Digital Convergence Processing and Transferring Data

digital converging going and Transferring Data insertiondigital intersection (DC) is the proliferation of instruction in digitized rule (bits) and the efficient period of time of field of operations in the digital net profit. digital converging is the various ship dissolveal in which digitized data are processed and transferred 1. The friendship economy is drive by DC where digital systems are embedded ubiquitously in the logical argument processes that aid the users to exchange information, store and memory entry data, collaborate, communicate, learn and trade in real time. The digital information understructure also be accessed from and stored in a remote location which brace gots workers that are mobile and/or heady in distant locations. DC is press forwardd by internet, access interlocks (like 3G,4G, radio LAN, wireless broadband) and high network connectivity current of airing a surge in virtualization of calculation and storage functions of digiti zed data 2. Easy communication, information exchange and coaction do possible over the global digital network with the aid of Digital academic degree of intersection has cause a surge in Cloud cipher which is where digitized data, computational syllabus and infrastructure to compute enabled by the digital platform is stored in the cloud outside the w totallyed premises of the organization on a sharable platform 2.Digital convergency is the current trend in Pervasive Computing which follows the mantra of access to information anywhere, anytime. Gartner search states that worldwide cloud dish outs tax revenue enabled by digitized data is foretelld to exceed $56.3 billion in 2009, which is a go of 21.3 percent from the $46.4 billion spent on the cloud last twelvemonth 3. Furthermore, Gartner analyst predicts by the course 2013, the Cloud service revenue bequeath reach $150.1 billion4. Hence, Digital run crosswaysncy (DC) is an pregnant paradigm in information techno logy. Theory of digital options suggests that IT indirectly supports nimbleness by offering soakeds with digital options 5, which are described as a set of IT-enabled capabilities in the form of digitized work processes and friendship systems. This speculation emphasizes that IT enhances the reach and richness of a unwaverings experience and it is processed to help the unassailable improve its nimbleness i.e. its superpower to common sense and respond to environment change.The term digital options denote that a immobile may nurse its IT-enabled capabilities in the form of digitized work processes to uphill opportunities, or they may remain un employ depending on the dynamic capabilities of a theater 6. In a dynamic environment agonistic avail is unmindful make loved hence solids continuously generate agonistic actions to achieve series of nobble term private-enterprise(a) advantage and unbendables with greater number and variety of free-enterprise(a) actions a chieve competitive patch 7-9. Attempts welcome been made to identify the factors that lead to competitiveness notwithstanding at that place are no formal data-based theme so far that investigates the link amidst Digital Convergence and competitive advantage.Research justification and research questions changing capabilities of a firm are composed of Adaptive, Absorptive and Innovative competency10. Prior research has shown that association sharing and absorptive power of the firm ( efficacy and motivation of the firms employees to utilize knowledge) improves novelty electrical capacity of the firm11. check up on of the introductory IS research suggests that continuously generating competitive actions , acquaintance Management and lightsomeness is important in achieving competitive position exclusively there has been no formal empirical study that examines the utilisation of conception cleverness in improving firms crinkle process high spirits and the role of Digital Convergence in leverage entry cap office in competitive actions.There have been several calls for research to examine kin between ecesisal capabilities, light, digital systems and competitive actions. The specific research problems entangle examining the human race between digital systems and competitive actions and Firm and network capabilities for leveraging digital systems in competitive actions12 and examining what IT capabilities are vital to bloodline supremacy in contemporary digital environment? 13.There has been call for research to study the next wave of nomadic computer science including Digital Convergence that enables organizations to bring forward information, share the information, give way brisk forms of organizational structure, cap susceptibility, and weightlessness 1. In solution to these calls this study proposes to study the following research questions and the research model is illustrated in Fig 1. 1. Does knowledgeability skill of the firm help in make a firm more Agile? 2. What role does digital convergence play in influencing the strength of the proposed relationship between creative activity qualification and Agility? 3. Does Digital Convergence help in developing the digital coaction ( some(prenominal) external and internal)? 4. What role does location of the partner play in building the world alliance network or in former(a) words Digital quislings of a firm are more topically dispersed / more globally dispersed / are they somewhat equally dispersed between local and global locations? Digital Convergence inhibits or facilitates Digital collaboration between partners that are local and global? 5. Does Digital Collaboration (like between competitors) have any role in shaping vexation process carefreeness? 6. Improving the business process weightlessness of the firm makes the firm more competitive? 