Kent A. Walstrom

Forums for MIS scholars

W here should I publish my scholarly research? is a question often heard in academic circles. On the surface this appears to be a trivial question. However, when one considers the vast number of journals available, the pressure on faculty to publish, and the impact of publishing on promotion and tenure, the question no longer seems trivial. As early as 1983, Hamilton and Ives [6] noted that the abundance of journals and long publication lead times made it important to identify journal quality so researchers know where to submit their work. Many parties other than MIS faculty have an interest in the quality ratings of MIS publication outlets: (1) selection, promotion, and tenure committees seeking to secure and retain the best faculty [3, 7]; (2) journal editors and associates seeking to raise the quality of their journals [12]; (3) students of the discipline seeking to gain an understanding of the field [6, 11]; (4) members of the MIS field as it continues to mature as a discipline [6, 11]; and (5) librarians seeking to invest wisely their ever-decreasing funds [12]. Overall, the determination of journal quality helps to further the MIS discipline. Several studies have evaluated the quality of MIS publication outlets. However, as Gillenson and Stutz [5] note: “earlier studies addressed the issue of MIS journals in a variety of ways, no two quite the same.” An assortment of methods has been used to assess journal quality. Some have used a numeric scale to assign ratings to various journals [5, 6, 12]. Others have asked respondents to rank the journals in some fashion [3, 7]. Most of the studies asked a crosssection of MIS faculty to evaluate the journals [3, 6, 7, 12]; although at least one polled specific members of the MIS faculty such as department chairs or senior faculty [5]. The only thing these studies have in common is that they all attempt to do the same thing—identify the quality of journals. The study described in this article is a follow-up and update to the 1991 study by Walstrom et al. [12], using the same population and data collection instrument; thus allowing a direct comparison to be made between the findings in this study and those of the 1991 study. MIS faculty in the U.S. and Canada were asked to rate 53 journals according to their appropriateness as publication outlets and 11 conferences according to their value to the MIS field. Over 350 responses were received—by far the largest sample for this type of

Citation classics from the information systems literature

Abstract An analysis of 118,364 references from 3752 articles published in top IS journals during the 10 years from 1986 to 1995 is presented. Ninety-one ‘citation classics’ were identified by combining the results of this analysis with previous findings. Within this group of 91 publications, 13 ‘super classic’ publications were identified. These classics and super classics can be categorized along any of several dimensions to gain a better understanding of the IS field. These findings can be used, among other things, for developing reading lists and identifying the characteristics that make a publication ‘classic’.

Forums for information systems scholars: III

Abstract Three hundred and sixty-four information systems faculty responded to a questionnaire rating 51 journals and 13 conferences associated with the information systems field. In addition to rating the value of the outlets, faculty were asked to state whether a journal was published primarily to disseminate information systems research or not. Relative rankings for each journal and conference were determined. As the third in a series of studies, comparisons were made between these findings and those of previous ones. The overall stability in the rankings of journals and conferences was also identified. A few journals and conferences were rated and ranked for the first time. Furthermore, a significant increase in the ratings of “pure” information systems journals was noted.

An examination of executive information system (EIS) users

Abstract Previous literature in the executive information systems (EIS) area has proposed the existence of four functional types of EIS. Starting with these, the purpose of this study was to modify or develop an EIS user taxonomy by querying 98 of the Corporate 1000 CEOs on the ways in which they used their EIS. These were then grouped and compared with the proposed EIS functions. The findings indicated three EIS user types whom we have termed: (1) ‘converts,’ (2) ‘pacesetters,’ and (3) ‘analyzers.’ Further investigation revealed three dimensions underlying these types: (1) organizational monitoring; (2) information access; and (3) organizational understanding.

Impacting Student Perceptions about Careers in Information Systems

A shortage of graduates prepared to fill the available jobs in Information Systems remains. Previous studies have verified the shortage and attempted to explain why students do not major in Information Technology related fields. Since prior studies identified lack of awareness regarding the discipline as a major reason in ignoring the major, the purpose of this study is to determine if reading an article about the work of a requirements analyst would positively impact the perceptions of student respondents about careers in Information Systems. It was found that perceptions about careers in Information Systems related fields can be improved by exposing students to the work-life activities of Information Systems professionals. Using a pretest/posttest experimental design, perceptions regarding careers in IS were collected before and after students read Karl Wiegers’ article “So You Want to be a Requirements Analyst?” Posttest findings indicate statistically significant positive changes in participant’s perceptions about careers in Information Systems related fields, especially related to Systems Analysts roles.

GAINING USER ACCEPTANCE OF AN EIS

A survey of representative CEOs suggests that senior executives do not completely agree with the design principles proposed by professional EIS developers. By tailoring aspects of the development and presentation of an EIS to meet these user perceptions, IS managers and developers increase the chances of user acceptance and a successful EIS implementation.

Implications Regarding Computer Technology Attitudes of New Employees

Abstract Employee attitudes toward computer technology change over time. As computer technology becomes increasingly more prevalent throughout society and throughout the educational process, appreciative and critical attitudes toward the technology change. Understanding these attitudes can help organizations develop appropriate strategies to improve organizational effectiveness. Entry-level employees often present the greatest challenge for assimilation into the organization. Because todays student becomes tomorrows entry-level employee, an examination of todays students to determine the appreciative and critical attitudes of future employees can prove beneficial in making modifications to organizational policies and procedures.

An Initial Examination into the Associative Nature of Systems Concepts

Systems thinking is the application of general system theory to problem solving. The concepts of general system theory are foundational in the field of Information Systems, especially information systems analysis and design. It has been stated that the principles underlying systems thinking are extremely intuitive Senge, 1990. This study examined the intuitive nature of basic system theory constructs. Some system theory constructs are more intuitive than others. The constructs of Input and Output were found to be more intuitive than the constructs of Relationship and Boundary. The constructs of Component and Interface were not intuitive. In an introductory exposure to systems constructs, respondents were able to identify, on average, 2.5 out of 6 constructs correctly.