/syllabus_sofmda

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Strategic and Organizational Foundations of Managing in the Digital Age

To grasp the foundations of management in the digital age, it is essential to explore how researchers from various disciplines approach the topic of digital transformation. Throughout this semester, we will examine digital transformation from multiple perspectives, uncovering how it serves as a cornerstone for effective management in the digital age.

Schedule, Topics, and Deliverables

Wk Date Topic Deliverable Homework
1 8/29 Introduction to Research and the Subject of Digital Transformation Introduction to the course, digital transformation, and the fundamentals of research. No deliverable this week.
2 9/5 Digital Transformation and Marketing Research Question Slide Create up to 3 slides where you briefly indicate up to 3 research questions related to your area of interest.
3 9/12 Digital Transformation and Finance (Special Guest Dr. Brian Clark) Motivation Slides Develop up to 3 slides that outline the motivation behind your chosen research question. Include (1) why is the topic important, (2) what is the hole in the literature or tension, (3) what does this paper contribute.
4 9/19 Digital Transformation and Human Resources (Special Guest Dr. Tim Golden)
5 9/26 Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship (Special Guest Dr. Saggi Nevo ) Intro Draft Submit a draft of your research proposal's introduction. This should have 3 paragraphs: (1) why is the topic important, (2) what is the hole in the literature or tension, (3) what does this paper contribute.
6 10/3 Digital Transformation and Healthcare (Special Guest Dr. Chris McDermott) Literature Slides Create slides summarizing up to 3 different literature topics related to the research.
7 10/10 Platform Business Models INSTRUCTOR WILL GIVE MIDTERM PARTICIPATION GRADE Literature Draft
8 10/17 Digital Transformation and Supply Chain Management (Special Guests Dr. Sebastian Souyris) and Dr. Hakan Hekimoglu Hypotheses Slides Develop slides presenting the hypotheses you intend to test in your research.
9 10/24 Judgement, Decision Making, and Cybersecurity in the Digital Age (Special Guest Dr. Gaurav Jain)
10 10/31 Digital Transformation and Public Sector/Government (Special Guest Dr. Dr. Kedong Chen) Hypotheses Draft Submit a draft of your hypotheses section.
11 11/7 Digital Transformation and Labor Markets (Special Guest Dr. Nishtha Langer)
12 11/14 Digital Transformation and Organizational Change (Special Guest Dr. Johan Maharjan) Draft Paper Submit a full draft of your research paper including all previous sections.
13 11/21 Emerging Technologies & Ethics(Special Guest Dr. Tanya Singh) Review Due Submit a peer review of another student's draft paper (assignments to be given in class).
14 11/28 Thanksgiving break - No classes
15 12/5 Course Wrap-up and Final Presentations Full Presentation Present your final research proposal to the class.
12/13 Finals Week Final Paper Submit your final research paper proposal.

Readings

Always check back here for updates on the readings of the week.

Click here to access sylabus papers on shared Box drive.

You will have to register for an RPI box account. See instructions here.

Week 1: Introduction to Research and the Subject of Digital Transformation

The goal of this first week is to explore what we do as researchers while providing a comprehensive overview of digital transformation, research objectives, and the overall scope of the course. While the details of research processes may vary across disciplines, the underlying goals and outcomes are often quite similar. This week’s readings are more extensive than usual, but the intention is not to delve into every detail. Instead, you should focus on skimming the material to grasp the main ideas and develop a broad understanding of the topics at hand.

Readings:

  • Bartunek, J. M., Rynes, S. L., & Ireland, R. D. (2006). "What Makes Management Research Interesting, and Why Does It Matter?" Academy of Management Journal, 49(1), 9-15.

  • Corley, K. G., & Gioia, D. A. (2011). "Building Theory about Theory Building: What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?" Academy of Management Review, 36(1), 12-32.

  • Shepherd, D. A., & Suddaby, R. (2017). "Theory Building: A Review and Integration." Journal of Management, 43(1), 59-86.

  • Majchrzak, A., Markus, M. L., & Wareham, J. (2016). "Designing for Digital Transformation: Lessons for Information Systems Research from the Study of ICT and Societal Challenges." MIS Quarterly, 40(2), 267-277.

  • Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). "Digital Transformation: A Multidisciplinary Reflection and Research Agenda." Journal of Business Research, 122, 889-901.

