Profile

New Publication in MIS Quarterly Executive

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:27:42 GMT

Cybernetic Perspectives on Collective Intelligence in Digital Platform Ecosystems

I am pleased to share a recent publication in MIS Quarterly Executive:

“Turning Tacit Knowledge into Dynamic Strategies Through Collective Inferencing”
�� Open access: https://aisel.aisnet.org/misqe/vol24/iss4/7/

The article introduces Collective Inferencing (CI) — a method designed to transform tacit, experience-based knowledge into actionable, adaptive decision strategies in complex digital platform ecosystems. Rather than offering yet another data-driven analytics tool, the approach represents a distinctly cybernetic perspective on organizational design and strategy formation .

At its core, Collective Inferencing addresses a fundamental question: How can collective knowledge in distributed, complex social systems be structured in a way that enables adaptive, viable decision-making?

The proposed method follows a multi-stage analytical process that systematically elicits, reconstructs, and models qualitative statements, experiential knowledge, and implicit inferences. Generative AI is used selectively to support semantic reconstruction and pattern recognition , while model control and interpretation remain firmly in human hands . The result is a dynamic decision model that explicitly integrates feedback loops, path dependencies, and multiple, potentially conflicting perspectives.

From a cybernetic standpoint, the approach offers a concrete pathway for maintaining organizational viability in dynamic and uncertain environments —often described as adaptive landscapes. In particular, the method:

promotes structural coupling between diverse perspectives through the modular representation of decision domains,
makes decision complexity explicit and traceable,
supports recursive learning and governance processes through the simulation of alternative strategies in collective decision contexts.

The article illustrates the method through a case study of the cplace platform ecosystem, developed by collaboration Factory GmbH in Munich. The case demonstrates how heterogeneous experiential knowledge from across the ecosystem can be translated into concrete strategic options for platform governance, innovation, and ecosystem development.

More broadly, the article contributes to ongoing discussions on collective intelligence, digital platforms, and AI-supported decision-making , showing how cybernetic thinking can inform the design of modern organizational and governance models — not by replacing human judgment, but by augmenting collective sensemaking and inferential capacity .

I welcome discussion and exchange on the method, its applications, and its further development in the spirit of cybernetic and systems thinking .

The Springer Handbook of Hybrid Intelligence: Call for Chapters Now Open

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:16:21 GMT

The Springer Handbook of Hybrid Intelligence: Call for Chapters Now Open

I’m very pleased to share an update on a project that I have been deeply involved in over the past months: the Springer Nature Handbook of Hybrid Intelligence , which I am co-editing together with an international team of colleagues. The project has now reached an exciting milestone — the official Call for Abstracts and Chapters is online on the Springer platform.

�� Call for Chapters & Handbook Information:
https://meteor.springer.com/HybridIntelligence

Why Hybrid Intelligence — and why a Handbook?

Hybrid Intelligence (HI) is emerging as a new paradigm for understanding and designing the interplay between human intelligence and machine/AI intelligence . Instead of focusing solely on artificial intelligence, HI asks a different question:
How do we intentionally combine human and machine capabilities to create systems that are adaptive, ethical, resilient, and able to deal with complexity?

This perspective reaches far beyond traditional AI research. It touches on:

human cognition, reasoning, and inferential processes
machine learning, AI systems, and robotics
collective intelligence and organizational decision-making
human–AI interaction and hybrid collaboration
socio-technical systems and platforms
governance, ethics, and responsible innovation

The Handbook aims to become a comprehensive reference work for this emerging field — bringing together conceptual foundations, methodological approaches, practical design frameworks, and forward-looking perspectives.

About the Call for Chapters

The call is now public on the Springer METEOR website. If you are working on topics around Hybrid Intelligence — whether conceptual, empirical, design-oriented, philosophical, organizational, or technical — I warmly encourage you to take a look.

The call provides:

an overview of the Handbook’s structure
background on the concept of Hybrid Intelligence
guidance on what types of contributions we are looking for
submission timelines and format details

To maintain the character of a reference work , contributions should offer structured overviews of a field, theory, or body of knowledge — potentially complemented by the authors’ own research, but not primarily centered on individual empirical findings.

An Interdisciplinary Effort

One of the most inspiring aspects of this project has been the cross-disciplinary dialogue it enables. Colleagues from AI research, cognitive science, systems thinking, information systems, organizational studies, ethics, cybernetics, robotics, and various applied domains have expressed interest.

Hybrid Intelligence is not confined to any one discipline — it is exactly the space where disciplines meet to make sense of new forms of intelligent systems and human–machine collaboration.

If You Are Interested…

Please feel free to explore the Handbook website and the call for contributions. And if you believe your work or perspective could meaningfully contribute to shaping this field, I would be delighted if you considered submitting an abstract.

�� Handbook website: https://meteor.springer.com/HybridIntelligence

I look forward to seeing the community come together around this topic — and to the many conversations that Hybrid Intelligence will spark in the years to come.

Announcing the Launch of Collective Intelligence Perspectives

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 12:22:58 GMT

A New Journal on Collective Intelligence, Systems Thinking, and Interdisciplinary Inquiry

I am delighted to announce the official launch of Collective Intelligence Perspectives , a new scholarly journal dedicated to the exploration of Collective Intelligence , Systems Thinking , and interdisciplinary approaches to complex societal and organizational challenges.

The journal was formally constituted last week by the Board of the GWS Society - the Society for Managerial and Social Cybernetics, marking an important step toward revitalizing cybernetic and systems sciences in contemporary contexts.

I'm also pleased to share that I have been elected as the journal’s first Editor-in-Chief . CI Perspectives aims to become a vibrant platform for reflective scholarship, theoretical innovation, and methodological advancement in the study of emergent intelligence in socio-technical systems, governance, and organizational life.

