IS

Dennis, Alan R.

Research Interests (73)

List of Topics (73)

Topic Weight Topic Terms
5.449 group gss support groups systems brainstorming research process electronic members results paper effects individual ebs
1.920 group support groups meeting gdss decision systems meetings technology study electronic ems task process communication
1.484 creativity ideas idea creative individual generation techniques individuals problem support cognitive ideation stimuli memory generate
1.464 task fit tasks performance cognitive theory using support type comprehension tools tool effects effect matching
1.273 research journals journal information systems articles academic published business mis faculty discipline analysis publication management
1.139 team teams virtual members communication distributed performance global role task cognition develop technology involved time
1.130 communication media computer-mediated e-mail richness electronic cmc mail medium message performance convergence used communications messages
0.903 decision making decisions decision-making makers use quality improve performance managers process better results time managerial
0.818 information processing needs based lead make exchange situation examined ownership analytical improved situations changes informational
0.642 using subjects results study experiment did conducted task time used experienced use preference experimental presented
0.609 performance results study impact research influence effects data higher efficiency effect significantly findings impacts empirical
0.589 collaborative groups feedback group work collective individuals higher effects efficacy perceived tasks members environment writing
0.586 collaboration support collaborative facilitation gss process processes technology group organizations engineering groupware facilitators use work
0.575 behavior behaviors behavioral study individuals affect model outcomes psychological individual responses negative influence explain hypotheses
0.575 emotions research fmri emotional neuroscience study brain neurois emotion functional neurophysiological distrust cognitive related imaging
0.475 trust trusting study online perceived beliefs e-commerce intention trustworthiness relationships benevolence initial importance trust-building examines
0.474 results study research experiment experiments influence implications conducted laboratory field different indicate impact effectiveness future
0.470 modeling models model business research paradigm components using representation extension logical set existing way aspects
0.402 adaptive theory structuration appropriation structures technology use theoretical ast capture believe consensus technologies offices context
0.383 research study different context findings types prior results focused studies empirical examine work previous little
0.380 research researchers framework future information systems important present agenda identify areas provide understanding contributions using
0.354 model use theory technology intention information attitude acceptance behavioral behavior intentions research understanding systems continuance
0.341 time use size second appears form larger benefits combined studies reasons selected underlying appear various
0.339 model models process analysis paper management support used environment decision provides based develop use using
0.335 planning strategic process management plan operational implementation critical used tactical effectiveness number identified activities years
0.323 integration present offer processes integrating current discuss perspectives related quality literature integrated benefits measures potential
0.323 theory theories theoretical paper new understanding work practical explain empirical contribution phenomenon literature second implications
0.319 field work changes new years time change major period year end use past early century
0.314 competitive advantage strategic systems information sustainable sustainability dynamic opportunities capabilities environments environmental turbulence turbulent dynamics
0.305 use habit input automatic features modification different cognition rules account continuing underlying genre emotion way
0.292 project projects development management isd results process team developed managers teams software stakeholders successful complex
0.289 problem problems solution solving problem-solving solutions reasoning heuristic theorizing rules solve general generating complex example
0.285 knowledge application management domain processes kms systems study different use domains role comprehension effective types
0.280 capital social ict communication rural icts cognitive society information well-being relational india societal empirically create
0.264 process problem method technique experts using formation identification implicit analysis common proactive input improvements identify
0.263 information presentation graphics format systems graphical graphs design recall representation comprehension experimental presentations experiment presented
0.261 processes interaction new interactions temporal structure research emergent process theory address temporally core discussion focuses
0.255 technology research information individual context acceptance use technologies suggests need better personality factors new traits
0.241 systems information management development presented function article discussed model personnel general organization described presents finally
0.233 shared contribution groups understanding contributions group contribute work make members experience phenomenon largely central key
0.228 career human professionals job turnover orientations careers capital study resource personnel advancement configurations employees mobility
0.228 level levels higher patterns activity results structures lower evolution significant analysis degree data discussed implications
0.223 differences analysis different similar study findings based significant highly groups popular samples comparison similarities non-is
0.209 percent sales average economic growth increasing total using number million percentage evidence analyze approximately does
0.201 increased increase number response emergency monitoring warning study reduce messages using reduced decreased reduction decrease
0.185 methods information systems approach using method requirements used use developed effective develop determining research determine
0.174 perceptions attitudes research study impacts importance perceived theory results perceptual perceive perception impact relationships basis
0.166 development life cycle prototyping new stages routines stage design experiences traditional time sdlc suggested strategies
0.166 perceived usefulness acceptance use technology ease model usage tam study beliefs intention user intentions users
0.165 results study research information studies relationship size variables previous variable examining dependent increases empirical variance
0.163 information proximity message seeking perceived distance communication overload context geographic dispersed higher geographically task contexts
0.158 structure integration complex business enhancement effects access extent analyzing volatile capture requires occurs pattern enables
0.156 issues management systems information key managers executives senior corporate important importance survey critical corporations multinational