  • Practitioner Reading:

    • Westerman, G., Bonnet, D., & McAfee, A. (2014). "The Nine Elements of Digital Transformation." MIT Sloan Management Review.

Week 2: Digital Transformation and Marketing

This week, we'll explore how digital technologies are reshaping marketing strategies, the role of social media, and the dynamics of online platforms. Our focus will not only be on understanding these transformations but also on how to effectively frame a research paper's contribution in the introduction. As you read each of the papers listed below, pay close attention to how the authors articulate the significance of their work. Additionally, I'll share insights into the journey of a research contribution through the publication process, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how research is developed and refined.

  • Kannan, P. K., & Li, H. (2017). "Digital marketing: A framework, review and research agenda." International Journal of Research in Marketing, 34(1), 22-45.
  • Rust, R. T., & Huang, M.-H. (2014). "The Service Revolution and the Transformation of Marketing Science." Marketing Science, 33(2), 206-221.
  • Overgoor, G., Rand, W., van Dolen, W., & Mazloom, M. (2022). "Simplicity is not key: Understanding firm-generated social media images and consumer liking." International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39, 639-655.
  • Viswanathan, S., Kuruzovich, J., Gosain, S., & Agarwal, R. (2007). "Online Infomediaries and Price Discrimination: Evidence from the Automotive Retailing Sector." Journal of Marketing, 71(3), 89-107.

Week 3: Digital Transformation and Finance

This week, we'll examine how digital transformation is reshaping financial markets and services, including fintech innovations, blockchain technology, and digital currencies. The goal is to understand both the disruptive impact of these technologies and the opportunities they present for financial services.

Readings:

  • Baik, B., Kim, A., Kim, D. S., & Yoon, S. (2024). Vocal Delivery Quality in Earnings Conference Calls. Chicago Booth Research Paper No. 23-21. Link to SSRN

  • Philippon, T. (2017). "The FinTech Opportunity." NBER Working paper 22476.

  • Zhang, X., & Zhang, L. (2015). "How does the internet affect the financial market? An equilibrium model of internet-facilitated feedback trading." MIS Quarterly, 39(1), 17–38.

  • Clark, B. J., Palepu, S., & Siddique, A. R. (2024). "Firm Complexity and Information Asymmetry: Evidence from ML-based Complexity to Measure Information Processing Costs." Link to SSRN

  • Harvey, C. R., & Rabetti, D. (2024). "International business and decentralized finance." Journal of International Business Studies, 1–24.

Week 4: Digital Transformation and Human Resources

This week, we will explore how digital transformation is impacting Human Resources (HR) through advancements in artificial intelligence, remote work technologies, and automated hiring systems. We'll delve into the challenges and opportunities these technologies present for managing talent, diversity, and inclusion, as well as their broader implications for the future of work.

Readings:

  1. Golden, T. D., & Veiga, J. F. (2005). The impact of extent of telecommuting on job satisfaction: Resolving inconsistent findings. Journal of Management, 31(2), 301–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206304271768

  2. Allen, T. D., Golden, T. D., & Shockley, K. M. (2015). How effective is telecommuting? Assessing the status of our scientific findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(2), 40–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615593273

  3. Hickman, L., Bosch, N., Ng, V., Saef, R., Tay, L., & Woo, S. E. (2022). Automated video interview personality assessments: Reliability, validity, and generalizability investigations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(8), 1323–1351. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000695

  4. Arhin, K., Hickman, L., & Kuruzovich, J. (2022). You Don’t Sound Black: Codeswitching, AI, and the Use of HR Platforms in Candidate Selection. Revise and Resubmit at Journal of the Association for Information Systems. (+Response to reviewers)

  5. Brynjolfsson, E., Horton, J. J., Makridis, C., Mas, A., Ozimek, A., Rock, D., & TuYe, H. Y. How Many Americans Work Remotely? A Survey of Surveys and Their Measurement Issues. NBER Working Paper 31193. http://www.nber.org/papers/w31193

Optional (this is an interesting paper that may give some research ideas):

  1. Tambe, P., Cappelli, P., & Yakubovich, V. (2019). Artificial intelligence in human resources management: Challenges and a path forward. California Management Review, 61(4), 15–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125619867910

Week 5: Digital Transformation of Startups and Organizations

This week, we will examine how digital tools and platforms are enabling the creation of new ventures and disrupting traditional business models. We'll explore the role of IT-enabled resources, accelerators, and media in the formation and growth of technology-based startups. The readings focus on the antecedents and consequences of these tools in driving innovation and entrepreneurial success.

