Addressing Knowledge Gaps in ITSM Practice with “Learning Digital Commons”: A Case Study

Abstract

Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) constitutes a suite of specialized organizational capabilities aimed at optimizing the value derived from IT services. The practice of ITSM encompasses a range of complementary frameworks. However, the practitioner community lacks a comprehensive, holistic understanding of the knowledge embedded within these frameworks.

Addressing this gap, we developed Service-Symphony, an instance of a Learning Digital Commons (LEDICO) designed to empower the ITSM community with a holistic knowledge-learning experience, with design principles based on epistemic logic, cognitive constructivist learning theory and cognitive schema theory. Leveraging the Design Science Research (DSR) paradigm, we systematically constructed and assessed Service-Symphony. Evaluation tools included surveys and web analytics. Survey responses revealed a consensus among participants, with the majority expressing alignment with the four design principles underpinning Service-Symphony. Web analytics data further indicated significant engagement, with 148,796 users accessing Service-Symphony between April 2019 and September 2022.

This paper contributes both to theory and practice. Theoretical contributions include the establishment of a conceptual model and a multi-grounded design theory based on cognitive constructivist learning, cognitive schema and epistemic logic. The practical contributions include e the deployment of a public domain ITSM digital commons tailored to the specific needs of the ITSM community, which is also used as supplementary learning resource for ITSM students.