| 1. |
- Ferati, Mexhid, et al.
(författare)
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Gender Stereotypes and Women Participation in STEM Fields in the Western Balkans : A Scoping Review
- 2023
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Ingår i: Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. - : Richtmann Publishing. - 2281-3993 .- 2281-4612. ; 12:2, s. 228-239
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The prevalence of gender stereotypes in STEM fields is evidenced by a large body of literature across the world, however, this area of research is still understudied in the Western Balkan region. To get a better knowledge of the extent of studies addressing this topic, we conducted a scoping review investigating existing gender stereotypes and educational choices in STEM in that region. As expected, the number of studies discovered was very limited, despite our generous inclusion criteria. In these limited studies, however, we found ample evidence of existing gender stereotypes in STEM and their impact on career aspirations. As this scoping review focused only on high-school university students, we conclude the paper with thoughts on future work ideas to expand the target group as well as to use systems thinking as an overarching perspective to conduct a holistic examination. This could be achieved by including relevant actors within and outside the immediate context, such as parents, schools, policymakers, businesses, and organizations. Finally, the paper also discusses the impact and opportunities that come with digitalization efforts, which could be leveraged to increase women participation in STEM.
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| 2. |
- Kajtazi, Miranda, et al.
(författare)
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CONCEPTUALIZING THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL BUSINESS MODELS ON PRIVACY CONCERNS
- 2023
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Ingår i: 36th Bled eConference : Digital Economy and Society: The Balancing Act for Digital Innovation in Times of Instability, BLED 2023 - Proceedings - Digital Economy and Society: The Balancing Act for Digital Innovation in Times of Instability, BLED 2023 - Proceedings. - Maribor : University of Maribor University Press. - 9789612867515 ; , s. 721-735
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Digital technologies have enabled novel forms and reconfigurations of value creation, delivery, and capture. These new reconfigurations challenge the conventional notion of value creation with digital business models. On that premise, the widening of privacy concerns, alert us that organizations of the elite digital, like Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify, design technology to feed on personal data, based on algorithmic profiling capabilities. Then, privacy itself becomes their digital business model. In this paper we conceptualize the impact of digital business models on privacy concerns, by presenting a focused literature review that presents 4 waves of research on understanding privacy from the context of digital business models. With our initial findings, we recommend that future technological development should pay central attention to privacy-preserving digital business models, by making it possible that data privacy is envisioned with the right safeguards, targeting ‘invisibility’ of the user.
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| 3. |
- Kurti, Erdelina, et al.
(författare)
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Closing the gender gap in ICT higher education : exploring women’s motivations in pursuing ICT education
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Education. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2504-284X. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid development of digital technologies has stemmed profound changes in the society, positioning the ICT sector as a key driver and contributor. This sector, including education, is however characterized by a gender gap, which is problematic in the light of the increasing demand for digital competence and the ability to move towards a sustainable egalitarian society. In this study, we argue for a need to explore the concept of ICT in higher education. This involves assessing the success of educational programs in attracting women and exploring the perceptions of female students regarding their academic environment. With a specific focus on Sweden, through a survey involving 82 respondents, we provide evidence on motivations and perceptions of women regarding leading choices on pursuing ICT higher education. We propose a holistic approach to studying gender representation and inclusion in ICT higher education, with a focus on women's perceptions, experiences, and suggestions.
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| 4. |
- Kurti, Erdelina, et al.
(författare)
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Digital competence – state of the art and future needs in the Swedish wooden house manufacturers : SHS rapportnr: 30103
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this pilot study was to identify the existing level of digital competence and skills at wooden house manufacturers and to understand the future perceived needs they have in relation to these competences. This is motivated by the acknowledgement that digitalization has been emphasized both as a critical necessity and significant challenge for this industry.The number of responding companies in the study is rather low, offering a partial snapshot of the current state of the industry and potential future directions. However, it does provide valuable insights and considerations for future strategies for digitalization of the industry.The wooden house manufacturing industry is facing challenges relating to the overall business cycle as well as the effects of war, inflation, and increased competition. Despite these challenges, the industry appears to be aware of the potential possibilities that digital technologies may offer. Overall, they are rather content with the current level of digitalization and the level of digital competence among their staff. At the same time, they realize the need to continue investing in hardware and software as well as continued enhancement of digital skills for the staff. Presently, only a very small portion of total investments in the industry is allocated to digitalization.Most companies employ similar technologies and a variety of similar strategies to enhance their competences. The primary focus in terms of digital competence lies in the areas of production, marketing, communication, and sales. Areas such as customer support, decision-making, testing, and certification are not prioritized. Most of these companies recognize the need of digital competence development for their staff to effectively use contemporary digital technologies. Furthermore, they see a growing demand for digital competence over the next three years, particularly in domains such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, infrastructure, and social media/marketing.
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| 5. |
- Kurti, Erdelina, et al.
