Knowledge In Information Systems Research Articles

Micro-Randomized Trials in Information Systems Research: An Experimental Method for Advancing Knowledge About Our Dynamic and Digitalized World

The increasing ubiquity of individualized digital devices expands the scope of Information Systems (IS) research and offers novel opportunities for investigating and influencing individuals’ intentions, cognitions, and behavior. Based on these technological advancements behavioral science researchers have started to develop experimental methods that allow for rigorously investigating dynamic phenomena in our digitalized world. We introduce an experimental design, called a Micro-Randomized-Trial (MRT), and propose that it is widely applicable in IS research for examining complex and dynamic IS research phenomena. MRTs allow for analyzing causalities and testing theories with dynamic components by considering how time-varying personal and contextual factors influence an experimental treatment’s efficacy over time. The resulting insights can be leveraged to refine theories, improve IS design, influence users’ cognitions and intentions, and steer user behavior. This paper motivates the relevance of the MRT experimental design for IS research, equips interested IS researchers with the required knowledge to conduct MRTs, and demonstrates how MRTs can be deployed to advance IS knowledge by achieving research goals that until now, given the standard IS method assortment, could not be properly addressed.

Investigating the Influence of Chief Executive Officer Characteristics on Accounting Software Technology Use among Jordanian Firms

This study aims to examine the influence of chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics (i.e., CEO innovativeness, CEO information system (IS) knowledge, and CEO trust in technology) on accounting software technology use in Jordanian companies from different industrial sectors. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire distributed to CEOs/owners of small, medium, and large companies in Jordan. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed on 315 usable questionnaires received. The finding reveals that CEO IS knowledge and CEO trust in technology have a significant positive impact on accounting software use. Surprisingly, CEO innovativeness has an insignificant impact on accounting software use due to the prevalence of avoiding uncertainties in undertaking a new system. The outcomes of this study can assist the government in devising relevant policies and support initiatives to encourage firms to adopt accounting software technology. Similarly, CEOs can benefit significantly from gaining a deeper understanding of the principal factors influencing accounting software use.

Motion Sensor–Based Fall Prevention for Senior Care: A Hidden Markov Model with Generative Adversarial Network Approach

Whereas modern medicine has enabled humans to live longer and more robust lives, recent years have seen a significant increase in chronic care costs. The prevention of threats to mobility is critical for chronic disease management. Researchers and physicians often analyze data from wearable motion sensor–based information systems (IS) to prevent falls. However, prior studies on fall prevention often achieve suboptimal performance because of their limited capacities in modeling data distributions. In this study, we adopt the computational design science paradigm to develop a novel fall prevention framework, which includes the hidden Markov model with generative adversarial network (HMM-GAN) that extracts temporal and sequential patterns from sensor signals and recognizes snippet states and a logistic regression that utilizes the snippet states and determines whether and when to trigger protective devices to prevent fall injuries. We evaluate the proposed framework against prevailing fall-prevention models and the HMM-GAN component against state-of-the-art sensor analytics models on large-scale data sets. Through an in-depth case study, we demonstrate how the proposed framework can lead to significantly reduced potentially catastrophic falls. Besides practical health information technology contributions, HMM-GAN offers methodological contributions to the IS knowledge base for scholars designing novel IT artifacts for healthcare applications.

Wearable Sensor-Based Chronic Condition Severity Assessment: An Adversarial Attention-Based Deep Multisource Multitask Learning Approach

Advancing the quality of healthcare for senior citizens with chronic conditions is of great social relevance. To better manage chronic conditions, objective, convenient, and inexpensive wearable sensor- based information systems (IS) have been increasingly used by researchers and practitioners. However, existing models often focus on a single aspect of chronic conditions and are often “black boxes” with limited interpretability. In this research, we adopt the computational design science paradigm and propose a novel adversarial attention-based deep multisource multitask learning (AADMML) framework. Drawing upon deep learning, multitask learning, multisource learning, attention mechanism, and adversarial learning, AADMML addresses limitations with existing wearable sensor-based chronic condition severity assessment methods. Choosing Parkinson’s disease (PD) as our test case because of its prevalence and societal significance, we conduct benchmark experiments to evaluate AADMML against state-of-the-art models on a large-scale dataset containing thousands of instances. We present three case studies to demonstrate the practical utility and economic benefits of AADMML and by applying it to detect early-stage PD. We discuss how our work is related to the IS knowledge base and its practical implications. This work can contribute to improved life quality for senior citizens and advance IS research in mobile health analytics.

