Michael Gendron

Teaching Data Communications and Networking to School of Business Undergraduates: A Pedagogical Framework for Juxtaposing Theory and Practice

This article proposes a pedagogical framework for teaching an introductory data communications and networking (DCN) course to Management Information Systems (MIS) undergraduate majors within a school of business. Building on the material provided in commonly used DCN undergraduate textbooks, the course introduces students to both theoretical and applied knowledge necessary to solve business and DCN techno logy problems. Since it is taught in a business school, the course encompasses students’ previous business course work, and has a strong business case orientation. All MIS majors at the senior level are required to take it.

Biofeedback: Using the power of the mind–body connection, technology, and business in psychotherapies of the future.

This article examines biofeedback within the context of American health care, mind–body practice, clinical psychology, technology, and business. American medicine is shifting its emphasis from disease management to health promotion, prevention, and integrative symptom management. This biopsychosocial approach requires the use of clinically and cost-effective behavioral health interventions. Biofeedback is an ideal tool because it harnesses the mind–body connection to help patients improve disease conditions and even achieve optimal health. With its capability to teach self-regulation, to treat a variety of chronic disease conditions, to blend the technical and the humanistic, coupled with its budding research profile, biofeedback can offer clinically and cost-effective, interventions that fit nicely into the primary care delivery system. The push of the American Psychological Association for psychologists to practice in primary care settings along with the extensive training in lifestyle interventions that clinical health psychologists undergo makes them uniquely qualified to integrate biofeedback into clinical health practice. If psychologists routinely included biofeedback in their psychotherapy practices and honed their entrepreneurial skills to market it, they could create a mind–body intervention that increases the demand for behavioral care. Thus, biofeedback offers an opportunity to invigorate American psychotherapy, as the American health care system will benefit from effective holistic mind–body practices.

Best Practices for Culturally Sensitive Data Visualizations

Organizations are undergoing significant changes in their business environment. Competing on a global scale means that organizations must better understand cultural issues of their customers, employees, and key stakeholders. As business analytics grows in importance, managers are sharing data visualizations to a variety of different cultures and beliefs. When creating culturally sensitive data visualizations, a set of best practices is required to assist managers to make timely and accurate decisions with the least possible cultural bias. This article aims to develop these best practices by analyzing cultural traits, communication habits, and other differences between the western and eastern global regions.

Effective Strategic Alignment of IT: Implications for the CIO as a Member of the C-Suite

There is a growing focus on the need to ensure that the information technology (IT) provision within the organization is aligned with business strategy in order to create value. This has come about partly as a result of evidence that IT does not automatically contribute to the generation of value within organizations and may in fact offer little return on investment or pose a risk. As Chief Information Officers migrate to new positions where they have greater involvement with strategic organizational development and where they are more in the glare of the governance spotlight, they will need to use a broad range of business and technology frameworks and tools. This paper explores this situation and identifies a number of practical tools that can be used by leaders of all parts of an organization as they strive to produce positive and holistic strategic alignment of information technology. We consider the role that various business and IT derived approaches and tools can play in supporting stronger moves towards the strategic alignment of IT with the broader business, and a shared understanding among C-Suite executives.

Data Communications and Networking in IS Curriculum: Framework for the Class Project

Both practitioners and academics have recognized the importance of Data Communications and Networking (DCN) in undergraduate and graduate Information Systems education. This is confirmed, in particular, by the content of IS’97 and MSIS 2000 model curricula for degree programs in Information Systems (note IS’97.6 and MSIS2000.3). Experience shows that one of the most effective ways to teach Information Systems concepts is via the juxtaposition of theory and practice in the setting of a group class project. Yet, in contrast to other IS courses, there appears to be no established way to conduct the class project in a DCN course, particularly in relation to the methods of logical and physical network design, and cost/benefit evaluation of network implementation. Our research addresses this shortcoming through an attempt to synthesize the experience of IS programs, and through an effort to take that experience a step forward.