(författare)
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Digital innovation challenges : the case of anacademic library
- 2024
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Ingår i: ECIS 2024 Proceedings. - : Association of Information Systems. - 9781958200100 ; , s. 1-16
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The push to accelerate digitalization, particularly in educational organizations like academic libraries, highlights the innovation potential. Our study shows that achieving innovation requires understanding unprecedented complexity and tensions that cannot be overlooked. We present three identified phases: (1) emergence of digital practices; (2) enforced experimentation with digital initiatives; and, (3) advancing with digital resources, that depict an organization’s digital innovation journey. Through the case of an academic library, we capture the depths of complexities and tensions in the three phases, where we identify two crucial aspects—work practices and co-dependence – that undergo digital innovation across these three phases. Our findings offer new insights into the complexity and tension-filled nature of digital innovation, particularly pertaining to academic libraries. Despite such challenges, these organizations undergo a transformative digital innovation process, worthy of investigating in future endeavours.
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| 6. |
- Kurti, Erdelina, et al.
(författare)
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Gender, Entrepreneurship and Digitalization : Challenging Gender Inequality in ICT Higher Education
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Symposium on Digital TransformationAugust 21-23, 2023, Linnaeus University, Växjö. - Växjö : Linnaeus University Press. - 9789189709812
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mainstream representations of entrepreneurship are often informed by masculinity as a tacit norm, and that women’s and men’s entrepreneurship is often compared without a deeper gender analysis, which typically leads to depiction of women as less entrepreneurial and deficient when compared to their male counterparts (Ahl, 2006; Ahl and Marlow, 2012). Digital technologies, entrepreneurship and gender are deeply intertwined, and so, in order to understand and challenge gender inequality within entrepreneurship, it is pivotal to render visible the links between entrepreneurship and ICT and to challenge gender inequality within the ICT field. There is a commonly held assertion that the ICT sector, including education, is male dominated (Buse, 2018). This discourse is built on a rather narrow and simplified view of ICT profession, its use and design. Digitalization has introduced profound systemic societal changes, transforming traditional sectors and work practices (Bradley, 2017), inflicting structural changes on what ICT profession and education is. Additionally, it has given rise to novel, non-standard employment forms e.g., influencers, which is mostly dominated by women. While we recognize that dominating discourses are built on a view of a systematic underrepresentation of women in ICT related education, we posit that this is not a universal and homogeneous issue. There are some ICT education programs which attract women, in some instances more than men. The overarching aim of this study is to explore the relationship between gender, entrepreneurship and digitalization. Specifically, to explore why women choose a higher education in ICT and how they perceive and relate to entrepreneurship as a natural progression after graduation. Understanding of this intersection is an important contribution as gender equality in the fields of entrepreneurship and ICT are pivotal for a more egalitarian and socially sustainable society. To understand this issue, an online survey was distributed to all female students in ICT higher education programs. For the selection of the study programs, we followed Clear and Parrish (2021) who delimit computing education to the following programs: computer engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, information systems, information technology, software engineering and data science. The survey was designed and administered in two languages: English and Swedish, so students had the possibility to choose the language they preferred. After a three-week survey period, a total of 82 out of 276 students responded to the survey. Preliminary results from the survey reveal several trends within the studied programs. The survey included questions on the motives behind the choice of the program, perceptions of planned progression after one’s studies and perceptions of gender balance and inclusion in the program. For example, regardless of the number of women enrolled in a program, all programs show a trend of students disagreeing or being neutral that the gender balance in their program is good. Moreover, regardless of the number of women enrolled in the programs most respondents maintain that the gender balance in their program is not good. Overall, the survey results indicate that most participants either disagreed that the gender balance in their program was good or had no opinion about it. The contributions of our study are several. Our study makes it possible to theorize the drivers and motives of women that choose ICT programs and what working life outcomes are the most attractive for them. Moreover, our study allows us to theorize women students’ views and perceptions of gender in ICT education, for example which of the methods for increasing gender balance in ICT education are perceived as effective. Thus, our paper’s result shows what factors outside and within ICT education are motivating for women, and what measures could be taken to continue working with gender equality and inclusion in ICT education.