In the coming weeks, we will begin forming our Editorial Board , and we warmly invite expressions of interest from researchers and thought leaders in the fields of:

Collective Intelligence
Systems and Cybernetics
Organizational and Communication Theory
Philosophy of Technology
Complexity Science
Artificial and Hybrid Intelligence
Interdisciplinary and Critical Inquiry

CI Perspectives will publish peer-reviewed essays, position papers, and original research that connect conceptual depth with practical insight, contributing to a deeper understanding of how we think, act, and decide collectively in an increasingly complex world.

Stay tuned for our inaugural call for papers.

For inquiries or to express interest in joining the Editorial Board, please contact us at: office@ci-perspectives.org

Announcing the Launch of SynergyLab

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:12:16 GMT

synergylab.space

I’m pleased to announce the launch of SynergyLab , a new initiative I’ve co-founded to advance interdisciplinary dialogue and inquiry at the intersection of collective intelligence, systems transformation, and digital innovation .

SynergyLab emerges from the recognition that today’s challenges—whether organizational, societal, or technological—require more than siloed expertise. They call for synergistic thinking , cross-sector collaboration , and a reimagining of how knowledge is produced and shared. Our aim is to create a dedicated environment where complex questions can be approached with conceptual depth, methodological rigor, and openness to experimentation.

At this stage, SynergyLab begins as a series of curated conversations —bringing together scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders from diverse domains to reflect on how we organize knowledge, sense complexity, and design for collective agency. These conversations will serve as a foundation for future collaborations and research-based initiatives.

If your work touches on systems sciences, digital governance, foresight, or emerging organizational models, I invite you to connect with us. SynergyLab is not just a name—it is a commitment to meaningful dialogue across boundaries.

More to come.

Launching a New Chapter with Hybrid Intelligence World (HIW)

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:59:48 GMT

I'm thrilled to announce my collaboration with Hybrid Intelligence World (HIW) , a pioneering on-demand platform at the forefront of integrating science, education, and technology. This exciting venture is part of my ongoing commitment to academic and research pursuits within some of the most cutting-edge domains.

My Role and Research Areas

At HIW, I am deeply engaged in research focusing on Network Systems and Collective Intelligence in Business Ecosystems and Innovation . This area explores the symbiotic relationships within business ecosystems, leveraging collective intelligence to drive innovation. Another significant aspect of my research involves Transforming Urban Sustainability Governance through Collective Intelligence and AI . Here, I'm exploring how AI and collective intelligence can redefine governance models in urban settings, promoting sustainability and smarter resource management.

About Hybrid Intelligence World

HIW is dedicated to transforming teams, organizations, societies, and humanity into a conscious reality at the nexus of multiple advanced disciplines including science, education, project management, hybrid technologies, and more. HIW's mission is to arm professionals, organizations, and governments with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to navigate and thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape.

What HIW Offers

HIW assembles a world-class team of scientists, educators, and project managers trained to provide best-in-class services. The platform is designed to empower clients to capitalize on the latest technological advancements through comprehensive solutions that ensure sustainable, long-term results. From research and education to project management and technology integrations, HIW is a beacon for those looking to advance their technological capabilities.

Learn More and Connect

To discover more about what HIW has to offer and to explore various areas of expertise, I encourage you to visit HIW's website or follow HIW on LinkedIn . These portals provide extensive information and updates on the latest developments at HIW and the broader field of hybrid intelligence technologies.

Joining Hybrid Intelligence World has been a defining step in my career, allowing me to contribute to essential research and innovation. I look forward to sharing more insights and breakthroughs as my work progresses. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey.

ChatGPT: What is it to us, and what do we make of it?

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 07:21:24 GMT

Editorial Commentary published 'On the challenges and opportunities of ChatGPT' in IJIM

Together with my co-author Prof. Iris Junglas, and on invitation of Prof. Yogesh K. Dwivedi, we have published a short editorial commentary on ChatGPT and the challenges and opportunities such transformer softweares and large language models pose for developing uses and future research. The article is available open access. [ Link ]

Launch of the Data Culture Certificate at EM Strasbourg Business School

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 14:16:00 GMT

The Data Culture Certificate program at EM Business School has started in its second year. The program is compulsory for all students in the Programme Grande Ecole and intends to provide students with fundamental skills in digital business, data science and analytics, and data literacy - among others. The program consist of eight courses offering a total of 200 working hours.

I am happy to be part of the faculty team of lecturers and to act as Academic Director of the program.

Picture credit: EM Strasbourg, University of Strasbourg

Introduction to Active Learning

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:31:00 GMT

Please find here my Introduction to Active Learning lecturing materials. As a student, you can use them to inform yourself about this specific learning approach. The slide deck is usable with a CC license ( CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 ).

Download the file here:

Addressing climate change: Research featured in Le Monde

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 07:23:00 GMT

It's great to see some suggestions originating from my research taken up by the renowned French newspaper Le Monde . The article arranged and written by A. Klarsfeld summarizes aspects related to how metropoles and city authorities can address climate change and other urban challenges with the help of Urban Experimentation Platforms. In cooperation with Shane McLoughlin from Maynooth University I am researching how societies can learn to adapt to new grand challenges and advance political and innovation processes by leveraging collective intelligence.

The article can be accessed here ( paywall ) and the underlying research here ( open access ).

Presentation at ECIS 2022 in Timisoara, Romania

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 07:11:00 GMT

Together with my co-author Shane McLoughlin, and Brian Donnellan from LERO and Maynooth University, we presented a conference paper on ' How To Cope With The Dynamics Of Urban Sustainability: Urban Experimentation Platforms As Tools For Adaptive Policy-Making ' at the European Conference of Information Systems (ECIS) in Timisoara, Romania.

