We are pleased to announce that our full paper "Virtual Coaches, Real Challenges: An Ethical Guide for AI-Based Virtual Coaches in Educational Settings" by Daniel Davydov, Falco Korn, and Frederik Ahlemann has been accepted for publication and presentation at the 21st International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI2026), taking place in September 2026 at Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.

The paper examines the ethical implications of AI-based virtual coaches in education and develops an education-specific guideline framework that bridges ethical theory and domain-specific challenges. Combining a review of prior research with twelve expert interviews, the study analyzes existing AI ethics frameworks, identifies critical gaps, and derives actionable guidance for educational settings. Its central contribution addresses the relational, pedagogical, and developmental dynamics of AI-mediated coaching; mechanisms that general AI ethics frameworks tend to overlook. The work offers concrete orientation for developers, educators, and policymakers seeking to integrate AI responsibly into education.

Congratulations to the authors! We look forward to the discussions in Linz!

Are you interested in international exchange, student mobility, and working in a university environment? Then this might be a great opportunity for you.

The Chair of Information Systems, Digital Innovation and Performance Management is looking for a student assistant to support IS:link – Information Systems Student Exchange Network.

As part of our team, you will gain hands-on experience in an international academic setting and contribute to activities related to student exchange, including support for both outgoing and incoming students.

Start Date: As soon as possible

Contract Duration: 12 months with the option for extension

Working Hours: 14–19 hours per week

Application Deadline: July 30, 2026

Further information on the position, requirements, application documents, and deadline can be found here.

The European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2026), held in Milan, Italy, brought together Information Systems researchers from around the world to exchange ideas and discuss current developments in the field. Representing the Chair of Information Systems, Digital Innovation and Performance Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen, doctoral researcher Falco Korn participated in both the ECIS Doctoral Consortium and the main conference.

As one of 23 selected PhD students, Korn participated in the invitation-only ECIS Doctoral Consortium, an international forum designed to support doctoral researchers in advancing their dissertation projects. In an interactive setting, participants presented and discussed their research, received constructive feedback from peers and senior scholars, and engaged in exchange with fellow doctoral researchers from across the Information Systems community. Korn worked closely with mentors Leona Sandra Kruse (University of Agder) and Dov Te'eni (Tel Aviv University), whose feedback and guidance provided valuable impulses for further refining his dissertation.

Following the consortium, Korn presented the paper “Mind The Mess: A Matrix of Personal Knowledge Management Challenges Across the Knowledge Lifecycle” during the ECIS main conference. Co-authored with Dennis Kolender, Rafael Ziolkowski, Erik Karger, and Frederik Ahlemann, the paper examines the challenges knowledge workers face in managing information across fragmented digital environments and develops a diagnostic framework for identifying and understanding personal knowledge management challenges.

Overall, ECIS 2026 provided an excellent opportunity to receive constructive feedback on ongoing research, engage with the international Information Systems community, and present current work to a broad academic audience. The conference offered valuable insights and perspectives that will further contribute to both Korn's dissertation project and the chair's research activities.

On May 28, 2026, the official kickoff event for the "AI for SMEs on the Lower Rhine" (KI für KMU am Niederrhein) initiative took place. The Chair of Information Systems, Digital Innovation and Performance Management was actively involved, with Professor Dr. Frederik Ahlemann delivering one of the four core keynote presentations.

The event attracted nearly 100 guests, including representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises, regional partners, and multipliers. Following the expert presentations, a joint discussion round highlighted both the immense regional interest in Artificial Intelligence and the practical challenges SMEs still face when implementing these technologies.

To demonstrate immediate, practical applications of AI in business, Falco Korn, who is also part of the project team, showed how live survey data can be transformed into a complete, polished presentation within minutes to dynamically support moderated discussions.

Our Chair will continue to support regional businesses in addressing their open questions through an upcoming series of dedicated workshops starting this September. Registration for these sessions will open soon.

For those looking to connect earlier, the "Business beim Brötchen: KI-Café" will take place this July, offering an informal platform for networking and exchange. More information and registration details are available at: https://www.b2match.com/e/business-beim-brotchen-ki-cafe.

