Experience is a Good Teacher: Integrating Service and Learning in Information Systems Education

Over the last decade, the incorporation of service-learning into higher education has grown at an astounding rate. Despite the increase, service-learning remains an under-researched and underexplored pedagogical innovation in information systems education. This study investigates the impacts of service-learning on student learning and development outcomes in a juniorlevel systems design course. The results confirmed that service-learning had a positive impact on student learning and development along three dimensions: academic learning, interpersonal development, and personal development. The study concludes with implications for research and practice

The Ambidextrous Pursuit of Strategic Information Technology Alignment and Organizational Agility in the Community Benefit Sector

The information systems literature suggests a positive relationship between strategic information technology alignment and organizational agility, and the implications on performance for organizations operating in turbulent environments. This emerging stream of integrated research has begun to provide key insight on the positive benefits of the ambidextrous pursuit of alignment and agility in for-profit organizations. However, these relationships have been largely unexplored in nonprofit settings. Nonprofit organizations exist to address social, political, economic, and cultural challenges rather than maximizing shareholder wealth. In order to address this void in research, this paper draws on the alignment and agility research in order to examine how one exemplary nonprofit is strategically exploiting its information system resources in order to improve performance and social value creation. This paper concludes with implications for research and practice

THE ROLE OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT IN USER-CENTERED DESIGN INTERVENTIONS: A SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

User participation in information systems development (ISD) has long been linked to systems success. Prior research has focused on identifying a range of contingencies such as task complexity, systems complexity, user influence, user-developer communication, and type of involvement etc. However, very little is known about the development and maturation of groups in (ISD) contexts. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between user participation and systems success from a developmental perspective. Using group development as a theoretical lens, a descriptive case study of two groups engaged in sequential user-centered design projects was conducted. The results revealed that social and cognitive forces constrained the development of both groups, resulting in a negative impact on the (ISD) outcomes. This study extends the (ISD) literature by proposing a model that links group development and systems success in ISD contexts

A Theoretical Framework for Strategic Use of the Web among Nonprofit Organizations

The diffusion of advanced Internet-based technologies, in particular the World Wide Web (Web), provides new ways for nonprofits to innovatively and creatively confront the complex challenges faced by their current operating environment. The forces at play include decreased government funding, increased demand for programs and services, decline in civic participation, and increased public demand for greater oversight and accountability. Unfortunately, many nonprofits lack the organizational and technological capacity necessary to exploit the strategic potential of the Web. This phenomenon has been coined the organizational digital divide – the inequalities between organizations in society that can strategically use the Web to support their mission and those that cannot. In order to better understand the factors that contribute to the organizational digital divide, we develop a theoretical framework that explains why some nonprofits can strategically use the Web to advance their mission and goals, while others cannot. We conclude with strategies for bridging the organizational digital divide

Exploring the Factors Associated with Online Financial and Performance Disclosure in Nonprofits

Informed by theories of technological innovation, this paper develops and empirically tests a web disclosure adoption model. In order to test the model, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 775 organizations in an eight-county regional area in the Northeastern United States. Results reveal that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and organizational characteristics are related to web disclosure adoption. Specifically, there is more disclosure of performance information online when the CEO believes that the web is useful for promoting transparency and accountability when the organization views the web as a communication or strategic tool, when more employees have technical expertise, and when the board of directors is more supportive of web technology. We found more web disclosure of financial information when the organization possesses the technological readiness for web disclosure. This paper contributes to research by identifying the main factors that facilitate web disclosure adoption in nonprofit contexts

Towards A Framework for Effective User Participation in Nonprofit Community Contexts: Beyond User Involvement

In recent years, IS researchers have begun to examine the broader societal impacts of information systems (IS) and technologies. As such, researchers have sought out various approaches to develop the technological capacity of nonprofit and community-based organizations (NCOs). The concept of user participation is gaining increasing attention as a malleable approach to achieve this goal. This paper develops a strategic framework that theorizes user participation in nonprofit and community-based contexts. We conclude with implications for research and practice

Survival of the Fittest: Online Accountability in Complex Organizational Populations

Online accountability is increasingly becoming a critical issue in contemporary debates over creating more open and transparent organizations. Broadly defined, online accountability refers to the extent that an organization discloses financial and performance data on the organization’s Website, and the level of stakeholder interaction supported by the organization’s Website. Online accountability is positively correlated with outcome metrics such as organizational success, increased charitable contributions, and enhanced public trust. However, our understanding of the determinants of online accountability is limited. Informed by organizational ecology theory, this research-in-progress seeks to enhance our understanding of this key issue by developing and testing a model of the determinants of online accountability. Our preliminary analysis of secondary data on a regional population of 653 organizations in the Northeast United States revealed that only 12.09% of the organizations have implemented online accountability. We argue that organizations that fail to implement online accountability measures can negatively impact their chances of survival in complex and uncertain environments

Panel: Service-Learning in Information Systems Education

This panel discussion will explore service-learning in Information Systems (IS) education. Service-learning or community-based learning is a High Impact Practice promoted through the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative. Service-learning or community-based learning, as defined by LEAP, is a teaching approach that combines community service with formal classroom instruction, enabling students to apply course topics in a real-world environment and to reflect on their experiences within the classroom. Topics that will be addressed include reasons for introducing service learning experiences into the IS curriculum, challenges with implementing service-learning projects in IS courses, and critical success factors. Faculty belonging to institutions that have or are in the process of adopting the LEAP initiative as well as individuals that have an interest in incorporating real-world projects in the classroom are encouraged to attend