Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Information Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 71142

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Informatics and Statistics, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: social media; information management; information security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Informatics and Statistics, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: information management; cyber security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A digitalized economy and society is a new reality. It brings with it a need for digital transformation – which entails a profound transformation of business and organizational activities, processes, competencies, and models to fully harness the opportunities of modern information and communication technologies. Digital transformation is not necessarily just about modern information technologies, but also about the related challenges, such as process reengineering, changed roles, responsibilities, and functions. It covers a wide range of changes, from the digitization of information (the analog–digital conversion) to digitalization of industries and organizations (the process), and the digital transformation of societies (the effect) that are collectively accelerating the global and societal transformation process.

Our Special Issue, therefore, reflects that digital transformation is a current challenge for information management.

This Special Issue invites papers covering a wide range of topics, ranging from process transformation to aspects of digitalization for society.

We will accept papers for peer review in the following areas of interest:

  • Digital economy and Industry 4.0
  • Innovation, new business models, and strategies
  • Towards 2030 – digital transformation in crisis management
  • Social media, privacy, ethics
  • Digital single market innovation
  • Smart supply chain
  • Cybersecurity and digital identities
  • Performance management
  • Digital security, safety, and trust of smart systems – for a resilient society
  • People and processes in enterprise software development

We accept both research papers and case studies based on robust and strict methodology with a substantial proportion of original (not published elsewhere) content.

Dr. Antonin Pavlicek
Prof. Dr. Petr Doucek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Information management
  • Digital economy and innovations
  • Crisis management
  • Social media
  • Privacy
  • Cybersecurity
  • Smart Systems—intelligence, autonomy, technology, and society