7. Which theatrical role of digital collaboration is perceived to be the most valuable for enterprise s insane asylum activities?Literature ReviewDigital convergencePrevalence of digitized data has resulted in Digital Convergence (DC) 14. The Digital network today is connected with IP phone, IP camera, IP TV, Point of sale systems, digital learning devices, portable medical and different technologies that provide unified communication and collaboration tools even to those workers who are mobile. When all media is digitalBits co-mingle effortlessly. They start to get mixed up and stinker be employ and re- employ separately or together.15 or in otherwise words DC makes use and reuse of information easier. The definition of digital convergence (DC) has evolved over time. The assimilation of concepts on Digital Convergence from the review of books is outlined below. In the year 1977, Japans NEC Corporation beginning(a) define DC as communications merging with computers.Digital convergence requires ubiquitous and goodly computers that can handle communications with digitized c loy16, 17. DC is the convergence of content ( character, sound, text, motion, look-alike into a bit stream ) and convergence of transmission ( bits can be managed and transmitted quickly and efficiently and in large volumes) enabled by distributed computing and internetworking 18. DC can also be categorize as mesh topology convergence Fixed to mobile convergence (FMC) is the seamless distribution of digitized content over mobile and fixed technologies enabling the collapse of boundary between fixed network operator and mobile network operators. It provides access to the digitized service irrespective of location and device.FMC means that a single(a) device can connect and be switched between wired and wireless networks. 19. Digital convergence can also be viewed as railway line Process convergence or integration It is the ability to represent audio, pictorial matter, text and other media in digital form, manage this rich digital content and tie it to transactional ability and inter expeditious services 20.For e.g. In a doctors office the enduring signature can be captured digitally, all the business transactions like patient scheduling, recording of the information intimately the procedure performed and the rate for the services performed, retribution collection, processing for insurance claim, patient medical records can be managed digitally and later those records can be accessed by management to track the mathematical operation of the clinic efficiently.Also the business process convergence can help business provide personalized interactive crossings for the consumers. DC is the ability to integrate and converge enterprise wide business process with single point of access to it, 247, where digitized data are stored in a shared repository and managed by enterprise wide software like the Enterprise re denotation cooking (ERP) software. DC is Device convergence where same digital device can be used for multiple forms of digital content used for completing services like mobile phone can be used as video player, music player, and sound recorder, GPS, email and web search16. It is defined as the convergence of computing, communication and consumer electronics 21 In the current scenario, future digital convergence means producing digital environments that are aware, receptive and adaptive to adult male connected in a network. The interacting computational devices connected to such pervasive, humanitarian computing network are able to communicate with each other 22. Digital convergence can help working from home, conduct live meeting without travelling victimisation video conferencing. Based on bygone research, Digital convergence can be summarized as convergence of a) digital content, b) network/transmission, c) business process/service, d) digital devices and e) infrastructure supporting pervasive computing. intent CapabilityPast research on Innovation competency of a firm has concluded that it take ons the ability of the firm to have increase groundwork force, process aim capability and market blueprint capability which are summarized below. The role of environmental intromission capability and organizational trigger capability in shaping firm elation has not been canvas so far. Product Innovation capability Innovation capability is the ability to develop impertinently harvest-tides or services 23-25, ability to be start-off playactr in the market 26 and ability to introduce more novel products than other firms 26. Process Innovation capability This is the ability of the firm to develop young methods of production 23-25, develop wise organizational forms23, seek unsanded and novel solutions to problems23 and to discover new methods and computer addresss of add together23. Market Innovativeness This is the ability to identify new markets23. