Information Technology Artifacts Research Articles

What can we learn from multimorbidity? A deep dive from its risk patterns to the corresponding patient profiles

Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic conditions within an individual, represents one of the most intricate challenges for global health systems. Traditional single-disease management often fails to address the multifaceted nature of multimorbidity. Network model emerges as a growing field for elucidating the interconnections among multimorbidity. However, the field lacks a standardized method to compute and visually represent of these networks. Given the challenges, this study proposes a three-stage methodology to decipher multimorbidity. First, we integrate the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method with the multimorbidity encapsulation framework to develop the Multimorbidity Risk Network (MRN). Second, we use complex network techniques to identify high-risk patterns within MRN communities. Finally, we apply machine learning techniques to correlate these communities with the biological attributes of patients that have been marginalized in most studies. Our approach advocates a paradigm shift from the conventional focus on single diseases to a holistic, patient-centric approach, providing decision-makers with integrated information technology artifacts for deciphering the multimorbidity.

Consumer Usage of Mobile Visual Search in China

As an emerging information retrieval technology, mobile visual search (MVS) has considerable development potential and broad market application prospects. Although many studies have explored user behaviors with various information technology artifacts, few have specifically investigated consumers' MVS intentions and behaviors. For filling the gap, this study is to integrate perceived contextual offer (PCO) and implementation intention into the theoretical model of UTAUT2, aiming to explore potential predictors of Chinese consumers' MVS usage intention and behavior. The results showed that consumers' perceptions of contextual offer, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and their using habit had significant effects on consumers' MVS usage intention. Habit, usage intention, and facilitating conditions showed significant predictive power for consumers' MVS implementation intention and their further usage behavior. Additionally, habit and usage intention indirectly influenced consumers' MVS usage through the complementary mediation of implementation intention.

Creating Proactive Cyber Threat Intelligence with Hacker Exploit Labels: A Deep Transfer Learning Approach

The rapid proliferation of complex information systems has been met by an ever-increasing quantity of exploits that can cause irreparable cyber breaches. To mitigate these cyber threats, academia and industry have placed a significant focus on proactively identifying and labeling exploits developed by the international hacker community. However, prevailing approaches for labeling exploits in hacker forums do not leverage metadata from exploit darknet markets or public exploit repositories to enhance labeling performance. In this study, we adopted the computational design science paradigm to develop a novel information technology artifact, the deep transfer learning exploit labeler (DTL-EL). DTL-EL incorporates a pre-initialization design, multi-layer deep transfer learning (DTL), and a self-attention mechanism to automatically label exploits in hacker forums. We rigorously evaluated the proposed DTL-EL against state-of-the-art non-DTL benchmark methods based in classical machine learning and deep learning. Results suggest that the proposed DTL-EL significantly outperforms benchmark methods based on accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Our proposed DTL-EL framework provides important practical implications for key stakeholders such as cybersecurity managers, analysts, and educators.

Improving Threat Mitigation Through a Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework: A Computational Design Science Approach

ABSTRACT Cyberattacks have been increasing in volume and intensity, necessitating proactive measures. Cybersecurity risk management frameworks are deployed to provide actionable intelligence to mitigate potential threats by analyzing the available cybersecurity data. Existing frameworks, such as MITRE ATT&CK, provide timely mitigation strategies against attacker capabilities yet do not account for hacker data when developing cyber threat intelligence. Therefore, we developed a novel information technology artifact, ATT&CK-Link, which incorporates a novel transformer and multi-teacher knowledge distillation design, to link hacker threats to this broadly used framework. Here, we illustrated how hospital systems can use this framework to proactively protect their cyberinfrastructure against hacker threats. Our ATT&CK-Link framework has practical implications for cybersecurity professionals, who can implement our framework to generate strategic, operational, and tactical cyber threat intelligence. ATT&CK-Link also contributes to the information systems knowledge base by providing design principles to pursue targeted cybersecurity analytics, risk management, and broader text analytics research through simultaneous multi-modal (e.g., text and code) distillation and classification.

