An Agenda for Research Linking Information Systems and International Business

Abstract

Recent trends in information systems research reflect the need to respond to the realities of an increasingly interdependent, international economy. In responding to this demand, a stream of research is currently developing that directly interfaces the information systems (IS) discipline with the field of international business (IB). Research addressing this interface places an added challenge on the IS researcher to broaden his knowledge base to encompass the theory and literature foundations of an often unfamiliar body of research. This article addresses the need to define the current state of research in international business which is relevant to the IS academician in an effort to move toward a research agenda linking these two areas. Scholarly research addressing the interface of two very different streams of research (i.e., information systems and international business) requires a knowledge of theoretical foundations, methodological rigor and application trends from both academic disciplines. However, since both information systems and international business are interdisciplinary in nature and pull on several reference disciplines for theory development, identifying the research bounds that define this interface is especially difficult. A framework is presented that provides structure for the development of a research agenda that defines this IS / IB interface.