Penttinen leads the Real-Time Economy Competence Center and is the co-founder and chairman of XBRL Finland. He studies the interplay between humans and machines, organizational implementation of artificial intelligence, and governance issues related to outsourcing and virtual organizing. His main practical expertise lies in the assimilation and economic implications of inter-organizational information systems, focusing on application areas such as electronic financial systems, government reporting, and electronic invoicing. Penttinen's research has appeared in leading IS outlets such as MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Journal, Journal of Information Technology, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, and Electronic Markets.