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 832 KiB  
Article
Attention Paid to Privacy Policy Statements
by Tomáš Sigmund
Information 2021, 12(4), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12040144 - 29 Mar 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2651
Abstract
The article deals with the topic of attention paid to online privacy policy statements by university students. Privacy policy statements were originally intended to mitigate the users’ privacy con-cerns and support trust, but users disregard them. The article uses the theory of planned [...] Read more.
The article deals with the topic of attention paid to online privacy policy statements by university students. Privacy policy statements were originally intended to mitigate the users’ privacy con-cerns and support trust, but users disregard them. The article uses the theory of planned behav-iour combined with privacy calculus to find and verify determinants of reading privacy policy statements. We used the survey method and evaluated the results with partial least square struc-tural equation modelling. We concluded that the attitude towards reading privacy policy state-ments is influenced by privacy risks and privacy benefits. The intention to read privacy policy statements is influenced by social norms, understanding the privacy policy and mainly by the willingness to spend time and effort reading the statements. The effect of attitude was also signif-icant, but its size was smaller. Finally, wider conclusions are drawn, as the confusion around pri-vacy policy statements is a symptom of a wider social change in the information society. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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12 pages, 1859 KiB  
Article
Strategic Challenges of Human Resources Allocation in Industry 4.0
by Majid Ziaei Nafchi and Hana Mohelská
Information 2021, 12(3), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12030120 - 11 Mar 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4323
Abstract
The emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0, hereinafter I 4.0) has led to an entirely fresh approach to production, helping to enhance the key industrial processes and therefore increase the growth of labor productivity and competitiveness. Simultaneously, I 4.0 compels changes [...] Read more.
The emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0, hereinafter I 4.0) has led to an entirely fresh approach to production, helping to enhance the key industrial processes and therefore increase the growth of labor productivity and competitiveness. Simultaneously, I 4.0 compels changes in the organization of work and influences the lives of employees. The paper intends to construct a model for predicting the allocation of human resources in the sectors of the national economy of the Czech Republic in connection with I 4.0. The model used in this research visualizes the shift of labor in the economic sectors of the Czech Republic from the year 2013 to the following years in the near future. The main contribution of this article is to show the growth of employment in the high-tech services sector, which will have an ascending trend. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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19 pages, 6585 KiB  
Article
Modeling of Information Processes in Social Networks
by Sergey Yablochnikov, Mikhail Kuptsov and Maksim Mahiboroda
Information 2021, 12(3), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12030116 - 09 Mar 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2024
Abstract
In order to model information dissemination in social networks, a special methodology of sampling statistical data formation has been implemented. The probability distribution laws of various characteristics of personal and group accounts in four social networks are investigated. Stochastic aspects of interrelations between [...] Read more.
In order to model information dissemination in social networks, a special methodology of sampling statistical data formation has been implemented. The probability distribution laws of various characteristics of personal and group accounts in four social networks are investigated. Stochastic aspects of interrelations between these indicators were analyzed. The classification of groups of social network users is proposed, and their characteristic features and main empirical regularities of mutual transitions are marked. Regression models of forecasting changes in the number of users of the selected groups have been obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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18 pages, 768 KiB  
Article
Product Owner’s Journey to SAFe®—Role Changes in Scaled Agile Framework®
by Daniel Remta and Alena Buchalcevova
Information 2021, 12(3), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12030107 - 03 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4149
Abstract
As agile software development methods are spreading through the industry, they are no longer sufficient in their original design. With the increasing adoption by various types and sizes of organizations, these methods are scaled and tailored. The most popular framework for scaling Agile [...] Read more.
As agile software development methods are spreading through the industry, they are no longer sufficient in their original design. With the increasing adoption by various types and sizes of organizations, these methods are scaled and tailored. The most popular framework for scaling Agile is the Scaled Agile Framework®, registered trademark of Scaled Agile, Inc. Boulder, USA. Some roles originating from the agile methods, such as Product Owner, are part of the framework and are impacted by scaling and tailoring. A Product Owner role is critical to the success of projects in agile environments. This paper aims to describe and discuss the evolution of and changes in Product Owner activities since Agile started to spread in the industry until the current concept of the Product Owner role in the Scaled Agile Framework. By identifying the activities typical of Product Owners outside of the Scaled Agile Framework context and mapping these activities to the Product Owner role description in Scaled Agile Framework, the changes in Product Owner role with respect to time and role specifics in the Scaled Agile Framework are revealed. It was identified that some of the activities previously described for Product Owner are distributed between various roles in the Scaled Agile Framework. In fact, the Product Owner loses the real product ownership in Scaled Agile Framework. The loss of ownership seems connected with the fact that, in the large environments that the Scaled Agile Framework is designed for, it is impossible to cover all required activities by one role using the hierarchical structures with a top-down approach in the Scaled Agile Framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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14 pages, 3025 KiB  
Article
A Robust and Hybrid Cryptosystem for Identity Authentication
by Ali Takieldeen, Said H. Abd Elkhalik, Ahmed S. Samra, Mohamed A. Mohamed and Fahmi Khalifa
Information 2021, 12(3), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12030104 - 01 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1956
Abstract
With the progressive development of a wide range of applications, interconnect things and internet of things (IoT) became an imperative required trend by industries and academicians. IoT became a base infrastructure for remote access or control depending on internet protocol (IP) networks, especially [...] Read more.
With the progressive development of a wide range of applications, interconnect things and internet of things (IoT) became an imperative required trend by industries and academicians. IoT became a base infrastructure for remote access or control depending on internet protocol (IP) networks, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The huge application domain’s infrastructure, which depends on IoT, requires a trusted connection to guarantee security and privacy while transferring data. This paper proposes a hybrid identity authentication pipeline that integrates three schemes, namely, an elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) scheme is integrated with the Ong, Schnorr, and Shamir (OSS) signature scheme and chaotic maps. The latter satisfies both security and guarantee criteria. The novelty of the proposal is in using chaotic mapping and a cyclic group to deduce a substitution box (S-Box) and a reversible matrix as a portion of the OSS signature equation. The ECC-based security part is an efficient public key cryptography mechanism with less computational cost, which makes it the most convenient to be used in IoT devices for authentication and privacy. The strength of the proposed scheme relies on combining the discrete logarithm problem (DLP) and integer factorization problem (IFP). The proposed approach was simulated using Lab-View and compared with other state-of-the art schemes. Extensive simulation results and analysis of the security and time rendering results confirmed its durability against different types of attacks, such as linear and differential attacks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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11 pages, 842 KiB  
Article
Development of the Activity of Parents of Young Children on Social Networks
by Jana Syrovátková and Antonín Pavlíček
Information 2021, 12(3), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12030102 - 28 Feb 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1501