Link to the paper

Abstract

The growing challenges of urban population, congestion, consumption and pollution, prompt cities to respond with policies that progress towards Urban Sustainability. Increasingly, Urban Experimentation (UX) engaging diverse stakeholders for local innovations, is viewed an enabler of iterative progress. Yet, despite various ‘smart city’ initiatives, how to cope with the dynamics underlying local innovation processes for urban sustainability is unclear. In this paper, we consider Urban Experimentation Platforms (UXPs) as a tool for coping with such dynamics. Using case data from the UXP of ‘OrganiCity’, our research considers how this UXP interacts with the dynamics of urban experimentation. We present early insights from our problem analysis using System Dynamics and outline our next steps. We find UXPs as both a tool for policy implementation and for adaptive policymaking, with understanding and utilisation of this latter aspect low. We conclude by discussing how IS research on UXPs contributes towards realising the potential of digital infrastructures for societal good.

Recommended Citation

Rehm, Sven-Volker; Mcloughlin, Shane J.; and Donnellan, Brian, "How To Cope With The Dynamics Of Urban Sustainability: Urban Experimentation Platforms As Tools For Adaptive Policy-Making" (2022). ECIS 2022 Research-in-Progress Papers. 61.

https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2022_rip/61

IFIP 8.6 Working Conference, Dublin, in June 2022

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:27:00 GMT

I am happy to be invited to the Program Committee for the upcoming IFIP 8.6 Working Conference, in Dublin, in June 14-16, 2022. The conference theme is Co-creating for Context in Prospective Transfer & Diffusion of IT , and organized by the Innovation Value Institute, Maynooth University (Ireland). Link

Research featured in the Wall Street Journal

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 17:07:00 GMT

Great to see that the Wall Street Journal has featured an article about my recent research on consumer IT at the workplace. The article can be found here .

IT Empowerment: Freedom to chose BYOD devices at work can increase innovative behavior

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 17:03:00 GMT

Recently, the Intl. J. of Information Mangement has published a paper I was invited to co-author together with Professor Iris Junglas from College of Charleston (SC, USA) as lead author. The paper looks into the use of consumer devices and applications in the workplace. Our study found that when firms allow their employees to chose their own devices, this can lead to increased productivity and innovative work behaviors. The study can be found here .

Interview on Smart Cities and Urban Experimentation published in Acteurs Publics

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 08:40:00 GMT

It is great to see an interview about my research on smart cities published at the ActeursPublics.fr news site. Acteurs publics is a global media outlet intended for public actors such as the written press and TV. Its news analyze and comment on public policies.

The article considers why and in which ways current Urban Experimentation Platforms as technological means help foster dialogue between all stakeholder groups involved in urban development. Focus was on traffic issues and how experimentation approaches with citizens can help to overcome local traffic problems. I am grateful to journalist Agnès Klarsfeld who conducted the interview with me and carved out some core messages to the audiences.

You find the article here .

Short paper on cyber resilience forthcoming at ICIS in December 2021

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:18:00 GMT

A short paper co-authored with Laura Georg Schaffner from EM Strasbourg and Lakshmi Goel from Univ. of North Florida is forthcoming on this year's ICIS in December 2021.

Our study views cybersecurity as a complex socially enacted context that is influenced by dialogues within organizational boards, rather than a simple matter of technological infrastructure. We use the concept of technological frames to capture patterns in board dialogues that relate to cybersecurity and influence organizational capability of resilience. Our research question is: How do technological frames appear in non-executive board dialogues, and how do they influence the organization’s capability for cyber resilience? We study at least three technological frames pertaining to board members’ individual (I-), collective (B-), and regulatory (R-) frames related to cybersecurity. Our preliminary findings include tracking patterns of the three frames within board dialogues and suggesting guardrails to reframe dialogue with the intention of building organizational resilience.

Our overall aim is to contribute to research on organizational resilience in context of cybersecurity. We have developed a new method and theoretical perspective to broaden how IS research studies resilience.

Our intention is to prepare future studies that intend to analyze individual sensemaking of technology that cannot be directly experienced, as for the study of pervasive digital infrastructures, to advance societal discussions of technology and resilience.

You find the article and the presentation video here .

Picture credits: ICIS website screenshot from August 2021

Presentation at ACM Collective Intelligence Conference 2021 (CI-2021)

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 09:08:00 GMT

A presentation on the design and collaborative development of digital infrastructures was accepted for the ACM Collective Intelligence conference in June 2021. The paper co-authored by Ms Gloria Bondel from TU Munich looks at the problem of understanding complex design issues related to today's digital infrastructures as a dialogical problem. We shortly outline the "Collective Inference" method that was developed as part of my visiting professorship at TU Munich. A graphical outline is provided below. The research linked with the analysis and visualization of such dialogical settings is still underway, looking at different settings including API development, cyber resilience issues and digital platform ecosystems.

Picture credit: Screenshot, ACM-CI 2021 website.

Invited article on Urban Experimentation published open access

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:31:00 GMT

An article invited by Editor Prof. Pierluigi Siano (Univ. of Salerno) was published in the Smart Cities journal (MDPI) in late April 2021. Co-authors are Shane McLoughlin from Maynooth University and Giovanni Maccani from Ideas for Change, Barcelona. The article discusses several case studies that highlight the role of Urban Experimentation Platforms that help cities to achieve their goal of urban sustainability. The article can be found here .