This year’s “Future Logistics” event highlighted the critical challenges surrounding AI transformation and data-driven logistics - themes that sit at the very heart of our chair’s research in digital innovation and information systems. Following an opening by Transport Minister Oliver Krischer, the forum provided a platform to discuss the strategic integration of artificial intelligence into complex operational environments.

Prof. Frederik Ahlemann, Professor of Information Systems, Digital Innovation and Performance Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen, moderated the panel discussion “Beyond Technology: Lessons, Challenges and Outcomes of AI Transformation,” contributing an impulse on the expected landscape of 2031. The discussion centered on the transition from traditional dispatching toward data-centric systems and service-oriented business models focused on reliability. A key takeaway from the session was that AI transformation should not be viewed as a purely technical challenge; rather, it represents a systemic shift requiring interoperable information systems, integrated data infrastructures, and the active inclusion of the workforce.

The event also highlighted the long-term impact of collaborative research, exemplified by the startup red cable robots. Having emerged from a former ZLV research project within the BMBF Leading-Edge Cluster (EffizienzCluster LogistikRuhr), the spin-off demonstrated how research-driven innovation can evolve into scalable industrial solutions.

For our chair, the event offered an excellent opportunity to connect ongoing research in AI-enabled information systems, digital transformation, and smart infrastructures with current developments in the logistics sector. At the same time, the discussions reinforced that future logistics ecosystems will depend not only on technological capabilities, but also on governance structures, cross-organizational data integration, and human-centered transformation.

The digital transformation of the regional economy has reached a new milestone: District Administrator Thomas Schürmann has officially handed over the funding notification for the joint project "KI für KMU NiederRhein" (AI for SMEs Lower Rhine). With a total funding amount of approximately €1.63 million, the project sends a clear signal for strengthening competitiveness in the Lower Rhine region. The funds are provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and co-financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The initiative was developed as part of the "Regio.NRW – Transformation" call and aims to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and medium-sized business practices.

At its core, the project focuses on raising awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) regarding the diverse opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence. Businesses often lack the resources or specific expertise required to implement technological innovations efficiently. This is where the project steps in by providing practical skills that contribute to securing long-term employment and value creation. The support ranges from initial information events to in-depth practical sessions that help companies identify and implement individual AI applications.

The University of Duisburg-Essen plays a central role in this cross-border network, bringing its scientific expertise directly to the region. Key contributors include Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann and Falco Korn, as well as Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe and Prof. Dr. Marc Eulerich. Together with the other partners—Duisburg Business & Innovation GmbH (lead partner), Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, the Dutch Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen, and the economic development agencies of the Wesel and Kleve districts—they form a powerful network. This cooperation highlights the importance of technology transfer and demonstrates how collaboration between science and business can create sustainable momentum for the region.

This project is co-financed by the European Union. Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.efre.nrw.

#efrenrw #jtfnrw

Was ist bei Künstlicher Intelligenz bis 2030 realistisch und was ist bloßes Wunschdenken? Während die Schlagzeilen täglich neue Rekorde melden, stehen Unternehmen vor der Herausforderung, eine fundierte Strategie für die nächsten Jahre zu entwickeln.
Gemeinsam mit Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann von der Universität Duisburg-Essen und den Management- und Technologieberatungen Campana & Schott und METAPOTT führen wir eine großangelegte Studie durch. Unser Ziel: Ein Bild der Organisation der Zukunft.

Wir untersuchen drei Kernfragen:

• Eintrittswahrscheinlichkeit: Welche KI-Entwicklungen sind bis 2030 wirklich wahrscheinlich?
• Impact: Wie verändern sich Geschäftsprozesse, IT-Landschaften und unsere Arbeitswelt?
• Reifegrad: Wie gut sind Unternehmen heute tatsächlich vorbereitet?

Ihre Expertise ist gefragt! Wir laden Führungskräfte, IT-Verantwortliche und Professionals aller Branchen ein, an der Umfrage teilzunehmen. Ihre Einschätzung hilft uns, Spekulationen von fundierten Prognosen zu trennen:

• Dauer: ca. 15 Minuten
• Hier teilnehmen: Link zur Studie 
• Ihr Benefit: Als Dankeschön für Ihre Teilnahme bieten wir Ihnen auf Wunsch einen exklusiven Vorab-Einblick in die Ergebnisse.