0.148 capabilities capability firm firms performance resources business information technology firm's resource-based competitive it-enabled view study
0.140 model research data results study using theoretical influence findings theory support implications test collected tested
0.139 affective concepts role questions game gaming production games logic play shaping frames future network natural
0.138 attention utilization existing codification model received does limitations theories receiving literature paying causes additional building
0.135 decision support systems making design models group makers integrated article delivery representation portfolio include selection
0.133 business large organizations using work changing rapidly make today's available designed need increasingly recent manage
0.133 process business reengineering processes bpr redesign paper research suggests provide past improvements manage enable organizations
0.131 change organizational implementation case study changes management organizations technology organization analysis successful success equilibrium radical
0.131 competence experience versus individual disaster employees form npd concept context construct effectively focus functionalities front-end
0.126 use support information effective behaviors work usage examine extent users expertise uses longitudinal focus routine
0.124 values culture relationship paper proposes mixed responsiveness revealed specific considers deployment results fragmentation simultaneously challenges
0.116 knowledge sharing contribution practice electronic expertise individuals repositories management technical repository knowledge-sharing shared contributors novelty
0.116 effects effect research data studies empirical information literature different interaction analysis implications findings results important
0.113 network networks social analysis ties structure p2p exchange externalities individual impact peer-to-peer structural growth centrality
0.108 search information display engine results engines displays retrieval effectiveness relevant process ranking depth searching economics
0.107 secondary use primary data outcomes objective ways analysis range addresses development purpose budget past outcome
0.106 adaptation patterns transition new adjustment different critical occur manner changes adapting concept novel temporary accomplish
0.104 analysis techniques structured categories protocol used evolution support methods protocols verbal improve object-oriented difficulties analyses
0.103 strategic benefits economic benefit potential systems technology long-term applications competitive company suggest additional companies industry
0.103 control controls formal systems mechanisms modes clan informal used internal literature outsourced outcome theory configuration

Coauthor Network

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List of Coauthors (57)

Valacich, Joseph S. 7 Nunamaker, Jr., Jay F. 6 Garfield, Monica J. 4 Vogel, Douglas R. 4
Aronson, Jay E. 2 Carte, Traci A. 2 Fuller, Mark A. 2 Fuller, Robert M. 2
Heninger, William G. 2 Hilmer, Kelly M. 2 Schneider, Christoph 2 Taylor, Nolan J. 2
Tyran, Craig K. 2 Wixom, Barbara H. 2 Ahuja, Manju K. 1 Banker, Rajiv D. 1
Benbasat, Izak 1 Brocke, Jan vom 1 Brown, Susan A. 1 Bhagwatwar, Akshay P. 1
Bartelt, Valerie 1 Barlow, Jordan B 1 Connolly, Terry 1 Curtis, Aaron M. 1
Dimoka, Angelika 1 Davis, Fred D. 1 George, Joey F. 1 Gefen, David 1
Gupta, Alok 1 Haley, Barbara J. 1 Hilmer, Kelly McNamara 1 Hasty, Bryan K. 1
Hayes, Glenda S. 1 Hung, Yu-Ting Caisy 1 Ischebeck, Anja 1 Jessup, Len M. 1
Jr., Robert M. Daniels 1 Jr., Lionel P. Robert 1 Kinney, Susan T. 1 Ko, Dong-Gil 1
Kowalczyk, Stacy T. 1 Kenning, Peter H. 1 MŸller-Putz, Gernot 1 Minas, Randall K. 1
Pavlou, Paul A. 1 Paranka, David 1 Robert, Jr., Lionel P. 1 Robert Jr., Lionel P. 1
Reinicke, Bryan A. 1 Riedl, RenŽ 1 Robert M. Daniels, Jr. 1 Satzinger, John W. 1
Vandenberg, Robert J. 1 Venkatesh, Viswanath 1 Wynne, Bayard E. 1 Walker II, Edward D. 1
Weber, Bernd 1

Article Keywords (140)

Group Support Systems 13 Groupware 5 collaboration 4 Electronic Brainstorming 4
Electronic meeting systems 4 GSS 4 Idea Generation 4 technology adoption 4
virtual teams 4 Creativity 3 computer-mediated communication 3 individual cognition 3
information exchange 3 strategic management 3 time 3 appropriation 2
Brainstorming 2 collaboration technology 2 Feedback 2 Group Support Systems (GSS) 2
Group Support System 2 group decision support systems 2 hidden profile 2 Strategic Planning 2
tenure 2 trust 2 technology acceptance model (TAM) 2 virtual groups 2
academic discipline 1 academic promotion 1 adoption 1 adaptive structuration theory 1
business process modeling 1 Cognitive Inertia 1 Cognitive Fit 1 Cognitive Style 1
Creativity Techniques 1 cognitive interference 1 controls 1 contingency theory 1
Conveyance 1 Competitive Advantage 1 cognitive trust 1 channel expansion theory 1
collaboration technologies 1 case study 1 collective intelligence 1 Decomposition 1
decision making 1 dual-task interference 1 disposition to trust 1 decision support systems 1
decision-making 1 discussion board 1 Equivocality 1 environments 1
entrainment 1 electronic meeting system 1 fit-appropriation model 1 field experiment 1
Geographical Information Systems 1 Graphics 1 Group Simulator 1 group process and outcomes 1
groups ware 1 group interaction modeling 1 group process gains 1 group process losses 1
group development models 1 genre rules 1 group performance 1 hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) 1
Information Cues 1 Individual Differences 1 information processing 1 information sharing 1
idea generation. 1 initial trust 1 IM 1 intelligence task types 1
job experience 1 JAD 1 KAI 1 Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory 1
knowledge sharing 1 knowledge management systems use 1 knowledge-based trust 1 lab experiments 1
longitudinal study 1 Maps 1 Media Richness Theory 1 MB TI 1
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 1 methods 1 media capabilities 1 meta-analysis 1
mixed methods 1 network analysis 1 nominal group technique 1 neuroimaging 1
NeuroIS 1 neurophysiological tools 1 neuroscience 1 publication 1
performance improvement 1 problem structure 1 participative management 1 project teams 1
promotion 1 publishing standards 1 psychophysiological tools 1 problem refraining 1
process modeling 1 presumptive trust 1 priming 1 research journals 1
repeated tasks 1 research methodologies 1 re-engineering. 1 requirements analysis. 1
routines 1 scientometrics 1 synchronous text discussion 1 social capital 1
social network analysis 1 software 1 strategic decision making 1 structuration 1
swift trust 1 social presence theory 1 structuration theory 1 team performance 1
task technology fit 1 Task Closure Model 1 technology acceptance 1 time pressure 1
unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 1 Videoconferencing 1 vignettes 1 virtual team 1

Articles (37)

Not As Smart As We Think: A Study of Collective Intelligence in Virtual Groups (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2016)
Authors: Abstract:
    Organizations increasingly use virtual groups for many types of work, yet little research has examined factors that make groups perform better across multiple different types of tasks. Previous research has proposed that groups, like individuals, have a general factor of collective intelligence, an ability to perform consistently across multiple types of tasks. We studied groups that used computer-mediated communication (CMC) to investigate whether collective intelligence is similar or different when groups work using CMC. A collective intelligence factor did not emerge among groups using CMC, suggesting that collective intelligence manifests itself differently depending on context. This is in contrast to previous findings. Our results surface a need for more research on boundary conditions of the construct of collective intelligence. Our findings also have practical implications: managers should take care when organizing virtual group work because groups that perform well on one type of task will not necessarily be the groups that do well on other tasks > >
Nature and Nurture: The Impact of Automaticity and the Structuration of Communication on Virtual Team Behavior and Performance (MIS Quarterly, 2014)
Authors: Abstract:
    Much prior research on virtual teams has examined the impact of the features and capabilities of different communication tools (the nature of communication) on team performance. In this paper, we examine how the social structures (i.e., genre rules) that emerge around different communication tools (the nurture of communication) can be as important in influencing performance. During habitual use situations, team members enact genre rules associated with communication tools without conscious thought via automaticity. These genre rules influence how teams interact and ultimately how well they perform. We conducted an experimental study to examine the impact of different genre rules that have developed for two communication tools: instant messenger and discussion forum. Our results show that in habitual use situations, these tools triggered different genre rules with different behaviors, which in turn resulted in significantly different decision quality. We used heightened time pressure as a discrepant event to interrupt the automatic enactment of habitual genre rules and found that users adopted similar behaviors for both tools, which resulted in no significant differences in decision quality. These findings suggest that the automatic enactment of genre rules for a communication tool may have as powerful an effect on behavior and performance as the actual features of the tool itself. We believe that our results, taken together with past research showing the effects of social structures on communication, call for the expansion of task–technology fit theories to include the role of social structures in explaining the use of and performance from communication tools.
Sparking Creativity: Improving Electronic Brainstorming with Individual Cognitive Priming. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2013)
Authors: Abstract:
    Much of human behavior involves subconscious cognition that can be manipulated through "priming"-the presentation of a stimulus designed to subconsciously implant a concept in working memory that alters subsequent behavior. Priming is a well-known phenomenon for individual behavior, but we do not know whether priming can be used to influence group behavior. We developed a Web-based computer game that was designed to improve creativity through priming. Participants were exposed to a priming game and then worked as members of a group using electronic brainstorming (EBS) to generate ideas on a creativity task. Our results show that when users played the game, designed to improve performance, their groups generated significantly more ideas that were more creative than when they were exposed to neutral priming. Our findings extend the literature by providing evidence that individual priming substantially affects group idea generation performance. Avenues for future research include designing EBS software that optimizes group ideation through priming, examining the conditions under which priming has the most substantial impact on ideation performance, and examining whether priming can be used to enhance other group processes (e.g., convergence tasks).
Trust Is in the Eye of the Beholder: A Vignette Study of Postevent Behavioral Controls' Effects on Individual Trust in Virtual Teams. (Information Systems Research, 2012)
Authors: Abstract:
    Research in face-to-face teams shows conflicting results about the impact of behavioral controls on trust; some research shows that controls increase the salience of good behavior, which increases trust while other research shows that controls increase the salience of poor behavior that decreases trust. The only study in virtual teams, which examined poorly functioning teams, found that controls increased the salience of poor behavior, which decreased trust. We argue that in virtual teams behavioral controls amplify the salience of all behaviors (positive and negative) and that an individual's selective perception bias influences how these behaviors are interpreted. Thus the link from behavioral controls to trust is more complex than first thought. We conducted a 2×2 experiment, varying the use of behavioral controls (controls, no controls) and individual team member behaviors (reneging behaviors designed to reduce trust beliefs and fulfilling behaviors designed to increase trust beliefs). We found that behavioral controls did amplify the salience of all behaviors; however, contrary to what we expected, this actually weakened the impact of reneging and fulfilling behaviors on trust. We believe that completing a formal evaluation increased empathy and the awareness of context in which the behaviors occurred and thus mitigated extreme perceptions. We also found that behavioral controls increased the selective perception bias which induced participants to see the behaviors their disposition to trust expected rather than the behaviors that actually occurred.
Toward an Integrated Model of Group Development: Disruption of Routines by Technology-Induced Change. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2012)
Authors: Abstract:
    Current research argues that the most prominent models of group development (the linear stage model and the punctuated equilibrium model) are simply different lenses for studying the same phenomenon. We argue that the two models are distinct (groups do not simultaneously follow both models) and that the key to understanding their use lies in routines. We studied six newly formed groups whose members came from the same organization that worked on similar projects over a seven-week period. Three groups worked nonmediated and three groups used a collaboration technology that was new to them. The three nonmediated groups followed the punctuated equilibrium model and the three collaboration technology groups followed the stage model. We argue that groups that enact the shared routines common in their organizations will experience a different group development path than those groups whose shared routines are disrupted and which must adapt to a new technology. When group members enact shared routines (which they may share due to having a common organizational culture), they can quickly begin work, and group development follows the punctuated equilibrium model. When groups cannot enact shared routines, they must first negotiate how they will work before work can begin, so group development follows the stage model. Thus, the introduction of new collaboration technology (or any new technology or work process) influences how group development occurs.