Citation:

Rehm, Sven-Volker; McLoughlin, Shane; Maccani, Giovanni. 2021. "Experimentation Platforms as Bridges to Urban Sustainability" Smart Cities 4, no. 2: 569-587. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4020030

The graphical abstract of the article:

TUM Global Visiting Professorship started

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 07:11:00 GMT

I am happy to start my visiting appointment at the Technical University of Munich in this academic year. The TUM Global Visiting Professorship is a prestigious award and I am grateful to Professor Dr. Florian Matthes who directs TUM's Chair of Software Engineering for Business Information Systems who has supported this shared application.

My research with Ms Gloria Bondel at the Chair will look into the theoretical underpinnings of formation processes of large-scale digital infrastructures . We intend to develop explanatory models for how infrastructural constellations dynamically emerge and evolve on basis of interfacing technologies. The contribution to research specifically concerns the theoretical conceptualization of the architectural patterns, micro-structures and morphological processes that expedite the generative use of enabling technologies such as APIs in infrastructures.

Book Chapter published in 'Architecting the Digital Transformation'

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 19:25:00 GMT

A book chapter written together with my co-author, Dr. C. Coppeneur-Gülz, has been published in an edited book by Springer.

The chapter "Digitally Transforming Live Communication—A Field Study on Services for Event Resource Management" summarizes frindings from our book previously published. We are thankful to the Editors, Alfred Zimmermann, Rainer Schmidt, and Lakhmi C. Jain, for getting us into the book.

Abstract

Live communication comprises all corporate activities for enabling personal contact with customers on occasions such as promotional events or trade fairs. The question of how the related event management can be digitally transformed has recently become a prominent issue. Firms face the challenge of analyzing how digital services can be deployed to intensify personal communications on-site, manage related marketing resources, or support strategic decision-making. We report from a field study on the use of digital services for live communication. We formulate performance criteria and indicators to study the effects of digital services on event management. Using a framework for Event Resource Management (EvRM) we provide insights on the services that support managing related assets. We discuss how digital services act as enablers for event management and how their use drives firm capabilities for continued digital transformations in event management.

Link

Book chapter published in 'Innovations for Metropolitan Areas'

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 21:15:00 GMT

A book chapter written together with my co-author Anne Faber from TU Munich has been published in an edited book by Springer.

The chapter "Building the City’s Business Networks: Using Visualisations for Business Ecosystem Governance" summarizes frindings from our cooperative research. We are thankful to the Editors, Patrick Planing, Patrick Müller, Payam Dehdari, and Thomas Bäumer, for getting us into the book.

Abstract

Metropolitan regions today cultivate business ecosystems fostering city competitiveness and urban development. In these urban ecosystems, firms, public authorities and other stakeholders form business networks to collaborate and innovate.

Our research concerns the visualisation of urban business ecosystems with the aim of designing management instruments for city management and ecosystem governance. In this chapter, we review previous action design research where we applied a visual analytic system to facilitate ecosystem modelling and analysis. Our conceptual insights led us to formulate design requirements for management instruments in the urban ecosystem context. Our short review highlights findings with respect to visualising urban ecosystems on the basis of ecosystem models and identifies which capabilities remain missing for designing actionable management instruments for ecosystem governance.

Link

Best paper award at AMCIS 2019

Sat, 17 Aug 2019 19:49:00 GMT

Together with my co-authors, A. Faber, M. Riemhofer, G. Bondel, and F. Matthes, we won a Best paper award - Runner Up at the Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2019, with our article “ A Systematic Mapping Study on Business Ecosystem Types. ”

Read the AIS announcement here . A big Thank You goes to the award committee members - and congratulations to Anne who had been in charge of the project, and her colleagues at TUM!

Abstract:

Researchers and practitioners increasingly recognize the relevance of the complex business environment in which companies develop, produce, and distribute their products and services. This environment is often referred to as business ecosystem. Various types of business ecosystems have been presented and discussed in literature, such as innovation or platform business ecosystems. We conduct a systematic mapping study analyzing 136 papers in order to characterize types of business ecosystems. We provide an overview of 12 business ecosystem types and visualize how they interrelate with each other.

ACM Collective Intelligence conference 2019, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 19:34:00 GMT

Together with my co-authors, Anne Faber, Florian Matthes from TU Munich and Lakshmi Goel from Univ. of North Florida, we presented on "Tool-Supported Collaborative Modeling and Visualizations of Business Ecosystems."

We presented a business ecosystem visualization tool, BEEx – Business Ecosystem Explorer, in line with a report on original research results obtained during its development and prototypical use in several case studies.

The annual interdisciplinary conference brings together researchers from the academy, businesses, non-profits, governments and the world at large to share insights and ideas from a variety of fields relevant to understanding and designing collective intelligence in its many forms.

Best paper award at ACIS 2018 in Sydney

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 08:44:00 GMT

A paper co-authored with Anne Faber, Adrian Hernandez-Mendez and Florian Matthes from Technical University of Munich (TUM) has been awarded the ACS Best Paper prize (third place) at the 29th Australasian Conference on Information Systems.

The paper entitled "Business Ecosystems: Towards a Collaborative Modelling Approach" presents insights on which roles are important for collaborative modelling of business ecosystems. The results have been worked out in recent years in scope of smart city and strategic management projects. Thanks to the award committee members - and congratulations to Anne who is in charge of the project, and her colleagues at TUM! The paper was part of the 'Digital Business Innovation Track'.

Guest Lecture on Mobility Ecosystems

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 07:21:00 GMT

Today, Anne Faber from the chair of Software Engineering for Business Information Systems (sebis) at Technical University of Munich (TUM) gave a guest lecture as part of my lecture on Information Systems Management for Organizational Change at EM Business School.