Readings:

  • Nevo, S., & Wade, M. R. (2010). The formation and value of IT-enabled resources: Antecedents and consequences of synergistic relationships. MIS Quarterly, 34(1), 163-183.

  • Nevo, S., Nevo, D., & Pinsonneault, A. (2020). Exploring the role of IT in the front-end of innovation: An empirical study of IT-enabled creative behavior. Information and Organization, 30(4), 100322.

  • Yu, S. (2020). How do accelerators impact the performance of high-technology ventures? Management Science, 66(2), 530-552.

  • Greenwood, B. N., & Gopal, A. (2015). Tigerblood: Newspapers, blogs, and the founding of information technology firms. Information Systems Research, 26(4), 812-828.

  • Yu, S., & Fleming, L. (2022). Regional crowdfunding and high tech entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 51(9), 104348.

Week 6: Digital Transformation and Healthcare

This week, we will explore how digital transformation is revolutionizing the healthcare sector. Key areas include the adoption of electronic health records (EHR), mergers in healthcare systems, and the role of technology in improving patient outcomes and organizational performance. The readings focus on the implementation of healthcare technologies and their broader implications for the industry.

Readings:

  1. McDermott, C. M. Division of Labor and Operational Performance in Healthcare: The Utilization of Advanced Practice Providers in Medical Practice Groups. Working paper under review (Do not post).

  2. McDermott, C. M. The Role of Family Engagement in Influencing Patient Satisfaction and Readmission. Working paper under review (Do not post).

  3. MIS Quarterly Research Curation on Health Information Technology
    Research Curation Team: Aaron Baird (Georgia State University), Corey Angst (University of Notre Dame), Eivor Oborn (The University of Warwick).

  4. Somanchi, S., Greenwood, B., & Angst, C. M. (2023). Come Together: An Empirical Investigation of EHR Adoption, Mergers, and Survival in the US Healthcare System. George Mason University School of Business Research Paper.
    Available at SSRN

Week 7: Platform Business Models

This week, we will explore platform economics, network effects, and the role of digital platforms in shaping business strategies. The readings will cover emerging views on platforms, strategies for managing network effects, and how digital ecosystems influence business performance.

Readings:

  • McIntyre, D. P., & Srinivasan, A. (2017). Networks, platforms, and strategy: Emerging views and next steps. Strategic Management Journal, 38(1), 141-160.

  • Greenwood, B. N., & Wattal, S. (2017). Show me the way to go home. MIS Quarterly, 41(1), 163-188.

  • Agarwal, S., Miller, C. D., & Ganco, M. (2023). Growing platforms within platforms: How platforms manage the adoption of complementor products in the presence of network effects? Strategic Management Journal, 44(8), 1879-1910.

  • Miller, C. D., & Toh, P. K. (2022). Complementary components and returns from coordination within ecosystems via standard setting. Strategic Management Journal, 43(3), 627-662.

Week 8: Digital Transformation and Supply Chain Management

This week, we will examine how digital tools transform supply chains by enhancing efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. The readings explore the role of real-time event monitoring, visual nudges during crises, blockchain technology in operations, and the influence of big data on behavioral outcomes.

Readings:

  • Divey, S., Hekimoglu, M. H., & Ravichandran, T. (2024). The role of real-time event monitoring in dynamic response to disruptions. Production and Operations Management, 33(10), 2031-2050.

  • Ivanov, A., Tacheva, Z., Alzaidan, A., Souyris, S., & England, A. C. (2023). Informational value of visual nudges during crises: Improving public health outcomes through social media engagement amid COVID-19. Production and Operations Management, 32, 2400–2419.

  • Babich, V., & Hilary, G. (2019). OM Forum—Distributed ledgers and operations: What operations management researchers should know about blockchain technology. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 22(2), 223-240.

  • Acemoglu, D., Makhdoumi, A., Malekian, A., & Ozdaglar, A. (Forthcoming, June 2024). When big data enables behavioral manipulation. American Economic Review: Insights.

Week 9: Judgement, Decision Making, and Cybersecurity in the Digital Age

This week, we delve into the complexities of decision making and cyber security in the digital age.

Readings:

  • Jain, G., Gaeth, G. J., Nayakankuppam, D., & Levin, I. P. (2020). Revisiting attribute framing: The impact of number roundedness on framing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 161, 109–119.

