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Phenomenon-driven research (PDR) establishes when a phenomenon warrants investigation but offers little structured guidance on diagnosing why a state change occurred or which aspect of the phenomenon drove it. We address this by introducing a framework based on the Belief-Action-Outcome (BAO) framework and meme theory, positioned after a state change is detected but before full-scale theorising begins. By separating institutional beliefs, concrete interventions, and realised and unrealised outcomes into distinct analytical layers, the framework allows researchers to identify which aspect of a phenomenon produced the change and why. We demonstrate its usefulness through the Maritime Single Window (MSW), a digital platform mandated across EU Member States, where the replacement of Directive 2010/65/EU by Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 represents such a state change. Our contribution equips IS researchers with an analytical structure that helps bridge the gap between rigour and relevance.

Multi-purpose ports' efficient and sustainable operation relies on seamless coordination and decision-making among multiple organizations. This paper underscores the critical importance of forecasting resource and infrastructure utilization for informed operational, tactical, and strategic decision-making. The proposed approach draws on digital twin technology to enable collaborative decision-making by modeling complex port environments to enable shared situational awareness among stakeholders. Illustrated through a collaborative project involving the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, National University of Singapore, Grieg Connect, Umeå University, Kvarken Ports Umeå, and INAB, we propose a digital twin design to empower the port as a decision- maker in multi-organizational settings to proactively plan and optimize its utilization of present and future resources.

Maritime transports play a vital role for several industries in enabling efficient and sustainable transportation of goods. Ports are central hubs in the transport chain since they connect the maritime and land-based transport systems. The central position of ports makes them critical enablers of efficiency through digital connectivity but also implies that they need to consider many types of participating agents with whom they form episodic tight couplings. However, the industry's digitalization level remains relatively low, and we know little of the challenges facing ports in increasing it. Through a case study of digitalization in Swedish small- and medium-sized ports handling different types of cargo and serving different types of transport modes, we identify key objectives and critical challenges underlying digitalization processes in ports.