Department of Decision and Information Technologies

The Robert H. Smith School of Business

University of Maryland

 

BMGT 808I

Doctoral Seminar in Information Systems

 

 

Instructor:                              Dr. Ritu Agarwal

                                                4341 Van Munching Hall

                                                301-405-3121

                                                ragarwal@rhsmith.umd.edu

 

Class Meets:                          W, 1:00 – 3:40, VMH 4333

                                               

Office Hours:                          T, W 11:00 am – 12:00 p.m., or by appointment

 

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

This is an introductory seminar in information systems research.  Its major objective is to help seminar participants understand the role of research in an academic community, and the methods of social science research.  Additionally, the seminar seeks to develop participant motivation to become a contributor to the organizational sciences and information systems research communities by examining:

 

·         The research processes, methodologies and strategies

·         The information systems research context

·         The nature of organizational sciences research

·         The major streams of information systems research

 

TEXTS

 

CF            Publishing in the Organizational Sciences, 2nd Edition, L. Cummings and P. Frost (eds.), Sage Publications, 1995, paperback (ISBN: 0‑8039‑7145‑1 paper)

 

C            Research Design: Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches, J. Creswell, Sage, 1994 (ISBN: 0-8039-5255-4 paper)

 

Z            Framing the Domains of IT Management: Projecting the Future Through the Past, R.W. Zmud (Editor), Pinnaflex, 2000 (1-893673-06-5)

 

There is also a set of journal articles, most of which are conceptual or synthetic in nature.  I have copies of the original articles, and the journals involved are readily available.  The class needs to set up a schedule where one member copies a reading and distributes it to the others such that everyone can read it prior to the day it will be discussed.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

 

Seminar grades will be based on students' performance on six required assignments:

 

1            (10%)            Construct a causal model.

 

2            (15%)            Complete a mid-term examination.

 

3            (10%)            Prepare a critical review of a scholarly manuscript.

 

4            (35%)            Prepare a research paper on an approved topic.

 

5            (20%)            Complete a final exam.

 

6            (10%)            Participation in seminar discussion.

 

The standard letter grading scale (A to F) will be used for these seminar requirements and for the overall grade.  Late assignments will not be accepted.  I will gladly talk with you (and examine written materials) regarding assignments 1, 3, and 4 prior to their assigned dates.

 

 

DUE DATES FOR COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

 

Assignment                 Due Date

#4a                               Sep 27

 

#1                                Oct 4

 

#4b                               Nov 8

 

#3                                Nov 22

 

#4c                               Dec 6

 

 

READINGS

 

The day a journal article or a chapter from the Zmud book is assigned, prepare a one-page set of “bullets “ highlighting interesting, intriguing, or perhaps confusing aspects of the assigned reading.  What were the most important insights you obtained from the article, e.g., what ...do you know now that you didn't know ... do you now think about differently ... surprised you the most?  And, what didn’t you understand?  We will use these pages to drive the discussion of each reading.  Make enough copies of these to distribute them to all seminar participants.

 

 

CLASS DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP

 

A key aspect of preparing for an academic career is the ability to lead and direct an academic discussion.  I will call upon each seminar participant to be responsible for leading one class session.  You will get at least one week’s notice for the session you are assigned to lead.

 

WEEKLY TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

 

Day

Date

Topic

Reading Assignment

1

Aug 30

Introduction to course

Domains of IS research

Reference disciplines

 

2

Sept 6

Research purposes & approaches

Benbasat, I., and Weber, R., “Rethinking “Diversity” in Information Systems Research”, Information Systems Research (7:4), 1996, 389-199.

 

Robey, D., “Diversity in Information Systems Research: Threat, Promise, and Responsibility”, Information Systems Research (7:4), 1996, 400-408.

C: 1, 2, 5, 6

3

Sep 13

Research methods

Lee, A. S. "Integrating Positivist and Interpretive Approaches to Organizational Research," Organization Science, (2), 1991, 342-365.

C: 8, 9, 10

4

Sep 20

Scholarly writing

Orlikowski, W. and Baroudi, J., “Studying Information Technology in Organizations: Research Approaches and Assumptions,” Information Systems Research, 2(1), 1991, 1-28.

 

Boland, R., and Tenkasi, R., “Perspective Making and Perspective Taking in Communities of Knowing,” Organization Science, 6(4), 1994, 350-372.

C: 3, 4, 7,11

5

Sep 27

IT impacts: 1

Markus, L. and Robey, D., “Information Technology and Organizational Change: Causal Structure in Theory and Research,” Management Science, 34(5), 1988, 583-598.

 

Mata, F.J., Fuerst, W.L., Barney, J.B., “Information Technology and Sustained Competitive Advantage: A Resource-Based Analysis,” Mata, Fuerst and Barney, MIS Quarterly, 1995, 487-505.

Z: 1, 2, 3

Assignment 4a due

6

Oct 4

IT impacts: 2

Brynjolfsson, E., “The Productivity Paradox of Information Technology,”, Communications of the ACM, 36(12), 1993, 66-77.

