Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of IS Security Policy Compliance Research. First Steps towards Evidence-Based Structuring of the IS Security Domain

Given the short supply of empiricism in ISS research, existing empirical evidence needs to be processed further than the scope of a single paper may allow. Other fields of science have long recognized the need for higher level analyses of research results in order to make them accessible to practitioners and develop a knowledge base. In our paper we perform an exhaustive literature research in the realm of empirical ISS research. As one of the recent research hotspots, we perform a systematic review of research results in Information Security Policy (ISP) compliance. We analyze and discuss the heterogeneity of research results and suggest a presentation format that may allow ISS practitioners to base their ISP design decisions on

Unleashing the Potential of External Data: A DSR-based Approach to Data Sourcing

External data has become an indispensable pillar in state-of-the-art decision-making and value creation in an enterprise context. Despite the increasing motivation to use external data, information systems (IS) research still lacks an adequate data sourcing perspective. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the practical challenges in this emerging field and developing a reference process for sourcing and managing external data. To this end, we adopt a design science research approach leveraging collaboration with practitioners from nine high-profile companies. Our findings contribute to the scarce body of knowledge on data sourcing in IS by proposing explicit prescriptions in the form of a reference process for sourcing and managing external data

Evidence-Based Information Systems: A New Perspective and a Road Map for Research-Informed Practice

Despite the increasing sophistication and quality of published work, the development of a cumulative body of knowledge and an evidence-base for information systems (IS) research still represents a major challenge. IS research is still predominantly undertaken by IS researchers for other IS researchers and not utilized to its full extent by IS practitioners or policy-makers. We focus on this problem and express the need for a new evidence-based research perspective. It is argued that it is time to refocus the efforts of IS academics (and practitioners) to develop a new evidence-base for IS research whereby it can more routinely inform, develop, improve and support IS practice. We contribute to this debate by defining evidence-based practice (EBP), its relevance to IS, and the need to develop an evidence-based approach. We look in particular at its brief history, and its subsequent evolution, development and widespread acceptance in Medicine; making reference to recent arguments and critiques of EBP in other disciplines such as software engineering and management. We espouse the need to develop a similar evidence-based movement and infrastructure within the IS research and practitioner communities and then put forward a possible road map for the development of Evidence-Based Information Systems (EBIS) that comprises 9 key initiatives. We conclude our argument by stating that the current extent, severity and impact of IS failures are unacceptable, emphasizing the need for a new perspective for IS research that encourages and incorporates EBP as a guiding principle to inform better IS practice

Modelo conceitual para criação, aplicação e avaliação de jogos educativos digitais

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia e Gestão do Conhecimento, Florianópolis, 2014.Os jogos educativos digitais têm o potencial de agregar valor ao processo de ensino e aprendizagem de conteúdos em sala de aula. Todavia, os professores ou mediadores desse processo enfrentam dificuldades para a aplicação desses jogos no contexto da sala de aula, seja pela falta dos princípios pedagógicos na sua criação, seja pela falta de mediação na sua aplicação, ou até mesmo da avaliação da eficiência e eficácia do uso desses jogos. Nesse sentido, este trabalho buscou desenvolver um modelo conceitual para a criação, aplicação e avaliação de jogos educativos digitais para o contexto do processo de ensino e aprendizagem em sala de aula. Os procedimentos metodológicos utilizados foram preponderantemente a pesquisa bibliográfica e de campo, com a utilização do Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) para o desenvolvimento do modelo conceitual. O início desta pesquisa, conforme apresenta o DSRM, foi o projeto e desenvolvimento do jogo educativo digital denominado de Simulador Ambiental (SA). A partir da experiência realizada com a criação do jogo, concomitantemente com os avanços das pesquisas bibliométricas e aleatórias, foi concebido o modelo conceitual desta tese. O modelo conceitual foi aplicado em sete turmas na Faculdade Senac, no município de Florianópolis (SC), totalizando 125 alunos. Constatou-se que houve melhora na percepção dos alunos quanto ao seu nível de aprendizado no conteúdo do jogo utilizado (SA). Portanto, os resultados alcançados nesta pesquisa demonstraram positivamente a consistência do modelo conceitual, oferecendo aos desenvolvedores de jogos, assim como aos mediadores da prática pedagógica e às demais partes interessadas no processo de ensino e aprendizagem com o uso de jogos educativos digitais em sala de aula, um caminho pelo qual eles possam criar, aplicar e avaliar a qualidade dos jogos e a didática de aplicação destes.Abstract : Digital educational games have the potential of aggregating value to the teaching and learning of content process in the classroom. However, teachers or mediators of this process face difficulties on applying these games in the context of the classroom, given the lack of pedagogical principles in their creation, or the lack of mediation in their application, or even of the efficiency and effectiveness evaluation of using games. Thus this study sought to develop a conceptual model for the creation, implementation and evaluation of digital educational games to the context of teaching and learning in the classroom. The methodological procedures used were mainly bibliographical and field research, using the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) for the development of the conceptual model. The beginning of this research, as presented by the DSRM, was the design and development of digital educational game called Environmental Simulator (SA). The conceptual model of this thesis was designed from the experience on the game creation, simultaneously with the advances of bibliometric and random searches. The conceptual model was applied to seven classes in the Senac Faculty located in Florianópolis - Santa Catarina - Brazil, reaching a lotal of 125 students. The results showed an improvement in the students' perception about their level of learning in game content used (SA). Therefore, the positive results achieved demonstrated the conceptual model consistency, allowing game developers, as well as mediators of pedagogical practice and other stakeholders in the teaching and learning process interested on the use of digital educational games in the classroom, a way by which they can create, implement and evaluate the quality of games and the didactic on their implementation

