INFORMATION SYSTEMS THEORIES

Information Systems Theories

Information Systems Theories

LITERATURE REVIEW

The discipline of information systems (IS) is relatively young when compared to other bodies of inquiry. The institutionalized use of computers in the 1960s for transaction processing and reporting (“Information Systems,” 2003), and the infusion of technology for enhancing productivity and competitive advantage in the 1970s (Bhattacherjee, 2001) created the need for an IS academic community. Academic research requires rigor; the applied nature of IS research requires relevance. Robey and Markus (1998) write, “… the symbols of rigor: copious references, formal notation, detailed statistical analyses and theoretical abstractions…the symbols of relevance: simple graphs, 2x2 typologies, “bulleted” summaries, and punchy anecdotes.” can be contradictory pressures for IS researchers. Lack of relevance in IS research was first noted by Peter Keen at the 1990 IFIP conference at Copenhagen (as cited in Bhattacherjee, 2001). The issue was popularized again in the late 1990s when the Winter 1998 issue of Information Resources Management Journal published two articles and MIS Quarterly devoted a significant portion of the March 1999 issue to the topic. A special volume on relevance was printed by the Communications of the Association for Information Systems in 2001. It was predicted by Paul Gray (2001) that this would not be the last discussion on the issue. He was correct. Informing Science published a special series titled Informing Each Other in 2003 focusing on the gap between research and practice (Fitzgerald, 2003).

Robey and Markus (1998) first detailed the problems IS researchers face while attempting to serve two masters: standards of the academy and the practitioner audience. The standards of the academy are the benchmarks for which tenure and promotion dossiers are evaluated. The highlyvalued qualities of an extensive literature review, references to peerreviewed journal articles, sophisticated statistical analyses and modelbuilding are of little value to the practitioner if practical and timely advice are not included and communicated in an appealing style of writing. The constant and rapid changes in technology accelerate the need to produce practical research on emerging technologies. Robey and Markus outline four strategies to satisfy both consumers of information. The first two strategies outline support and methodology; the last two address communication methods.

The first strategy is to cultivate practitioner sponsorship for IS research by academics. This funding ensures that the practitioner's research needs are met by scientificallytrained investigators. The Advanced Practices Council (APC) of the Society for Information Management (SIM) offers funding for projects that APC members identify as their highest priority for leveraging IT for competitive advantage. University research centers that are supported by private contributions can focus on specific interests of that organization or agency. The second strategy is to adopt new research models. Traditional IS research methodology follows the social sciences practices however research models used by policy studies and education are appropriate for IS research. Applied theory, evaluation research and policy research simultaneously support both rigor and relevance. The ability to communicate results of the research should appeal to both ...