The Impact of the Introductory IS Course on Students\u27 Perceptions of IS Professionals

Increasing the number of students pursuing Information Systems (IS) majors and careers is vital to the advancement of our knowledge-based economy. Literature suggests that one of the main reasons for students’ lack of interest in IS has been the negative stereotypical image of IS professionals. Research has also emphasized that the introductory IS course plays a significant role in busting prevailing myths about the IS profession and in attracting larger pools of students to the discipline. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand students’ perceptions of IS professionals before and after they were exposed to the IS field and careers through the introductory IS course. The findings suggest that students’ image of IS professionals might not be as negative as previously thought. Furthermore, the study confirms the importance of the introductory IS course on how students view the IS field. The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings, implications, limitations, and future research directions

Online Advice Taking: Examining the Effects of Self-Efficacy, Computerized Sources, and Perceived Credibility

The Internet offers limitless advice on a multitude of products and services. The quality of the advice varies and is inherently a matter of human judgment. To help users determine the quality of advice and whether to use the advice, design features of web sites include information about the type and credibility of the advice source. This research examines how characteristics of the online user (i.e., self-efficacy) and characteristics of the advice source (i.e., type and credibility) affect advice taking in an online investing context. A laboratory experiment provides evidence that users with higher levels of self-efficacy are less likely to take advice than those with lower levels of self-efficacy. Results also suggest users given highly credible advice are more likely to take the advice compared to users who receive advice with dubious credibility. The implications are discussed

Invited Paper: Teaching Information Systems in the Age of Digital Disruption

The Information Systems discipline has long suffered an identity crisis. It has also been prone to program sustainability issues as a technology focus has waxed and waned over the last 50 years. This paper suggests a new approach to teaching Information Systems, utilizing the notion of “fundamental and powerful concepts.” Using digital disruption as a fundamental and powerful concept, the authors argue for the core IS course and the courses that make up the major to be developed and centered around the transformation of business models, products, and services caused by emerging digital technologies. The paper includes an outline for the core IS course and the other courses in the major and concludes with a suggestion that the fundamental and powerful concept of digital disruption be used as an approach to teaching Information Systems

A social cognitive perspective on channel preference: A study of online investing

Understanding the mechanisms by which consumers choose to conduct their business activities via the online channel represents an important concern for Web designers, marketers, and public policy makers alike. This study develops a research model based on Social Cognitive Theory to explain and predict channel preference. The model is subsequently tested in an online investing context using observations obtained via survey. The results suggest that task-specific self-efficacy beliefs serve as the activating mechanism kicking off a chain of psychological events that entice consumers to favor a particular channel. In addition to its direct effects on preference for the online approach, higher levels of self-efficacy influence one\u27s propensity to take risks and expectations of performance-oriented rewards, which, in turn, sway consumers to favor the online channel. Furthermore, self-efficacy and perceptions concerning the credibility of online information interact to influence channel preference. Consumers are most likely to conduct their business activities online when they view themselves as capable and perceive online sources to be credible. Implications for theory and practice are discussed in light of the findings. © 2006 IEEE

Personalization systems: Effects of risk propensity and congruency of suggestive guidance on risk taking behavior

Using a laboratory experiment, this study designs and tests a personalization system that captures an important user personality trait of risk propensity and subsequently offers suggestive guidance that varies in congruency with the users\u27 natural risk taking tendencies. Findings suggest that when the personalization system recommends an aggressive course of action, both high and low propensity individuals take greater risks, with high risk propensity users taking significantly higher risks than low risk propensity users. However, all users make conservative decisions when the system suggests a conservative course of action. In essence, providing incongruent offerings to risk-seeking users nUllifies the effects of their risk propensity. As such, the findings suggest that offering congruency interacts with user personality traits. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. © 2010 IEEE