Visual Models of Business Ecologies : The Role of Business Ecology Visualisations as Boundary Objects

Abstract: Within the area of Digitisation and Management at Linköping University, a focus is the interconnectivity of management and IT. This can be manifest in a multitude of different ways, such as exploring the consequences of digitisation, transferal of information between individuals and the strategic application of management control theory in organisations where the use of IT plays a significant role. This thesis, Visual Models of Business Ecologies – The role of business ecology visualisations as boundary objects, is written by Oscar Hubertsson and Henrik Johansson. It is presented as our master’s thesis in Digitisation and Management at the Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University. It delves into the application of a business ecology perspective, a technique within strategy and management control to define the relevant organisation, and how visualisations of the understanding gained through this technique can be used to facilitate discussions, understanding and joint problem solving. To gain a firmer understanding of this phenomena this thesis is used to explore how individuals discuss, solve problems, and gain firmer understanding through the lens of boundary objects, representations of knowledge used as instrumentalities to cross boundaries of knowledge that appear between different groups. This thesis aims to make contributions to management control theory by exploring the replicable applicability of a business ecology perspective, the resulting visualisations of any gained understanding and how these visualisations can be used as boundary objects.