Prof Thomas Butler
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Business Information Systems
University College Cork
Cork University Business School
Biography
Professor Tom Butler's PhD MSc research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence technologies for governance, risk, and compliance in the financial industry. From 2013-2018, Tom was the Principal Investigator of Ireland’s Governance Risk and Compliance Technology Centre. In the latter role, he led a multidisciplinary team of knowledge engineers, information systems and legal researchers conducting research and development (R&D) of AI technologies to enable financial institutions to manage regulatory compliance and operational risk. His R&D activities saw him engage closely with global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) and regulators such as the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This research continues with two Research Fellows based at UCC and with financial institutions and professional services firms in the UK and US. Tom was also a member of the Expert Group on Regulatory Obstacles Financial Innovation (ROFIEG) at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA) and continues his association with fellow experts, whose recommendations on financial technology (FinTech) strategy inform EU policy.
In a broader context, Tom's research focuses on risks that information technologies pose to society: in areas from information and cybersecurity, to the adverse health effects that wireless technologies exert on humans, he engages with independent researchers globally across a range of disciplines. This focus on environmental risks builds on his tenure as a Government of Ireland Research Fellow focusing on environmentally sustainable technologies or Green IT.
Tom authored 225 publications, which includes 80 full papers, 84 conference papers, and 11 inventions. His research sees him ranked in the top 2% of scientists by discipline globally by Stanford researchers Ioannidis, J. P., Boyack, K. W., & Baas, J. (2020). Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators. PLoS Biology, 18(10), e3000918.
Tom has garnered over €8.7m in research funding. He is considered a global thought leader in financial and regulatory technologies (FinTech-RegTech) and technology risk.
Grants and Honours
- 05/01/2014 - Miscellanous Membership Fees - EI TC/2012/0009, Miscellaneous
- 03/01/2013 - Governance Risk and Compliance Technology Centre, Enterprise Ireland
- 12/01/2012 - Financial Services Governance Risk and Compliance Technology Centre, Enterprise Ireland
- 03/08/2011 - Innovative Business Models for the International Energy Sector., Tyndall National Institute
- 01/01/2011 - Ranked 33rd in Association for Information Systems Senior Scholars World Rankings, http://vvenkatesh.com/isranking/
- 09/01/2009 - Government of Ireland Research Fellowship, Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)
- 09/01/2009 - IRCHSS - Towards a Theorectically-informed Business Model for implementing Green IT Initiatives in Organisations., Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)
Research Domains
- Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) Systems for Financial Services
- Ontology and Process Model Development
- Artificial Intelligence Technologies
- Business Models for GRC technology innovations
- Smart Regulation (based on Semantic Technologies)
- Business Models for ICT-enabled Smart Grid/Homes/Buildings and Energy Informatics
- Environmentally sustainable IT Governance
- Environmental Compliance Management Systems (ECMS)
- Risk management
Publications
Journal article
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2009 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2009). The role of project management in ineffective decision making within Agile software development projects. European Journal of Information Systems. Details |
| 2009 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2009). A Failure to Learn By Software Developers: Inhibiting the Adoption of an Agile Software Development Methodology. Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research. Details |
| 2009 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2009). Project Post-mortems Mindless Mismanagement of Agreement. Journal of Decision Systems. Details |
| 2007 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2007). The impact of the Abilene Paradox on double-loop learning in an agile team. Information and Software Technology. Details |
