article

Taking industry seriously in information systems research

Authors:

Mike W. Chiasson,

Elizabeth DavidsonAuthors Info & Claims

MIS Quarterly, Volume 29, Issue 4

Pages 591 - 605

Published: 01 December 2005 Publication History

Abstract

In this essay, we argue that industry receives little attention in information systems research and theory, despite its increasingly important influence on IS activities. This is evident both in the narrow range of industries examined in IS research and the infrequent consideration of industry in theory. We base these observations on an analysis of IS publications in two top-tier journals (MIS Quarterly and Information Systems Research) over eight years. Drawing from institutional theory, we consider various ways industry can be addressed and assess how industry influences IS activities. We conclude that industry provides an important contextual "space" to build new IS theory and to evaluate the boundaries of existing IS theory. We outline a range of strategies for incorporating industry into IS research.

References

[1]

Avgerou, C. "The Significance of Context in Information Systems and Organizational Change," Information Systems Journal (11), 2001, pp. 43- 63.

[2]

Barrett, M., and Walsham, G. "Electronic Trading and Work Transformation in the London Insurance Market," Information Systems Research (10:1), 1999, pp. 1-22.

Digital Library

[3]

Bassellier, G., Benbasat, I., and Reich, B. "The Influence of Business Managers's IT Competence on Championing IT," Information Systems Research (14:4), 2003, pp. 317-336.

Digital Library

[4]

Becker, H. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You Are Doing It, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1998.

[5]

Benbasat, I., and Zmud, R. W. "Empirical Research in Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (23:1), March 1999, pp. 3-16.

Digital Library

[6]

Benbasat, I., and Zmud, R. W. "The Identity Crisis Within the IS Discipline: Defining and Communicating the Discipline's Core Properties," MIS Quarterly (27:2), June 2003, pp. 183-194.

[7]

Berthon,P., Pitt, L., Ewing, M., and Carr, C., "Potential Research Space in MIS: A Framework for Envisioning and Evaluating Research Replication, Extension, and Generation," Information Systems Research (13:4), 2002, pp. 416-427.

Digital Library

[8]

Bodenheimer, T. "The American Health Care System--The Movement for Improved Quality in Health Care," The New England Journal of Medicine (340:6), 1999, pp. 584-588.

[9]

Chiasson, M., and Davidson, E. "Pushing the Contextual Envelope: Developing and Diffusing IS Theory for Health Information Systems Research," Information and Organization (14:3), 2004, pp. 155-236.

[10]

Christiaanse, E., and Venkatraman, N. "Beyond Sabre: An Empirical Test of Expertise Exploitation in Electronic Channels," Management Information Systems Quarterly (26:1), 2002, pp. 15-38.

Digital Library

[11]

Crowston, K., and Myers, M. "Information Technology and the Transformation of Industries: Three Research Perspectives," The Journal of Strategic Information Systems (13:1), 2004, pp. 5-28.

[12]

Daft, R., and Weick, K. "Toward a Model of Organizations as Interpretative Systems," Academy of Management Review (9:2), 1984, pp. 284-295.

[13]

Davenport, T., and Glaser, J. "Just-in-Time Delivery Comes to Knowledge Management," Harvard Business Review, July 2002, pp. 105- 111.

[14]

Davidson, E., and Chismar, W. "Planning and Managing Computerized Order Entry: A Case Study of IT-Enabled Organizational Transformation," Topics in Health Information Management (19:4), 1999, pp. 47-61.

[15]

Dennis, A. R., and Garfield, M. J. "The Adoption and Use of GSS in Project Teams: Toward More Participative Processes and Outcomes," MIS Quarterly (27:2), June 2003, pp. 289-323.

Digital Library

[16]

Devaraj, S., and Kohli, R. "Performance Impacts of Information Technology: Is Actual Usage the Missing Link?," Management Science (49:3), 2003, pp. 273-289.

Digital Library

[17]

DiMaggio, P. J., and Powell, W. W. "The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizations Fields," American Sociological Review (48), 1991, pp. 147-160.

[18]

Fichman, R., and Kemerer, C. "The Assimilation of Software Process Innovations: An Organizational Learning Perspective," Management Science (43:10), 1997, 1345-1363.

[19]

Friedson, E. Professionalism: The Third Logic-- On the Practice of Knowledge, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2001.

[20]

Garson, B. The Electronic Sweatshop: How Computers are Transforming the Office of the Future into the Factory of the Past, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1988.

[21]

Giddens, A. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, Polity Press, Cambridge, England, 1991.

[22]

Hannan, M. T., and Freeman, J. "The Population Ecology of Organizations," American Journal of Sociology (82), 1977, pp. 29-64.