Abstract
The paper analyzes the behavior and habits of expectant and new mothers on a specialized pregnancy/parenthood-oriented social network, especially whether and how the pregnancy, and later the age of infants, impact the online activity of mothers. The authors compared almost 5000 parents divided [...] Read more.
The paper analyzes the behavior and habits of expectant and new mothers on a specialized pregnancy/parenthood-oriented social network, especially whether and how the pregnancy, and later the age of infants, impact the online activity of mothers. The authors compared almost 5000 parents divided into 23 “term groups”—long-term discussion platforms of parents with the same due month. The age of the child (due date) was taken as the basis for the activity analysis—determining the phases in which the users were more or less active online. Results are shown as charts supported by verification of the following statistical hypotheses: (a) users in later-term groups are less active than those in earlier ones; (b) users’ activity peaks around their due dates; (c) users are still very active six months after the due date; (d) activity shortly rises again around the child’s first birthday. We concluded that expectant mothers were most active two months before their due dates and around their due dates. After that, the observed activity decreased, with a slight increase around the child’s first birthday. Our findings can be useful for sociological and psychological studies, as well as for marketing purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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14 pages, 877 KiB  
Article
Data Experts as the Balancing Power of Big Data Ethics
by Richard Novak and Antonin Pavlicek
Information 2021, 12(3), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12030097 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3233
Abstract
In this theoretical paper, we explore Big Data ethics in the broader context of general data ethics, stakeholder groups, demand for governance and regulation, social norms, and human values. We follow and expand on the digital divide, governance, and regulatory theories, and we [...] Read more.
In this theoretical paper, we explore Big Data ethics in the broader context of general data ethics, stakeholder groups, demand for governance and regulation, social norms, and human values. We follow and expand on the digital divide, governance, and regulatory theories, and we apply them to many levels and contexts, such as state and society, organization, enterprise governance of IT (EGIT), and data projects, among others. We introduce the new role and responsibility of data experts as an important stakeholder group in the balance of power of Big Data ethics because they simultaneously hold a position in groups of data-rich organizations and data-poor users. We argue that the balancing role of data experts consists of motivation and competence, a sense of responsibility for data ethics, and the possibility and means to influence Big Data issues. Finally, we conclude our research by model mapping the role of data experts in Big Data ethics and proposing them as a balancing power. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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16 pages, 1205 KiB  
Article
Corporate Reputation of Family-Owned Businesses: Parent Companies vs. Their Brands
by František Pollák, Peter Dorčák and Peter Markovič
Information 2021, 12(2), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12020089 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3138
Abstract
The reputation of companies is one of their key success factors. It is therefore necessary to value this intangible asset. In order to detect possible threats quickly, continuous monitoring of corporate reputation plays an important role in this valuation process. Family businesses are [...] Read more.
The reputation of companies is one of their key success factors. It is therefore necessary to value this intangible asset. In order to detect possible threats quickly, continuous monitoring of corporate reputation plays an important role in this valuation process. Family businesses are an ideal object for reputation management research, as through their brands they integrate tradition and addressability at the same time. The main aim of the paper is to discuss the issue of innovative approaches to the online reputation management. We performed an in-depth analysis of online reputation through an Advanced sentiment analysis on the significant sample of ten largest family-owned businesses in the world. Taking into account all relevant determinants of reputation such as Google as well as major social networks, namely Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. As there is a noticeable difference between the marketing communication of the parent company and the marketing communication of the brand owned by the company, the findings of the analyses will provide a better insight into the issue of sustainable brand development. By identify good practices, as well as highlighting weaknesses, our research has the ambition to contribute to the shift of knowledge in the field of reputation management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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18 pages, 2083 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Equity Information as An Important Factor in Assessing Business Performance
by Katarína Tasáryová and Renáta Pakšiová
Information 2021, 12(2), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12020085 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3178
Abstract
Assessing the business performance is an important aspect of almost all economic decisions at the microeconomic and macroeconomic level, in the short and long term. Information about the partners’ relationship to the business, their interest in the evaluation of investments can be explained [...] Read more.
Assessing the business performance is an important aspect of almost all economic decisions at the microeconomic and macroeconomic level, in the short and long term. Information about the partners’ relationship to the business, their interest in the evaluation of investments can be explained by various indicators. It is relevant to understand the dependencies of the business performance and the amount of equity, while negative equity can be considered as critical information of existence. The purpose of quantitative research is to identify the relationship between reported negative equity and the business performance in Slovakia on an exhaustive sample of financial data of businesses with negative equity in the period 2014–2018. The business performance with negative equity is assessed through the Altman Z-score and the IN05 index, by classifying businesses into bankruptcy, prosperity and gray zones. Pearson’s correlation analysis between negative equity and Altman Z-score performance confirms the strong direct relationship between negative equity and the bankruptcy zone, the weaker indirect relationship between negative equity and the gray zone, and almost no dependence of negative equity and prosperity zone. In the case of the IN05 index, a low correlation was found between negative equity and all three zones. Although businesses with negative equity are in a bankruptcy zone, they do not have to close automatically, but they have to improve resource management, in particular to increase equity, for example by making a profit and good financial management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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12 pages, 533 KiB  
Article
Aspects of Distance Education in Combination with Home Offices
by Petr Rozehnal and Roman Danel
Information 2021, 12(2), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12020075 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1988
Abstract
This article discusses the impact of a lockdown caused by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 on the educational process at a selected faculty of a public university in the Czech Republic focused on economic education. The aim was to capture relevant aspects in [...] Read more.
This article discusses the impact of a lockdown caused by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 on the educational process at a selected faculty of a public university in the Czech Republic focused on economic education. The aim was to capture relevant aspects in the context of impacts on the management of the educational process in the organization. The unique situation brought the possibility of analyzing the flexibility of the organization, its ability to adapt. A questionnaire survey was conducted among academics. We found out how they coped with this situation, their technical equipment, support from the faculty, and whether they encountered any problems. The goal of the article was not to bring an exact evaluation of selected questions, but to show the state of the actual situation, to point out possible problems of users, and to link these things with the approach to the management of the organization. Based on the analysis, we bring suggestions and recommendations for improving the process of transition to online learning as well as distance education management and recommendation to support teaching, regardless of the teacher’s workplace. The basic areas and activities that need to be managed were also identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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Review