The ICT-Artefact in Capability Approach: Analysing an ICT-enabled, Renewable Energy Intervention, in Rural Kenya

This paper proposes a novel conceptualisation that holistically places the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Artefact in Capability Approach (CA). The conceptualisation harmonises the different views about technology within CA-based frameworks in ICT4D, in order to address the inconsistencies. To demonstrate the utility of the conceptualisation, while simultaneously addressing the highest thematic research gap among post-2015 ICT4D research priorities, the study collected primary data from users of Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) solar kits who reside in rural Kenya. Using the conceptualisation, the study demonstrated that the ICT-artefact can holistically be placed within three of CA’s concepts: under material resources as a capability input; as a new category of conversion factors (technological factors); and as a component within the structural context. The study further demonstrated how the same ICT artefact could play out in the three different conceptualisations, resulting in different development outcomes. The study finally presents the implications for policy and practice.

How “What you think you know about cybersecurity” can help users make more secure decisions

The increasing use of information technology artifacts in daily life makes security a shared responsibility of both users and companies. In recent years, increasing a user's objective (i.e., actual) security knowledge and providing applications with more secure default settings appear among the most ubiquitous tools companies use to broaden their efforts to help users make more secure decisions. Examining both solutions matters because they are widely used, cost effective, and understood by many security practitioners. Additionally, default settings and users’ objective knowledge provide anchors for decision-making. However, human errors and insecure default settings are increasing and raising further questions about the efficacy of such efforts. Using the theory of bounded rationality, we investigated the role of objective, subjective (i.e., self-assessed) security knowledge, and default settings security level on the overall decision security. We found that objective security knowledge can lead to secure decisions when paired with high subjective security knowledge. In the absence of the latter, objective security knowledge is unable to lead to better security decisions. Furthermore, subjective security knowledge reduces the extent to which users fully accept default security settings, thereby mitigating bias toward insecure default settings.

Blockchain-enabled traceability system for the sustainable seafood industry

ABSTRACT This study highlights both theoretical as well as practical contributions to improving traceability in supply chain management with special focus on the fish supply chain. As a theoretical contribution, it highlights how blockchain technology can contribute to improving supply chain transparency in various sectors by providing real-time visibility. Concerning practical contributions, this study adopted a case study approach in the Philippines to track and trace the fish supply chain from bait to plate. It deploys a project titled ‘Tracy’, a blockchain-based information technology artifact to support fishermen in the Philippines, who are facing numerous challenges in the seafood industry such as different standards and regulations, requirements for international exports, catch certification, etc. This study specifically contributes to developing a smartphone app through the Tracy project that allows fishermen to view the history of their fish captures and exchanges (such as the name of the fish species, weight, and length of the fish, date of capture, and vessel name). The update of transaction histories, the identity of the fishermen, and the amount of fish that has to be sold are additional updates also made possible by this app. This research study concludes with overall study outcomes and limitations with future research.

The regulation of and through information technology: Towards a conceptual ontology for IS research

This special issue addresses a largely neglected area of Information Systems (IS) research – the regulation of and through Information Technology (IT). As with other human technologies, IT artefacts present risks and can harm individuals, groups, organisations, economies, and society: However, this remains a largely unexplored topic in IS research. Nevertheless, regulators, social commentators, the media, and the public have voiced their concerns about such risks, particularly those related to artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, privacy, digital assets (e.g. cryptocurrencies), and the market dominance of digital platforms. Accordingly, regulations have been instituted or proposed to regulate IT artefacts in and across several business sectors. Additionally, in response to the informational challenges posed by a complex web of laws and regulations, regulators and business organisations have implemented IT artefacts to transform regulatory and supervisory processes or to enhance organisational risk management and compliance reporting capabilities. This special issue addresses the research challenges related to emergent issues surrounding the regulation of and through IT. In this editorial, we take stock of where the field currently stands. We advance a conceptual ontology of IT regulation to guide future research by specifying several taken-for-granted core concepts. By rendering the concepts, categories, and their relationships explicit, the model and its related research questions provide a firm foundation to generate a cumulative body of research on the regulation of and through IT.