Design and Evaluation of a Suitable Research Method

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist der Entwurf und die Evaluation (theoretisch und praktisch) einer Forschungsmethode zur gestaltungsorientierten IT-Management-Forschung. Ihr Einsatz hat zum Ziel, eine Verknüpfung von wissenschaftlicher Strenge und praktischer Relevanz der IT-Management-Forschung auf hohem Niveau zu erreichen. Konkret führt ihr Einsatz zur Abgabe theoretisch fundierter und empirisch validierter Gestaltungsempfehlungen in Form von begründet konstruierten Managementartefakten für zukünftige organisationale Realitäten. Diese dienen dazu, Lösungsmöglichkeiten für vorliegende Problemklassen von IT-Organisationen aufzuzeigen. Der Prozess der Einführung – oder Instanziierung – eines entworfenen Managementartefaktes für einen spezifischen Kontext wird dabei als komplexer, nicht-deterministischer Prozess organisationalen Wandels verstanden, welcher sich kontextabhängig entweder eher pfadabhängig-evolutionär oder eher pfadkreierend-radikal ausprägen kann.In this dissertation, a design science research method for IS/IT management research is developed and evaluated (on the theoretical and the practical level). Its goal is to lead to both scientific rigorous and practically relevant IS/IT management research. Its application leads to the development of theoretically grounded and empirically-validated design propositions for IS/IT organizations, which take the shape of constructed and justified management artifacts pointing towards future organizational realities. These artifacts provide possible solutions for classes of real-world problems of IS/IT organizations. The process of introducing - or instantiating - such management artifacts in a specific context is understood as complex, non-deterministic process of organizational change which can take a path-dependent (evolutionary) or path-creating (radical) shape, depending on the context

Enhancing student engagement in information systems education – a longitudinal case study from a Sino-Foreign university

This doctoral thesis describes five years of research on an undergraduate accounting information systems module at the China campus of Nottingham University Business School. The central research question is ‘How can small group interactions be designed to improve student engagement in information systems education?’. To this end, an interpretive philosophical paradigm is adopted to address three research questions which are explored in distinct phases: In the first phase a grounded approach is taken to address the question - What influences engagement in small group interactions? The second phase takes the themes identified in the first phase and addresses the question - What strategies might be adopted to address these influences? In the third and final phase, a longitudinal study is conducted, in which the strategies identified in the second phase are then applied, in 3 cycles of action research, addressing the question – How, why and what would be good practice in implementing such strategies? This research finds 36 themes that influence engagement in small group interactions, strategies are then identified to address those themes and those within the scope of control of the researcher are tested. This research confirms that the findings in the extant literature relating to mainland Chinese undergraduate student engagement, in Western undergraduate programmes overseas, also apply to such programmes conducted in the mainland Chinese context. In addition a sense of student empowerment over influencing pedagogy to suit preference in terms of classroom environment, interaction timing, second language use, and tutor focus is found. Among the strategies tested, a problem-based group project, set within a familiar context and informed by an evidence-based design approach, which values the opinion and experience of the student as designer of the proposed problem solution, was found to be the most effective in promoting early engagement in the desired learning process. This study supports the argument that case study approaches, where those studies are set in unfamiliar contexts, may not be best suited for undergraduate programmes due to their inherent contextual uncertainties. This research finds that, through adopting an evidence-based approach to research for such group projects, student evaluation of their own experience and insights changes positively, enabling more rounded and reflective critical argument and decision-making. This work may be seen to contribute to fill gaps both in evidence from practice and in the body of ‘scientific’ evidence in respect of the following contexts, such gaps having been identified by the cited authors as follows: Theoretical contributions 1. Research into the area of Chinese student engagement in Western educational settings e.g. Li and Campbell (2008). 2. Qualitative research methods in general and the adaptation of western approaches to the Chinese context e.g. Watkins-Mathys (2007). 3. Literature relating to evidence-based design in teaching and learning e.g. Groccia and Buskist (2011), Rousseau and Mc Carthy (2007), Wastell (2011) and Ahmadi et al. (2012). 4. Literature relating to alignment of the expectation gap between tutors and students in cross-cultural settings e.g. Zhou et al. (2008). 5. Literature relating to evidence-based design in information systems and accounting literature e.g. Marr (2009), Baskerville (2011), Wastell (2011). Practical contributions 6. The call for case studies that “lionise” evidence-based design and avoid the contextual challenges of [case study] approaches e.g. Starkey and Tempest (2009) and Wastell (2011). 7. Further evidence from the process of adapting British teaching and learning practices for use in the Chinese undergraduate context (Zhou et al., 2008). 8. Further evidence to inform both student/staff induction processes and the body of research on the design of teaching and learning practices at NUBS in China e.g. Waters (2007)