In her online talk, she illustrated the The TUM Living Lab Connected Mobility Project and gave insights into the project management of large-scale IT projects as well as into the project results. Her own work focuses on application software for visualizing enterprise relationships in business ecosystems. The Business Ecosystem Explorer (BEEx) prototype she has created as part of her dissertation was successfully tested in several case studies. The students learned about challenges and best practices for leading and managing IT projects in contexts such as Smart City.

Article on Modeling Business Ecosystems published in the Information journal

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 12:53:00 GMT

The article "Modeling and Visualizing Smart City Mobility Business Ecosystems: Insights from a Case Study", co-authored with Anne Faber, Adrian Hernandez-Mendez and Florian Matthes from TU Munich has appeared in the Information journal. The paper is an extension of the conference paper from ICEIS 2018: Advances in Enterprise Information Systems , where it has been granted the Best Paper Award.

The article presents an agile framework to collaboratively collect, aggregate and map data about the ecosystem, and to visualize them for further analysis in the Business Ecosystem Explorer (BEEx) visual analytic system.

The article has appeared open access .

Guest lecture by Entrepreneurship beyond borders project of UNISTRA

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:09:00 GMT

Today Mr. Jérémie Bontinck gave a guest lecture as part of my lecture on IS and Change Management , at EM Strasbourg Business School . He presented the Entrepreneurship beyond borders project of the Université de Strasbourg. The project takes a core role in supporting the more than 3600 student entrepreneurs in France and more than 137 at Univ. de Strasbourg.

His lecture highlighted the role of entrepreneurial ecosystems for regional businesses and universities, and outlined how students can find support from idea conception to start-up formation, validation, scale up and early growth.

Guest Lecture by Rob Copeland of ZF

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 10:54:00 GMT

Today Rob Copeland, ZF Director ERP Strategy and Program Management at ZF Friedrichshafen AG gave a guest lecture as part of the lecture on IS and Change Management , at EM Strasbourg Business School .

Being a guest in my lectures since many years, Rob reported from his journey to build the ZF TRW SAP Competency Center through several years. His successful strategic initiative received external recognition on various occasions, among them the SAP Customer Center of Excellence award in 2013. He provided the students with substantial insights into how to plan, lead and implement ERP strategies and implementation projects on a global scale.

(Picture: symbolic picture from archive)

Opening Note at the first WHU Hackathon

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 08:01:00 GMT

Today I had the pleasure to give an opening note at the first Hackathon, HackerGames! at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management. About 70 participants started their 24-hour journey of hacking themselves into new mobility solutions this week Thursday.

The event was organized by WHU's student initiative Business-Meets-Tech, which organizes meetings and conversations between students in business and MINT fields of study in order to exchange expertise and develop fruitful ideas together. The event had the motto

Virtual Reality Lab initiated in cooperation with Qbit Technologies

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:28:00 GMT

In cooperation with Qbit Technologies Inc , a Virtual Reality (VR) lab has been set up to support research on the role of VR in organizations.

VR hardware and software allow creating an immersive digital environment that enables users to perceive being present in a non-physical world. The greater the suspension of disbelief of the artificial environment, the greater is the degree of presence experienced by the user. With more affordable end-user VR IT available in the market, establishing a VR lab allows for better understanding the benefits of using this specific technology in teaching and research.

Introduction to Data Science courses on DataCamp started with good success

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 09:17:00 GMT

On initiative of WHU's Business Meets Tech student initiative, I have been coordinating self-study efforts of various students on the DataCamp online learning platform. The students immerse themselves into data science topics by working through online learning courses provided by the DataCamp platform.

DataCamp is an intuitive learning platform for data science, offering courses by expert instructors on topics such as importing data, data visualization or machine learning. Within a few months, 25 members have completed more than 53 courses including 224 chapters, making it a great example of self-organized studies and high intrinsic motivation.

Neues Buch zum Event-Resource-Management mit digitalen Tools erschienen

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:29:00 GMT

Das mit meinem Ko-autor Dr. Christian Coppeneur-Gülz verfasste Buch ist nun bei Springer reschienen. Es zeigt auf, wie sich Digitalisierung in der Live-Kommunikation unter Beachtung der Erfolgsfaktoren Schnelligkeit, Skalierbarkeit und Messbarkeit realisieren lässt.

Alle Infos finden sich hier und Rezensionen bei WWM , der WHU und im Buchhandel .

System Dynamics workshop for IS researchers in Stuttgart

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 07:03:00 GMT

This week an international group of researchers held a first workshop on applying System Dynamics in information systems research at University of Stuttgart, Germany.

System dynamics (SD) is an approach to understanding the nonlinear behavior of complex systems. It uses elements like stocks, flows, internal feedback loops, table functions and time delays to model, analyze and guide the management of real world settings. It was developed as a method of inquiry during the mid-1950s by Professor Jay Forrester of MIT.

On invitation of Professor Dr. Andreas Größler who leads the Department of Operations Management at University of Stuttgart, the participants learned how to design basic model structures and to create first analyses with standard SD software. A good part of the workshop was dedicated to discuss application opportunities and challenges for IS research, taking into account the particular perspectives and methodological approaches. Many thanks go to Professor Größler and his team who made this workshop a great success!