Use of Body Worn Camera (BWC) In Gray Scenarios: a Law Enforcement Officers’ Perspective

ABSTRACT Body Worn Camera (BWC) is an Information Technology (IT) artefact that has begun to be used in law enforcement. In this paper, we develop a research model that focuses on law enforcement agents’ perspective about the ethical use of BWC, by extending rational choice theory (RCT) from the standpoint of cost/benefit of using BWC, contextual factors, as well as organisational justice. The paper tests the relationship between three factors: a) work motivation, b) cost of using BWC, and c) benefit of using BWC and police perceptions of ethical use of BWC. In addition, we test the moderating effects of work-related uncertainty on the above three relationships. The associations between organisational justice factors and work motivation are also discussed. Further, in collaboration with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), we develop three grey BWC scenarios that are not clearly ethical nor clearly unethical. We apply a survey methodology to test the model in the context of grey scenarios. The results show that work motivation and the risk of using BWC are negatively related with the law enforcement agents’ perceptions about ethical use of BWC and these relationships are negatively moderated by work-related uncertainty, while justice constructs are positively associated with perceived work motivation.

Affect and information technology use: the impact of state affect on cognitions and IT use

PurposeThis paper investigates the dynamics between state affect and trusting cognitive beliefs on post-adoptive information technology (IT) use behaviors in the form of intention to explore and deep structure usage. That state affect can influence behaviors is recognized in practice. In fact, some studies examine the impact of affective constructs, but the way state affect impacts how individuals use IT remains largely unexplored. The authors theorize that state affect, in the form of positive and negative affect, will influence trusting cognitive beliefs regarding an IT artifact (in terms of perceived helpfulness, capability and reliability) and, more importantly, directly influence intention to explore and deep structure usage.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test the model using a sample of 357 IT users. Survey items were derived from established measures, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults of this study suggest that positive affect and negative affect impact trusting cognitive beliefs. Trusting cognitive beliefs positively impact intention to explore with an IT and deep structure usage of an IT. Even in the presence of trusting beliefs, though, positive affect directly impacts intention to explore. Positive affect and negative affect both also have various indirect, mediated effects on intention to explore and deep structure usage.Originality/valueIn order to maximize value from workplace IT, the results suggest managers foster an authentic, positive work environment in order to harness or redirect employees' emotional energies.

Regulation of data-driven market power in the digital economy: Business value creation and competitive advantages from big data

Recent high-profile antitrust cases and policy proposals have put a spotlight on the relationship between firms’ access to big data and sustained competitive advantages in digital markets. In Europe, concerns about data-driven market power have led policymakers to propose far-reaching regulations of information technology (IT) in these markets. Despite the global policy relevance, the regulation of big data and its competitive effects has so far received little attention in information systems (IS) research. This article addresses this research gap by developing an overarching framework for future IS research on the role of IT for the regulation of data-driven market power. The proposed research framework builds upon a three-part analysis: First, we review the academic literature and show that there is extensive, although nuanced, empirical evidence for business value creation from big (user) data. Second, we draw on the resource-based view of the firm and recent policy reports to derive six facilitating factors that enable firms to establish market power based on sustained data-driven competitive advantages. Third, we characterize three regulatory approaches to govern market power and competition in data-driven digital markets: (i) empowering consumers, (ii) data openness, and (iii) limiting data scale. For each of these approaches, we highlight the key role of IT artifacts in mediating the effect of regulatory rules on actual practice.