Embracing brain and behaviour: Designing programs of complementary neurophysiological and behavioural studies

AbstractNeuroIS—the methods and knowledge of neuroscience applied to the information systems (IS) domain—has become an established research field within the IS discipline. A key advantage of NeuroIS is its ability to provide insights into human cognition beyond those obtained using behavioural techniques alone. Nevertheless, in neuroscience, there is renewed interest in examining behaviour together with neurophysiological methods to better inform our understanding of neural processes. In this research opinion article, we argue that in the field of NeuroIS, there is an opportunity for hybrid programs of study that combine neurophysiological and behavioural methods in a complementary manner. We outline four strategies for designing complementary neurophysiological and behavioural experiments in a research program: (1) observe the relationship between neural processes and behavioural change; (2) combine neurophysiological and behavioural methods to enhance internal, external, and ecological validity; (3) extend, rather than replicate, experiments based on theory; and (4) use neurophysiological and behavioural experiments together to evaluate IT artefact design. By applying these strategies, researchers can more effectively design programs using complementary neurophysiological and behavioural methods, which, in turn, can help to provide richer insights into the phenomena under study as well as accelerate the advancement of IS knowledge.

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Information System Implementation Among Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises in Malaysia

This study examined information system (IS) effectiveness and its influence factors in the specific context of small and medium manufacturing enterprise (SME). The model evaluated the importance of manager participation in IS implementation, manager IS knowledge and accounting knowledge, and external experts (vendors, consultants, government agencies, and accounting firms) for IS effectiveness. The sample included 232 SMEs registered with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. The results showed that manager accounting knowledge, and the effectiveness of vendors and accounting firms, are essential for IS effectiveness. Overall, the results suggested that managers of SMEs need to acquire sufficient accounting knowledge to help them better understand business information requirements. Secondly, SMEs should engage qualified vendors who have experience and understand unique characteristics of SMEs to overcome their lack of IS knowledge. SMEs should also exploit their good relationship with accounting firms to help them implement effective IS. Finally, it is important for SMEs to learn from their IS implementation so that opportunities can be recognised and priority given to initiatives that help IS support their information needs.

The Unfolding and Resurfacing of Information Systems Knowledge over the Last 25 Years: A Systemic Perspective

Currently, there are many perspectives aiming to account for what the field of information systems (IS) is or should be. For some, IS is conceived as a reference and stable discipline with dominant or core knowledge to export to other disciplines. To others, IS still requires a more eclectic/fluid perspective to enable IS to be adaptable to emerging challenges and possibilities. In both types of perspectives, there is a need to appreciate fully how IS knowledge has effectively unfolded through time in broader contexts of social sciences. In line with an emerging research orientation to conceive the IS field as both dominant and eclectic, we propose a systemic framework to account for these stages. We identify key IS knowledge concepts/themes emerging from analysing 4100 abstracts from articles in eight IS journals covering European Union/US regions over the last 25 years. Our findings suggest that such knowledge does not accumulate, but rather, some IS key concepts like systems, information and use resurface over time, leading to draw important implications for IS education, research and practice. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Opening the envelope of health care information systems research

In 2004, Chiasson and Davidson published a challenge to the scholarly Information Systems (IS) field to embrace health information systems research more fully within its mainstream research interests. In the ensuing 14 years, health care research has become an acknowledged specialization within the IS field. In this review article, we examine how health care research publications have developed within the IS field's leading journals since 2004 and explore the analytical and technological areas of focus within these publications. In addition to providing a descriptive overview of such research, we also examine three topical clusters in-depth (health IT adoption and diffusion, physician resistance to health IT use, and health IT impact on health care or system outcomes) to consider how researchers have addressed the challenge of developing general IS knowledge within this distinctive research context while also contributing contextually-relevant insights to the health care field. Finally, we discuss the implications of these analyses and suggest potential areas for future research. Overall, we contribute a foundation for IS health care researchers to consider how to position their work to contribute to knowledge through informational and organizational theory as well as to address important concerns of practice at the intersection of health and IS.