Presentation at ISPIM on "Collaborating in Virtual Reality by Using Digital Twins"

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 19:11:00 GMT

Today my co-author Yulia Litvinova presented our paper on "Collaborating in Virtual Reality (VR) by Using Digital Twins" at the ISPIM Innovation Conference 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The paper co-authored also by Lakshmi Goel from Univ. of North Florida and Iris Junglas from Florida State Univ. looks at how VR technology can be used for collaborative setups in digital engineering and industrial production. With help of several case studies, our research in progress intends to illustrate how technological elements such as digital content, VR models, functionality for interaction and adaptive visualization can be used to configure adequate VR environments including user assistance, attention and session management, and documentation services. The VR Digital Twin is a software-based virtual representation of real-life machinery and production processes, exhibiting interaction features for inter-disciplinary - synchronous and asynchronous - collaboration and functional expandability for multiple uses. Our research focus is on the collaboration and knowledge exchange aspects, as they inform the respective VR Digital Twin design and that of related services such as training, remote problem solving or data and tool visualization. We intend to outline best practices pillars related to these aspects in order to motivate and inform uptake by companies.

Forum Mittelstand at WHU: Keynotes and conversations on digital transformation

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 19:27:00 GMT

On April 17th, the mittelstand entrepreneurs' round table focused on 'the digital transformation as a practical task in medium-sized companies'

The "digital transformation" has become a hyped topic in recent years. More and more companies are examining their value creation processes for potentials of "digitalization". Efforts to increase efficiency, automation, networking and the development of digital business models are being discussed. Because of the many challenges and related promises, the topic remains of considerable importance also for small and medium-sized companies. This topic thus provided the ground for the first Forum Mittelstand in 2018 that took place on April 17th at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, organized by myself as interim chair at WHU in cooperation with IHK Koblenz (the chamber of industry and commerce Koblenz).

I am happy that for this occasion, several top-class speakers shared their insights with the audience:

Dr. Armin Lau of Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG talked about Schaeffler's approach to future-oriented innovation management, emphasizing the role of methodology and mindset.

Dr. Bernhard Albert, founder and Managing Director at Foresight Solutions , shared experiences from numerous strategy and innovation Foresight projects with small and medium-sized enterprises. He focused on participatory, networked approaches to Open Innovation as well as cross-industry settings.

Milan Vukas, Key Account Manager at quintly GmbH in Cologne, and founder of the not-for-profit association Wesseling Digital e.V. reported from his road towards including citizens in digitalizing their home town. He illustrated his approach to establish networks of citizens of any age, enterprises and associations through do-it-yourself workshops, coding camps, and programming courses.

Johannes Utsch, co-founder of Eck.ventures GmbH in Koblenz, talked about how SMEs can engage in start-up type innovation of their business models to reach new markets or renovate existing businesses.

Link to the event report .

Invited presentation at SIM Connect Live in Dallas

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 19:27:00 GMT

On April 12th, 2018, I gave an invited presentation as part of the first academic workshop at the SIM Connect Live conference in Dallas, Texas.

SIM Connect Live is an event series attracting IT leaders and CIOs from around the globe. SIM, the Society for Information Management, is a professional network that connects senior-level IT leaders with peers in their communities.

My talk about information management in networks of small and medium enterprises highlighted the role of shared IT and application infrastructures during collaborative innovation projects. The invitation followed the selection of the related article published in MIS Quarterly Executive , “Role of Information Systems in Empowering Innovation Networks”; co-authored by Lakshmi Goel, Iris Junglas, and myself, in the 2015 MIS Quarterly Executive, 14(3), 87-103.

Guest Lecture held by Mr. U. Johnen of T-Systems

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 21:15:00 GMT

Mr. Uwe Johnen, T-Systems International GmbH today held a guest lecture as part of my Introduction to MIS class. He provided insights into managing Digital Transformation solutions in the automotive sector. His topics included customer experience management, predictive maintenance and current challenges in implementing 'agile' work methods to large organizations.

(Picture: symbolic archival picture)

Best paper award at 20th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS)

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:27:00 GMT

Together with my co-authors Anne Faber, Adrian Hernandez-Mendez and Professor Florian Matthes from TU Munich, I have received a best paper award at the 20th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS) , which has been held at Madeira in March 2018. The article presents " An Agile Framework for Modeling Smart City Business Ecosystems " and reports results from a cooperation of the authors in context of the TUM Living Lab Connected Mobility (TUM LLCM) project. As part of the cooperation, a novel modeling web platform has been developed that empowers end-users to manage business ecosystem models and underlying data, the Business Ecosystem Explorer ( link ).

Guest Lecture held by Dr. A. Emunds of T-Systems

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 22:09:00 GMT

Dr. Axel Emunds, T-Systems International GmbH , today gave a guest lecture on Service Management as part of my Introduction to MIS lecture. Dr. Emunds introduced the students to the concept of ICT-enabled services, highlighting the fact that most of the services around us require production factors unseen by the customer, at the same time being the core asset of service providers. His lecture, being an integral part of the lecture for several years, also gave an overview of current management instruments in the domain of IT Service Management.

(Picture: symbolic archival picture)

Presentation on Digital Twins - Interaction and Collaboration in Virtual Reality

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 07:40:00 GMT

Today I gave a presentation on the "Successful R&I in Europe 2018: 9th European Networking Event", organized by ZENIT GmbH in Düsseldorf.

The presentation looked at why digital twins contribute to leveraging Virtual Reality (VR) in firms and which are current topics to explore through cooperative research. During the workshop “European projects seeking partners" dedicated to particpants from Nanotechnology, Materials and Manufacturing (NMM) areas, many good discussions and ideas for projects resulted.

Find the event presentations here .

Supporting new student initiative Business-Meets-Tech

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 21:25:00 GMT

Over the course of the past year, a group of students has been engaged in raising the awareness for the importance of novel technologies for business success among the WHU student body. The initiative now gained the official status of a student initiative at WHU as Business Meets Tech (BMT) - The WHU Tech Initiative! I am happy to support the initiative as academic advisor. Congratulations to the team - I wish to all involved a successful start and many interesting activities! The BMT team intends (1) to transfer knowledge through Tech-Workshops and the BMT Coding Club, (2) to offer industry-insights through Tech-Tours, and (3) to expand WHU business school’s network by contacts and networking opportunities into related technology industries.