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| 7. |
- Kurti, Erdelina
(författare)
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Institutional Tensions and Complexity in the Digital Innovation of Incumbent Business Models
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digitalization has influenced all areas of our lives, including businesses. It has provided numerous opportunities to organisations; at the same time, it has significantly challenged established business models in many sectors that were traditionally proven to be stable and successful, thus a need to innovate was called for. In this research the focus is on the newspaper industry, representing one of the contexts which has been highly affected by digitalization. Digital technologies enable new ways of operating which in turn challenge prevailing business assumptions and cause complexities. This leads to the aim of this research which is to explore institutional complexity in digital business model innovation in a newspaper organization.This research builds on business model theory, conceptualized as an activity system. It adds literature from digital innovation and finally utilizes institutional logics to explore the complexity emerging in the avenue of digital business model innovation. A case study design has been undertaken drawing on several data sources such as: interviews, observations and the study of documents.The outcome of this research illustrates that digitalization has a profound impact on business models of newspaper organizations. Innovation brought by digitalization entailed challenges but also enabled complementarities in value offering, activities, and competences, including new actors entering the market. The complementarities caused complexity based on different institutional logics, each with its own rationality, which needed to be governed. Research outcomes also include institutional mechanisms that were applied to govern the digital business model innovation, such as strategies leading to a hybrid of print and digital mode of operation; and also more concrete purposive actions and activities in the form of e.g. education and learning, theorization and top management commitment.This research contributes to the theoretical frameworks of business model innovation, digital business model innovation and institutional logics, both separately and in combination. Further, the research provides some recommendations to practice for managing the complexity that digitalization of incumbents entails.
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| 8. |
- Kurti, Erdelina, et al.
(författare)
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New Winds Challenge Gender InequalITy in ICT Higher Education
- 2021
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Ingår i: The OR Society's 63rd Annual Conference, Online, September 14 - 16 2021. - : The operational research society.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper aims to challenge the prevailing discourse that ICT sector and education thereof, is predominantly male oriented. We argue that this problem could be best addressed through a systems approach, which would enable deeper insights by unraveling the complex reality. While we recognize that dominating discourses build on a view of a systematic underrepresentation of women in ICT related education in Sweden, we posit that this is not a universal and homogeneous issue. In this research we focus on two ICT study programs in a Swedish University, one with a high proportion of women compared to the other and explore why women select one program over the other. We argue that this rather uniform dominant discourse is shaped by the narrow and simplified conception of ICT, reduced to mere technologies and ICT sector to e.g., programmers, system designers, software engineers. However, the reality is more complex and diverse. Digitalization which has permeated all spheres of life renders the prevailing discourse obsolete. That is, women are involved in the digitalization of today´s society that has unleashed profound systemic societal changes, transforming traditional sectors, work practices and enabling unconventional jobs. One way to contest the dominant discourse and to provide a more nuanced picture of ICT sector is through the concept of digitalization and systems thinking. Previous research has examined the reasons behind the women underrepresentation, and in Sweden over years several projects and efforts have been undertaken to stimulate women participation. Whilst this research does not disregard the gendered perspective, it instead focuses on unraveling the conditions of women inclusion in the ICT higher education. This emphasis provides a fundamental and complementary perspective to the whole diverse picture of ICT education. In the presentation, I will further discuss what kind of systems approach might help address this complex real-world problem.
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| 9. |
- Kurti, Erdelina, et al.
(författare)
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Using Systems Thinking to Illustrate Digital Business Model Innovation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Systems. - : MDPI. - 2079-8954. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Digital business model innovation is discussed by bringing together systemic innovation and digital innovation. Applying the Rich Picture technique, the complexity transpiring in the digital innovation of the business models is illustrated. Further, a real world example is presented and discussed in relation to systemic innovation and digital innovation. This study further contributes by shedding light on the added complexity brought by digital innovation but also the need for a combined and mixed systems thinking approach.
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| 10. |
- Salavati, Sadaf, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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A Multisystem Approach in Tackling Digital Innovation Process
- 2022
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Ingår i: Presented at The OR Society's 64th Annual Conference, Warwick University, September 13 - 15 2022.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digital innovation, an inevitable contemporary phenomenon, consists of several stages, making it a complex endeavor requiring a systemic perspective. According to Nambisan et al. (2017) digital innovation represents both a process and an outcome, and the boundary between them is fluid. Kohli and Melville (2019) report on four stages of digital innovations, which include: initiation, development, implementation, and exploitation. These stages are not manifested uniformly in all digital innovations. They are also not linear and often entangled with one another. Further, digital innovation transpires in an internal and external environment, which contextualizes and at the same time influences each stage and the progression. Multiple systems approaches and methodologies provide a systemic understanding of the different stages but also the process in its entirety. In this line of reasoning, Rich Pictures and Patterns of Strategy could be used for the Initiate stage, which aims to identify and translate opportunities into initiatives. Other methods such as Viable Systems Model could be suitable for the implement stage, which is about organizational changes occurring during digital innovation. A multiple systems approach would be utilized for all the evident stages and the environment. A systemic approach which includes several methodologies and methods has been applied by several systems thinking scholars (e.g. Mingers, 1997; Midgley, 2000) in various areas, including innovation (e.g. Midgley and Lindhult, 2021). However, the combination of digital innovation and systems thinking has been rather limited. Hence, in this work in progress, we propose and advocate the utilization of systems thinking to explain and tackle the dynamic complexity emerging in the digital innovation process and its different stages, taking into account the specific context in which it occurs.
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