  • Gray, C. M., Kou, Y., Battles, B., Hoggatt, J., & Toombs, A. L. (2018). The dark (patterns) side of UX design. In Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–14.

  • D’Arcy, J., Adjerid, I., Angst, C. M., & Glavas, A. (2020). Too good to be true: Firm social performance and the risk of data breach. Information Systems Research, 31(4), 1200–1223.

  • Xu, J. J., Chen, D., Chau, M., Li, L., & Zheng, H. (2022). Peer-to-peer loan fraud detection: Constructing features from transaction data. MIS Quarterly, 46(3).

Week 10: Digital Transformation and Public Sector/Government

This week, we will explore the adoption of digital technologies in government, focusing on smart cities, public services, and how governments leverage digital tools for innovation, efficiency, and transparency.

Readings:

  • Chen, K., Liu, X., Li, Y., & Linderman, K. (2023). Government support and cross-border innovation: The effect of China's innovative city policy on Chinese firms' patenting in the United States. Production and Operations Management, 32(6), 1793-1811.

  • Ganesh, M., Deo, S., & Devalkar, S. K. (2024). Leveraging digital technology to improve monitoring and planning in public sector supply chains: Evidence from India’s food security program. Production and Operations Management, 33(4), 861-879.

  • Shin, S. R., Lee, J., Jung, Y. R., & Hwang, J. (2022). The diffusion of scientific discoveries in government laboratories: The role of patents filed by government scientists. Research Policy, 51(5), 104496.

  • Dunleavy, P., Margetts, H., Bastow, S., & Tinkler, J. (2006). New public management is dead—Long live digital-era governance. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 16(3), 467-494.

Week 11: Digital Transformation and Labor Markets

In this session, we examine the effects of digital transformation on labor markets, focusing on themes like automation, AI, and the gig economy. We’ll explore how digital tools are reshaping work, influencing employment patterns, and shifting the skill requirements for the future workforce.

Readings

  • Langer, Nishtha, Gopal, Ram D., & Bapna, Ravi (2020). Onward and upward? An empirical investigation of gender and promotions in Information Technology Services. Information Systems Research, 31(2), 383-398. INFORMS.

  • DeVaro, Jed (2006). Strategic promotion tournaments and worker performance. Strategic Management Journal, 27(8), 721-740. Wiley Online Library.

Digital Transformation and Organizational Change

Special Guest: Dr. Johan Maharjan

Dr. Johan Maharjan will join as a special guest to discuss his recent work and we have a mix of paper themes from last and this week.

Readings

  • Huang, Sheng, Maharjan, Johan, & Nanda, Vikram (2024). Liquid stock as an acquisition currency. Journal of Corporate Finance, 85, 102562. Elsevier.

  • Tidhar, Ron, Hallen, Benjamin L., & Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. (2024). Measure Twice, Cut Once: Unit Profitability, Scalability, and the Exceptional Growth of New Firms. Organization Science. INFORMS.

  • Hui, Xiang, Reshef, Oren, & Zhou, Luofeng (2024). The short-term effects of generative artificial intelligence on employment: Evidence from an online labor market. Organization Science. INFORMS.

  • Zhang, Yingjie, Zheng, Zhiqiang, & Gu, Bin (2024). Omnificence or Differentiation? An Empirical Study of Knowledge Structure and Career Development of IT Workers. Information Systems Research. INFORMS.

Week 13: Emerging Technologies & Ethics

This week, we will explore ethical considerations surrounding emerging technologies. Topics include how programming tasks can influence moral reasoning in novice programmers, interventions to combat fake news on social media, ethical algorithm design, and the financial implications of experimentation in technology-driven ventures.

Readings:

  • Singh, T. (Working paper). Programming tasks impact responses to moral dilemmas for novice programmers.

  • Moravec, P. L., Kim, A., & Dennis, A. R. (2020). Appealing to sense and sensibility: System 1 and System 2 interventions for fake news on social media. Information Systems Research, 31(3), 987-1006.

  • Martin, K. (2019). Designing ethical algorithms. MIS Quarterly Executive, June.

  • Ewens, M., Nanda, R., & Rhodes-Kropf, M. (2018). Cost of experimentation and the evolution of venture capital. Journal of Financial Economics, 128(3), 422-442.

Week 14: Course Wrap-up and Final Presentations

  • Summary of key learnings, open discussion on future research and practice, and final presentations.