Phronesis, argumentation and puzzle solving in IS research: illustrating an approach to phronetic IS research practice

The embedding of information systems (IS) infrastructure into everyday social activity is creating intractable value conflicts for society. However, IS research largely focuses on: (1) episteme, explanatory and predictive theories; and (2) techné, theories of action for implementation and management of IS technologies. Consequently, we lack applicable knowledge for deliberating about IS value conflicts. The third type of knowledge, phronesis, which Aristotle proposed to inform ethical application of episteme and techné, has not been given much attention in our discipline. Presently, we are experiencing a critical limitation in our capabilities for generating ethically applicable IS knowledge in the face of increasing value conflicts arising from pervasive digitalisation. In this paper, we introduce phronesis, discuss its philosophical foundations and illustrate an approach to phronetic enquiry into the underlying value conflicts of a failed national IS infrastructure project. Our aim is to strengthen and expand IS research methods for systematic critical enquiry into social-values dilemmas resulting from continued embedding of IS technologies into our social world.

Conceptualising the link between information systems and resilience: A developing country field study

AbstractResilience—the ability of systems to cope with external shocks and trends—is a topic of increasing interest to research and practice. That growing interest is reflected within information systems (IS), but a structured review of IS literature shows a number of knowledge gaps around the conceptual and empirical application of resilience. This paper investigates what the subdiscipline of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) can contribute; finding that it offers the IS discipline fresh insights that can be built into a new framework of resilience, and an arena within which this new framework can appropriately be field tested. Application of the resilience framework was undertaken through interviews and a survey in an urban community in Costa Rica; benchmarking both community resilience and “e‐resilience” (understood here as the contribution of ICTs to community resilience), and developing from these a set of action priorities. The paper reflects on what can be learned generally from this conceptualisation and operationalisation of resilience. It also reflects on what ICTs contribute to resilience in developing countries and on what this ICT4D‐based research specifically contributes to the identified IS knowledge gaps. This includes identification of a future research agenda on information systems and resilience.

Uma Análise sobre a Produção de Conhecimento Científico nas Pesquisas Publicadas nos Primeiros 10 anos da iSys (2008-2017)

Um dos desafios da comunidade científica brasileira de Sistemas de Informação (SI) ligada à Computação tem sido endereçar a pesquisa em SI, que vai além da construção de tecnologias computacionais. O avanço da produção do conhecimento científico em SI passa pelo domínio e aplicação de teorias, multiplicidade de paradigmas e métodos de pesquisa que ainda são pouco explorados. Realizamos uma análise das pesquisas publicadas na iSys, ao longo dos primeiros 10 anos, com o intuito de refletir sobre possíveis caminhos teóricos, epistemológicos e metodológicos para as pesquisas de SI. A análise se baseou em tipologias empregadas pela literatura internacional, compreendendo quatro eixos de análise: i) concepção do artefato TI, ii) paradigma de pesquisa, iii) teorização, e iv) métodos de pesquisa. Como principais conclusões desta análise, observamos por parte da comunidade de pesquisa em SI na iSys, a produção de conhecimento científico com forte ênfase positivista e experimental. A análise aponta para caminhos e oportunidades para robustecer a produção de conhecimento nacional que incluem a abertura a paradigmas epistemológicos que compreendam a complexidade e a multiplicidade do mundo real e a formulação de um campo teórico consistente para a área.