| 2006 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2006). Resisting the change to user stories: a trip to Abilene. International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management. Details |
| 2018 | BUTLER, T., BROOKS, R. (2018). On the role of ontology-based RegTech for managing risk and compliance reporting in the age of regulation. Journal of Risk Management in Financial Institutions. |
| 2015 | BUTLER, T., HACKNEY, R. (2015). Understanding digital eco-innovation in municipalities: An institutional perspective. Association of Information Systems. |
| 2014 | ABI-LAHOUD, E., BUTLER, T., O'BRIEN, L. (2014). A hermeneutic approach to solving the translation problem in designing ontologies. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. |
| 2012 | BUTLER, T., MCGOVERN, D. (2012). A conceptual model and IS framework for the design and adoption of environmental compliance management systems. Information Systems Frontiers. |
| 2011 | BUTLER, T. (2011). Compliance with institutional imperatives on environmental sustainability: Building theory on the role of Green IS. Journal of Strategic Information Systems. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., GRACE, A. (2008). Beyond Knowledge. Journal of Cases On Information Technology. |
| 2006 | BUTLER, T., MCAVOY, J. (2006). A paradox of virtual teams and change: an implementation of the theory of competing commitments. International Journal of e-Collaboration (IJeC). |
| 2005 | BUTLER, T., GRACE, A. (2005). Beyond Knowledge Management. Journal of Cases On Information Technology. |
| 2005 | BUTLER, T., GRACE, A. (2005). Learning management systems: a new beginning in the management of learning and knowledge. |
| 2005 | BUTLER, T. (2005). Power Conflict, Commitment & the Development of Sales & Marketing IS/IT Infrastructures at Digital Devices, Inc.. Journal of Cases On Information Technology. |
| 2003 | BUTLER, T. (2003). An institutional perspective on developing and implementing intranet-and internet-based information systems. |
| 2003 | BUTLER, T. (2003). From data to knowledge and back again: Understanding the limitations of KMS. Knowledge and Process Management. |
| 2002 | BUTLER, T. (2002). Bridging the digital divide through educational initiatives: Problems and solutions. Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline. |
| 2000 | BUTLER, T. (2000). Transforming information systems development through computer-aided systems engineering (CASE): lessons from practice. |
| 1999 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (1999). Unpacking the systems development process: an empirical application of the CSF concept in a research context. Journal of Strategic Information Systems. |
| 1998 | BUTLER, T. (1998). Towards a hermeneutic method for interpretive research in information systems. Journal of Information Technology. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2008). An exploratory study on IS capabilities and assets in a small-to-medium software enterprise. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., FELLER, J., POPE, A., EMERSON, W., MURPHY, C. (2008). Designing a core IT artefact for Knowledge Management Systems using participatory action research in a government and a non-government organisation. Journal of Strategic Information Systems. Details |
| 2007 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2007). Understanding the design of information technologies for knowledge management in organizations: a pragmatic perspective. |
| 2009 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2009). The Dilution of Effort in Self-Evaluating Development Teams: Agile Loafing. Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation. |
| 2018 | BUTLER, T., MCAVOY, J. (2018). A critical realist method for applied business research. Journal of Critical Realism. |
| 2007 | BUTLER, T., HEAVIN, C., O'DONOVAN, F. (2007). A theoretical model and framework for understanding knowledge management system implementation. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing. Details |
| 2020 | BUTLER, T., HACKNEY, R. (2020). The role of informational mechanisms in the adoption of Green IS to achieve eco-sustainability in municipalities. Information and Management. Details |
| 2019 | BUTLER, T. (2019). Artificial intelligence for regulatory compliance: Are we there yet? Journal of Financial Compliance, Great Britain. |
| 2020 | BUTLER, T., HACKNEY, R. (2020). The role of informational mechanisms in the adoption of Green IS to achieve eco-sustainability in municipalities. Information and Management. Details |
| 2019 | BUTLER, T., O'BRIEN, L. (2019). Artificial intelligence for regulatory compliance: Are we there yet? Journal of Financial Compliance. |
