Thinking about measures and measurement in positivist research: a proposal for refocusing on fundamentals

We challenge two taken-for-granted assumptions about measurement in positivist research. The first assumption is that measures and measurements are relevant for quantitative, but not qualitative, research. We explain why they apply to both types of research. The second assumption we challenge is that existing measurement practices are unproblematic, even if researchers sometimes vary in how well they enact them. We explain why current norms (both espoused and enacted) are deficient in some important ways because they fail to emphasize the fundamental issues of measures and measurements. Drawing on symbolic logic, we provide a framework to help positivist researchers to assess efforts in measuring and measurement regardless of their quantitative or qualitative orientation. The framework provides more parsimonious and broadly applicable guidance than available to date and suggests the need to refocus on measurement fundamentals

Early-Stage Construct Development Practices in IS Research: A 2000-2020 Review

New constructs are routinely introduced and validated along with their measures to capture emerging IS phenomena. Although statistical validation procedures abound in the literature, there remains confusion on how to best engage with the first few steps of the construct development process. Consequently, authors may have difficulties navigating these crucial steps, and reviewers may be unsure what standards they should enforce. This short paper seeks to clarify the standards that are espoused and enacted by the IS community as part of its construct development activities. We selected 96 construct development focused papers published in IS journals between 2000 and 2020, and we systematically coded how their authors engaged with the conceptualization, item generation, and content validation steps. Our preliminary findings indicate that despite some apparent homogeneity, construct development papers employ widely divergent practices, some of which may not be adequate to address the most pressing methodological challenges of our time

Digital Affordances and Digital Capabilities: Evidence from Six AI Startups

Many digital startups fail in their pursuit of niche business value for three reasons: underdeveloped digital affordances, inadequate digital capabilities, and perhaps most importantly, a misalignment between digital affordances and digital capabilities. Digital affordances depict the potential involvement of digital technologies by groups in value creation while digital capabilities represent the ability to leverage and make changes to digital resources to fulfil specific objectives (e.g., affordance actualization). Based on insights derived from a longitudinal in-depth case study of six AI startups, we propose a co-evolution framework that illustrates several iterative loops between digital capabilities and digital affordances. Our analysis also reveals key properties of digital affordances and digital capabilities. Specifically, we find that digital startups with mutually reinforcing digital affordances and digital capabilities are most likely to succeed. We also develop a typology of digital startups using a 2 by 2 affordance-capability matrix

Is There More Than Pokémon Go? – Exploring the State of Research on Causal Modeling in the Field of Augmented Reality

The paper explores how scholars apply causal modeling to gain an understanding of augmented reality as innovative technology and its potential for application. To do so, we conducted a structured literature review and applied a graph database-driven approach to analyze how scholars research augmented reality. Such an approach enables in-depth analysis of the body of knowledge that is not accessible in traditional ways of exploring literature. The results help to understand where we as a community stand and how directions for future research can help reshape the understanding of augmented reality and its application

A Conceptual Definition of Information Technology Project Management: A Campaign-Driven Perspective

Despite the importance of the project management phenomenon in information technology projects, the information technology project management (ITPM) concept lacks clarity and is narrowly defined. In this paper, we adopt a change management perspective to propose a multidimensional and configurable conceptualization of ITPM. More specifically, using a “campaign” metaphor, we identify twelve key underlying activities of ITPM, grouped under three dimensions, i.e., diplomatic, promotional, and martial, then position these activities within the organizational control theory framework

Measuring Actual Behaviors in HCI Research – A call to Action and an Example

There have been repeated calls for studies in behavioral science and human-computer interaction (HCI) research to measure participants’ actual behaviors. HCI research studies often use multiple constructs as perceived measures of behavior, which are captured using participants’ self-reports on surveys. Response biases, however, are a widespread threat to the validity of self-report measures. To mitigate this threat to validity, we propose that studies in HCI measure actual behaviors in appropriate contexts rather than solely perceptions. We report an example of using movements that reflect both actual behavior and behavioral changes measured within a health care IS usage context, specifically the detection and alleviation of neuromuscular degenerative disease. We propose and test a method of monitoring mouse-cursor movements to detect hand tremors in real time when individuals are using websites. Our work suggests that analyzing hand movements as an actual (rather than perceptual) measure of usage could enrich other areas of IS research (e.g., technology acceptance, efficacy, fear, etc.), in which perceptions of states and behavior are measured post hoc to the interaction and subject to the threats of various forms of response bias

Use of Natural Language Processing Techniques in the Construct and Instrument Development Process

The construct and instrument development process relies significantly on human judgment in the initial stages of the process, specifically in developing construct definition statements, and in developing measurement instruments with high content validity. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques can be employed to support human judgment and improve the quality of constructs and instruments employed in research. This paper describes the use of such techniques and presents illustrative results from the use of those techniques. The empirical illustrations support our premise that the use of NLP techniques can improve the rigor of the process and improve the quality of constructs and instruments employed in research

New Guidelines for Null Hypothesis Significance Testing in Hypothetico-Deductive IS Research

The objective of this research perspectives article is to promote policy change among journals, scholars, and students with a vested interest in hypothetico-deductive information systems (IS) research. We are concerned about the design, analysis, reporting, and reviewing of quantitative IS studies that draw on null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). We observe that although debates about misinterpretations, abuse, and issues with NHST have persisted for about half a century, they remain largely absent in IS. We find this to be an untenable position for a discipline with a proud quantitative tradition. We discuss traditional and emergent threats associated with the application of NHST and examine how they manifest in recent IS scholarship. To encourage the development of new standards for NHST in hypothetico-deductive IS research, we develop a balanced account of possible actions that are implementable in the short-term or long-term and that incentivize or penalize specific practices. To promote an immediate push for change, we also develop two sets of guidelines that IS scholars can adopt immediately

USING PERSONAL-TYPE RELATIONSHIPS (GUANXI) TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN CUSTOMERS IN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (SBE): AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN UAE, ABU DHABI

Very few researchers have investigated the underlying socio-cultural formulas in the aspects of culture that affect relationships around the globe. Middle Eastern cultures give great importance to personal-type relationships (akin to the Chinese concept of Guanxi), in many different spheres of life. This research identifies the factors composing the unique forms of such relationships that are found in the context of Abu Dhabi city. The research focuses on the significant role and the effect of the cultivation in business contexts of personal-type relationships, characterized by the presence of personal trust, empathy, reciprocity, bonding, face, and affection. The aim of this research was to find the dimensions of such relationships and to test them as organizational relationships, as determinants of customer satisfaction and customer retention in the sector of small business enterprises (SBEs). Survey data that provided a sample to test the suggested model were collected from a database that included Abu Dhabi’s SBEs. The findings of this research showed that personal relationships in this context could be extended to organizations. In addition, the results showed that the consequences of personal-type relationships (Guanxi) positively influence customer satisfaction and customer retention. Further, the contextualization of the constructs in this research helps to plug few current gaps in the literature on Guanxi theory