The Development of the Perceived Distinctiveness Antecedent of Information Systems Professional Identity

This study explored the professional identity of information systems (IS) workers and explicated the set of salient characteristics that comprise the perceived distinctiveness of the IS profession. We developed a more complete picture of IS workers’ perceived distinctiveness, including its composition and outcomes. The perceived distinctiveness of the IS profession, in turn, contributes to individuals’ professional identity. We employed a mixed methods design (qualitative and quantitative) to leverage the strengths of each method. In Study 1, we analyzed transcripts of focus group interviews, using a robust qualitative method—revealed causal mapping. Utilizing the midrange theory that emerged from Study 1, we further explicated and empirically tested it with a quantitative field survey in Study 2. The meta-inference from these relationships can be stated as follows: The occurrence of change within the profession, the facets of knowledge needed, and the continuous refinement and adaptation of the knowledge base within a mentally demanding work context are what make the IS profession distinctive from other professions. Specifically, our findings indicate that the extent of change; the need for continuous learning; the use of creativity and logic to solve problems; the breadth of knowledge, skills, and abilities required; and the level of technology and business integration, time pressure, and stress compose the perceived distinctiveness of the IS professional. Future research might use our findings to incorporate elements of the IS profession into IS-specific theories.

Hunch Mining

Intuition and hunches are important tools for experts who make time-critical highly complex decisions in turbulent environments. However, hunches are also elusive and exist below the surface when not being used for immediate decision making. These latent hunches are valuable and can lead to creative solutions outside of a crisis. This paper uses a demonstration experiment to show how hunches can be “mined” using revealed causal mapping techniques. Fifty chief information officers and 88 programmer/analysts were interviewed during a very turbulent time in their organizations. The hunch mining results indicate that hunches can be found throughout experts' communications and can serve as valuable insights into strategic and tactical decision making. This research serves as the first manual step in developing natural language processing artificial intelligence tools for automated hunch mining in expert communications.

Social media use by first-generation college students and two forms of social capital: a revealed causal mapping approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine social media use and its impacts on first generation students by answering the two questions: how do FGS use social media on college campuses, compared to their peers? How does the use of social media affect their academic experiences?Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study adopted social capital theory as a sensitizing framework for understanding the social media (SM) use and the resources valued by first-generation students (FGS) and used a revealed causal mapping method to analyze the narratives of 96 informants to identify key constructs and linkages on SM use and perceived outcomes.FindingsThe revealed causal mapping (RCM) analysis revealed nine key constructs that shaped the SM use and academic experience of FGS and their peers. The linkages among the nine constructs: three types of social capital (bridging, family bonding and friend bonding), three types of SM use (social, cognitive and hedonic) and three outcomes (academic support, emotional support and distraction to work) were different between FGS and their peers. Among FGS, SM use and perceptions differed by gender.Originality/valueLeveraging social media is critical for universities to enhance FGS persistence, yet knowledge remains limited. This study showed FGS differed from their counterparts in the SM use and perceptions. Among FGS, the SM use and perceptions differed by gender. The research contributions are: (1) SM technology can empower FGS by building social capital, impacting their academic experiences and psychological well-being and (2) the intersection of gender and student generation status is worth investigation. This paper enriches FGS research by proposing a model of SM use and social capital.

Disruptive-Technology Avoidance in Healthcare

Disruptive innovation has transformed business activities as well as individuals throughout a variety of industries. In healthcare, the implementation of electronic health records (EHR) innovation has changed the way healthcare organizations handle patient records. Despite the potential benefits EHR can bring to healthcare organizations, there is evidence to show that healthcare providers are avoiding EHR innovations. Little research in information system mainstream research has addressed this phenomenon. To understand EHR avoidance, a mid-range theory is evoked from this textual analysis of responses gathered from healthcare providers at a large international hospital. The data was analyzed by applying a revealed causal mapping technique (RCM). Results of the study revealed not only the key constructs surrounding EHR avoidance, but also the underlying concepts that are shaping each of these constructs. This study demonstrated that the use of the RCM methodology yielded concepts and constructs of EHR avoidance that are not suggested by generalized theory, and revealed main interactions and linkages between these constructs.

Building the IT Workforce of the Future

The software development process has undergone a considerable amount of change from the early days of spaghetti code to the present state of the art of development using strategic patterns. This has caused not only changes in the toolkits that developers use, but also a change in their mindset—the way that they approach and think about software development. This study uses revealed causal mapping techniques to examine the change in mindset that occurs across the procedural to OO development transition, and lays the foundation for future studies of the OO/ pattern cognitive transition. The results indicate that there is not only increasing complexity in the cognitive maps of the OO developers, but also that there is a need for the developer to shift from routine, assembly line coding to more abstract thought processes.

Building the IT Workforce of the Future

The software development process has undergone a considerable amount of change from the early days of spaghetti code to the present state of the art of development using strategic patterns. This has caused not only changes in the toolkits that developers use, but also a change in their mindset—the way that they approach and think about software development. This study uses revealed causal mapping techniques to examine the change in mindset that occurs across the procedural to OO development transition, and lays the foundation for future studies of the OO/ pattern cognitive transition. The results indicate that there is not only increasing complexity in the cognitive maps of the OO developers, but also that there is a need for the developer to shift from routine, assembly line coding to more abstract thought processes.

Identifying the Enablers and Barriers of IT Personnel Transition

This chapter presents the initial findings from a National Science Foundation-supported study of IT personnel transition. We used the revealed causal mapping method (Narayanan & Fahey, 1990) to elicit barriers, enablers, and examples of IT personnel transition. The chapter reveals new knowledge and insight into factors that enable and prevent IT personnel transition as organizations evolve. The data is presented in the form of interpretation of revealed causal maps from 84 respondents. The results are the first steps toward developing a theory of IT personnel transition that is distinct from general transition theories.

Building the IT Workforce of the Future

The software development process has undergone a considerable amount of change from the early days of spaghetti code to the present state of the art of development using strategic patterns. This has caused not only changes in the toolkits that developers use, but also a change in their mindset—the way that they approach and think about software development. This study uses revealed causal mapping techniques to examine the change in mindset that occurs across the procedural to OO development transition, and lays the foundation for future studies of the OO/ pattern cognitive transition. The results indicate that there is not only increasing complexity in the cognitive maps of the OO developers, but also that there is a need for the developer to shift from routine, assembly line coding to more abstract thought processes.