Ethics of healthcare robotics: Towards responsible research and innovation

How can we best identify, understand, and deal with ethical and societal issues raised by healthcare robotics? This paper argues that next to ethical analysis, classic technology assessment, and philosophical speculation we need forms of reflection, dialogue, and experiment that come, quite literally, much closer to innovation practices and contexts of use. The authors discuss a number of ways how to achieve that. Informed by their experience with “embedded” ethics in technical projects and with various tools and methods of responsible research and innovation, the paper identifies “internal” and “external” forms of dialogical research and innovation, reflections on the possibilities and limitations of these forms of ethical–technological innovation, and explores a number of ways how they can be supported by policy at national and supranational level.     

Understanding the influence of information systems competencies on process innovation: A resource-based view

The resource based view of firms is used to explore how information system (IS) competencies affect process innovation in an organization. Data was collected through a case study of two process innovations at a healthcare firm in the United States. The findings illustrate how six IS competencies – Knowledge Management, Collaboration, Project Management, Ambidexterity, IT/Innovation Governance, Business-IS Linkages – can differentially affect the conception, development and implementation of process innovations. Implications for researchers and practitioners are drawn from these conclusions and suggestions for further research are proposed.     

A set of ethical principles for design science research in information systems

Over the past decade, design science research (DSR) has re-emerged as an important research paradigm in the field of information systems. However, the approaches currently recommended for conducting design science research do not include an ethical component. Thus, the objective of this paper is to initiate a debate about the need for ethical principles for DSR in Information Systems (IS). To launch this debate, we suggest that a set of ethical principles for DSR in IS must be created. Although the interpretation and application of these principles might not always be straightforward, our argument is that all DSR practitioners in IS should devote at least some time to consider ethical principles.     

Integration technology: The reinvention of the linkage between information systems and computer science

The Computer Science (CS) and Information Systems (IS) fields are facing considerable challenges. At the same time, the Information Technology and Systems (ITS) community, which lies at the intersection of CS and IS, is uniquely positioned to address and solve important problems that are outside of the traditional domains of either CS or IS. An important development is the increasing criticality of Integration Technologies (IT) and the need for Integration Specialists (IS)¹. Examples are given of aspplications-driven integration technology-intensive research needed by business to support globalization, increased productivity, and rapid adaptation.     

The paradox of information systems: strategic value and low status

Information systems (IS) have provided dramatic returns for some organisations. For many others, IS underpin most of their activities. Spending on IS can be very high. Few organisations can function without adequate IS. Yet, there is an apparent paradox in the reliance on information systems and supporting information technologies (IT) on the one hand and the status of the information systems function on the other. While information systems can be critical to an organisation's ability to conduct and develop business, the information systems function is often considered as a secondary activity. To explore the paradox, this paper uses a cultural web model to assess the status of IS and IT activities as evidenced in the literature and through the study of four organisations. These serve to demonstrate the contradiction between the extent to which large organisations appear to rely on information systems and the low status of the information systems function. The implications of this are explored, and it is suggested that IS can be exploited fully only if there is a change in attitude and thereby an increase in status of the information systems function.     

Management of information systems: Insights from accounting research

This paper advances our knowledge of information systems (IS) management by applying ideas and insights from accounting. An integrative cost–benefit framework is developed and applied to four areas of research: chargeback, outsourcing, decision support, and business process re-engineering and improvement. We show that the accounting literature contributes significantly to scholarship on the management of IS.     

Publication patterns concerning the role of teams/groups in the information systems literature from 1990 to 1999

By reviewing 28 reputable journals that serve as outlets for information systems and operations management/research, 220 articles relating to information systems and teams/groups were identified over a 10-year period from 1990 through 1999. These articles were classified into 22 topic areas and subsequently cross-tabulated.The data indicate that the number of articles published in this area peaked in the mid 1990s, and that Communications of the ACM, Decision Support Systems, Information & Management, and Journal of Management Information Systems were the primary outlets. Key topic areas intersecting with teams/groups include: decision making, decision support systems, human factors, intra-organization systems, project management, telecommunications, and software. Also, connections between organizational behavior/social psychology and the current teams/groups research in information systems were discovered.     

ICT-integrated education and national innovation systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

The widespread use and availability of information and communication technologies (ICT) has greatly impacted how nations conceptualize innovation and the ways formal mass education can be used to advance socio-political and economic agendas. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have increasingly focused on the roles of science and technology in building research development and innovation (RDI) capacity to create national innovation systems (NIS). This paper uses evidence from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the 2009 World Bank Institute Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) to investigate the spread of ICT in national education systems in the GCC countries and the impact of ICT-based learning as a catalyst for NIS and RDI capacity in the region. Previous research suggests that ICT-based instruction has the potential to build capacity in knowledge development, which is a key component in the establishment of national innovation systems. However, the analyses presented here suggest that the ways ICT is used in education in the GCC do not build capacity in knowledge development in youth. Although evidence shows that GCC countries do have institutional capacity in ICT, it is not used for knowledge development in part because of limitations imposed by the cultural contexts for education in the Gulf. The paper concludes with recommendations for ways that GCC teachers can use ICT to create national innovation systems and research capacity through reforms to teacher training and professional development.     

