Digital Innovation
IS 607 for Master's program (MMM, MMBR, M.Sc. Wifo and M.Sc. Wipäd)
General Information
Performing Lecturer | Deborah Mateja |
---|---|
Examiner | Deborah Mateja |
Course Format | Lecture |
Credit Points | 6 ECTS |
Language | English |
Grading | Written exam (100%) |
Exam Date | tba |
Formal Prerequisites | IS 512 or IS 614 or IS 615 |
Recommended Prerequisites | IS 615 |
Registration | Via Portal² |

Deborah Mateja, M.Sc.
Contact person Digital Innovation
For further information, please contact Deborah Mateja.
Course Information
Brief Description
Digital innovations influence every aspect of our lives in this increasingly technological world. Firms that pursue digital innovations must think carefully about how digital technologies shape the nature, process, and outcomes of innovation, as well as the long- and short-term social, economic and cultural consequences of their offerings. The course attempts to develop a transdisciplinary understanding of digital innovation by bringing together a diverse set of research papers from leading scholars from business, engineering, economics, science and public policy. Their distinct perspectives advance ideas and principles intended to set the agenda for current and future research on digital innovation in ways that inform primarily firm-level strategies and practices. The course provides scope and depth for master of science students interested in information systems and digital technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship, strategy, and digital platforms and ecosystems. In addition, it is informative to scholars interested in the impact of digital technologies on organizations and the broader society.
Teaching Concept
The course will be taught on a flipped classroom basis. A flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning focused on student engagement and active learning, providing the instructor a better opportunity to deal with mixed levels, student difficulties, and differentiated learning preferences during in-class time. This format intentionally shifts instruction to a student-centered model, in which time in the classroom is used to explore topics in greater depth and create meaningful learning opportunities while students are initially introduced to new topics outside the classroom. Content dissemination takes place through mandatory pre-readings and collaborative class discussions.
Learning Outcomes
Students who accomplish this course will:
- understand the foundations of digital innovations,
- enhance their understanding of thriving digital innovation and value creation through technological advancements (e.g., the metaverse, generative AI)
- be proficient in digital platforms, ecosystems, and entrepreneurship,
- comprehend its impact on the future of work, and
- be exposed to transdisciplinary application domains.
Course Outline & Schedule
Lecturer Deborah Mateja Schedule (preliminary)
Date Time Topic Room 29.04.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Kick-off
Section 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Digital Innovation: Towards a Transdisciplinary Perspective (Nambisan, Lyytinen, Yoo; 12 pages)
Section 2: Foundations of Digital Innovation Introduction to Section 2 (Cutcher Gershenfeld, 3 pages)O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 02.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Paper discussion: tbd O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 06.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Chapter 2: The New Wave of Digital Innovation: The Need for a Theory of Sociotechnical Self-Orchestration (Majchrzak & Griffith; 24 pages)
Chapter 3: Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship in and around Institutional Voids: The Case of Fundación Cardiovascular (FCV) in Colombia (Jarvenpaa, Echeverri-Carroll, Pedraza; 23 pages)O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 09.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Chapter 4: Theorizing the Connections between Digital Innovations and Societal Transformation: Learning from the Case of M-Pesa in Kenya (Markus & Nan; 19 pages)
Chapter 5: Agile Development as the Root Metaphor for Strategy in Digital Innovation (Berente; 15 pages)O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 13.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Chapter 7: Remixing Systems: Collective design through modification (Nickerson; 17 pages) Generative AI: Catalyst for Innovation? O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 16.05.2025 10:15am – 11:45 am Guest Lecture tba. O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 20.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Section 3: Digital Platforms, Ecosystems and Entrepreneurship Introduction to Section 3 (Gawer; 9 pages)
Chapter 8: Scaling Digital Enterprises (Henfridsson; 9 pages)O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 23.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Chapter 9: Data and Value (Alaimo, Kallinikos, Aaltonen; 17 pages)
Chapter 11: Automate, Informate, and Generate: Affordance Primitives of Smart Devices and the Internet of Things (Seidel & Berente; 14 pages)O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 27.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Section 5: Digital Innovation and Future of Work Introduction to Section 5 (Paul Courant; 3 pages)
Chapter 12: Prolegomena on Digital Innovation and Jobs (King & Grudin; 13 pages)
Chapter 13: Making the One-Sided Gig Economy Really Two-Sided: Implications for Future of Work (Malhotra; 23 pages)O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) 30.05.2025 10.15am – 11.45 am Test Exam Discussion O 148 MVV Hörsaal (Schloss Ostflügel) Literature
- Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K., & Yoo, Y. (Eds.). (2020). Handbook of digital innovation. Edward Elgar Publishing.
If you are on campus, just click on https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788119986 and download the respective chapters. If you are access the link off-campus, make sure you have your VPN channel activated.
Please make sure, you have read the chapters as outlined above. Otherwise, no learning outcomes will accrue!
Teaching Format
The course will be offered in a presence format.