MANAGING GREEN IT: A REVOLUTION FOR CRAFTING THE IDEA OF SMART CITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY

Green Information Technology (IT) denotes the policies and practices that firms should follow to manage IT operations to comply with green norms. Typically for a firm that mainly uses IT for its business, for mankind products or providing services, Green IT practices involve using IT in such a manner as to reduce carbon emissions or to use IT to monitor and manage carbon or other polluting emissions. There are mainly two aspects of Green IT practices: (i) Use IT efficiently to comply with green norms. (ii) Use IT to ensure other firm activities conform to green norms. Firms involved in making IT products or those who provide IT Services have to consider additional aspects of Green IT. The design of IT products follows Green Practices that includes designing both hardware and software. The IT artefacts produced in this manner are thus compliant with green norms, and the firms can assure their customers about the usage of environmentally sound processes. Usage of computers and networking technology requires energy both for making the device and running them. In recent years, as the usage of computer technology has grown in business, government and society, the consumption of energy has also increased. The government has recognized the threat of unrestrained and uncontrolled carbon emissions and has formed various guidelines to control emissions and pollution. Many firms have taken steps to understand their energy consumption patterns with regard to their IT usage and have implemented measures to ‘Go Green’. There are economic advantages of going green, in addition to those of acting responsibly. In this paper, the authors have explained how in the realm of IT, going green means using technology in an environment-friendly manner and using IT to control carbon emissions. The aim is to conduct a detailed study on managing Green IT and how smart cities can be crafted in a different way with the help of IT. An overall comprehensive insight is provided to deliver assistance for the development of advanced smart cities in the future.

Is it Your Fault? Framing Social Media Inclusion and Exclusion Using Just World Theory

Individuals who have experienced harm (also known as victims) by people, organizations, or adverse events sometimes use social media to share their experiences with others, search for information, and find social support. While some observers offer support and engage in inclusion toward victims on social media, other observers blame victims for their plight and participate in revictimization and exclusion. Victim blaming, which can lead to social exclusion, disproportionately impacts those in society who are already at risk for exclusion and may perpetuate existing racial, ethnic, gender, and economic inequalities. This research provides a theoretical framework to identify reasons why observers engage in such wide-ranging responses to victims on social media. Specifically, we consider social inclusion and exclusion at the confluence of a social phenomenon (victim blaming), a theory (just world theory), and an information technology artifact (social media) among a specific type of actor (observers). Our theoretical framework of social media inclusion and exclusion is informed by just world theory and considers how social media functionalities can promote social media inclusion or exclusion. We also offer research questions to stimulate future research related to social media inclusion, social media exclusion, and just world theory.

Actionable insights for horticulture supply chains through advanced IoT analytics

This research addresses one of the key challenges facing the horticulture industry, disruption. Disruption both on farm and post-harvest through the supply chain. Caused by exogenous factors such as wars, trade sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic, the small and medium sized horticulture farming businesses which represent most of the supply to the sector are faced with daily decisions in attempts to mitigate the disruption. A research gap was identified in the data available to these horticulture farmers to inform their supply chain decisions. Using action design research methodology, the gap and problem were defined with a stakeholder group of subject matter experts from the horticulture industry in Australia. Through ongoing cycles of feedback with this group, a framework, the Horticulture Supply Chain Analytics (HSCA) framework was developed with a supporting IT (Information Technology) artifact. The stakeholder group strongly recommended that a level of autonomy be developed in the solution as the farmers are time poor, requiring actionable insights from the supply chain data. A novel concept was developed to achieve this level of autonomy using geospatial enhancements to the supply chain event logs, generated by the GPS (Global Position System) trackers, to allow for autonomous supply chain monitoring and compliance checking. A banana farm was selected for evaluation of the framework, which required deployment of IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, both on the farm and the consignments being transported to customers. The HSCA framework was found to deliver actionable insights for the banana business, improving on farm productivity, reduction in key input costs as well as improving post-harvest quality and yield. Results and learnings from the banana farm use case have been captured and generalized for the horticulture sector.

Responsible cognitive digital clones as decision-makers: a design science research study

ABSTRACT This study uses a design science research methodology to develop and evaluate the Pi-Mind agent, an information technology artefact that acts as a responsible, resilient, ubiquitous cognitive clone – or a digital copy – and an autonomous representative of a human decision-maker. Pi-Mind agents can learn the decision-making capabilities of their “donors” in a specific training environment based on generative adversarial networks. A trained clone can be used by a decision-maker as an additional resource for one’s own cognitive enhancement, as an autonomous representative, or even as a replacement when appropriate. The assumption regarding this approach is as follows: when someone was forced to leave a critical process because of, for example, sickness, or wanted to take care of several simultaneously running processes, then they would be more confident knowing that their autonomous digital representatives were as capable and predictable as their exact personal “copy”. The Pi-Mind agent was evaluated in a Ukrainian higher education environment and a military logistics laboratory. In this paper, in addition to describing the artefact, its expected utility, and its design process within different contexts, we include the corresponding proof of concept, proof of value, and proof of use.