Individualist and collectivist perspectives on knowledge in organizations: Implications for information systems research

Organization scholars differ in their understanding and application of the construct of “knowledge” in theorizing and empirical research. Over the past years, two perspectives have become prevalent in organization science. The individualist perspective assumes the locus of knowledge is people who learn, and that knowledge cannot extend beyond the physical limits of human beings. The collectivist perspective assumes the locus of knowledge is collective. Collective entities accumulate knowledge through forms of social learning. Boundaries of knowledge are drawn around social entities—groups, communities, networks, and organizational units, etc. Recent work in management and organization science has accentuated the differences, and argued against the widespread adoption of a collectivist perspective. This argument holds implications for information systems research. The current paper reviews selected contributions on the locus of knowledge, presents an argument for a combined collectivist and individualist perspective, and outlines future directions for information systems research. Drawing on two significant examples, I show that information systems research has a strategic role to play in greatly advancing this combined perspective.     

The effects of business systems leveraging on supply chain performance: Process innovation and uncertainty as moderators

Rooted in the profit-seeking motives of social exchange theory, this study aims to investigate the factors that facilitate leverages of firm’s business systems and their sharing of information with group members, as well as the impacts of business systems leveraging (BSL) on information sharing and supply chain performance. Simultaneously, the moderating effects of uncertainty and the degree of process innovation on the relationship between BSL and supply chain performance are also estimated. The analytical results indicated that proactive technological orientation, information technology (IT) connectivity, supply chain member pressure, and member relationship quality encourage firms to combine their business systems with those of other business partners. Interestingly, in a situation where there is high demand and an uncertain supply, the impact of BSL on supply chain performance is low, while the moderating effect of process innovation on the relationship between BSL and supply chain performance is significant. Finally, it is suggested that firms implementing BSL work to upgrade their technology maintain tight relationships with supply chain partners and create innovation in all aspects of their business processes in order to survive in the highly competitive IT environment.     

A comprehensive framework to research digital innovation: The joint use of the systems of innovation and critical realism

This study addresses calls to expand the boundaries of digital innovation research at multiple levels of society to comprehensively study the structure and evolution of innovation processes and outcomes. We contribute by proposing a framework composed of systems of innovation (SIs)¹ as an alternative and holistic conceptual base and unit of analysis, which accounts for the interconnected components located beyond the organizational microenvironments that ultimately affect innovation in organizations. Given the compatibility of SIs and the ontology of critical realism (CR)² as well as some flaws in SI research practice, we also use critical realist research approaches to guide the study of the state and transformation of SIs. We further explain the joint use of SIs and CR by applying them to the area of information systems innovation diffusion.     

Research on information systems in developing countries: Current landscape and future prospects

The current landscape of the information systems research literature concerned with developing countries is surveyed by examining a range of research articles published from 2000 onward. These are discussed in terms of the key challenges addressed, including the role of technology, and the methodological and theoretical approaches used. Prospects for future research are discussed, based on a conceptual view as to how to study information and communication technologies (ICTs) in developing countries, to classify existing work, identify gaps, and suggest future opportunities. The authors contribute to the important debate on how ICTs in general, and information systems research in particular, can make a positive difference in the developing countries. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Innovation research in information systems: A commentary on contemporary trends and issues

There is a need to unify the different strands of innovation research in information systems (IS) literature. We analyze 113 articles published over the past 15 years in top 10 IS journals. We classify the literature by (a) using the overall process spectrum of conceptualization from its innovation to its diffusion and (b) using the various theories of innovation referred to and validated in the articles. We identify that innovation diffusion theory is the most popular theory used by researchers. We conclude that future research must focus on the conceptualization and the generation phase of innovation through exploratory or empirical studies.     

Human factors in information technology: The socio-organisational aspects of expert systems design

This paper looks beyond the mostly technical and business issues that currently inform the design of knowledge-based systems (e.g., expert systems) to point out that there is also a social and organisational (a socio-organisational) dimension to the issues affecting the design decisions of expert systems and other information technologies. It argues that whilst technical and business issues are considered before the design of Expert Systems, that socio-organisational issues determine the acceptance and long-run utility of the technology after it has been implemented. It shows how four issues within the organisation can affect the design or the after-effects of the design and implementation of the technology. It also shows how the four issues can be considered within the structured phases of expert system development.     