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20 pages, 1178 KiB  
Review
Challenges and Trends of Financial Technology (Fintech): A Systematic Literature Review
by Ryan Randy Suryono, Indra Budi and Betty Purwandari
Information 2020, 11(12), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/info11120590 - 21 Dec 2020
Cited by 98 | Viewed by 41491
Abstract
Digital transformation creates challenges in all industries and business sectors. The development of digital transformation has also clearly triggered the emergence of fintech (financial technology) initiatives, which are recognized as some of the most important innovations in the financial industry. These initiatives are [...] Read more.
Digital transformation creates challenges in all industries and business sectors. The development of digital transformation has also clearly triggered the emergence of fintech (financial technology) initiatives, which are recognized as some of the most important innovations in the financial industry. These initiatives are developing rapidly, driven in part by the sharing economy, regulations, and information technology. However, research in the field of fintech remains in its infancy. Fintech offers several services, such as funding, payment (including electronic wallets), e-aggregators, e-trading, and e-insurance, and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. This provides an opportunity to more closely examine fintech’s research challenges and trends. This study aims to (1) determine the state of the art of financial technology research; (2) identify gaps in the financial technology research field; and (3) identify challenges and trends for future research potential. The novel proposal in this study includes theoretical contributions regarding financial technology. Using the systematic literature review approach of Kitchenham, in addition to thematic analysis, meta-analysis and observation to validate the quality of literature and analysis, the results of this study provide a theoretical basis fintech research from an information systems perspective, including the formulation of fintech technology concepts and their development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitalized Economy, Society and Information Management)
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