Engaging scientometrics in information systems

Although scientometrics is seeing increasing use in Information Systems (IS) research, in particular for evaluating research efforts and measuring scholarly influence; historically, scientometric IS studies are focused primarily on ranking authors, journals, or institutions. Notwithstanding the usefulness of ranking studies for evaluating the productivity of the IS field's formal communication channels and its scholars, the IS field has yet to exploit the full potential that scientometrics offers, especially towards its progress as a discipline. This study makes a contribution by raising the discourse surrounding the value of scientometric research in IS, and proposes a framework that uncovers the multi-dimensional bases for citation behaviour and its epistemological implications on the creation, transfer, and growth of IS knowledge. Having identified 112 empirical research evaluation studies in IS, we select 44 substantive scientometric IS studies for in-depth content analysis. The findings from this review allow us to map an engaging future in scientometric research, especially towards enhancing the IS field's conceptual and theoretical development.

INTEGRATING ACCOUNTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS WITH ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING TEACHING MODULES

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary enterprise resource planning (ERP) teaching module which was designed to integrate accounting and information systems (IS) curricula and implemented in a required management information systems course. Integration of disciplines in business curriculum has been recommended by both research studies and higher education accrediting bodies. Analysis of student survey data suggests that integration of accounting and IS concepts was successful in generating student interest in both areas. M.B.A. students demonstrated a higher level of increases in understanding of accounting concepts and interest in accounting after completing the ERP exercise compared to undergraduate students. Interestingly, the level of IS knowledge before the exercise was a significant predictor of enhanced understanding of course concepts while this relationship was not present for the level of accounting knowledge before the exercise. Keywords Accounting Education, Information Systems Education, Interdisciplinary Instruction, Enterprise Resource Planning

Defining the intellectual structure of information systems and related college of business disciplines: a bibliometric analysis

Information systems permeate every business function, thereby requiring holistic Information Systems (IS) approaches. Much academic research is still discipline specific. More interdisciplinary research is needed to inform both industry and academe. Interdisciplinary research has been positively associated with increased levels of innovation, productivity and impact. IS research contributes to the knowledge creation and innovation within IS and other College of Business (COB) disciplines. This research defines the intellectual structures within IS and between IS and other COB disciplines. We use a large scale, diachronic bibliometric analysis of COB journals to assess reciprocal knowledge exchange and also to identify potential intra- and interdisciplinary publication outlets. Our findings show an increase in IS knowledge contributions to other COB disciplines, which supports the discussion that IS is a reference discipline. Our research also visually depicts the intellectual structures within IS and between IS and other COB disciplines. Anyone exploring research in IS and allied COB disciplines can peruse the proximity maps to identify groups of similar journals. The findings from this research inform decisions related to which journals to read, target as publication outlets, and include on promotion and tenure lists.

A Theoretical Review on Organizational Information Systems for Analysing Spatial Issues: A Perspective of Modern Business

Organizational Information Systems (OIS) is established purposely to support an organization in managerial and routine works, as well as important to decision making process. Theoretically, there are sixth types of OIS, common identified as Executive Information System (EIS), Management Information System (MIS), Decision Support System (DSS), Knowledge Information System (KWS), Office Automation System (OAS) and Transaction Information System (TPS). Some of organization has developed OIS for achieved their strategic advantages where final aimed to sustain the performance of organisation. However, there are questions arises about OIS uses in analyzing a spatial issue which is refers to geographical locations. The objective of this paper is to overview the fundamental concept, capability and constrains of every types of OIS with specific reference to spatial issues. Spatial issues is refers to concurrent and real-time based issues that arisen from external environment where can affect directly on organization performance. This literature review is driven from business perspective where OIS capability and ability of handle spatial issues will discuss. In general, this study found that all most OIS have limited capability to handle and manage spatial issues. Although DSS can support decision making for execute specific decision related to spatial issues, however DSS still lacks on visualized spatial issues geographically, as well as spatial issues tied to geographical location. This paper is suggest to developed Geographical Information System (GIS) as one of OIS for discover all kind of spatial issues.

