Updating Ethnography to Investigate Contemporary Organizational Forms

2011 ◽  
pp. 133-149
Author(s):  
Julie Rennecker
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Organizational Configurations ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams

The emergence of innovative organizational configurations enabled by recent advances in information and communication technology represent new and expanding venues for information systems research. At the same time, the distributed, dynamic nature of these new work forms challenge the premises and practices of traditional information systems research approaches. In this chapter, I advocate ethnography as a somewhat counterintuitive but valuable approach to the study of virtual work groups or, more specifically, virtual project teams. While the speed, fluidity, and physical distribution of virtual project teams pose unique challenges to ethnographic inquiry, it is these very characteristics that beg for the in situ scrutiny that only ethnography can provide. The mission of this chapter is three-fold: I intend to contribute to prior efforts to demystify ethnographic research generally, to illustrate its applicability to emerging venues of IS research, and to advocate for more ethnographic studies of virtual project teams as an essential step in understanding the socio-technical infrastructure needed to support them. Topics covered include the rationale for adopting an ethnographic approach to the study of virtual project groups, modifications to traditional practice, and the challenges, risks, and benefits one can expect to meet along the way. In addition, the chapter discusses different models for conducting multi-site studies and their advantages and limitations with respect to studying virtual project teams.

Systems Development by Virtual Project Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 447-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Croasdell ◽  
Andrea Fox ◽  
Suprateek Sarker
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams

Business organizations and global partners are increasing their utilization of virtual project teams to enhance competitive advantages in the global market. More than ever, organizations are using virtual teamwork to bridge time zones and geographic distances. The use of virtual work environments has spurred interest in understanding how team members interact and collaborate over the life of a project. Not surprisingly, organizations are trying to understand what factors are determinants of success with respect to virtual teams. Increasing network bandwidth, continuously improving communication technologies, shifting global economies, and changes in social practices have caused business managers to reconsider traditional practices. This paper provides a comparative case study of four cross-cultural virtual project teams as they analyze, design, and develop information systems.

scholarly journals Bringing compassion into information systems research: A research agenda and call to action

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roopa Raman ◽  
Laura McClelland
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Future Information

In this article, we assert that compassion-driven approaches are the sustainable way for information and communication technologies to contribute to economic value. We urge future information systems research to emphasize, with equal vigor, the joint goals of compassion and financial gains from information and communication technologies. We present a broad agenda for future information systems research based on this premise. We also discuss how certain core assumptions underlying traditional information systems research—so far, driven primarily by economic value as outcome—would need to change in order to support this new agenda emphasizing compassion and economic value as complementary and synergistic outcomes. We provide a brief concrete illustration of this proposed agenda, and its underlying revised assumptions, by drawing on the example of a prominent field of study in information systems research, namely health information systems research.

scholarly journals Artificial Intelligence Value Alignment Principles: The State of Art Review from Information Systems Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengnan Han ◽  
◽  
Shahrokh Nikou ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Human Values ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Information And Communication

t Information and communication technologies (ICTs) must be designed and used for humane ends. The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has raised the critical question of whether we can ensure AI's alignment with human values to guide its design and use. We perform a selective literature review with the specific search terms of the papers published in the top information systems (basket of 8 journals and 5 AIjournals in IS) from 2000-2020 to answer this question. The findings indicate that IS research has contributed insufficiently to a deeper understanding of human values and AI value alignment principles. Moreover, the mainstream IS research on AI is mostly dominated from its technical and managerial aspects. Thus, the future research agendas are proposed accordingly. The paper provides some food for thoughts in studying human values and AI alignment within the context of IS research.

Open plan offices – the response to leadership challenges of virtual project work?

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella De Paoli ◽  
Arja Ropo
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Virtual Project ◽  
Virtual Project Teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore hybrid work spaces, combining open-plan, team-based offices with virtual work and leadership, in relation to the main leadership and team challenges virtual project environments encounter. Design/methodology/approach – In a review of virtual team literature, virtuality is defined and its main challenges to project leadership are identified. Based on the literature, several semi-structured interviews with project team managers within telecom and IT-consultancy were conducted. Using an exploratory approach, the authors introduce some new leadership concepts and functional benefits of open-plan offices important for virtual project environments. Findings – The findings suggest that project managers encounter several new kinds of challenges while leading virtual projects. Co-location of the project team during certain stages in open-plan, team-based offices may meet some of these challenges. The authors claim that spatial arrangements and their embodied subjective experiences make an impact on the effectiveness of virtual project teams. Research limitations/implications – This paper develops new conceptual thinking of how office facilities may contribute to productive virtual project teams. Further empirical studies in other settings are needed to generate generalizable findings. Practical implications – The paper discusses and provides arguments for real estate and facility managers, as well as project and team leaders, for the importance of open-plan offices for virtual project teams. Originality/value – The paper combines and benefits from different discussions on workspaces, virtual team and leadership. Furthermore, the paper introduces the notion of spatial leadership beyond the mainstream leader-centric approach to point out the importance of physical workspace of virtual teams and how the workspaces can perform leadership functions.

A Bridge Too Far?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte P. Lee ◽  
Kjeld Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cooperative Work ◽  
Computer Supported Cooperative Work ◽  
Practical Action ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Infrastructures ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Critical Investigation

The study of computing infrastructures has grown significantly due to the rapid proliferation and ubiquity of large-scale IT-based installations. At the same time, recognition has also grown of the usefulness of such studies as a means for understanding computing infrastructures as material complements of practical action. Subsequently the concept of “infrastructure” (or “information infrastructures,” “cyberinfrastructures,” and “infrastructuring”) has gained increasing importance in the area of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) as well as in neighboring areas such as Information Systems research (IS) and Science and Technology Studies (STS). However, as such studies have unfolded, the very concept of “infrastructure” is being applied in different discourses, for different purposes, in myriad different senses. Consequently, the concept of “infrastructure” has become increasingly muddled and needs clarification. The chapter presents a critical investigation of the vicissitudes of the concept of “infrastructure” over the last 35 years.

Information systems research at George Mason University

1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-74
Author(s):  
Sushil Jajodia ◽  
Daniel Barbará ◽  
Alex Brodsky ◽  
Larry Kerschberg ◽  
Ami Motro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
George Mason University
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document