ON THE USE OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL TOOLS IN IS RESEARCH: DEVELOPING A RESEARCH AGENDA FOR NEUROIS. (MIS Quarterly, 2012)
Authors: Abstract:
    This article discusses the role of commonly used neurophysiological tools such as psychophysiological tools (e.g., EKG, eye tracking) and neuroimaging tools (e.g., fMRI, EEG) in Information Systems research. There is heated interest now in the social sciences in capturing presumably objective data directly from the human body, and this interest in neurophysiological tools has also been gaining momentum in IS research (termed NeuroIS). This article first reviews commonly used neurophysiological tools with regard to their major strengths and weaknesses. It then discusses several promising application areas and research questions where IS researchers can benefit from the use of neurophysiological data. The proposed research topics are presented within three thematic areas: (1) development and use of systems, (2) IS strategy and business outcomes, and (3) group work and decision support. The article concludes with recommendations on how to use neurophysiological tools in IS research along with a set of practical suggestions for developing a research agenda for NeuroIS and establishing NeuroIS as a viable subfield in the IS literature.
Profiting from Knowledge Management: The Impact of Time and Experience. (Information Systems Research, 2011)
Authors: Abstract:
    Although many organizations are implementing knowledge management systems (KMS), there is little empirical evidence about whether KMS use can improve individual performance, and how time and experience influence the value derived from KMS use. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) statistical analysis, we examined the impact of using a codification-based KMS on the sales performance of 2,154 sales representatives in a pharmaceutical firm over a 24-month period. We found that KMS had significant positive impacts on individual performance and that these performance benefits grew over time. Moreover, experience moderated the relationship between KMS use and individual performance. Knowledge workers with more experience were able to more quickly absorb and apply the knowledge from the KMS than were those with less experience, who took longer to benefit from KMS use. However, over time experience played a diminishing role in leveraging performance gains from KMS use, and knowledge workers with less experience eventually derived similar performance benefits as those of their more experienced counterparts.
Predicting Collaboration Technology Use: Integrating Technology Adoption and Collaboration Research. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2010)
Authors: Abstract:
    The paper presents a model integrating theories from collaboration research (i.e., social presence theory, channel expansion theory, and the task closure model) with a recent theory from technology adoption research (i.e., unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, abbreviated to UTAUT) to explain the adoption and use of collaboration technology. We theorize that collaboration technology characteristics, individual and group characteristics, task characteristics, and situational characteristics are predictors of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions in UTAUT. We further theorize that the UTAUT constructs, in concert with gender, age, and experience, predict intention to use a collaboration technology, which in turn predicts use. We conducted two field studies in Finland among (1) 349 short message service (SMS) users and (2) 447 employees who were potential users of a new collaboration technology in an organization. Our model was supported in both studies. The current work contributes to research by developing and testing a technology-specific model of adoption in the collaboration context.
Does Fit Matter? The Impact of Task-Technology Fit and Appropriation on Team Performance in Repeated Tasks. (Information Systems Research, 2009)
Authors: Abstract:
    Prior research on technology and team performance concludes that the fit of the technology to tasks influences team performance. It also suggests that the way teams appropriate technology influences performance. This research examines how fit and appropriation (from the Fit Appropriation Model) influence performance over time. Initially, the results show that fit better predicted performance; teams using poor-fitting technology performed worse than teams with better fitting technology. However, over a short time period (two days in this study), this initial fit no longer predicted performance; performance of teams using better fitting technology remained constant while teams using poor-fitting technology innovated and adapted, improving performance. There are two key findings from this study. First, fit can predict team performance soon after technology adoption, but initial assessments of fit are temporary as teams innovate and adapt; thus, our current theoretical models of fitting technology to a task likely will not be useful beyond the first use. Second, teams should understand how to better adapt existing technology and work structures. Because our current theories of tasktechnology fit failed to predict performance beyond the first use of technology, we believe that this calls for a reconsideration of what fit means for teams using technology.
Individual Swift Trust and Knowledge-Based Trust in Face-to-Face and Virtual Team Members. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2009)
Authors: Abstract:
    Traditionally, trust has been seen as a result of personal knowledge of an individual's past behavior. In this view, trust develops gradually over time based on an individual's cognitive assessment of the other person's behavior. However, high levels of trust have been observed among members of virtual teams, who often have little prior history of working together and may never meet each other in person. To integrate these two seemingly contradictory views of trust, this study manipulated team member characteristics and team member behavior to empirically test a two-stage theoretical model of trust formation and the influence of information and communication technologies (ICT) on trust formation. The results indicate that category-based processing of team member characteristics and an individual's own disposition to trust dominated the initial formation of swift trust. Once individuals accumulated sufficient information to assess a team member's trustworthiness, the effects of swift trust declined and knowledge-based trust formed using team members' behaviors (perceived ability, integrity, and benevolence) became dominant. The use of ICT increased perceived risk of team failure, which reduced the likelihood that team members would engage in future trusting behaviors.
Social Capital and Knowledge Integration in Digitally Enabled Teams. (Information Systems Research, 2008)
Authors: Abstract:
    To understand the impact of social capital on knowledge integration and performance within digitally enabled teams, we studied 46 teams who had a history and a future working together. All three dimensions of their social capital (structural, relational, and cognitive) were measured prior to the team performing two tasks in a controlled setting, one face-to-face and the other through a lean digital network. Structural and cognitive capital were more important to knowledge integration when teams communicated through lean digital networks than when they communicated face-to-face; relational capital directly impacted knowledge integration equally, regardless of the communication media used by the team. Knowledge integration, in turn, impacted team decision quality, suggesting that social capital influences team performance in part by increasing a team's ability to integrate knowledge. These results suggest that team history may be necessary but not sufficient for teams to overcome the problems with the use of lean digital networks as a communication environment. However, team history may present a window of opportunity for social capital to develop, which in turn allows teams to perform just as well as in either communication environment.