Book chapter
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2019 | BUTLER, T., O’BRIEN, L. (2019). Understanding RegTech for Digital Regulatory Compliance. Palgrave Pivot. |
| 2016 | BUTLER, T. (2016). Towards a Hermeneutic Method for Interpretive Research in Information Systems. Palgrave Macmillan. |
| 2012 | GRACE, A., FINNEGAN, P., BUTLER, T. (2012). Collaborative Decision Making at the Client Interface: An Exploratory Case Study of Service Co-production. Fusing Decision Support Systems Into The Fabric Of The Context. |
| 2012 | BUTLER, T. (2012). Institutional change and green IS: Towards problem-driven, mechanism-based explanations. Springer Publishing. |
| 2012 | BUTLER, T. (2012). Regulating Green IT: Laws, Standards and Protocols. Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices. |
| 2012 | HAQUE, R., KRDZAVAC, N. B., BUTLER, T. (2012). Transforming Nescient Activity into Intelligent Activity. |
| 2010 | BUTLER, T., GRACE, A. (2010). Building and maintaining human capital with learning management systems. IGI Global. |
| 2010 | FLYNN, A., BUTLER, T., MCGARRY, J. (2010). On Institutional Rationality and Decision Making in Adopting Green ICT Strategies.. IOS Press. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., EMERSON, W., MCGOVERN, D. (2008). Compliance-as-a-Service in Information Technology Manufacturing Organizations: An Exploratory Case Study. Springer Publishing. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., MCAVOY, J. (2008). The Desire for Cohesion in Virtual Teams. E-Collaboration in Modern Organizations: Initiating and Managing. |
| 2006 | BUTLER, T. (2006). Social inclusion and the information systems field: why now?. |
| 2002 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (2002). Exploring the relationship between institutional context, user participation, and organizational change in a European telecommunications company. IGI Global. |
| 2002 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (2002). The relationship between user participation and the management of change surrounding the development of information systems: A European perspective. IGI Global. |
| 2000 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (2000). New light through old windows: the interpretive foundations of the CSF concept and method. Palgrave Macmillan. |
| 1999 | BUTLER, T. (1999). Promise and Practice: I-CASE and Rapid Application Development in Telecom Eireann. |
| 1999 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (1999). The institutionalisation of user participation for systems development in Telecom Eireann. Success and pitfalls of information technology management. |
| 2009 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2009). Researching IT capabilities and resources: an integrative theory of dynamic capabilities and institutional commitments. IGI Global. |
| 2018 | CECI, M., BUTLER, T., O’BRIEN, L., AL KHALIL, F. (2018). Legal patterns for different constitutive rules. Springer Publishing. |
| 2006 | BUTLER, T., FELLER, J., POPE, A., MURPHY, C. (2006). Making knowledge management systems open: A case study of the role of open source software. Open Source for Knowledge and Learning Management: Strategies Beyond Tools. Details |
| 2008 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2008). A Failure to Learn in a Software Development Team: The Unsuccessful Introduction of an Agile Method. Springer Publishing. Details |
| 2009 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2009). Competing Commitments Theory. IGI Global. Details |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., HEAVIN, C., O'DONOVAN, F. (2008). A theoretical model and framework for understanding knowledge management system implementation. IGI Global. |
Conference paper
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2012 | O'SULLIVAN, R., BUTLER, T., O'REILLY, P. (2012). Realizing the business value of service-oriented architecture: The construction of a theoretical framework. |
| 2012 | POPE, A., BUTLER, T. (2012). Unpacking the people, process and technology dimensions of organisational KMS. |
| 2015 | BUTLER, T., ABI-LAHOUD, E., ESPINOZA, A. (2015). Designing Semantic Technologies for Regulatory Change Management in the Financial Industry. |
| 2015 | ASOOJA, K., BORDEA, G., VULCU, G., O’BRIEN, L., ESPINOZA, A., ABI-LAHOUD, E., BUTLER, T. (2015). Semantic annotation of finance regulatory text using multilabel classification. |
| 2015 | BUTLER, T., DALY, M., HACKNEY, R. (2015). Socio-technical transitions towards environmental sustainability through Green ICT. Association of Information Systems. |