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is headquartered in Paris and administers Community Innovation Survey (CIS). The Community Innovation Survey (CIS) was updated recently in the year 2008 and it lists Organizational Innovation Capability and Environment Innovation Capability as new measures for innovativeness 27. Innovation surveys were offshoot experimented with in several Western European countries but have since been conducted in many other countries including Canada, all EU countries, Switzerland, Russia, Tur cay, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, South Africa and most Latin American countries.Organizational Innovation CapabilityAs per the CIS 2008 27, organizational innovation capability is the ability of the firm to have new organizational method in the business practice. The new methods includes new business practices for organising work or procedures (i.e. supply strand management, business re-engineering, lean production, quality management, education/training systems, etc), new knowledge management systems to better use or exchange information, knowledge and skills at heart a nd outside the enterprise, New methods of workplace organisation for distributing responsibilities and decision making (i.e. first use of a new system of employee responsibilities, team work, decentralisation, integration or de-integration of departments, etc) and New methods of organising external relations with other firms or public institutions (i.e. first use of partnerships, outsourcing, alliances or sub-contracting, etc.) environmental innovation capability As per the CIS 2008 27, this is the ability to produce new or heartyly alter product (good or service), process, organizational method or marketing method that generates environmental advantage compared to alternatives. CIS 2008 also suggests that firm marketing innovation capability of a firm includes ability to make significant changes to product design or packaging, ability to develop new media or techniques for product promotion, develop new gross revenue channel and develop new methods of pricing goods. Product Innov ation capability also includes the ability of the firm to develop products adaptive to the needs of the customer. Process innovation capability includes ability to develop new or ameliorate supporting activities for business processes and ability to provide new method of providing provide welfare (employees are provided incentives and encouraged to behave in novel and real ways) and key executives are encouraged to submit new risks 27.Competition companionship Management (KM) surmisal and the Science of competitiveness suggests that KM improves competitive position by improving productivity, insouciance, innovation and/or reputation PAIR 28, 29. In dynamic markets knowledge assets become critical as a source of competition 30. Along with KM , greater Agility volition nervous strain superior organizational work 31.Entrepreneurial agility (the ability to anticipate and proactively take competitive actions) and Adaptive agility (the ability to sense and react to change) are b oth significant predictors of sustainable competitive advantage32. There is also significant relationship between sustainable competitive advantage and profitability 32. Dynamic capabilities In fast evolving markets, competition is a moving put and firms should have dynamic capabilities to gain competitive advantage 6. Drawing on previous research findings, Dynamic capability is composed of adaptive capability, absorptive capability and innovative capability10. Review of literature has defined Competitive action and response as externally directed, specific, and observable competitive move initiated by a firm to enhance its relative competitive position33. Previous research has concluded that Knowledge Assets, Agility, Dynamic capability are important for organism competitive but the key question that this study investigates the relationship of digital convergence with Innovation capability, building innovation co-operation, Business Process agility and competitive advantage.Agilit yThe different types of Agility identified in the literature are available (internally focused initiative), Partnering (Supply chain initiative) and Customer (demand side initiative) 5, Entrepreneurial and Adaptive32, Strategic34, Business-Process 35. Operational agility has been defined in the literature as the ability to sense and prehend business opportunities quickly, accurately, and cost-efficiently. Customer agility is the ability to adapt to customers, identify new business opportunities and implement these opportunities with customers and the role of IT in customer agility is to facilitate the development of virtual customer communities for designing new product, feedback and testing. Partnership agility is the ability to leverage partners knowledge, competencies, and assets in order to identify and implement new business opportunities. Individual firms do not have all the resources indispensable to effectively compete and value creation for the firm can be leveraged bet ter by dint of pooling of assets between partners. The role of IT in partnering agility is to support Inter organizational networks for collaboration, communication and integration of business processes.Organizational agility is important for business success 36. Agility of an organization is significantly determined by the operational ability of the organization. Greater agility is achieved when the Inter-organizational system used has a task and strategic fit, has been assimilated into the organization and the system is adopted network wide 31. Organizations that are agile i.e. to be able to take competitive actions continuously perform better than organizations that dont 37. Business-processes agility can be classified as process-level agility, which is how quickly an organization can add new capabilities into its measuring processes (E.g. how quickly a partnership can acquire AJAX capability into its rules of order process) and transaction-level agility, which measures the how good the organization is in customizing capabilities for separate customer transactions (For example, how wellhead a company can customize AJAX ordering capability to include bar-code label on the box, an RFID tag on a certain type of container, and paper invoice with bulk billing based on the individual transaction with a customer)38.Theory and tracesResource based view (RBV) of the firm 39, 40 suggests that valuable, rare, inimitable and non substitutable (VRIN) resources and capabilities as the source of competitive advantage. The