Research on Smart Cities in cooperation with TUM presented at ICIS 2017 in Seoul

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:26:00 GMT

Early results of a cooperation project with Technical University of Munich (TUM) were presented at the 38th International Conference on Information Systems that took place in Seoul, South Korea, in December 2017. The research rests on results of the TUM Living Lab Connected Mobility (TUM LLCM) project that has been funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Aairs and Media, Energy and Technology (StMWi). The research by Ms Anne Faber from the Chair of Software Engineering of Business Information Systems at TUM, led by Prof. Dr. Florian Matthes, and myself, looks into the challenges and opportunities for " Visualizing Platform Hubs of Smart City Mobility Business Ecosystems ". Such visualizations allow to analyse mobility and related services, business models and options for government policies, in order to support the creation of integrated service ecosystems for smarter transportation. Co-author Professor Lakshmi Goel from Univ. of North Florida presented the research in Seoul. The article can be obtained from the

Article on networking capabilities and resources of SMEs appears in JAIS

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 19:30:00 GMT

Using Information Systems in Innovation Networks: Uncovering Network Resources

An article on the role of information systems (IS) in innovation networks of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has appeared in the August 2017 issue of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS).

In this paper, we argue that firms also have to develop particular networking capabilities (i.e., they have to understand who they are partnering with, what each partner can contribute, and how exactly each partner can cooperate with others across the network). The article is co-authored by Professor Lakshmi Goel from Univ. of North Florida, and Professor Iris Junglas from Florida State University and myself. It introduces a novel concept, IS-embedded network resources , which helps understanding how IS help SMEs reaching competitive advantages in innovation networks.

"IS are vital in developing unique constellations of resources (i.e., physical, human, and organizational resources) that we term IS-embedded network resources. These resources are manifested in the IS and are unique to the innovation network because they go beyond resources at the firm level. "

The work bases on research conducted in relation to the SmartNets European Commission co-funded community research project.

Book on 'Cybernetics and Transformation' published

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 19:30:00 GMT

The proceedings of the annual conference 2015 of the Society for Managerial and Social Cybernetics (German: Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialkybernetik GWS e.V. ) have now been published by Duncker & Humblot, Berlin.

Professor Thomas Fischer, who has co-chaired the conference in 2015 and sadly passed away in 2016 is named editor, together with Sven-V. Rehm.

The conference volume comprises 12 articles that report on the current state of management and social cybernetics research . For the context of Digital Transformation , research results and applications are presented from various perspectives. The contributions provide a variety of interdisciplinary insights into how today's forms and technologies of communication influence organizations and how systems can be systematically described and modeled in their entire diversity.

Find more information on the book at the publisher's website .

Research partner receives prestigious technology entrepreneurship award

Mon, 08 May 2017 20:39:00 GMT

Qbit Technologies Inc. is one of the TiE50 Award winners of the 2017 Top Startup competition. I am happy and grateful for the opportunity work with QBit's founder and CEO Mr. M. Crespi since many years on research in virtual reality applications.

Qbit offers virtual reality (VR) & augmented reality (AR) simulations. Mr. M. Crespi is a long-term partner and also co-author of a recent article on the Metaverse and the Digital Transformation of society and business. TiE Silicon Valley is a global, not-for-profit network of entrepreneurs and professionals. Their TiE50 awards program attracts thousands of technology startups each year. ( Link to Qbit press release )

Using information systems to achieve complementarity in SME innovation networks

Sat, 06 May 2017 19:26:00 GMT

A research article on how Information Systems (IS) can be used to achieve fit between partners of innovation networks has appeared in the Information & Management journal. The article was written by myself and co-author Associate Professor Lakshmi Goel, PhD, from University of North Florida. It presents results of the European research project SmartNets.

Within dynamic innovation networks of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), complementarity between innovation partners is central to extend firm-level resources and capabilities and create synergies at the network level. We oer a conceptual model of how complementarity in SME innovation networks can be supported with the help of interorganizational systems.

Link to article

Guest lecture of Ms Angela De Giacomo on Work & Life in India

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 21:17:00 GMT

Ms Angela De Giacomo, Manager Bissell Family Office and Founder of Wundernova , today held a guest lecture in scope of a lecture on Management in India.

Living and working herself in India for many years, she is today an expert on linking Indian and German businesses. Her talk was about cultural, political and work life differences between the two countries, and how to cope with them, giving the students an insight into the diversity and fascination of India. She followed an invitation of WHU Assistant Professor M. Prause and myself. The guest lecture is a key event in an experience-centered course that offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture and work environments of emerging markets in a two weeks excursion.

Prestigious award certifications for software of long-term research cooperator

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 20:44:00 GMT

Dr. Christian Coppeneur-Gülz and his team have received two prestigious award certifications at the competition INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT 2017 of Initiative Mittelstand , an initiative focusing on information technology to extend the innovation potential of small and medium-sized businesses.

The myWWM system , an Event Resource Management (ERM) solution to digitally transform management of Live Communications, received the certificate "BEST OF 2017" and was nominated finalist in the category "On Demand".

Dr. Coppeneur-Gülz has started developing the myWWM system during his time as doctoral student at the chair of Business Information Science and Information Management at WHU; its development is now continued in the WWM Lab. Read the press release here .

I am also happy to have Dr. Coppeneur-Gülz as a guest speaker in my lectures since many years. On April 11th, he gave a guest lecture as part of the Business Information Systems module at WHU on Software-as-a-Service, also talking about his journey to digitally transform a traditional family business into a 'digital company'.