MEDIA, TASKS, AND COMMUNICATION PROCESSES: A THEORY OF MEDIA SYNCHRONICITY. (MIS Quarterly, 2008)
Authors: Abstract:
    his paper expands, refines, and explicates media synchronicity theory, originally proposed in a conference proceeding in 1999 (Dennis and Valacich 1999). Media synchronicity theory (MST) focuses on the ability of media to support synchronicity, a shared pattern of coordinated behavior among individuals as they work together. We expand on the original propositions of MST to argue that communication is composed of two primary processes: conveyance and convergence. The familiarity of individuals with the tasks they are performing and with their coworkers will also affect the relative amounts of these two processes. Media synchronicity theory proposes that for conveyance processes, use of media supporting lower synchronicity should result in better communication performance. For convergence processes, use of media supporting higher synchronicity should result in better communication performance. We identify five capabilities of media (symbol sets, parallelism, transmission velocity, rehearsability, and reprocessability) that influence the development of synchronicity and thus the successful performance of conveyance and convergence communication processes. The successful completion of most tasks involving more than one individual requires both conveyance and convergence processes, thus communication performance will be improved when individuals use a variety of media to perform a task, rather than just one medium.
Publication Opportunities in Premier Business Outlets: How Level Is the Playing Field? (Information Systems Research, 2006)
Authors: Abstract:
    This paper reports an analysis of the proportion of faculty publishing articles in premier business journals (i.e., the ratio of authors of premier business journal articles to total faculty of a discipline) across the disciplines of accounting, finance, management, marketing, and information systems (IS) for the years 1994─2003. This analysis revealed that over this period the management discipline had on average the highest proportion of faculty publishing in premier journals (12.7 authors per 100 management faculty), followed by finance (9.4 authors per 100 faculty), marketing (9.2 authors per 100 faculty), IS (5.5 authors per 100 faculty), and accounting (4.8 authors per 100 faculty). A further analysis examined these ratios for the different disciplines over time, finding that the ratios of authors to faculty have actually decreased for the disciplines of marketing and IS over this time period but have remained stable for the disciplines of accounting, management, and finance. Given steady growth in faculty size of all disciplines, the proportion of faculty publishing articles in premier journals in 2003 for all disciplines is lower than their 10-year averages, with IS having the lowest proportion in 2003. A sensitivity analysis reveals that without substantial changes that would allow more IS faculty to publish in the premier journals (e.g., by increasing publication cycles, number of premier outlets, and so on), IS will continue to lag far below the average of other disciplines. The implications of these findings for IS researchers, for institutions and administrators of IS programs, and for the IS academic discipline are examined. Based on these implications, recommendations for the IS discipline are presented.
Individual Cognition and Dual-Task Interference in Group Support Systems. (Information Systems Research, 2006)
Authors: Abstract:
    Previous research shows that synchronous text discussion through group support systems (GSS) can improve the exchange of information within teams, but this improved information exchange usually does not improve decisions because participants fail to process the new information they receive. This study examined one potential cause for this failure: Dual-task interference caused by the need to concurrently process new information from others while also contributing one's own information to the discussion. Although prior research argues that dual-task interference should be minimal, we found that it significantly reduced participants' information processing and led to lower decision quality. The effect sizes were large, suggesting that dual-task interference is one of a handful of major factors that exert the greatest influence on information processing and decision-making performance. We believe that these results call for an increased emphasis on and understanding of the cognitive underpinnings of GSS and virtual team decision making.
RESEARCH STANDARDS FOR PROMOTION AND TENURE IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS. (MIS Quarterly, 2006)
Authors: Abstract:
    What constitutes excellence in information systems research for promotion and tenure? This is a question that is regularly addressed by members of promotion and tenure committees and those called upon to write external letters. While there are many elements to this question, one major element is the quality and quantity of an individual's research publications. An informal survey of senior Information Systems faculty members at 49 leading U.S. and Canadian universities found 86 percent to expect three or more articles in elite journals. In contrast, an analysis of publication performance of Ph.D. graduates between the years of 1992 and 2004 found that approximately three individuals in each graduating year of Ph.D.s (about 2 percent) published 3 or more articles in a set of 20 elite journals within 6 years of graduation. Only 15 individuals from each graduating year (11 percent) published one or more articles. As a discipline, we publish elite journal articles at a lower rate than Accounting, yet our promotion and tenure standards are higher, similar to those of Management, Marketing, and Finance. Thus, there is a growing divergence between research performance and research standards within the Information Systems discipline. As such, unless we make major changes, these differences will perpetuate a vicious cycle of increasing faculty turnover, declining influence on university affairs, and lower research productivity. We believe that we must act now to create a new future, and offer recommendations that focus on the use of more appropriate standards for promotion and tenure and ways to increase the number of articles published.
BETA VERSUS VHS AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF ELECTRONIC BRAINSTORMING TECHNOLOGY. (MIS Quarterly, 2004)
Authors: Abstract:
    This paper argues that much of the past research on electronic brainstorming has been somewhat myopic. Much as Sony focused on the quality of the picture on its Beta format, we as IS researchers have focused on the number of ideas generated as the dominant measure of electronic brainstorming effectiveness. When VHS killed Beta, Sony discovered that image quality was a secondary consideration for most VCR users. Despite the compelling research on its performance benefits, electronic brainstorming has not yet displaced -- or even joined -- verbal brainstorming as a widely used idea generation technique. This paper presents arguments that users may not be primarily concerned with the number of ideas generated when planning a brainstorming session, but rather may equally desire group well being and member support. We present theoretical arguments and empirical evidence suggesting that electronic brainstorming is not as effective as verbal brainstorming at providing group well being and member support. We believe that these arguments may also apply to other group and individual research areas and may also call for a reevaluation of the technology acceptance model (TAM). Finally, we suggest further research that may help electronic brainstorming avoid the fate of the Beta format.