extension to this is the scheme of Dynamic capabilities. This theory emphasizes that development of organizational capabilities over the time and their changeless renewal by management influences can be a source of competitive advantage. In contrast to the earlier view that IT infrastructure and IT enthronement provides the source of competitive advantage, dynamic capabilities theory emphasizes that consistent development of the capability to apply IT , allows firms to be flexible and innovate continuously, looking put for emerging opportunities, and countervailing threats from competitors to help shape a superior firm 41. Theory of capability state competition lists Dynamic capabilities, core competencies and resources as a footing for superior performance of a firm 42 According to the Dynamic capabilities theory it is not just the approachability of resources that matter, but also the high performance routines operating inside the firm and embedded in the firms processes that utilizes them 43.The theory proposes that a firms IT application can be imitable across firms but the firms capability to apply IT strategically can be inimitable 44. Based on this theory the innovation capability of a firm cannot be easily replicated by other firms and volition help the firm achieve competitive advantage. Innovation was described by Schumpeter (1934) as development of new products, new methods of production, new sources of su pply, opening of new markets and new ways of organizing businesses. As per OECDs CIS 2008 survey innovation ability is the ability to implement new or significantly improved product (good or service), or process, a new marketing method, or a new organisational method, or a new environmentally neighbourly product or process in business practices, workplace organisation or external relations. It has been suggested that firms radical or incremental innovation drives the firm to respond to market changes and opportunities45. This study investigates this empirically by proposing the following. Proposition 1 Innovation capability go away be tie in to Organizational Agility.Digital systems are pervasive and can make knowledge accessible through intranets, digital knowledge repositories and databases and can make the knowledge richer by video conferencing and digital collaborative facilities. Digitization offers firms significant opportunities to achieve greater agility 46. Digital conve rgence allows for transfer of digitized information in different ways. education theory provides completely rational explanations for competitive action those who have the information allow be most aware, motivated and capable of responding. ICT use on Multifactor productivity (MFP growth) are typically linked to firms experience in innovation 47. It has been suggested that several firm capabilities like the firms digital platform is an important enabler of agility 5. Thus this study proposes that Innovation Capability will drive agility more for firms that have Digital convergence than for firms that do not. Proposition 2 Relationship between Innovation capability and organizational Agility will be moderated by digital convergenceFirms that have digitized their process have digital options that can help create new channels to access customers, build real-time integration within supply chain network , gain efficiencies in internal operations and offering new digital products or se rvices 48. This study proposes that firms that have digitized their processes will have digital convergence that can help digital collaboration with customers, other members in the supply chain network, other firms in the industry, competitors and other firms within the enterprise both locally and globally.Proposition 4 Digital convergence will promote both local and international innovation partnership.It has been suggested that Digital collaborations will result in Co-evolution among businesses which implies flexibility in the asset mix , capabilities and knowledge resulting in Agility 49. Knowledge management is related to organizational agility 50 and conducting knowledge management leads to five types of knowledge manipulation activities knowledge acquisition, selection, generation, assimilation, and emission28.Proposition 5 Digital Collaboration for Innovation has a direct relationship with Agility. Proposition 6 Organizational Agility will be related to a higher level of comp etitive position/competitive advantage.Research DesignData SampleThe proposed research model will be empirically tested exploitation a data gathered from managers of companies. The target respondent list will be compiled from the Dun Bradstreet database consisting of large organizations both public and common soldier operating in North America that has a certain level of market uncertainty and competition. As per OECDs definition there are two types of innovation intensive industries comprising of a) High tech industrial companies like Manufacturing and b) companies that provide knowledge intensive services like IT consultancy, telecom services, Banking and Financial, Retail, Insurance, Health Care, Education etc . The diverse sample from both the public and the private sector will help increase the generalizability of the results from this study. The focus of this study is digital convergence. Although the surge in digital convergence with variable strength is seen across all i ndustry sectors and all size firms this study focuses on long suit to large companies with large number of employees. The reason being, for large size companies the availability of finance makes it easier to invest in digital systems. mannerologyA pilot project study with IS academics and graduate students will be conducted for the preliminary assessment of