Antecedents of IS Strategic Alignment: A Nomological Network

Alignment of information systems (IS) strategy with business strategy is a top concern of both the chief information officer (CIO) and the top management team (TMT) of organizations. Even though researchers and key decision makers in organizations recognize the importance of IS strategic alignment, they often struggle to understand how this alignment is created. In this paper, we develop a nomological network in which shared understanding between the CIO and TMT about the role of IS in the organization (which represents the social dimension of IS strategic alignment) is posited to be a proximal antecedent of the intellectual dimension of IS strategic alignment. We further posit that shared language, shared domain knowledge manifest in the CIO's business knowledge and the TMT's strategic IS knowledge, systems of knowing (structural and social), and CIO-TMT experiential similarity are important determinants of this shared understanding. Data were collected from 243 matched CIO-TMT pairs. Results largely support the proposed nomological network. Specifically, shared understanding between the CIO and TMT is a significant antecedent of IS strategic alignment. Furthermore, shared language, shared domain knowledge, and structural systems of knowing influence the development of shared understanding between the CIO and the TMT. Contrary to expectations and to findings of prior research, social systems of knowing, representing informal social interactions between the CIO and TMT, and experiential similarity did not have a significant effect on shared understanding.

Auditors' Training and Proficiency in Information Systems: A Research Synthesis

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a review of extant literature examining issues relating to auditors' knowledge of and training in information systems. This review is important due to the rapidly increasing use of technology in business, recent changes in U.S. auditing standards on information technology and internal control, and signals of interest by regulators in possible future standards on auditors' information systems (IS) knowledge. We review prior research both to provide information on the current status of our literature, and to identify specific questions about which there is insufficient research. Our review covers three broad areas. First, we review the current environment of IS in financial reporting and assurance, and summarize related auditing standards. Second, we consider prior research on how financial statement (“generalist”) auditors acquire and use IS knowledge. Third, we discuss research on the interaction between generalist and IS auditors. Each section concludes with suggestions for future research.

An Exploratory Study of Factors Influencing ASP (Application Service Provider) Success

This study investigates key determinants of ASP (Application Service Provider) success from the user's perspective. Potential determinants of ASP success are inferred from the general characteristics of ASP system, the literature in Information System (IS) success and interviews with ASP experts. The potential factors are grouped into system quality and service quality. A user satisfaction construct is used to measure ASP success. The level of a user's IS knowledge and user involvement are used as moderators. A questionnaire is used to assess the satisfaction of users who have used ASP. The data collected by questionnaire were analyzed to investigate the relationships among the identified constructs and user satisfaction. Understanding key determinants of ASP success provides valuable guidance to both vendors and customers. Based on the results of this study, ASP vendors can focus on improving the factors that affect user satisfaction. Customers can benefit from this study in selection of a desirable ASP vendor who can provide as many ASP success factors as possible.

Editorial

Editorial

A case study: using UML to develop a knowledge-based system for supporting business systems in a small financial institute

Financial industry is a core industry in Hong Kong. The business systems in financial institutes are widely applied throughout their front, mid, and back office. The system specialist who supports these systems must have finance and information-systems knowledge. This multi-disciplinary requirement leads to difficulties in finding capable candidates. It is reasonably assumed that a knowledge-based system (KBS) with the intelligence of a system specialist can assist a helpdesk to support the business systems. However, KBS development involves many known issues. In particular, the uncertainties of collected knowledge should be discussed and remodelled iteratively until the final knowledge set is close to the actual knowledge. Although the literature states that it is theoretically feasible to use Unified Modelling Language (UML) on knowledge acquisition, case studies on this area to date have been insufficient, hence this research experiment UML on developing a KBS for supporting business systems in a financial institute. The method of using UML diagrams is documented throughout the study. The results show that the UML was useful in different stages of KBS development. The case study articulates how the KBS helps to solve business system problems in the company. In summary, this paper can shed light on future research in using UML for KBS development.