Practice-oriented article highlights the role of BPM for digitalization

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 20:25:00 GMT

The current issue of WHU's Controlling & Management Review journal features an article co-authored by myself on how firms can prepare for new legal provisions in Germany using procedural documentations. Procedural documentations extend business process management (BPM) and can become a vital tool for digitalization. Professional expertise was provided by my co-authors Mr. H. Heimfarth and Mr. T. Martin as certied accountants. The article is the result of a cooperation started in scope of the Forum Mittelstand initiative of WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Koblenz. WHU's Controlling & Management Review is published by Springer. Reference: Heimfarth, Helmut; Martin, Thomas; Rehm, Sven-Volker (2017): Mit Verfahrensdokumentationen fit für die digitale Zukunft. In: Controlling & Management Review 61 (1), S. 56–61. DOI: 10.1007/s12176-016-0106-8. ( Link )

Welcoming Entrepreneur-in-Residence at my chair at WHU

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 22:02:00 GMT

In December 2016, I had the pleasure to host Dr. Christian Coppeneur-Gülz , CEO of WWM GmbH & Co. KG as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at my chair's new chair location in the IP-C building.

Dr. Coppeneur-Gülz is a WHU diploma graduate and has also received his doctorate from WHU. Building on his exceptional experience as entrepreneur who has successfully transformed his family company into a digital business in the area of Live Communication and Event Resource Management, he was available to share his insights in digital business and start-ups with students.

Picture credit: WWM GmbH & Co. KG

Invited talk at European project panel on ‘entrepreneurship across borders’

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 19:25:00 GMT

In late September 2016, I was invited to a panel of the international workshop on “Developing a really international enterprising mind in and around universities” kick-starting the Entrepreneurship beyond borders project at University of Strasbourg . The 8-partner project is co-funded by the French state and aims at both promoting a culture for cross-border entrepreneurship in universities and creating an interdisciplinary, intercultural and cross-border network of entrepreneurs. The project is situated within the Franco-German-Swiss geographical area of the Upper Rhine. I had the honor of being invited as an expert in international cooperation and digital transformation of industrial firms, because in the past I had coordinated research projects that created more than ten international innovation networks, resulting in several new businesses and spin-offs.

Profile

New Publication in MIS Quarterly Executive

Cybernetic Perspectives on Collective Intelligence in Digital Platform Ecosystems

The Springer Handbook of Hybrid Intelligence: Call for Chapters Now Open

The Springer Handbook of Hybrid Intelligence: Call for Chapters Now Open

Why Hybrid Intelligence — and why a Handbook?

About the Call for Chapters

An Interdisciplinary Effort

If You Are Interested…

Announcing the Launch of Collective Intelligence Perspectives

A New Journal on Collective Intelligence, Systems Thinking, and Interdisciplinary Inquiry

Announcing the Launch of SynergyLab

synergylab.space ﻿

Launching a New Chapter with Hybrid Intelligence World (HIW)

ChatGPT: What is it to us, and what do we make of it?

Editorial Commentary published 'On the challenges and opportunities of ChatGPT' in IJIM

Launch of the Data Culture Certificate at EM Strasbourg Business School

Introduction to Active Learning

Addressing climate change: Research featured in Le Monde

Presentation at ECIS 2022 in Timisoara, Romania

IFIP 8.6 Working Conference, Dublin, in June 2022

Research featured in the Wall Street Journal

IT Empowerment: Freedom to chose BYOD devices at work can increase innovative behavior

Interview on Smart Cities and Urban Experimentation published in Acteurs Publics

Short paper on cyber resilience forthcoming at ICIS in December 2021

Presentation at ACM Collective Intelligence Conference 2021 (CI-2021)

Invited article on Urban Experimentation published open access

TUM Global Visiting Professorship started

Book Chapter published in 'Architecting the Digital Transformation'

Book chapter published in 'Innovations for Metropolitan Areas'

Best paper award at AMCIS 2019

ACM Collective Intelligence conference 2019, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

Best paper award at ACIS 2018 in Sydney

Guest Lecture on Mobility Ecosystems

Article on Modeling Business Ecosystems published in the Information journal

Guest lecture by Entrepreneurship beyond borders project of UNISTRA

Guest Lecture by Rob Copeland of ZF

Opening Note at the first WHU Hackathon

Virtual Reality Lab initiated in cooperation with Qbit Technologies

Introduction to Data Science courses on DataCamp started with good success

Neues Buch zum Event-Resource-Management mit digitalen Tools erschienen

System Dynamics workshop for IS researchers in Stuttgart

Presentation at ISPIM on "Collaborating in Virtual Reality by Using Digital Twins"

Forum Mittelstand at WHU: Keynotes and conversations on digital transformation

Invited presentation at SIM Connect Live in Dallas

Guest Lecture held by Mr. U. Johnen of T-Systems

Best paper award at 20th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS)

Guest Lecture held by Dr. A. Emunds of T-Systems

Presentation on Digital Twins - Interaction and Collaboration in Virtual Reality

Supporting new student initiative Business-Meets-Tech

Research on Smart Cities in cooperation with TUM presented at ICIS 2017 in Seoul

Article on networking capabilities and resources of SMEs appears in JAIS

Book on 'Cybernetics and Transformation' published

Research partner receives prestigious technology entrepreneurship award

Using information systems to achieve complementarity in SME innovation networks

Guest lecture of Ms Angela De Giacomo on Work & Life in India

Prestigious award certifications for software of long-term research cooperator

Practice-oriented article highlights the role of BPM for digitalization

Welcoming Entrepreneur-in-Residence at my chair at WHU

Invited talk at European project panel on ‘entrepreneurship across borders’

synergylab.space