Advances in Design Science Research
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/112528
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Item type: Item , Improving Customer Feedback Management with GenAI - An Action Design Research Study(2026-01-06) Katsiuba, Dzmitry; Schwabe, Gerhard; Dolata, Mateusz; Crowston, KevinIn this longitudinal action design research study, researchers accompanied a small service provider in the hospitality sector navigating AI-driven transformation. Over five distinct phases, the company progressively integrated AI tools – from sentiment analysis to generative language models – into its core processes, reshaping workflows and its business model. Drawing on the framework of dynamic capabilities, the study illustrates how the organization’s abilities to transform its business model enabled it to apply new technology while maintaining service quality. The paper abstracts the insights into five design principles for implementing GenAI in customer feedback management, emphasizing hybrid human-AI collaboration, robust quality control, and modular service structures.Item type: Item , Toward a Technology Inspiration Model: Conceptualizing Inspiration in Technology Experience and Design Evaluation(2026-01-06) Thoring, Katja; Mueller, Roland M.; Hovorka, DirkThis paper introduces the Technology Inspiration Model (TIM), a conceptual framework for evaluating how technologies evoke imaginative, reflective, and motivational user responses. TIM consists of two interrelated components: the TIM Scale, a measurement instrument capturing three experiential dimensions (Evocation, Transcendence, and Motivation), and the TIM Process Model, which situates these responses within a broader design and evaluation cycle. We conducted a mixed-method construct development study (N = 19) using an AI–mixed reality system designed to support speculative thinking. Data from questionnaires, expert card-sorting (N = 6), and qualitative interviews were triangulated to assess interpretability and dimensional coherence. This process informed a refined 6-item version of the TIM Scale with improved clarity and alignment. While preliminary, the results offer a foundation for measuring source-specific inspirational impact and contribute a framework to support formative evaluation of future-oriented technologies, particularly those targeting experiential and affective engagement.Item type: Item , Designing Explainable AI: The Case of Dashboard Design for Fraud Detection in Public Transport Ticketing Systems(2026-01-06) Burger, Mara; Näscher, Hans-Henning; Kipping, Gregor; Gau, Michael; Vom Brocke, JanFraud detection in digital ticketing systems presents a significant challenge for public transport operators, as its implementation requires considerable financial and operational investment. In Germany’s largest ticketing system, approximately 7% of transactions involve fraudulent or unpaid tickets, causing substantial monetary losses. Moreover, existing artificial intelligence (AI)-based fraud detection solutions lack transparency and trust due to their black-box nature. Applying a design science research (DSR) approach and collaborating with a leading German public transportation operator, this study extends existing design knowledge by an instantiation and evaluation of an explainable AI (XAI)-based fraud detection dashboard, which was trained on 1.7 million transactions collected over two years. The evaluated system demonstrates high accuracy and precision on test data. Expert evaluations reveal that the system increases trust and transparency while maintaining necessary human oversight. Our findings advance the understanding of XAI in real-world settings and illustrate how design principles can be instantiated and evaluated in practice.Item type: Item , Oscillations, Timescales and Trajectories: How Forms of Stakeholder Engagement Shape Design Outcomes(2026-01-06) Elsayed-Ali, Salma; Brubaker, Eric; Knight, Ariella; White, Lauren; John, OrsonScholars have found that participatory design generally leads to improved outcomes compared to approaches that do not involve stakeholders as participant designers. However, recent studies have called for an examination of tensions in stakeholder engagement and how these shape design outcomes in practice. To better understand these tensions, we conducted interviews, collected archival data, and used triangulation and an inductive theory building approach to analyze the efforts of two early-stage design teams in a professional aeronautics organization working with rural U.S. communities. We introduce “engagement threads” as an approach to visualizing the interplay between stakeholder engagement and design outcomes over the course of design efforts. Looking across fourteen engagement threads, we observed that particular patterns of stakeholder engagement—exhibited through the characteristics of oscillations, timescales, and trajectories—suggest different types of design outcomes. We close by discussing implications and recommendations for