James F. Courtney

Past, present, and future of decision support technology

Since the early 1970s, decision support systems (DSS) technology and applications have evolved significantly. Many technological and organizational developments have exerted an impact on this evolution. DSS once utilized more limited database, modeling, and user interface functionality, but technological innovations have enabled far more powerful DSS functionality. DSS once supported individual decision-makers, but later DSS technologies were applied to workgroups or teams, especially virtual teams. The advent of the Web has enabled inter-organizational decision support systems, and has given rise to numerous new applications of existing technology as well as many new decision support technologies themselves. It seems likely that mobile tools, mobile e-services, and wireless Internet protocols will mark the next major set of developments in DSS. This paper discusses the evolution of DSS technologies and issues related to DSS definition, application, and impact. It then presents four powerful decision support tools, including data warehouses, OLAP, data mining, and Web-based DSS. Issues in the field of collaborative support systems and virtual teams are presented. This paper also describes the state of the art of optimization-based decision support and active decision support for the next millennium. Finally, some implications for the future of the field are discussed.

Decision making and knowledge management in inquiring organizations: toward a new decision-making paradigm for DSS

Abstract Organizational decisions of the future may include social, environmental, and economic concerns, and be much more “wicked” [Policy Sciences, 4 (1973) 155], complex and interconnected than those of the past. Organizations and their decision support systems must embrace procedures that can deal with this complexity and go beyond the technical orientation of previous DSS. Singerian inquiring organizations [Australian Journal of Information Systems, 6 (1) (1998) 3; http://www.cba.uh.edu/~parks/fis/fis.htm (1998); Proceedings of 3rd Americas Conference on Information Systems, Indianapolis, August 1997, p. 293; Proceedings of the 1999 Meeting of the Americas Conference on Information Systems, Milwaukee, August 1999; Special Issue of Information Systems Frontiers on Philosophical Reasoning in Information Systems Research (in press)], based on Churchmans [The Design of Inquiring Systems: Basic Concepts of Systems and Organization, Basic Books, New York, NY, 1971] inquiring systems and Mitroff and Linstones [The Unbounded Mind: Breaking the Chains of Traditional Business Thinking, Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1993] unbounded systems thinking (UST), are designed to deal with wicked decision situations. This paper discusses DSS and knowledge management in Singerian organizations and calls for a new decision-making paradigm for DSS.

Data exchange in interorganizational relationships: review through multiple conceptual lenses

This paper explores the theoretical underpinning of data exchange research, specifically Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), over the period from 1993 to 2002. It identifies the underlying research paradigms applied to examination of data exchange, and determines conceptual and theoretical gaps in previous research on data exchange in interorganizational relationships (IORs). Sixty-eight articles are analyzed. Results suggest a predominant concern with the outcomes realized with EDI adoption and use. There appears to be a shift in emphasis from dyadic relationships to networks. As a majority of the studies are of the survey nature using single cross-sectional snapshots, the emphasis appears to be on short-term outcomes of EDI-enabled relationships. Implications of the findings are discussed.

A survey of knowledge acquisition techniques and their relevance to managerial problem domains

Abstract A conceptual contingency model matching the characteristics of knowledge acquisition (KA) methodologies to several decision types is proposed. KA methodologies are divided into three categories: knowledge engineer-driven, expert-driven, and machine-driven. To evaluate current KA methodologies, a framework is proposed by addressing the nature of knowledge and problem domains. Different methodologies in each category are described and evaluated for their ability to support various kinds of problem domain and the types of knowledge they are designed to elicit. A contingency model mapping these methodologies to Mintzbergs managerial decision categories is developed. Implications of the proposed model and future research directions are addressed.

Paper versus Electronic: Challenges Associated with Physicians - Usage of Electronic Medical Records

This study builds on the theory of planned behavior, institutional and diffusion theories to investigate physicians? attitudes and usage behaviors of electronic medical records (EMR). Interviews with seventeen physician-residents enrolled in a Family Practice residency program and eight attending physicians in the same clinic showed that most physicians held rather negative attitudes regarding the EMR system. EMR was often times seen as an intrusion in the patient-physician interaction. Other findings relate to the impacts EMR had on physicians? time, expertise, physicians? learning, the length (and sometimes the accuracy) of the clinical notes. Challenges associated with behavioral control issues such as availability of computers and the physical positioning of computers are shown to be very important in the context of this case. Physician-residents have to use EMR because of its mandatory nature, however, if they had a choice or the power, the majority of physicians would use the paper chart.