Z: 3, 4

Assignment 1 due

7

Oct 11

IT implementation: 1

Swanson, B., “Information Systems Innovation among Organizations,” Management Science, 40(9), 1994, 1069-1092.

Z: 6, 7, 8

8

Oct 18

IT implementation: 2

DeLone, W. and Mclean, E., “Information Systems Success: The Quest for the Dependent Variable”, Information Systems Research (3:1), 1992, 60-95.

Z: 9, 10

9

Oct 25

Midterm exam

 

10

Nov 1

IT and strategy

The Economist, Business and the Internet, June 1999.

The Economist, Shopping Around the Web, February 2000.

Z: 11, 12, 13

11

Nov 8

Systems, software, and project management

Byrd, T., Cossick, K., and Zmud, R.W., “A Synthesis of Research on Requirements Analysis and Knowledge Acquisition Techniques,” MIS Quarterly, 16(1), 1992, 117-138.

 

Sabherwal, R., and Robey, D., “Reconciling Variance and Process Strategies for Studying Information System Development,” Information Systems Research, 6(4), 1995, 303-327.

Z: 14, 15, 17

Assignment 4b due

12

Nov 15

Emerging challenges in IT

Reviewing manuscripts

Z: 16, 18, 19

C&F: 1, 8, 10, 11, 17

13

Nov 22

Publishing in the organization sciences

IS faculty participation

C&F: 3, 6, 14, 18, 20

Assignment 3 due

14

Nov 29

Research quality and successful publishing

IS faculty participation

C&F: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19

15

Dec 6

Discussion of research papers

Concluding comments

Assignment 4c due

 

REQUIREMENT #1: BUILDING A CAUSAL MODEL

 

You are to build a causal model representing some aspect of the core elements or forces associated with the phenomenon which is serving as the basis for your research paper (Requirement #4).

 

This report will most likely be between 5 and 10 pages in length, including diagrams, tables, etc.  More specific instructions include:

 

·         Define all entities and constructs

·         Describe the nature of relationships among the system entities

·         Provide diagrams of these relationships

·         Be sensitive to the trade-off between simplicity and completeness

 

The “structure” of this report should follow this form:

 

·         Introduction

·         statement of the aspect of your phenomenon to be modeled

·         explanation as to why this is a significant topic

·         a `road map' of the remainder of the paper

·         Your model

·         definitions of elements

·         discusison of relationships

·         Conclusion

·         summary of key issues raised in the paper

·         statement of key idea(s) you wish readers to take away after reading this essay

 

 

REQUIREMENT #3: CRITIQUE OF A SCHOLARLY MANUSCRIPT

 

You will be given a scholarly manuscript, which has recently been submitted for publication consideration at MIS Quarterly, to read.  Prepare a critique of this manuscript.  Your review should be about 3 to 5 pages in length.  Do not unnecessarily worry about the organization and style of your critique.  I am more concerned about your communicating your ideas to the author of the manuscript.

 

Begin by recommending that the paper be (1) accepted, (2) returned to the author for a minor revision, (3) returned to the author for a major revision, or (4) rejected.  Then, point­ out the paper's strengths and weaknesses.  The articles in the Cummings and Frost text describe the various issues which are to be examined.

 

In addition to pointing out the manuscript's strengths and weaknesses, be sure to provide the author with suggestions regarding actions to be taken to improve the manuscript.  The “structure” of your review should follow this form:

 

·         Recommendation

·         Overview of strengths and weaknesses

·         Detailed comments

·         Directions/suggestions for improving manuscript

 

REQUIREMENT #4: RESEARCH PAPER

 

This research paper should develop and present a conceptual model(s) and/or frame(s) that synthesizes current ideas (obtained through a careful examination of relevant scholarly journals) on your assigned topic.  There are actually three parts to this assignment, each of which has a separate due date:

 

            4a – a one-page description of your topic area (5%)

 

                        This should clearly describe both the phenomenon you will be investigating

                        and the major literature sources you will be examining.

                       

            4b – a detailed outline and reference list (5%)

 

                        Ideally, the outline and the reference list will be linked together.

 

            4c – the final paper (20%)

 

The paper itself can be no more than 25 pages in length, including figures, tables and reference list.  The structure of the paper should be as follows:

 

·         Introduction

·         Theory development: background literature

·         Theory development: the causal model

·         Future directions, summary, and conclusion

 

You will form into two-person teams, with each team working on a project to explore one of the following three research questions:

 

1.       In what ways does the study of organizational impacts of IT need to change in light of the new economy?  What is a useful way of conceptualizing IT impacts and value?

 

2.       How might politics affect the key processes and the interpersonal dynamics (among and within IS staff and their business partners) associated with IT development/acquisition projects?

 

3.       As information technology becomes more pervasive in all aspects of personal and work-life, privacy issues have assumed center stage.  How should organizations incorporate consumer concerns about privacy into their IT related decision making processes?  What are the antecedents and consequences of such concerns?