design practitioners, providing insights into how forms of stakeholder engagement shape design outcomes.Item type: Item , Bridging Design Science Research and Formal Design Theories: Leveraging C-K Theory for Impactful Research(2026-01-06) Bordas, Antoine; Pascal, AmandineThis paper proposes a novel integration of formal design theories—specifically C-K theory—into Design Science Research (DSR) to better address complex and ill-defined problems. Traditional DSR methods often assume well-framed problem spaces, limiting their generative potential in tackling grand societal challenges. By embedding C-K theory into DSR, we outline a methodology that enhances generativity through iterative co-expansion of concept and knowledge spaces. An empirical case in the healthcare sector illustrates this approach, showing how C-K theory fostered the discovery of anomalies, expanded the knowledge base, and led to new artefacts and business model innovations. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of formal design theories in supporting both knowledge exploration and generative artefact development. We conclude that such integration enables more generative, reflexive, and impactful research processes.Item type: Item , Transforming University Practices for SDGs: Lessons Learned from Action Design Research and Human-AI Collaboration(2026-01-06) Lin, Fu-Ren; Su, Chin-HsuanThis paper presents an in-depth case study of how Action Design Research (ADR), augmented by human-AI collaboration, can drive the institutionalization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within a research university in Taiwan. Applying an iterative ADR approach, the authors co-developed information systems and organizational practices that promote the systematic integration of SDGs into academic and administrative workflows. Key innovations include an AI-assisted system for labeling faculty research outputs according to the SDGs and a decentralized suite of sustainability reporting platforms managed by Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) across university units. The evolution toward decentralized and component-based system architecture empowered diverse units to contribute actively to the university’s sustainability goals. The study explores new practical principles in complex organizational settings, emphasizing the importance of rapid prototyping, modular design, and inclusive, iterative stakeholder collaboration. The lessons learned offer actionable guidance for institutions seeking to advance sustainability through socio-technical innovation and collaborative change.Item type: Item , Bridging the Gap in Humanoid Robot Design Using Echeloned Design Science Research(2026-01-06) Leichtle, Marcel; Homburg, Daniel; Tuunanen, Tuure; Stock-Homburg, Ruth MariaAmid digital transformation and AI-driven innovation, service systems demand adaptable solutions that integrate technical robustness with service delivery. This study investigates the design complexities of humanoid robots as service artifacts using echeloned Design Science Research (eDSR). By integrating a literature review with iterative stakeholder engagement, our research confronts fragmentation in design practices by bridging conceptual service and interaction design with technical modularity. Our contributions are threefold: 1) identifying critical research gaps through a review of 676 papers over the past decade, demonstrating the need for integrated service and technical design in humanoid robot development; 2) advancing DSR methods to conceptualize humanoid robots as versatile artifacts in digitalized environments; and 3) proposing validated design objectives and requirements via a mixed-method approach that synthesizes literature in-sights with expert perspectives from year-long collaboration. These contributions offer guidance for creating accessible, modular, and adaptable humanoid robots that enhance value creation in complex service ecosystems.Item type: Item , Mapping the Problem Spaces for Novice Researchers in Conducting Systematic Literature Reviews(2026-01-06) Bierschwale, Daniel; Gottschewski-Meyer, Phillip Oliver; Walter, David; Knackstedt, RalfSystematic literature reviews require substantial expertise in methodology and subject domain. While experienced scholars tend to navigate these challenges, novice researchers are often overwhelmed by the intricacies of research methods. Through interviews with novice researchers, this study develops an intermediate artifact combining problem analysis and objectives and requirements definition echelons, namely by articulating 17 problem spaces novice researchers face when conducting systematic literature reviews, highlighting challenges in search string formulation and initial screening processes. The findings establish a foundation for targeted support while functioning as a diagnostic instrument for research planning.Item type: Item , Introduction to the Minitrack on Advances in Design Science Research(2026-01-06) Rossi, Matti; Baskerville, Richard; Tuunanen, Tuure