Living Systems, Complexity & Information Systems Science

The paper examines some of the significant new developments in the epistemological framing of systems theory, and their application within the information and management sciences. Specifically, the article argues that Information Systems (IS) – at its heart a systems-science – requires an ongoing discourse into how the metaphors of ‘living systems’, ‘complex systems’, and ‘complexity’ apply to the theoretical foundations of the IS discipline at large.Pragmatically, the implications of developing a complex and living systems framework to investigate IS phenomena has the capacity to synthesise the very way information systems researchers consider their discipline, and the scientific inquiry of it. The “information system” becomes a decentralised, complex and evolving entity, where notions of chaos theory; system self-organisation; autopoietic and dissipative networks; emergence; entropy; and nonlinear dynamics; provide a rich and novel way to investigate system behaviours, human cognitive behaviours, and the management and business contexts in which those behaviours occur

On the role of Prognostics and Health Management in advanced maintenance systems

The advanced use of the Information and Communication Technologies is evolving the way that systems are managed and maintained. A great number of techniques and methods have emerged in the light of these advances allowing to have an accurate and knowledge about the systems’ condition evolution and remaining useful life. The advances are recognized as outcomes of an innovative discipline, nowadays discussed under the term of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM). In order to analyze how maintenance will change by using PHM, a conceptual model is proposed built upon three views. The model highlights: (i) how PHM may impact the definition of maintenance policies; (ii) how PHM fits within the Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) and (iii) how PHM can be integrated into Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) programs. The conceptual model is the research finding of this review note and helps to discuss the role of PHM in advanced maintenance systems.EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020, 645733 - Sustain-Owner - H2020-MSCA-RISE-201

The Slippery Slope of MIS Academia: A Discussion of the Quest for Relevance in Our Discipline

The MIS discipline faces the need to periodically re-establish its relevance to both academics and practitioners. Evolving technology forces our discipline to change at a rate far exceeding that of other business disciplines. In the workplace, rapidly evolving IT management issues and technologies have led corporations to manage technical employees differently than other employees. In academia, however, MIS faculty are faced with the same expectations as other business faculty. The current model of MIS as an academic discipline has many issues that make staying current and relevant very difficult. The result is that MIS research and teaching lag practice. One might argue that as the field matures, we are falling further behind. This paper is the outcome of a panel discussion held during the 2006 Americas Conference on Information Systems in Acapulco, Mexico. The panel discussed the assertions that MIS is on a Slippery Slope that threatens our existence as a business discipline and that our current model encourages irrelevance, both in research and in teaching. Panel members were asked to share their views on five questions relative to the Slippery Slope from their unique perspectives

A Determination of the Essential Outcomes for Higher Education Supply Chain Management Program Success

As one of business and industries newest strategies to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and competitiveness of organizations, supply chain management is evolving into a major business school discipline. The rapid growth of SCM integration concepts enabled by information systems and technology continues to experience significant improvements and changes. These factors create challenges for higher education business schools with keeping current and driving research to advance the discipline. This study surveyed SCM corporate executives to determine if there is agreement on the core concepts that should be included in SCM curriculum, and the level of mastery program graduates should attain for success. The study also considers the potential differences in stakeholder needs dependent on SCM discipline focus or industry. The results of the study identify the SCM knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of SCM executives hiring graduates from higher education undergraduate SCM programs

Journey to the Center of the Core: Computers and the Internet in the Core Curriculum

Computers, digitalization and the Internet have transformed modern society. Commerce, education, communication and socialization will never be the same. Surprisingly, many universities do not require a computing course in the core curriculum. Critical information technology (IT) competencies are often taken for granted, to the detriment of students who lack computing and Internet skills. This paper describes an initiative undertaken by a computer science and information systems department to assess and remediate IT skills needed by all university students, regardless of major. The project is evolving along several dimensions: identification of discipline-independent IT competencies, assessment of IT skills among current and incoming students, and curriculum development

Collective Learning Paradigm for Rapidly Evolving Curriculum: Facilitating Student and Content Engagement via Social Media

Curriculum in the information systems discipline has been rapidly evolving. This is not only challenging for the instructors to cope with the velocity of change in the curriculum, but also for the students. This paper illustrates a model that leverages the integrated use of social media technologies to facilitate collective learning in a university teaching/learning environment. However, the model could be adapted to other organizational environments. The model demonstrates how various challenges encountered in collective learning can be addressed with the help of social media technologies. A case study is presented to demonstrate the model’s applicability, feasibility, utility, and success in a senior-level social computing course at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. An evolving, non-linear, and self-sustaining wiki portal is developed to encourage engagement between the content, students, and instructor. We further outline the student-centric, content-centric, and learning-centric advantages of the proposed model for the next generation learning environment