Kaupapa Māori concept modelling for the creation of Māori IT Artefacts

ABSTRACT This paper introduces a kaupapa Māori model for the creation of Māori Information Technology (IT) artefacts, an alternative Artificial Intelligence (AI) related development to the exciting colonial dominated AI biased systems. In Aotearoa, Māori are over-represented in underachievement in education, poor health, welfare dependency and incarceration rates (New Zealand Department of Corrections. 2007. Over-representation of Māori in the criminal justice system: an exploratory report. Department of Corrections [updated January 2022; accessed]. https://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/10715/Over-representation-of-Maori-in-the-criminal-justice-system.pdf.; Maclaurin J, Liddicoat J, Gavighan C, Knott A, Zerilli J. 2019. Government use of artificial intelligence in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: The New Zealand Law Foundation). These disparities are now surfacing in imperial algorithms and exacerbating biased stereotypes in AI systems. We theorise that Kaupapa Māori theory is the foundation for the action of a Kaupapa Māori Modelling IT Artefact that provides solutions to solve whānau, hapū and iwi problems. We reflected on a critical review of selected literature on historical and contemporary Māori leadership and governance to identify elements of mātauranga and tikanga Māori that could enshrine the IT Artefacts. Investigations then took place to seek ways to transfer these elements of mātauranga and tikanga Māori into framed IT Artefacts during the problem initiation stage of the artefact. This paper presents a kaupapa Māori model for the creation of Māori IT artefacts. Whilst no discrete testing was undertaken, the Kaupapa Māori model provides an avenue to pursue an ontological paradigm using cause and effect theory for future research. Glossary of Māori terms: Aotearoa: Māori name for New Zealand; Hapū: Subtribe; Iwi: Tribe; Kai: Food; Kākahu: Garments, cloths, cloak, apparel, clothing, costume; Kapahaka: Concert party, haka group, Māori performing group; Kaupapa Māori: Māori principles and ideas which act as a base for action; Kōhanga Reo: Preschool language nests establishments; Kura Kaupapa Māori: Māori language immersion schools; Manaakitanga: Caring and sharing; Māori: Indigenous people of Aotearoa; Mana: Power, authority, ownership or, status; Marae: A sacred and communal place that serves religious and social purposes in Māori societies; Mātauranga Māori: Māori epistemology/knowledge; Niho taniwha: ‘Teeth of the taniwha’, the saw-edged pattern so often seen on tukutuku panels; Pākehā: New Zealander of European descent; Pōwhiri: To welcome, invite, beckon, wave; Raranga: Weaving; Te ao Mārama: Concept relating to wisdom and understanding, and the natural world of life and light; Tā moko: Tattoo; Tāniko: Finger weave, embroider; Te Pō: Night, darkness or place of departed spirits; Te reo Māori: Māori language; Tikanga Māori: Māori ontology/practices or Māori governance and intellectual protocols; Tino rangatiratanga: Self-determination, sovereignty, autonomy, self-government, domination, rule, control, power; Tukutuku: Lattice-work on panels; Wānanga: Māori tertiary institute; Whakapapa: Genealogy; Whakawhanaungatanga: Relationship, kinship, sense of family connection; Whakairo: Carving; Whānau: Family; Whenua: Land; Whiri / whiriwhiri: To deliberate, to consider or to bind together; Whakataukī: Proverb, significant saying, formulaic saying, cryptic saying, aphorism; Kei roto i a koe tōu ake mana: The seed of potential lies within each of us; He waka eke noa: We are all in this canoe together; Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi: With your food basket and my food basket, our people will thrive; Mauri tū, mauri ora: An active soul is a healthy soul; Pinetohu: Labels; Tātai hono: Connections – Make connections; Te anga taunekeneke: Framing – Interactions framework; Ngā piringa: Relationships; Ki te toro: Engagement – To engage.