THE ADOPTION AND USE OF GSS IN PROJECT TEAMS: TOWARD MORE PARTICIPATIVE PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES. (MIS Quarterly, 2003)
Authors: Abstract:
    This paper reports the results of a field study of six medical project teams that worked together in meetings over a seven-week period to develop plans to improve customer service within a hospital. Half the teams used a group support system (GSS), while the other half used traditional processes that were the habitual norms for this organization. In the teams using traditional project team processes, the leaders defined the teams' project goal directed discussions, recorded and controlled the teams' notes, assigned tasks to team members, and prepared and presented the teams' report. In the GSS teams, the leaders faced leadership challenges or abdicated, regular members participated to a greater extent, the project goal emerged from team discussion, and the teams' notes were open and widely distributed. In short, processes in the GSS teams were more participatory and democratic. At first, teams found the GSS-based meeting processes very uncomfortable and returned to traditional verbal discussion-based processes. Once they returned to these traditional processes, however, they found them uncomfortable and moved back to include more electronic communication-based processes. Participants' attitudes (satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, and cohesiveness) were initially lower in GSS teams, but gradually increased, until they equaled those of the traditional teams. There were significant differences in overall project outcomes: traditional teams developed conservative projects that met the unstated project agenda perceived by the team leaders. In contrast, GSS teams developed projects more closely aligned to the interests of team members.
Research Report: Modifying Paradigms--Individual Differences, Creativity Techniques, and Exposure to Ideas in Group Idea Generation. (Information Systems Research, 2001)
Authors: Abstract:
    In today's networked economy, ideas that challenge existing business models and paradigms are becoming more important. This study investigated how individual differences, groupware-based creativity techniques, and ideas from others influenced the type of ideas that individuals generated. While individual differences were important (in that some individuals were inherently more likely to generate ideas that followed the existing problem paradigm while others were more likely to generate paradigm-modifying ideas that attempted to change the problem paradigm), the exposure to paradigm-modifying ideas from others and the use of intuitive groupware-based creativity techniques rather than analytical groupware-based creativity techniques were found to increase the number of paradigm-modifying ideas produced.
Investigating the Moderators of the Group Support Systems Use with Meta-Analysis. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2001)
Authors: Abstract:
    This paper presents a meta-analysis that investigates five moderators (task, tool, the type of group, the size of the group, and facilitation) and their influences on the overall effects of group support systems (GSS). Results show that process satisfaction is higher for idea-generation tasks than for decision-making tasks. The GSS tool (that is, the use of level 1 or level 2 GSS) influences decision quality. Level 1 tools support the exchange of information, whereas, level 2 tools are designed to aid in decision-making. Decision quality is higher when using level 2 tools, however, there is no difference in the number of ideas generated when using level 1 or level 2 tools. Decision quality is lower for virtual teams, but there is no difference in the number of ideas generated between virtual teams and face-to-face teams using GSS. Group size is an important moderator when measuring decision time and satisfaction with process. The former is shorter for larger groups, and the latter is higher for larger groups. Process facilitation leads to higher decision quality and higher satisfaction with the process. These results illustrate the importance of examining the moderators of GSS use and the viability of conducting a meta-analysis to investigate a large body of research with seemingly conflicting or equivocal results.
UNDERSTANDING FIT AND APPROPRIATION EFFECTS IN GROUP SUPPORT SYSTEMS VIA META-ANALYSIS. (MIS Quarterly, 2001)
Authors: Abstract:
    Many previous papers have lamented the fact that the findings of past group support systems (GSS) research have been inconsistent. This paper develops a new model for interpreting GSS effects on performance (a Fit-Appropriation Model), which argues that GSS performance is affected by two factors. The first is the fit between the task and the GSS structures selected for use (i. e., communication support and information processing support). The second is the appropriation support the group receives in the form of training, facilitation, and software restrictiveness to help them effectively incorporate the selected GSS structures into their meeting process. A meta-analysis using this model to organize and classify past research found that when used appropriately (i.e., there is a fit between the GSS structures and the task, and the group receives appropriation support), GSS use increased the number of ideas generated, took less time, and led to more satisfied participants than if the group worked without the GSS. Fitting the GSS to the task had the most impact on outcome effectiveness (decision quality and ideas), while appropriation support had the most impact on the process (time required and process satisfaction). The authors conclude that when using this theoretical lens, the results of GSS research do not appear inconsistent.
Stimulating Thinking: Cultivating Better Decisions with Groupware Through Categorization. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 2000)
Authors: Abstract:
    Previous research shows that groupware improves the exchange of information within groups. However, the additional information does not often lead to better group decisions, probably because individuals fail to process the new information they receive. This study explored the use of groupware processes that required individuals in groups to categorize information, in order to induce group members to better attend to the new information received from others and to integrate it into their own individual decision-making processes. Different groupware processes had different effects on attention to and integration of information, and ultimately on decision quality. Groupware processes that provided categories to organize information and groupware processes that required the receiver of information to categorize information increased attention to information and integration of information, which led to improved individual decision quality.
