Innovazione tecnologica ed organizzazione nelle imprese editoriali: il ruolo dei sistemi di gestione dei contenuti

Technological innovation is usually associated with performance improvement in terms of products, processes or business meanings. In order to integrate technical solutions firms have to reorganize their business, redefining processes and reforming some decisions to reach higher performance levels. It is important to underline that benefits cannot be achieved only through the new technology adoption, being the result of a real assets reorganization; technology can be considered an enabler in value chain depicting. In the last decades data storage and processing need directs studies on how information and communication technologies (ICTs) affect internal and inter-firm organizational features. This research focus on mutual relation between the adoption of information and content management technologies and the organizational form. Even thought the great number of scientific contributions about the impact of technologies on organizational design dimensions and governance variables, a specific widening on cases where information is core business seems to be lacking; in fact, there are few studies analyzing the role of ICT on governance form definition with regard to specific industries where information or contents are exchange goods. For this reason printing and publishing industry has been chosen for the analysis and as a consequence digital asset management (DAM) systems are examined. The thesis main goal is the analysis of DAM systems role in printing and publishing firms organization. This study also enables supply chain mapping and activities and main processes identification as well as key players and theirs competences recognition. Theory building through case studies is the methodological approach used: ten of the more important and famous Italian firms are involved in the analysis. Organizational dimensions analyzed derive from literature review about the ICT role in organizations and from meetings with consultants and industry experts to consider industry distinctiveness. Comparing data, I identify some organizational dimensions associated with major use of DAM systems and formulate a theoretical framework which is the main contribution of this study. The framework points out how behavior and relationship formalization and knowledge spreading are organizational characteristics used by technology-oriented Italian printing firm as well as interpersonal exchange and skill standardization became their main coordination mechanisms. These dimensions represent organizational design keys for a effective introduction of DAM systems. My framework also analyzes the impact of a specific technology on organizations, highlighting which are main organizational parameters influenced by the use of DAM systems. Finally this framework can support management for a conscious choice of technology implementation suggesting them main benefits and technical problems.