| 2014 | BUTLER, T., ELGAMMAL, A. (2014). Towards a framework for semantically-enabled compliance management in financial services. |
| 2014 | BUTLER, T., ABI-LAHOUD, E. (2014). A mechanism-based explanation of the institutionalization of semantic technologies in the financial industry. |
| 2014 | ESPINOZA, A., ABI-LAHOUD, E., BUTLER, T. (2014). Ontology-driven financial regulatory change management: an iterative development process. |
| 2013 | ABI-LAHOUD, E., BUTLER, T., CHAPIN, D., HALL, J. (2013). Interpreting Regulations with SBVR.. |
| 2013 | ABI-LAHOUD, E., O’BRIEN, L., BUTLER, T. (2013). On the road to regulatory ontologies. |
| 2012 | KRDZAVAC, N., HAQUE, R., BUTLER, T. (2012). An IFRS compliant balance sheet metamodel. |
| 2012 | BUTLER, T., HACKNEY, R. (2012). Breaking the iron Law: Implementing Cost Effective, Green ICT in the UK Public Sector.. |
| 2011 | BUTLER, T., HACKNEY, R. (2011). Greening Government ICT: A Mechanism-Based Explanation of Institutional Change in the UK Public Sector. |
| 2011 | BUTLER, T. (2011). Towards a practice-oriented green IS framework.. |
| 2010 | BUTLER, T., EMERSON, W., MCGOVERN, D. (2010). COMPLIANCE-AS-A-SERVICE IN IT. Information Technology in the Service Economy: Challenges and Possibilities for the 21st Century. |
| 2010 | MCGOVERN, D., BUTLER, T., EMERSON, W. (2010). Compliance-as-a-Service in Information Technology Manufacturing Organizations: An Exploratory Case Study. |
| 2010 | BUTLER, T., O'REILLY, P. (2010). Recovering the Ontological Foundations of the Grounded Theory Method.. |
| 2009 | BUTLER, T., DALY, M. (2009). Environmental responsibilty and green IT: An institutional perspective. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., MCGOVERN, D. (2008). Adopting IT to Manage Compliance and Risks: An Institutional Perspective.. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., EMERSON, W., MCGOVERN, D. (2008). Pragmatic Design: A Case Study of Innovation in a Small Software Company.. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., GRACE, A., FINNEGAN, P. (2008). Service Co-Creation with the Customer: the Role of Information Systems.. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., MCAVOY, J. (2008). Social inclusion and IT education: An institutional analysis. ICIS 2008 Proceedings. |
| 2005 | BUTLER, T., MCAVOY, J. (2005). A Paradox of the Change to User Stories: The Application of the Theory of Competing Commitments. ECIS 2005 Proceedings. |
| 2004 | BUTLER, T., DUNNE, A. (2004). Beyond Knowledge Management--Introducing a Framework for Learning Management Systems. ECIS 2004 Proceedings. |
| 2004 | BUTLER, T., DUNNE, A. (2004). Learning Management Systems: A New Opportunity. |
| 2003 | NEVILLE, K. M., BUTLER, T., ADAM, F. (2003). A Model as a Platform to IT and Cultural Understanding. AMCIS. |
| 2003 | BUTLER, T., PYKE, A. (2003). Examining the Influence of ERP Systems on Firm Specific Knowledge and Core Capabilities: A Case Study of SAP Implementation and Use. ECIS 2003 Proceedings. |
| 2002 | BUTLER, T. (2002). Exploring the reality of knowledge management systems: a case study. |
| 2000 | BUTLER, T. (2000). Deconstructing the Hype Around Knowledge Work and Putting Clothes on the Emperor's Back. AMCIS. |
| 2000 | BUTLER, T., SAMMON, D. (2000). Life in the Data Warehouse: A Case Study of Second Phase Implementation Problems and Solutions. AMCIS. |
| 2000 | BUTLER, T. (2000). Making sense of knowledge: A constructivist viewpoint. AMCIS. |
| 1999 | BUTLER, T. (1999). Shaping information and communication technologies infrastructures in the newspaper industry: cases on the role of IT competencies. ICIS 1999 Proceedings. |
| 1997 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (1997). A case study of user participation in the information systems development process. ICIS 1997 Proceedings. |
| 1997 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (1997). An empirical model of the information systems development process. |
| 2002 | BUTLER, T. (2002). A Case Study of Social and Corporate Responsibility in Bridging the Digital Divide. |
| 2010 | KIELY, G., BUTLER, T., FINNEGAN, P. (2010). Coordinating global virtual teams: building theory from a case study of software development. Details |
| 2017 | SEPPÄLÄ, S., CECI, M., HUANG, H., O’BRIEN, L., BUTLER, T. (2017). SmaRT Visualisation of Legal Rules for Compliance.. |
| 2017 | AL KHALIL, F., BUTLER, T., O’BRIEN, L., CECI, M. (2017). Trust in smart contracts is a process, as well. |