Research Note. Electronic Brainstorming: Illusions and Patterns of Productivity. (Information Systems Research, 1999)
Authors: Abstract:
    (Brainstorming; EBS; Idea Generation; Synergy; Nominal Group)
Business Process Modeling with Group Support Systems. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1999)
Authors: Abstract:
    Much process modeling research has focused on the development of new modeling languages, but very little research has examined the process by which model information is collected from subject-matter experts. The goal of this research was to develop and evaluate an alternative process to the traditional sequence of interviews or the increasingly common use of JAD (Joint Application Design) meetings run by professional facilitators/modelers. The authors began by selecting one commonly used modeling technique (IDEF0) and adapting its traditional modeling process to use an enabling technology of a group support system (GSS). They developed a special-purpose GSS tool to support the process and tested it through a series of eight field trials over a sixteen-month period. They then compared the new GSS-based technique with the traditional JAD technique in an additional series of eighteen field studies (nine JAD, nine GSS) over a two-year period. The results indicate that the GSS technique reduced the time required to build models by about 75 percent. Models built using GSS and the traditional JAD approach had similar numbers of syntax errors. Project managers perceived the GSS models to be as good as or better than the traditional JAD models in accurately defining the business process.
STRUCTURING TIME AND TASK IN ELECTRONIC BRAINSTORMING. (MIS Quarterly, 1999)
Authors: Abstract:
    There are many ways in which a group support system (GSS) can be used to support group brainstorming. This paper reports the results of an experiment that manipulated task structure and time structure. Groups electronically brainstormed on intact tasks (where all parts of the task were presented simultaneously) or on partitioned tasks (where three subcategories of the task were presented to the groups). The time periods in which groups worked were either one 30-minute time period or three 10-minute periods separated by two-minute breaks. Groups in the partitioned task treatment generated 40% more ideas, but there were no time effects. These differences are attributed to the ability of the partitioned task to refocus members' attention more evenly across the entire solution space.
Using Geographical Information Systems for Decision Making: Extending Cognitive Fit Theory to Map-Based Presentations. (Information Systems Research, 1998)
Authors: Abstract:
    As the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) by business becomes more common, we need to better understand when these systems are and are not useful. This research uses a laboratory experiment to extend cognitive fit theory (Vessey 1991) to geographic tasks performed using either map-based presentations or tabular presentations. The experiment found that decision makers using a map-based presentation made faster and more accurate decisions when working on a geographic task in which there were adjacency relationships among the geographic areas. Decision makers using a map-based presentation made faster but less accurate decisions when working on a geographic task in which there were no relationships among the geographic areas.
Testing Media Richness Theory in the New Media: The Effects of Cues, Feedback, and Task Equivocality. (Information Systems Research, 1998)
Authors: Abstract:
    Media richness theory argues that performance improves when team members use richer media for equivocal tasks. This experiment studied the effects of media richness on decision making in two-person teams using "new media" (i.e., computer-mediated and video communication). Media richness was varied based on multiplicity of cues and immediacy of feedback. Subjects perceived differences in richness due to both cues and feedback, but matching richness to task equivocality did not improve decision quality, decision time, consensus change, or communication satisfaction. Use of media providing fewer cues (i.e., computer mediated communication) led to slower decisions and more so for the less equivocal task. In short, the results found no support for the central proposition of media richness theory; matching media richness to task equivocality did not improve performance.
Research Report: The Effectiveness of Multiple Dialogues in Electronic Brainstorming. (Information Systems Research, 1997)
Authors: Abstract:
    Members of brainstorming groups often pursue the same set of ideas rather than considering a wide and diverse range of ideas, which may reduce the number of ideas they produce. One way to reduce this cognitive inertia may be to encourage groups to engage in several simultaneous discussions or dialogues. This experiment, which studied groups brainstorming electronically, found that groups generated more ideas, more high-quality ideas, and more novel ideas when using multiple dialogues than when using single dialogues.
Group Support Systems for Strategic Planning. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1997)
Authors: Abstract:
    Strategic planning is typically performed by groups of managers. Group support systems (GSS), an information technology designed to improve group work, may therefore have useful application to strategic planning. In this paper, the application of GSS is examined with respect to four dimensions: process support, process structure, task support, and task structure. A GSS may assist the communication aspects of group meetings by providing process support to improve interaction among participants and process structure to direct the pattern or content of the discussion. GSS may also provide task structure, such as structured analysis and modeling techniques, and task support, such as access to important task information. This paper reports on the use of a GSS in the strategic planning processes of thirty organizations. The ability of the GSS to provide process support was found to be the most important contributor to strategic planning success, with task structure and process structure secondary. Task support contributed little. Those organizations that made greater use of electronic communication, structured problem analysis techniques, and structured meeting processes reported greater success.
Information Exchange and Use in GSS and Verbal Group Decision Making: Effects of Minority Influence. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1997)
Authors: Abstract:
    This study investigated the effects of GSS use on the exchange and use of information with and without a majority/minority split of opinion in the group. When there was a distinct majority/minority, groups exchanged more information, made better decisions, and took no more time when they used a GSS than when they did not use a GSS. In this case, the GSS enabled the minority to overcome the group's inertia toward the majority preference. In the uniform treatment where there was no majority preference, groups exchanged more information but made worse decisions and took more time when they used a GSS than when they did not. The primary cause for the poor performance when using the GSS was that group members did not process and use information received during discussion.
Process Structuring in Electronic Brainstorming. (Information Systems Research, 1996)
Authors: Abstract:
    One aspect of brainstorming that has received little research attention is how the brainstorming problem should be presented to the group, whether as one all-encompassing question or as a series of separate questions each focusing on one aspect of the problem. This paper reports the results of two experiments in which subjects (MBAs in the first, senior executives in the second) electronically brainstormed on intact problems (where all parts of the problem were presented simultaneously) or on decomposed problems (where three subcategories of the problem were sequentially posed to the groups). In both experiments, groups using the decomposed process generated 60% more ideas. We attribute these differences to the ability of time constraints to increase the rate of idea generation, and the ability of problem decomposition to refocus members' attention more evenly across the entire problem.
