Uni Bamberg News

Senior Editor of JAIS

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 21:53:33 +0200

Prof. Dr. Kude has been appointed senior editor of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS). JAIS is the flagship journal of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) and is part of the AIS Senior Scholars’ List of Premier Journals, the list of leading journals in the field of information systems.

As a senior editor, Prof. Kude handles submitted manuscripts during the review process. He also serves as an associate editor of Business & Information Systems Engineering (BISE). From 2020 to 2024, he was an associate editor of MIS Quarterly.

New publication

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:39:00 +0200

Together with his co-authors Thomas Huber, Jan Lepoutre, and Julien Malaurent from ESSEC Business School, Thomas Kude has published a new article that analyzes how large app developers, such as Spotify or Epic Games, were able to challenge the Apple iOS platform rules through non-market strategies.

There is much to learn from this "counter-orchestration" process, but one thing that is particularly important is that it helps reconcile the ecosystem and platform perspectives, which are both useful, yet limited, models.

The biological metaphor of an emergent ecosystem does not describe Apple iOS and the myriad of app developers well, because it does not account for the highly asymmetric structure, with a central platform owner who is much more powerful than all other actors. At the same time, a star-shaped 1:n model, often implicit in the platform literature, does not tell the full story either. Some complementors are much larger than others (often they are platforms in their own right), but still dwarfed by the central platform company.

One thing to learn from this study is that these "complementor giants" play a critical role in platform governance.

The paper is available as open access: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/isre.2023.0491

ISPL goes ECIS (2026)

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0200

There, our research associates Stefanie Badmann and Stefanie Ulschmid each had the opportunity to present and discuss a recent research paper:

Badmann, S. (2026). Regulator Versus Enabler: The Role Of Public Education Authorities In Governing Digital Education Platforms. ECIS 2026 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/platforms/platforms/9
Ulschmid, S. (2026). Reconstructing Data Journeys: A Meta-Synthesis Of Qualitative Case Studies. ECIS 2026 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/datasc_isresearch/datasc_isresearch/7

Prof. Dr. Thomas Kude also served as Track Chair for Track 3: Literature Review (https://ecis2026.it/track-descriptions/literature-review/). This track focuses on the future role of IS literature reviews, which have gained particular significance due to the increasing pace at which phenomena in the field of information systems research are changing.

Beyond the academic discussions surrounding the conference theme “Reimagining Digital Technology for Business, Management, and Society,” ECIS 2026 also offered ample opportunity for personal exchanges with other researchers. In the summery temperatures, gelato provided a welcome way to cool off, and in keeping with the spirit of the Italian hosts, excellent coffee was a must.

Join our team!

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:57:35 +0200

The Chair of Information Systems and Platform Economy, Prof. Dr. Thomas Kude is seeking applications for a position as a

Research assistant (doctoral student or postdoc) (m/f/d)

(100% of regular working hours; pay grade/“Entgeltgruppe” TV-L E 13)

The position is available for an initial term of three years, with the possibility of extension subject to funding.

We offer an environment that is both ambitious and collegial. Given our experience in research, teaching, and academic service as well as our extensive national and international network, we provide excellent opportunities for learning, personal growth, and international experience. We support flexible working arrangements while valuing in-person collaboration as part of our team culture.

The full job post is available here (303.4 KB)!

Submit your application until July 07, 2026.

Theorizing Data and AI Conference in London

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0200

In a program featuring keynotes and roundtables that explored the intersections of data and artificial intelligence, she presented her ongoing research project on the governance of inter-organizational data practices. She had the opportunity to receive direct feedback from the community, which supported the exchange and further development of her research.

Overall, it was a rewarding community event that provided valuable insights and ideas for her future work.

Join the team as HiWi!

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:00:19 +0100

We are looking for a student assistant with immediate effect! Application deadline is 15.02.2025

Article on AI and Organizational Development

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:37:52 +0100

The theme of the issue is “Reflection as a Success Factor.” The article explores how organizations should prepare for the collaboration between humans and AI, as technology increasingly acts as an autonomous decision-maker. This link will take you to a small sample of the article. (315.6 KB)

Further Information
Details about the issue can be found here: https://zoe-online.org/ausgabe/reflexion/
© Handelsblatt Media Group

European Workshop on Software Ecosystems (EWSECO)

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 16:39:59 +0100

The ISPL team participates in the European Workshop on Software Ecosystems (EWSECO), which will be held on November 27 in Bamberg at Lagarde1. Prof. Kude will give a talk on "Surviving and Thriving in Platform Ecosystems: Strategies for Smaller Players." The workshop is organized by our guest lecturer Dr. Karl Popp, Thomas Kude serves in the program committee.

The workshop is free of charge for university members. Please find more information here: https://ewseco.squarespace.com

Guest lecture: DPIS meets Parqet

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:12:00 +0100

This week, our students in the course “Digital Platforms in Industries and Society” had the opportunity to talk to Sumit Kumar, founder and CEO of Parqet. In his lecture, Sumit gave us a deep insight into the history of Parqet and his experiences as an entrepreneur in the fintech sector. The guest lecture thus tied in thematically with the course section “digital platforms in highly regulated sectors”.

During the presentation, he also shared the hurdles that the Parqet team had to overcome - in particular the regulatory challenges, which are often complex and lengthy in the fintech sector. Fintech companies have to comply with numerous regulations in order to protect customer data and meet the high security requirements. Another aspect Sumit emphasized was the importance of a customer-centric focus. He emphasized the relevance of understanding the needs and expectations of users and systematically integrating them into the development process.

Sumit's presentation was therefore a valuable opportunity for the students to learn first-hand about the (regulatory) challenges and prospects of a modern fintech start-up.

SAP meets ISPL!

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 19:07:35 +0200

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Karl Michael Popp to our new ISPL-MASI-B course this semester! Dr. Popp is Senior Director at SAP and brings his expertise back to Bamberg as an alumnus for all students from the fields of International Information System Management and Information Systems.