Introductory description

This module focuses on how digital technologies enable organisations to offer digital services that aim at improving customer experience as well as firm performance. The module assumes no prior knowledge of technology and prepares students to engage with technology-related conversations (e.g., designing a new digital service) at the modern workplace. The module has three themes. The first theme is gaining competitive advantage using a digital business strategy and covers concepts such as motivations for digital transformation. The second theme provides an overview of what today’s managers need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, social media, and data analytics. The last theme focuses on the lifecycle of digital service provision, covering key concepts such as technology selection and sourcing, agile implementation, and risk management. Overall, students will learn to analyse existing businesses and formulate ideas on how to improve their digital service offerings.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Indicative syllabus:

Digital business technologies (also known as IT) have has become an integral part of any firm as business functions and processes are increasingly reliant on such technologies to (1) improve efficiency through better utilization of resources distributed throughout the organization; and (2) implement new digital business models. To explore changes in the dynamic business environment caused by recent advancements in digital technologies and the digitisation of business processes, this module offers a broad perspective of various issues relating to the role of digital transformation in the modern business environment. It covers management issues concerning the use of technologies within organisations and the delivery of digital services. In particular, the module will examine questions such as:

1. What role does digitalisation play in contemporary organizations?

We will discuss the role of IT in supporting business processes within and between organizations and enabling collaboration between individuals, teams and organizations.

1. How does digital transformation affect the competitiveness of firms in a globalised business environment?

We will discuss various technology-enabled business models and the role of IT in providing sustainable competitive advantage. We will consider the role of knowledge as a key resource.

1. How do organizations make decisions for the adoption (or not) of new digital innovations? What sort of processes do organizations go through to make such decisions? What factors do they consider to change their business models in the light of possibilities offered by IT?
   We will discuss various decisions and strategies relating to outsourcing and crowdsourcing of business services.

2. How can firms leverage knowledge from crowds and develop the organisational capabilities needed to innovate with crowds?

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an awareness of the role of IT in organisations in a global context.
• To be able to explain how digital transformation can provide competitive advantage.
• Demonstrate an understanding of critical issues related to delivery and management of digital business and services, such as project management and risk management, outsourcing and globalisation and be able to deal with them.
• Appreciate the role that digital business strategy play in shaping company’s sourcing strategy.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the strategic, economic, political and social issues that sourcing of IT and business services surfaces from client and supplier perspectives.
• Theorise the complex relations between business strategy and technology provision
• Critically analyse and apply key theoretical frameworks and models relating to digital technologies in organisations
• Demonstrate understanding of how key concepts are formulated and related to theory and practice (e.g. Conceptualisation of technology as a service)

Indicative reading list

Kane, G. C. (2018). Why companies don’t respond to digital disruption. MIT Sloan Management Review.
Porter, M. E., & Heppelmann, J. E. (2014). How smart, connected products are transforming competition. Harvard business review, 92(11), 64-88.
Reillier, L. C., & Reillier, B. (2017). Platform strategy: How to unlock the power of communities and networks to grow your business. Taylor & Francis.
Warner, K. S., & Wäger, M. (2019). Building dynamic capabilities for digital transformation: An ongoing process of strategic renewal. Long Range Planning, 52(3), 326-349.
Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O. A., Pavlou, P. A., & Venkatraman, N. (2013). Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights. MIS Quarterly, 471-482.
Sia, S. K., Soh, C., & Weill, P. (2016). How DBS Bank Pursued a Digital Business Strategy. MIS Quarterly Executive, 15(2).
Newell, S., & Marabelli, M. (2015). Strategic opportunities (and challenges) of algorithmic decision-making: A call for action on the long-term societal effects of ‘datification’. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 24(1), 3-14.
Sutcliff M., Narsalay R., and Sen A. (2019) The Two Big Reasons That Digital Transformations Fail, Harvard Business Review.
Houghton D., Keenan E.S., Edmonds, M., and Blix L.H. (2020) Are You Managing Your Risks From Social Media? MIT Sloan Management Review.

Research element

For the main module assessment, students have to perform an online research about the services of a real-world organisation and propose a new digital service. Module content is enriched with dozens of scholarly research readings.

Interdisciplinary

This module is interdisciplinary by nature. It offers a quick overview of the information systems field for management students with no or minimal background in technology.

International

The module uses various real-world cases of service digitalisation from around the globe. For the assessment, students will be able to analyse any organisation locally or abroad.

Subject specific skills

Identify business service processes that could be further transformed using digital technologies.
Apply key frameworks and methodologies in practice, i.e. technology selection and iterative implementation arrangements in real-life situations.

Transferable skills

Written communications.