| 2016 | CECI, M., AL KHALIL, F., O’BRIEN, L., BUTLER, T. (2016). Requirements for an intermediate language bridging legal text and rules. |
| 2007 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2007). Implementing Knowledge Management Systems in Public Sector Organisations: A Case Study of Critical Success Factors.. |
| 2005 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2005). Integrating dynamic capability and commitment theory for research on IT capabilities and resources. ECIS 2005 Proceedings. |
| 2003 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2003). Locating IT Competencies in a Learning Organization: A Case Study of the Development of Firm Specific IT Resources at Analog Devices, Inc.. ECIS 2003 Proceedings. |
| 2003 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2003). Unpacking Dynamic Capabilities in the Small to Medium Software Enterprise: Process, Assets and History. ECIS 2003 Proceedings. |
| 2000 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2000). Beyond the Resource-Based View: Commitment as the Underlying Mechanism in the Application of IT Competencies. AMCIS. |
| 2006 | BUTLER, T., FELLER, J., ANDREW, A., EMERSON, W., MURPHY, C. (2006). An action research study on the design and development of core IT artifacts for knowledge management systems. |
| 2004 | BUTLER, T., FELLER, J., POPE, A., BARRY, P. (2004). Promoting Knowledge Sharing in Government and Non-Government Organizations Using Open Source Software. The pKADS Story. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. |
| 2017 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2017). Causal framework through retroduction and retrodiction. |
| 2006 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2006). Looking for a place to hide: A study of social loafing in Agile teams. |
| 2005 | MCAVOY, J., BUTLER, T. (2005). A little information can be a dangerous thing for software developers. |
| 2014 | KIELY, G., FINNEGAN, P., BUTLER, T. (2014). Managing global virtual teams: An exploration of operation and performance. |
| 2018 | BUTLER, T., DALY, M. (2018). Conduct risk: towards a model for assessment and remediation. Journal of Decision Systems. |
| 2017 | SEIDEL, S., BHARATI, P., FRIDGEN, G., WATSON, R., ALBIZRI, A., BOUDREAU, M.-C., BUTLER, T. (2017). The Sustainability Imperative in Information Systems Research.. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. |
| 2006 | O'DONOVAN, F., HEAVIN, C., BUTLER, T. (2006). Towards a model for understanding the key factors in KMS implementation. |
Dissertation
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2002 | BUTLER, T. (2002). Building IT resources in post-industrial organizations: cases on the development and application of IT competencies. |
Encyclopedia entry
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2011 | BUTLER, T. (2011). Anti-foundational knowledge management. IGI Global. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., MCAVOY, J. (2008). Ineffective Decision Making in Adopting an Agile Software Development Methodology. IGI Global. |
| 2011 | BUTLER, T., MURPHY, C. (2011). Work and knowledge. IGI Global. |
Magazine article
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 1999 | BUTLER, T., FITZGERALD, B. (1999). A review and application of the critical success factors concept for research on the information systems development process. THE NEXT GENERATION. |
| 2017 | BUTLER, T. (2017). Towards a standards-based technology architecture for RegTech. Journal of Financial Transformation. |
| 2008 | BUTLER, T., MCGOVERN, D. (2008). The greening of the IT sector: Problems and solutions in managing environmental compliance. Cutter IT Journal. |
Report
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2017 | AL KHALIL, F., CECI, M., O'BRIEN, L., BUTLER, T. (2017). A solution for the problems of translation and transparency in smart contracts. Government Risk and Compliance Technology Centre. Report, available at: http://www. grctc. com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GRCTC-Smart-Contracts-White-Paper-2017. pdf (accessed 31st August, 2017). |
| 2019 | BUTLER, T. (2019). Final report of the Expert Group on Regulatory Obstacles to Financial Innovation: 30 recommendations on regulation, innovation and finance., Belgium. |
Standards and policy
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2019 | PAECH, P., BUTLER, T. (2019). Final report of the Expert Group on Regulatory Obstacles to Financial Innovation: 30 recommendations on regulation, innovation and finance., Belgium. |
Other
| Year | Publication |
|---|---|
| 2008 | BUTLER, T. (2008). JSIS editorial December 2008. |