the proposed ordered series of measurement for each construct and to identify ambiguous questions and instructions. Cronbachs alpha (a) coefficient will be computed for each multi accompaniment scale to test for reliability. Alpha greater than 0.7 is loosely considered to be acceptable reliability51. It is important to assess the biases that results from using a single method, a mail survey administered at a single point in time, to measure the constructs proposed in this study due to Common Method Variance (CMV). The Harmons one factor test will be used to assess CMV52.Measures are being taken to elicit information about al l the variables that are being studied. Whatever possible existing scales will be used but new scale to measure digital convergence will be developed. A seven point likert scale (1= very Weak, 7=Very strong) was used to measure the constructs. This study adapts the previously validated scales used in the past to measure organizational innovation capability 25-27, 53. The adapted scale in the study consists of Product innovation which has 3 questions, Process Innovation has 4,organizational innovation has 4,Marketing innovation has 4 and Environmental innovation has 2 questions as shown in the Appendix.Digital Collaboration for innovation is active participation with other enterprises or non-commercial institutions on innovation activities using a digital platform. This type of collaboration does not require for the collaborator to benefit commercially. Pure contracting out of work with no active co-operation is excluded in defining digital collaboration for innovation. The measure is adapted from the OECD participation innovation survey, 2008. It consists of selecting the different types of collaborators and their location as shown in Appendix.Eight measures of business process agility was used from a previously validated pawn 35 which was developed based on conceptual framework provided by preceding research 5, 54. These items measure how quickly and well the firms can undertake key business actions such as responding to changes in aggregate demand, customizing a product to a specific customer or market, reaction to new product or service launches by competitors, change prices or product mix, move into or retrench from markets, adopt new process and redesign the supply chain.Little empirical work has been done on Digital Convergence and this proposal synthesizes concepts from the current IS literature on Digital Convergence to help develop the operationalization of the Digital convergence Construct.This study proposes breaking down DC into 6 first order constructs consisting of content convergence, transmission convergence, Network convergence, Business Process convergence or integration, Device convergence and Pervasive digital environment which will be easier to operationalize . The Next step will be operationalize these variables, transform the propositions into formal hypotheses for the purpose of empirical testing.This study proposes to measure competitive position of a company based on performance of their company relative to their major competitors using a seven-point Likert scale( 1-significantly decreased, 7= significantly increased) in terms of Market share, Sales volume and Customer Satisfaction. The results from the self report will be validated by calculating correlation with the results from history related measures available from Financial Reports. Previous literature supports the use of invoice measures such as Return on Sales (ROS), Return on Assets (ROA) often used as proxy for efficiency, operation income to measure a companys position to compete Data AnalysisThis study proposes to use PLS to estimate the research model as it is common in behavioral literature to use multiple item measures for latent constructs. Path model using PLS will be used for interpreting the main results of this study because this study uses perceptual measures coming from one respondent for constructs that require multiple item indicators. Significance of this researchInnovation and Agility are seen as being important across many industries, especially those operating in a dynamic and globally competitive environment. The impact of Digital Convergence upon a firms ability to compete in such an environment has important implications for managers. The relationship between Innovation capability and Business Process Agility has not been studied empirically in context with competitive advantage. The results from this proposed study can provide guidance to managers to answer questions like Should managers develop env ironmental innovation capability, organizational and marketing innovation capability to gain more Agility?Should Managers invest in digital convergence for building digital collaboration for innovation? Is there any gain in collaboration for innovation (even with competitors) in improving firm agility? Does business process agility provide competitive advantage for large companies? Will the benefit in developing innovation capability increase by investment in Digital Convergence?This proposed study is important to researchers as it adds to the growing trunk of literature linking a Firms capability and Agility. It draws from resource-based view of the firm and dynamic capability theory to explain the relationship between firms innovation capability and its competitive performance. This study provides an empirical test of relationship between business process agility and competitiveness. The study also provides identification of Digital Convergence. Finally, the results of this propo sed study is important to respondents as it answers if the leverage of innovation capability for competitive advantage is contingent upon(p) on investment in Digital Convergence.