Andreas Ulfsten

Information Technology and People Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2021-0039

Purpose – This study investigates which factors are conducive to individual job performance in large-scale work from home (WFH) arrangements that rely on the current generation of technology, such as information and communications platforms. Design/methodology/approach – The researchers proposed a research model based on research on WFH arrangements. The model was tested based on a survey of 1,183 respondents who engaged in large-scale WFH arrangements during an extensive national COVID-19 lockdown. Findings – The proposed research model explains 41% of the variance in individual job performance in WFH arrangements. The findings show that the strongest positive predictors for job performance are home office quality and the reach and communication quality of information and communications platforms. A sense of professional isolation was found to have a negative impact. Originality/value – This study is based on a unique situation of large-scale mandatory WFH arrangements that are comparable to a natural experiment, and it is one of the first studies to conduct an extensive exploration of WFH that relies on the current generation of digital technology.

NOKOBIT: Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk av informasjonsteknologi

The COVID-19 lockdown forced a large proportion of Norwegian office employees into virtual work and collaboration through computer-mediated communication, such as digital meetings. For many organizations, extensive use of virtual work and digital meetings was a novel experience they were not necessarily prepared for. For many employees, the situation entailed handling unfamiliar systems, adopting new work practices, and facing completely new challenges. In this paper, we explore what we might learn from this unique case. We conducted interviews with 29 members of the administrative staff in the higher education sector, in order to find out how they perceived the situation. We find that virtual work and digital meetings were perceived as productive and flexible, but that the change to virtual work also entailed downsides and challenges. Furthermore, our findings indicate that central challenges could have been alleviated through specific measures. Based on the findings, we conclude on four recommendations that we propose apply not just during a period of lockdown, but for organizations today in general.

Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems (SJIS) 32(2) p. 77-106

The rise of digital platform companies has shaken many business sectors and led to the emergence of new competition arenas, digital business ecosystems. Incumbent firms realize they need to change how they do business, and that conventional business strategies are no longer fit for competing in these new digital arenas. Our research questions are (i) how can incumbent service firms develop and leverage a digital business strategy, and (ii) how can hotels and hotel chains compete with online travel agencies (OTAs) in digital hospitality ecosystems? We chose a longitudinal case study to explore how a large Scandinavian hotel chain implemented a digital business strategy to compete with OTAs in a digital hospitality ecosystem. Our approach was to stay close to the practices and actual behaviours of the company and the individuals engaged in fulfilling the strategy. We contribute to theory and practice by proposing that (i) incumbent firms need two strategies, one for the digital ecosystem and one for the traditional competition arena, (ii) that the two strategies should be implemented ambidextrously but also integrated and (iii) that to succeed, it is essential to establish self-reinforcing interactions between the digital and the physical.

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