paper examines practitionerresearcher collaborations in a large-scale regional innovation network, ProcessIT Innovations. Practice research provides good opportunities for fruitful collaborations between practitioners and researchers; however, the approach requires a dedicated effort to ensure engagement and relevance in the long-term. In practice projects it is necessary to expend a great deal of effort on facilitating practitioner-researcher collaboration and on managing the diverse set of agendas involved. Our results show that in order to make the collaborations relevant to practitioners it is important to develop the sensing capacity to detect problems and issues in the local practices. In order to enable this capacity in ProcessIT, former practitioners were hired. Moreover, our results show that contributions to local as well as general practices can be organised within an innovation system by forming branch clusters and by involving end-user and supplier companies in the projects.
Collaborative forms of innovation between heterogeneous actors have lately attracted much attenti... more Collaborative forms of innovation between heterogeneous actors have lately attracted much attention from scholars and practitioners alike. While there is a growing interest from industrial actors to make use of academic knowledge, universities are facing increased incentives and pressure to contribute to economic growth. Despite these efforts, effects of academy/industry collaboration are hard to trace. Except from problems of measuring effects contradictions between stability desired in alliances and the flexibility ...
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Papers by Per Leven