Generalizing the Information Systems Artifact

Suppose that a successful information systems (IS) artifact is created by a scholar for use in a research study or by a practitioner for use in an organization; how may the IS artifact be replicated in, or generalized to, another setting? The overall utility of the IS artifact depends on a way to generalize it. To provide such a way, we engage in three things. First, we distinguish an information systems artifact from its better-known sibling, the information technology artifact, by noting that the former includes three mutually supportive subsystems: the technology artifact, the social artifact, and the information artifact, where all three need to be designed and developed for the generalized IS artifact to be successful. Second, we devise a procedure to generalize the IS artifact based on a thorough examination of, and analogy to, generalizing scientific theory. Third, we provide a real-world illustration, involving the generalization of an IS artifact from one setting (the “computer on a stick” for educational purposes in Haiti) to another setting (the “continuing medical education on a stick” in Nepal). The generalization procedure can facilitate the production of working design science artifacts in more than just the original setting.

Factors Affecting the Accessibility of IT Artifacts: A Systematic Review

Accessibility awareness and development have improved in the past two decades, but many users still encounter accessibility barriers when using information technology (IT) artifacts (e.g., user interfaces and websites). Current research in information systems and human-computer interaction disciplines explores methods, techniques, and factors affecting the accessibility of IT artifacts for a particular population and provides solutions to address these barriers. However, a design of IT artifacts realized in one solution should be used to provide accessibility to the widest range of users, which requires an integration of solutions. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the factors that cause accessibility barriers and the solutions for users with different needs. This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by revealing (1) management- and development-level factors, and (2) user perspective factors affecting accessibility that address different accessibility barriers to different populations (based on the International Classification of Functioning by the World Health Organization). Based on these findings, we synthesize and illustrate the factors and solutions that need to be addressed when creating an accessible IT artifact.

General Spatial Pattern and Meta-Pattern Model for Problems That Need Analytical Approach in Complex Spatial Systems

Spatial Pattern (SP) Description, Identification, and Application Methodology (SPDIAM) was developed for describing and detecting spatial economic, social, and environmental phenomena and providing basic information technology (IT) artefacts that can be used for the spatial analysis development using GIS technologies. SPDIAM allows urban planning and design practitioners to describe SP in a computerized manner, identify SP automatically, and apply them in the spatial planning and design domain. In this article, we explain the general SP and spatial meta-pattern model, used in SPDIAM, that is based on the theory of Complex Spatial System (CSS), spatial configuration, and spatial capital concepts and is presented using UML diagrams as standard used for visualization of project models from structure and behavior points of views. The practical experiment of describing and identifying 6 basic spatial meta-pattern values is conducted using the new algorithm that combines Space Syntax method, Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA), and VGA measures to create a computer model of space and to quantify its configuration, which can then be used to handle geographic and geometric data associated with attribute information, to perform spatial, mathematical, and statistical calculations and to visualize SP. The results of the experiment show that the model and the algorithm are appropriate for spatial meta-patterns identification, and the best results can be achieved using VGA measure Isovist Compactness. In the future, general SP and the spatial meta-pattern model can be used to describe and identify complex SP and to solve problems in CSS with the help of the spatial meta-pattern values described in this article.

Detecting temporal workarounds in business processes – A deep-learning-based method for analysing event log data

ABSTRACT Business process management distinguishes the actual “as-is” and a prescribed “to-be” state of a process. In practice, many different causes trigger a process’s drifting away from its to-be state. For instance, employees may “workaround” the proposed systems to increase their effectiveness or efficiency in day-to-day work. So far, ethnography or critical incident techniques are used to identify how and why workarounds emerge. We design a deep-learning-based method that helps detect different workaround types in event logs. Our method tracks indications of potential workarounds in the early stages of their emergence among deviating behaviour. Our evaluation based on four real-life event logs reveals that our method performs well and works best for business processes with fewer variations and a higher number of different activities. The proposed method is one of the first information technology artefacts to bridge the boundaries between the complementing research disciplines of organisational routines and business processes management.