The use of group support systems in focus groups: Information technology meets qualitative research

This paper explores focus groups supported by group support systems (GSS) with anonymous interaction capability in two configurations: same time/same place and same time/different place. After reviewing the literature, we compare and contrast these anonymity-featured GSS-supported focus groups with traditional focus groups and discuss their benefits and limitations. We suggest directions for future research concerning GSS-supported focus groups with respect to technological implications (typing skills and connection speeds), national culture (high and low context; power distance), and lying behavior (adaptation of model of Hancock, J. T., Thom-Santelli, J., & Ritchie, T. (2004). Deception and design: The impact of communication technology on lying behavior. Proceedings of the 2004 conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 129–134), whereby lying is a function of three design factors: synchronicity, recordability, and distributedness).     

Performance implications of information-value offering in e-service systems: Examining the resource-based perspective and innovation strategy

This research examines the performance implications of information-value offering in e-service systems. Specifically, this study introduces both a resource-based perspective that combines technology, human, and business resources to develop an e-service capability, and an innovation strategy that emphasizes service innovation orientation to examine information-value offering. This study also examines how firms bundle e-service capability and service innovation orientation to enhance information-value offering that enhances customer relationships and organizational performance. The results from a survey of 115 financial service firms in Taiwan highlight the importance of how e-service capability and service innovation orientation leads to information-value offering and that this value is shown to positively influence organizational performance by customer relationship performance. The results suggest that researchers and practitioners should pay special attention to the complementary resource-strategy that are needed to successfully implement e-service systems initiatives and that an emphasis on the resource or strategy alone may not be sufficient.     

Students' profiles of ICT use: Identification,determinants, and relations to achievement in a computer and information literacy test

Current debates on students' use of information and communication technology (ICT) have brought to attention profiles and purposes of ICT use in either school-related or recreational contexts. Examining these two contexts at the same time, the present study seeks to identify student profiles of ICT use on the basis of the Norwegian International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2013 data (N = 2426). In order to explore profiles of ICT use in schools and at home for different purposes such as recreation, study purposes, exchanging information, and social communication, we take a person-centered approach and apply latent profile analysis. These analyses revealed two independent user profiles and showed that background characteristics (i.e., gender, immigration status) and motivational constructs (i.e., self-efficacy, interest, and enjoyment in ICT) play a significant role in determining profile membership. Significant differences between the user profiles in students' computer and information literacy test performance did not exist. Given that the coverage of ICT at home and in schools has increased substantially over the last decades, the identification of user profiles informs teachers and parents about whether or not students exploit these opportunities to the same extent. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

Back to the future: from knowledge management to the management of information and data

This paper argues for a return to fundamentals and for a balanced assessment of the contribution that Information Technology can make as we enter the new millennium. It argues that the field of Information Systems should no longer be distracted from its natural locus of concern and competence, or claim more than it can actually achieve. More specifically, and as a case in point, we eschew IT-enabled Knowledge Management, both in theory and in practice. We view Knowledge Management as the most recent in a long line of fads and fashions embraced by the Information Systems community that have little to offer. Rather, we argue for a refocusing of our attention back on the management ofdata, since IT processes data-notinformation and certainly notknowledge. In so doing, we develop a model that provides a tentative means of distinguishing between the terms. This model also forms the basis for on-going empirical research designed to test the efficacy of our argument in a number of case companies currently implementing ERP and Knowledge Management Systems.     

Facilitating the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems: an empirical analysis of innovation and support factors

Abstract. Inter-organizational systems, which represent the majority of competitive information systems, have received increasing attention from researchers. This study focuses on the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems (CIOS). A model is constructed and tested, based on literature in IS implementation and organizational innovation. Data from 73 organizations who have implemented such systems are gathered through a questionnaire. Two classes of independent variables, innovation factors and support factors, are examined for their influence on CIOS implementation success. While no innovation factors emerge as important, support factors, such as customer training and top management support, are found to significantly facilitate successful implementation of such systems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

From paper to pixels: A comparison of paper and computer formats in psychological assessment

Internet based data collection methods have many advantages for psychological assessment when compared with more traditional paper formats, including, reduced costs, and greater convenience for both the researcher and the participant. However, prior to the wide-spread adoption of these methods, equivalence with paper tests formats must be established. The present study compared questionnaire data from the computer with that from a traditional paper format in a sample of college students both directly and through an opinion survey. Three types of questionnaires that represent distinct areas commonly assessed in psychological research included: quality of life (SF-36), depression (BDI-II) and personality (NEO). A within-subjects design counterbalanced order across the computer and paper formats. Overall the findings showed no differences for the Neuroticism and Extraversion facts of the NEO, for the BDI and for the subscales and composite scores of the SF-36. Significant differences were found between the paper and computer formats for the Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness facets of the NEO. Additionally, the computer was perceived to be convenient, user-friendly, comfortable, and secure. Results suggest that a computerized format is an efficient way to conduct quality of life research, especially for the assessment of distress levels and quality of life.