We are pleased to share that two of our papers have been accepted at the European Conference on Information Systems 2026 (ECIS2026), which takes place June 12–17, 2026. The conference centers on the theme “Reimagining Digital Technology for Business, Management, and Society”, highlighting how deeply digital technologies shape organizations, work practices, and everyday life—and how we can design them more deliberately going forward.

Our contributions reflect this perspective from two different angles:

The first paper, “Mind the Mess: A Matrix of Personal Knowledge Management Challenges across the Knowledge Lifecycle” (Falco Korn, Dennis Kolender, Rafael Ziolkowski, Erik Karger, Frederik Ahlemann), examines how knowledge workers navigate increasingly fragmented digital environments. Based on 27 semi-structured expert interviews, the study identifies 50 distinct challenges in personal knowledge management and structures them into a multi-layered framework spanning cognitive, behavioral, technical, and information-related dimensions. By mapping these challenges onto core knowledge management processes, the paper provides a systematic way to diagnose where and why personal knowledge management breaks—and lays a foundation for designing more effective support systems.

The second paper, “Organizing for Digital Business Model Innovation in Incumbent Firms: Which Digital Innovation Management Configurations Enable or Constrain Digital Business Model Innovation?” (David Hoffmann, Frederik Ahlemann, Rafael Ziolkowski, Erik Karger, Kalle Lyytinen, Stefan Reining), shifts the focus to the organizational level. Drawing on survey data from 251 firms and applying a configurational approach (fsQCA), the study identifies multiple pathways through which firms can successfully—or unsuccessfully—enable digitally driven business model innovation. The findings highlight that different configurations of digital innovation management can complement, substitute, or even counteract each other depending on strategic context and environmental turbulence, offering a more nuanced understanding of how organizations can structure for innovation.

Together, both papers contribute to a deeper understanding of how individuals and organizations can better navigate and shape digital complexity—very much in line with the broader ECIS2026 agenda.

We are pleased to announce that the Chair of Strategic IT Management (SITM) has officially been renamed to the Chair of Information Systems, Digital Innovation and Performance Management (DIP).

This new title better reflects our current research trajectory and our focus on how digital innovation drives organizational excellence.

Along with our new name, we have relocated our offices. You can now find us in R09 R03 (same building, third floor), where we are happy to be sharing the corridor with our colleagues from the Chair of Enterprise Systems, Platforms, and Architectures (EPA).

We look forward to this new chapter and to welcoming you to our new premises!

Falco Korn, doctoral researcher at the Chair of Information Systems, Digital Information and Performance Management at the University of Duisburg-Essen, has been accepted to the Doctoral Consortium of the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2026 with his dissertation project "A Multi-Method Study of Social Media-Driven Academic Procrastination Among University Students and the Design of Context-Sensitive Digital Micro-Interventions".

The ECIS 2026 Doctoral Consortium is a highly selective event: participation is limited to 20 doctoral students, with each university permitted to nominate only one candidate. The consortium will take place June 12–14, 2026, at Villa Gallarati Scotti, a historic 18th-century estate near Milan, ahead of the main ECIS conference (June 15–17).

The dissertation project addresses a pressing challenge of contemporary academic life. Students increasingly procrastinate through social media, a phenomenon Korn conceptualizes as Social Media-Driven Academic Procrastination (SMAP). At the heart of the research is the question of how personalized, digital micro-interventions can reduce SMAP in a sustainable and theoretically grounded way. Methodologically, the project follows the echeloned Design Science Research approach by Tuunanen et al. (2024), which links problem and solution spaces across validated, self-contained stages. Through a combination of methods (e.g. in-depth interviews, structural equation modeling and prototype development), the project aims to develop an empirically grounded understanding of SMAP mechanisms, and from that, a class of archetype-specific, context-sensitive micro-interventions. The resulting design knowledge is intended to be transferable beyond the university context to related application areas.