[23]

Hirsch, P. M. "The Study of Industries," in Research in the Sociology of Organizations (Volume 4), S. B. Bacharach and S. M. Mitchell (Eds.), JAI Press, Greenwich CT, 1985, pp. 271-309.

[24]

Kohli, R., and Kettinger, W. "Informating the Clan: Controlling Physicians Costs and Outcomes," MIS Quarterly (28:3), September 2004, pp. 363- 394.

Digital Library

[25]

Lamb, R., and Davidson, E. "The New Computing Archipelago: Intranet Islands of Practice," in Organizational and Social Perspectives on Information Technology, R. Baskerville, J. Stage, and J. I. DeGross (Eds.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, 2000, pp. 255-274.

[26]

Lamb, R., King, J. L., and Kling, R. "Informational Environments: Organizational Contexts of Online Information Use," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, (54:2), 2003, pp. 97-114.

Digital Library

[27]

Lee, A., and Baskerville, R. L. "Generalizing Generalizability in Information Systems Research", Information Systems Research (14:3), 2003, pp. 221-243.

Digital Library

[28]

Lee, J., Miranda, S., and Kim, Y. "IT Outsourcing Strategies: Universalistic, Contingency, and Configurational Explanations of Success," Information Systems Research (15:2), 2004, pp. 110-131.

Digital Library

[29]

Malone, T., Yates, J., and Benjamin, R. "Electronic Markets and Electronic Hierarchies: Effects of New Information Technologies on Market Structures and Corporate Strategies," Communications of the ACM (30:6), 1987, pp. 484-497.

Digital Library

[30]

Markus, L. "Thinking the Unthinkable: What Happens if the IS Field as we Know it Goes Away?," in Rethinking Management Information Systems: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, W. Currie and B. Galliers (Ed), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1999, pp. 175-203.

[31]

Massey, A. P., Montoya-Weiss, M. M., and O'Driscoll, T. M. "Knowledge Management in Pursuit of Performance: Insights from Nortel Networks," MIS Quarterly (26:3), September 2002, pp. 269-289.

Digital Library

[32]

Mauri A., and Michaels M. "Firm and Industry Effects Within Strategic Management: An Empirical Examination," Strategic Management Journal (19), 2003, pp. 211-219.

[33]

Melville, N., Kraemer, K., and Gurbaxani, V. "Review: Information Technology and Organizational Performance: An Integrative Model of IT Business Value," MIS Quarterly (28:2), June 2004, pp. 283-322.

[34]

Midgely, M. Wisdom, Information and Wonder: What is Knowledge For?, Routledge, London, 1991.

[35]

Myers, M. D., and Baskerville, R. L. "Information Systems as a Reference Discipline," MIS Quarterly (26:1), March 2002, pp. 1-14.

Digital Library

[36]

Orlikowski, W. J., and Iacono, C. S. "Research Commentary: Desperately Seeking the 'IT' in IT Research: A Call to Theorizing the IT Artifact," Information Systems Research (12:2), 2001, pp. 121-134.

Digital Library

[37]

Robey, D., Ross, J., and Boudreau, M. "Learning to Implement Enterprise Systems: An Exploratory Study of the Dialectics of Change," Journal of Management Information Systems (19:1), 2002, pp. 17-46.

Digital Library

[38]

Scott, W. R. Institutions and Organizations (2nd ed.), Sage Publications, Thousands Oaks, 2001.

[39]

Scott, W. R. "Institutions and Organizations: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis," in Institutional Environments and Organizations: Structural Complexity and Individualism, W. R. Scott and J. W. Myer (Eds.), Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, 1994, pp. 55-80.

[40]

Scott, W. R. Organizations: Rational, Natural and Open Systems (2nd ed.), Prentice-Hall Publications, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1987.

[41]

Scott, W. R., and Meyer, J. W. "The Organization of Societal Sectors," in Organizational Environments: Ritual and Rationality, J. W. Myer and W. R. Scott (Eds.), University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1983, pp. 129-153.

[42]

Scott, W. R., Ruef, M., Mendel, P., and Caronna, C. Institutional Change and Healthcare Organizations: From Professional Dominance to Managed Care, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2000.

[43]

Spender J. Industry Recipes: The Nature and Sources of Managerial Judgment, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1989.

[44]

Sumit, S., Nerur, S., and Mahapatra, R. "Revolution or Evolution? A Comparison of Object-Oriented and Structured Systems Development Methods," MIS Quarterly (25:4), December 2001, pp. 457-463.

Digital Library

[45]

Swanson E., and Ramiller N. "The Organizing Vision in Information Systems Innovation," Organization Science (8:5), 1997, pp. 458-474.