Enhancing student engagement in information systems education – a longitudinal case study from a Sino-Foreign university

This doctoral thesis describes five years of research on an undergraduate accounting information systems module at the China campus of Nottingham University Business School. The central research question is ‘How can small group interactions be designed to improve student engagement in information systems education?’. To this end, an interpretive philosophical paradigm is adopted to address three research questions which are explored in distinct phases: In the first phase a grounded approach is taken to address the question - What influences engagement in small group interactions? The second phase takes the themes identified in the first phase and addresses the question - What strategies might be adopted to address these influences? In the third and final phase, a longitudinal study is conducted, in which the strategies identified in the second phase are then applied, in 3 cycles of action research, addressing the question – How, why and what would be good practice in implementing such strategies? This research finds 36 themes that influence engagement in small group interactions, strategies are then identified to address those themes and those within the scope of control of the researcher are tested. This research confirms that the findings in the extant literature relating to mainland Chinese undergraduate student engagement, in Western undergraduate programmes overseas, also apply to such programmes conducted in the mainland Chinese context. In addition a sense of student empowerment over influencing pedagogy to suit preference in terms of classroom environment, interaction timing, second language use, and tutor focus is found. Among the strategies tested, a problem-based group project, set within a familiar context and informed by an evidence-based design approach, which values the opinion and experience of the student as designer of the proposed problem solution, was found to be the most effective in promoting early engagement in the desired learning process. This study supports the argument that case study approaches, where those studies are set in unfamiliar contexts, may not be best suited for undergraduate programmes due to their inherent contextual uncertainties. This research finds that, through adopting an evidence-based approach to research for such group projects, student evaluation of their own experience and insights changes positively, enabling more rounded and reflective critical argument and decision-making. This work may be seen to contribute to fill gaps both in evidence from practice and in the body of ‘scientific’ evidence in respect of the following contexts, such gaps having been identified by the cited authors as follows: Theoretical contributions 1. Research into the area of Chinese student engagement in Western educational settings e.g. Li and Campbell (2008). 2. Qualitative research methods in general and the adaptation of western approaches to the Chinese context e.g. Watkins-Mathys (2007). 3. Literature relating to evidence-based design in teaching and learning e.g. Groccia and Buskist (2011), Rousseau and Mc Carthy (2007), Wastell (2011) and Ahmadi et al. (2012). 4. Literature relating to alignment of the expectation gap between tutors and students in cross-cultural settings e.g. Zhou et al. (2008). 5. Literature relating to evidence-based design in information systems and accounting literature e.g. Marr (2009), Baskerville (2011), Wastell (2011). Practical contributions 6. The call for case studies that “lionise” evidence-based design and avoid the contextual challenges of [case study] approaches e.g. Starkey and Tempest (2009) and Wastell (2011). 7. Further evidence from the process of adapting British teaching and learning practices for use in the Chinese undergraduate context (Zhou et al., 2008). 8. Further evidence to inform both student/staff induction processes and the body of research on the design of teaching and learning practices at NUBS in China e.g. Waters (2007)

Towards an Evidence-based Research Approach in Information Systems

In information systems research, until now, there has been no systematic treatment of the gained evidence. For instance, Webster and Watson (2002) lament the small number of published review articles. This impedes the advancements within science (the exchange between behavioral science and design science) and between science and practice. Interestingly enough, evidence-based research in other disciplines has become an accepted “paradigm” and “philosophy”. It is argued that the IS discipline can likewise benefit from adopting this paradigm. In this paper an approach for structuring, evaluating, and representing empirical research results (external evidence) is presented. It intends to guide the consolidation of existing research findings for a practical focused application-oriented research and practice