Achieving relevance in IS research via the DAGS framework

IS research should be both theoretically based and relevant to practice. We challenge the information systems community to develop and utilize new research methods and paradigms that help us improve not only IS theories, but also the contribution of IS research to business practice. To accomplish this dual goal of contributing to both theory and practice, which can at least in part be realized by more emphasis on the use of engineering and architecture as reference disciplines, we propose a new framework, the DAGS framework, which advocates the use of design science (D), action research (A), grounded theory (G), and systems development (S) in combination - a multi-methodological approach - as research methodologies.

Studies in managerial problem formulation systems

Abstract A series of projects to develop decision support systems for managerial problem formulation is described. Problem-solving theory from cognitive psychology is integrated with problem structuring techniques (cognitive mapping and structural modeling) to provide the theoretical foundation for the work. The first project involved the development and testing of graphics software to support problem formulation. Subsequent studies examined the use of this software in group decision-making, and extended the system to include a problem diagnosis module, statistical routines to test relationships before they were stored in the systems knowledge base, an advisory module, and a discovery module which searches the database for relationships as yet untested by users. Current work includes the addition of a dialectical module and extension of the system to support an organizational perspective on the management of causal knowledge.

Agent-based analysis and simulation of the consumer airline market share for Frontier Airlines

The complex and interconnected world in which organizations operate presents many challenges to the traditional neo-classical view of research and management and associated research techniques. Fundamental to the operation of financial capital markets, investor confidence relies on accurate investment analyst earnings forecasts. We propose agent-based modeling (ABM) as a viable tool to account for the interaction of local and environmental factors to determine organizational success. In an illustrative case study of Frontier Airlines, we develop and execute an ABM of Frontiers consumer airline market to derive market share for the upcoming year. In the model, Frontier is impacted by internal policies, competitors, and environmental factors of fuel costs, federal regulation, and credit availability. We conclude with a discussion on how ABM can be effectively incorporated into future research activities and decision-making situations.

An Assessment of the Singerian Inquiring Organizational Model: Cases from Academia and the Utility Industry

The Singerian model of inquiring organizations is reviewed (Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems, Phoenix, Arizona Aug. 16–18,1996:443–445; Australian Journal of Information Systems, 1998;6(1):3–15, reprinted in Foundations of Information Systems: Towards a Philosophy of Informative Technology, http://www.cba.uh.edu/~parks/fis/fisart.htm.) and two cases of organizations representing the Singerian approach are analyzed. The Singerian organization, based on Churchmans (The Design of Inquiring Systems: Basic Concepts of Systems and Organizations, New York, NY: Basic Books Inc., 1971.) Singerian inquiring system, has ethical purposes, treats employees, customers and other stakeholders with trust and respect, and pursues socially responsible goals, including a respect for the environment. Decision making in Singerian organizations is holistic and systemic, and includes diverse stakeholders, thus requiring an open, cooperative culture, wherein debate is encouraged. Authority is diffuse. Measurement is fundamental. A system of measures is continuously monitored, refined, compared and revised to assess progress. Cooperation and communication are supported with various types of groupware, including e-mail, electronic meeting systems, group support systems, negotiation support systems, discussion forums, knowledge bases, knowledge management systems and the like. The Internet and World Wide Web may serve as resource and dissemination agents for “exoteric” knowledge created by the organization. Two organizations, an Energy Service Company and an academic Center for the Management of Information Systems, are analyzed for their conformance to and success with the Singerian approach. The organizations tended to prosper when the model was followed, but ran into difficulties when it was not.

Organizational learning systems

A description is given of the requirements for a computer-based system to support organizational learning. Cognitive mapping is suggested as the means for representing action-response beliefs. A distributed system supporting both individual maps and a collective map is described.<<ETX>>