D3 Article in professional conference proceedings
Navigating in the Digital Jungle : Articulating Combinatory Affordances of Digital Infrastructures for Collaboration (2019)

Zimmer, M. P., & Niemimaa, M. (2019). Navigating in the Digital Jungle : Articulating Combinatory Affordances of Digital Infrastructures for Collaboration. In D. Xu, J. J. Jiang, & H.-W. K. Kim (Eds.), PACIS 2019 : Proceedings of the 23rd Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. Barriers to Intergenerational Innovation in Global Context (Article 209). Association for Information Systems. https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2019/209

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Zimmer, Markus Philipp; Niemimaa, Marko

Parent publication: PACIS 2019 : Proceedings of the 23rd Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. Barriers to Intergenerational Innovation in Global Context

Parent publication editors: Xu, Dongming; Jiang, James Jiang; Kim, Hee-Woong Kim

Place and date of conference: Xi’an, China, 8.-12.7.2019

Publication year: 2019

Article number: 209

Publisher: Association for Information Systems

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2019/209

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/69652

Abstract

During digital transformation, companies integrate digital technologies creating large and complex digital infrastructures. These digital infrastructures hold combinatory affordances enabling companies to achieve outcomes that are more than the sum of their parts (i.e., the individual digital technologies). Owing to the complexity of digital infrastructures, these combinatory affordances are ever-present but hidden in the thicket of the infrastructure making their effective use a challenge. We report on an ethnographic study of a large German car manufacturer (Car Inc.) that increasingly integrated digital technologies into its infrastructure as part of its digital transformation strategy. With its infrastructure growing into a ‘digital jungle’, the combinatory affordances remained hidden impeding the infrastructure’s effective use. To facilitate effective use of their infrastructure, that is, support employees to navigate the digital jungle, Car Inc. created a digital compass as a tool to articulate the affordances hidden in the thickets of the digital jungle.

Keywords: digitalisation; digital technology; infrastructures; use; efficiency (properties)

Free keywords: digitalization; digital transformation; IT infrastructure; affordances; effective use; automotive; combinatory affordances

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2020