Digital Library

[46]

Tillquist, J., King, J. L., and Woo, C. "A Representational Scheme for Analyzing Information Technology and Organizational Dependency," MIS Quarterly (26:2), June 2002, pp. 91-118.

Digital Library

[47]

Whinston, A. B., and Geng, X. "Operationalizing the Essential Role of the Information Technology Artifact in Information Systems Research: Gray Area, Pitfalls, and the Importance of Strategic Ambiguity," MIS Quarterly (28:2), June 2004, pp.149-159.

Digital Library

Cited By

Huang NZhang JBurtch GLi XChen P(2021)Combating Procrastination on Massive Online Open Courses via Optimal Calls to ActionInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2020.097432:2(301-317)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1287/isre.2020.0974
Schnabl AGrechenig T(2020)Benefit Evaluation in IT Project Portfolio Management at Austrian Financial Service ProvidersProceedings of the 2020 the 3rd International Conference on Computers in Management and Business10.1145/3383845.3383889(290-295)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3383845.3383889
Avgerou C(2019)Contextual explanationMIS Quarterly10.25300/MISQ/2019/1399043:3(977-1006)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.25300/MISQ/2019/13990
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Taking industry seriously in information systems research
1. Applied computing
  1. Enterprise computing
    1. Business process management
  2. Operations research
    1. Decision analysis
2. Information systems
  1. Information systems applications
    1. Decision support systems

Recommendations

Effect of Modern Information Industry on Manufacturing Industry
AIAM2021: 2021 3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Manufacture

The transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector is an important step in implementing the new stage of development. Information technology is having an increasingly profound impact on the development of manufacturing industry, based on this ...
Addressing responsible research and innovation to industry: introduction of a conceptual framework
Special Issue on Ethicomp

Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is taking a role to assist all types of stakeholders including industry to move research and innovation initiatives to responsible manner for tackling grand challenges. The literature on RRI focuses little on ...
Research on Promoting the Upgrading Path Development of the Equipment Manufacturing Industry by Using Information Technology

This paper firstly examines the development history of China's equipment manufacturing industry and the research status quo of domestic and foreign information technology upgrading of equipment manufacturing industry, then gives the definition of ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image MIS Quarterly

MIS Quarterly Volume 29, Issue 4

December 2005

207 pages

ISSN:0276-7783

Issue’s Table of Contents

Publisher

Society for Information Management and The Management Information Systems Research Center

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 December 2005

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

32
Total Citations
View Citations
8
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)0
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0

Reflects downloads up to 03 Oct 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Huang NZhang JBurtch GLi XChen P(2021)Combating Procrastination on Massive Online Open Courses via Optimal Calls to ActionInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2020.097432:2(301-317)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1287/isre.2020.0974
Schnabl AGrechenig T(2020)Benefit Evaluation in IT Project Portfolio Management at Austrian Financial Service ProvidersProceedings of the 2020 the 3rd International Conference on Computers in Management and Business10.1145/3383845.3383889(290-295)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3383845.3383889
Avgerou C(2019)Contextual explanationMIS Quarterly10.25300/MISQ/2019/1399043:3(977-1006)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.25300/MISQ/2019/13990
Sarker SChatterjee SXiao XElbanna A(2019)The sociotechnical axis of cohesion for the IS disciplineMIS Quarterly10.25300/MISQ/2019/1374743:3(695-720)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.25300/MISQ/2019/13747
Ilie VSneha S(2018)A Three Country Study for Understanding Physicians' Engagement With Electronic Information Resources Pre and Post System ImplementationJournal of Global Information Management10.5555/3213726.321372926:2(48-73)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3213726.3213729
Raymond LUwizeyemungu SFabi BSt-Pierre J(2018)IT capabilities for product innovation in SMEsInformation Technology and Management10.1007/s10799-017-0276-x19:1(75-87)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10799-017-0276-x
Pal AOjha ABandi RKishore RBeimborn DSharma RSrivastava S(2017)Institutional Isomorphism due to the Influence of Information Systems and Its Strategic PositionProceedings of the 2017 ACM SIGMIS Conference on Computers and People Research10.1145/3084381.3084395(147-154)Online publication date: 21-Jun-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3084381.3084395
Malaurent JAvison D(2016)Reconciling global and local needsInformation Systems Journal10.1111/isj.1207426:3(227-257)Online publication date: 1-May-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1111/isj.12074
Salge TKohli RBarrett M(2015)Investing in information systemsMIS Quarterly10.25300/MISQ/2015/39.1.0439:1(61-90)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.25300/MISQ/2015/39.1.04
Schwartz D(2014)Research Commentary---The Disciplines of InformationInformation Systems Research10.5555/2895238.289523925:2(205-221)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2895238.2895239
Show More Cited By

View Options

View options

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Issue’s Table of Contents