Student Attitudes toward Information Systems Graduate Program Design and Delivery

This study examines student preferences regarding graduate management information systems (MIS) education. One hundred and eighty four graduate students responded to a survey exploring student attitudes towards degree program content, delivery format, and peer group interaction. Study results indicate that students prefer a program with an even mix of business and technical coursework taught by full-time faculty featuring frequent guest lectures by industry professionals. The most often cited business courses that should be required include quantitative business analysis, operations management, strategy, and leadership, and the most often identified management information systems courses that should be required were internships, business intelligence, data warehousing, management information systems fundamentals, and information technology project management. The study also explored how students with and without prior work experience differed in their preferences, which will help administrators and faculty with insights and tools to design more effective programs of study

Recommendations for Your Data Visualization Bookshelf

Over the years that I’ve been involved in data visualization, I have collected a number of books on the topic. Not every book in my library is great, but a few stand out as particularly useful for businesspeople who wish to become experts in using visualizations to analyze and communicate quantitative data. I have intentionally not included most of the books that focus on the visualization needs of scientists and statisticians. A few books that venture in this direction have been included, however, because they provide a great deal of general content that is extremely worthwhile, such as those by Edward Tufte and William Cleveland. Fundamentals of Graph Design I will begin the list with those books that cover the fundamentals of graph design for the communication of quantitative business information. Even though it will appear self-promoting, I unapologetically recommend my own book, Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten, as the best available resource on the design of graphs (and tables) for communicating quantitative business information. As someone who has been involved in the business intelligence industry for many years, I am intimately aware of the needs of businesspeople who must make sense of quantitativ

Machine learning and deep learning

Today, intelligent systems that offer artificial intelligence capabilities often rely on machine learning. Machine learning describes the capacity of systems to learn from problem-specific training data to automate the process of analytical model building and solve associated tasks. Deep learning is a machine learning concept based on artificial neural networks. For many applications, deep learning models outperform shallow machine learning models and traditional data analysis approaches. In this article, we summarize the fundamentals of machine learning and deep learning to generate a broader understanding of the methodical underpinning of current intelligent systems. In particular, we provide a conceptual distinction between relevant terms and concepts, explain the process of automated analytical model building through machine learning and deep learning, and discuss the challenges that arise when implementing such intelligent systems in the field of electronic markets and networked business. These naturally go beyond technological aspects and highlight issues in human-machine interaction and artificial intelligence servitization.Comment: Published online first in Electronic Market

Demand driven web services

Web services are playing a pivotal role in e-business, service intelligence, and service science. Demand-driven web services are becoming important for web services and service computing. However, many fundamental issues are still ignored to some extent. For example, what is the demand theory for web services, what is a demand-driven architecture for web services and what is a demand-driven web service lifecycle remain open. This chapter addresses these issues by examining fundamentals for demand analysis in web services, and proposing a demand-driven architecture for web services. It also proposes a demand-driven web service lifecycle for the main players in web services: Service providers, service requestors and service brokers, respectively. It then provides a unified perspective on demand-driven web service lifecycles. The proposed approaches will facilitate research and development of web services, e-services, service intelligence, service science and service computing

Leadership in Research Insights and Business Intelligence: A Conceptual Framework and Guide

Research insights and business intelligence are the cornerstones of informed business decisions. When these functions within a company are led effectively and work well, the value speaks for itself. To address the challenge of leadership, especially change leadership through programmatic growth on research insights and business intelligence teams, this capstone project provides a conceptual and theoretical framework and guide for effective leadership. Specifically, this capstone project elucidates concepts including leadership fundamentals, leadership theories, change theories, guiding principles and visioning, communication, team development, strategic planning, building capacity, and reflexivity. This capstone project is intended to be a guide for effective incorporation of theory-based actions to augment a leader’s existing praxis and inspire productive and rewarding reflexive analysis of current leadership practices.

Leadership: The Tabletop Concept

Applying the analogy of the four supporting pillars of support for a table — and thus, in similar fashion with a true and lasting, moral leader — Hagelberg discusses how four leadership principles in particular – integrity, competence, emotional intelligence, and vision – are the four essential traits of successful and lasting leadership

Fundamentals of Earth Observation Policy: Examples for German and European Missions

Several European countries have developed their national high resolution earth observation systems. Some of them are operated in close cooperation with industrial partners, others are dual-use missions earmarked to fulfil the needs of national security. In addition, the European Space Agency and the European Commission have initiated the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) project. Therein, a fleet of satellites (SENTINELs) will deliver data for European wide information services, augmented by data from national and non-European earth observation systems. This new scenario needs clear guidance and regulations. Besides the principles for operations of earth observation missions – as set out in UN principles on earth observation – the operators of very high resolution missions require clear governmental acts which international users can be served and which data might be restricted in distribution. For national science and the SENTINEL-missions, a policy for free and open access is being developed to guarantee a maximum use of the data. Exemplified on the German national missions and the European GMES scenario, data policies and regulations for existing and new earth observation missions will be explained

Developing Global Mindset and the Impact on Virtual Teams

[Excerpt] Increasingly global and competitive in nature, today’s work environment necessitates more cooperation, collaboration, and cross-cultural understanding than ever before. Many significant changes have altered the way companies conduct business. Companies now compete in a global economy that demands quality goods and services at competitive prices. Consumers, through increasing demand for better quality, force companies to remain competitive by providing (1) tailored solutions for specific needs and (2) responding rapidly to market changes. In this global context, speed and personalized solutions create customer growth. But how do multinational companies respond to these two often competing forces? Expanding on the concept of traditional teams, one solution has been to institute virtual teams composed of diverse members best suited to a variety of projects. Consistent with the increasingly global context in which these teams operate, members of virtual teams must be dynamic, flexible, and culturally intelligent in order to speedily deliver tailored products and services globally. Considering the increased use of virtual teams, this paper aims to explore the role of a global mindset in overcoming the challenges associated with working across cultures, especially when such teamwork occurs at a distance. Next, the differences between local and global mindsets will be discussed and essential global competencies identified. Finally, strategies for developing a global mindset in leaders and employees will be outlined