Information Exchange and Use in Group Decision Making: You Can Lead a Group to Information, but You Can't Make It Think. (MIS Quarterly, 1996)
Authors: Abstract:
    Organizations often build groups with members from different areas so that a wider range of information and opinions can be considered. When members of such groups share the information they have, the group as a whole can access a larger pool of information than any one member acting alone, potentially enabling them to make better decisions. This experiment studied groups working on a hidden profile task in which each participant received different (but not conflicting) information about the task, which they needed to combine to identify the optimal decision. Verbally interacting groups exchanged only a small portion of the available in formation and made poor decisions as a result. Groups interacting using a GSS exchanged about 50% more information, providing sufficient information to enable all groups to identify the optimal decision. However, GSS groups did not accurately process this information -- only one GSS group chose the optimal decision. Possible explanations for this lack of information processing are that participants were unable to integrate into their existing base of information the information received during discussions, that the way in which the GSS was used impeded information processing, that the anonymity and delayed feedback in the GSS reduced the credibility of new in formation so that participants chose not to process it, or that information in the GSS was less salient than verbally contributed information.
A Mathematical Model of Performance of Computer-Mediated Groups during Idea Generation. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1994)
Authors: Abstract:
    As the use of computer-mediated systems for group work grows, the need for a better understanding of the impact of such systems becomes more important. Studies of non-computer-mediated group work have long been guided by mathematical models of group interaction and performance, but recent research suggests that these models do not fit the unique capabilities of computer-mediated systems. This article builds on Previous group research to create a mathematical model of computer-mediated group performance which is then tested using data from two prior studies. This testing enabled us to conclude that models of computer-mediated groups run counter to the many guiding models of non-computer-mediated groups. We therefore discuss the implications of these differences in relation to users of this technology and to future developmental and empirical research.
Methodology-Driven Use of Automated Support in Business Process Re-Engineering. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1993)
Authors: Abstract:
    This article describes a three-month pilot project to model and re-engineer an internal business unit of a major multinational firm using Enterprise Analyzer, a methodology and supporting group software tool for modeling and analyzing business processes. The methodology combines collaborative model building with creative problem reframing to enable multilevel, cross-functional business teams to quickly examine and redesign business processes. The tools developed for this project extend the capabilities of existing electronic meeting system technology to help groups build complex representations of their organization. The results of this pilot project suggest that the methodology and supporting tools can be effectively applied to re-engineer business processes, but also suggest the need for better ways to help groups accept innovative ideas. Many innovative ideas were generated, but few made it past the participants' evaluation and into the project's final recommendations.
The Application of Electronic Meeting Technology to Support Strategic Management. (MIS Quarterly, 1992)
Authors: Abstract:
    Strategic management is often performed by groups of managers. By improving the communication process of such groups, strategic management might be enhanced. This paper investigates the application of electronic meeting systems (EMS) technology to support strategic management. Eight cases involving five organizations using an EMS facility are examined to: (1) determine how organizational groups use EMS for strategic management, (2) assess the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the EMS approach to strategic management, and (3) assess the capability of an EMS to address a variety of group process and communication issues in an organizational context. The findings indicate that EMS technology can address a number of the theoretical and practical concerns associated with strategic management meetings involving large heterogeneous groups of managers. Implications for the design of EMS to support strategic management are discussed, and opportunities for future research are identified.
Supporting the Search for Competitive Advantage. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1991)
Authors: Abstract:
    Managers are beginning to realize that the search for opportunities to create competitive advantage should be included as one part of the overall strategic planning process. Since the search for competitive advantage is often undertaken by large groups of managers drawn from many departments and organizational levels within the firm, recent developments in information technology to support group work may be useful. In this paper, we examine the ability of this technology to support the search for competitive advantage. Building on prior research on competitive advantage and group processes, we propose a three-stage process to guide the search for competitive advantage, describe an information system to support this process, and examine the experiences of five groups from three firms that have used this system to support this process. In general, the experiences of these groups suggest that this technology can be useful in supporting the search for competitive advantage.
A Comparison of Laboratory and Field Research in the Study of Electronic Meeting Systems. (Journal of Management Information Systems, 1990)
Authors: Abstract:
    Research into the use of Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS) has rapidly increased over the past few years. However, EMS laboratory experiments have often drawn very different conclusions about the effects of EMS use than have EMS field studies--conclusions that at first appear inconsistent. By examining the differences in the design of prior EMS studies, we attempt to better understand the factors that affect the use of EMS technology. It is our contention that these differences in findings are not inconsistent, but rather they reflect different situations that researchers have studied. We identify 24 potentially important differences in organizational contexts, group characteristics, tasks, and EMS environments. In planning future research, EMS researchers need to make explicit design decisions for each of these aspects, and to consider how those choices may affect research results. An analysis of these differences suggests several approaches to enhance the design of future laboratory experiments and field studies.
Information Technology to Support Electronic Meetings. (MIS Quarterly, 1988)
Authors: Abstract:
    As managers spend more of their time in meetings, the study of information technology to support meetings becomes increasingly important. Several unique systems to support meetings electronically have been developed in industry and universities. The PLEXSYS systems at the University of Arizona have been operational since 1985 and are now being implemented in industrial sites. This article proposes and defines a new term for information technology systems that support group meetings: electronic meeting systems (EMS). EMS are more than group decision support systems (GDSS): they support more tasks than just decision making; they focus on communication. They move beyond the GDSS decision room, where groups must meet at the same time in the same place, to meetings that can be conducted across time and space. The article then presents a model of the EMS concept, which has three components: group process and outcomes; methods; and environment. Each of these components is explained in turn, and the implications derived from their study to date are discussed. Finally, the implementation of information technology for meeting support and its use in corporate settings will be addressed, as it has implications for productivity, meeting size, group member participation, and the role of the IS department.