The Absence of Gender Differences Among Students in an MIS Program

The declining proportion of women in the IT profession contributes to the shortage of IT professionals and potentially has a detrimental effect on the success of design projects. However, we do not fully understand why that decrease is happening. Some studies have utilized a construct called stereotype threat to explain why women are rejecting IT as a profession. Others have claimed that the results of stereotype threat apply only in computer science programs housed in engineering schools. This study tests whether stereotype threat exists in an MIS program in a college of business and, if so, how it affects women’s confidence in their ability and motivation to continue their IT education. The results show no support for the stereotype threat hypothesis. Further analysis, however, shows that positive, supportive messages have more effect on these women than do the negative messages. Thus, while stereotype threat has been a successful model for explaining the behavior of women in the sciences, mathematics, and computer science, it does not appear to explain the decreases in the number of women in MIS programs in business schools. A discussion of the aspects of MIS programs that may attract women and possible ways to increase women are provided

Making Data Flow Diagrams Accessible for Visually Impaired Students Using Excel Tables

This paper addresses the use of Excel tables to convey information to blind students that would otherwise be presented using graphical tools, such as Data Flow Diagrams. These tables can supplement diagrams in the classroom when introducing their use to understand the scope of a system and its main sub-processes, on exams when answering questions about such relationships, or in group projects in discussing problems with and recommendations for systems. The main contributions are a)a suggestion on how to translate the different aspects of Data Flow Diagrams into a table format and b) the in-classexperiences from using the approach. The approach can be broadened to other graphical representations such as Entity-Relationship Diagrams or Use-Case Diagrams. Further, this approach could be broadened to support alternative learning styles of sighted students in the class

Risk Management of Information Systems Development in Distributed Environment

Risk management has been recognized as an effective way to reduce system development failure. Information system development (ISD) is a highly complex and unpredictable activity associated with high risks. With more and more organizations outsource or offshore substantial resources in system development, organizations face up new challenges and risks not common to traditional development models. Classical risk management approaches have relied on tactical, bottom-up analysis, which do not readily scale to distributed environment. Therefore, risk management in distributed environment is becoming a critical area of concern. This paper uses a systemic approach developed by Software Engineering Institute to identify risks of ISD in distributed environment. Four key risk factors were identified from prior literature: objective, preparation, execution, and environment. In addition, the impact of these four risk factors on the success of information system development will also be examined

Information System Development Methodologies as Learning Systems

Although information system development methodologies supposedly improve development processes and end-products, information systems have continued to fail. In practice, methodologies have not been universally accepted, and even when accepted, not consistently used. Often development teams adapt methodologies to respond to perceived problems in past applications and/or specifics of the project under consideration. While it is possible that a combination of these factors contributed to less-than-effective system development processes or final end-products, we believe that there may be a subtler explanation for such failures. Although methodologies recommend best practices for system development, they rarely prescribe mechanisms to capture or evaluate problems encountered during system development. Specifically, methodologies do not include “learning” mechanisms that may be useful in improving the effectiveness of processes and end-products. We outline a meta-methodology for system development methodologies, which describes ways in which learning at different levels can be used to improve the effectiveness of system development methodologies

Panel: Artificial Intelligence and The Future of Work

Advancement in AI, robotics, machine learning, and automation has started to replace many structured, routine, and repetitive jobs. McKinsey Global Institute’s report (2017) estimates that by 2030, automation may displace between 400 million and 800 million individuals and these individuals will need to switch job categories and learn new skills. MIT’s Daron Acemoglu and Boston University’s Pascual Restrepo (2017) find that each additional robot in the US economy reduces employment by 5.6 workers, and every robot that is added to the workforce per 1,000 human workers causes wages to drop by 0.25 to 0.5 percent. In the past, technology advancement has consistently generated more new jobs than it destroys. Will it be the same this time? The three panelists will present their views on the topic from different perspectives

Decision support systems for business intelligence. Second edition

Hoboken, NJxvi, 453 p.: index; 25 c

The effect of 'experience' on information preferences

A decision-maker's experience is thought to affect how he/she chooses the information that support his/her selection among alternatives. Unfortunately, results from empirical studies designed to demonstrate this hypothesis are not in agreement about the existence and/or extent of the relationship. Since one possible explanation for conflicting in results is variability in the operationalization of the variable 'experience', this study was designed to determine if it matters whether one chooses a macro view of experience (in which the focus is on a decision-maker's overall experience) or a micro view of experience (in which the focus is on specific experience with the decision under consideration). Additional insights regarding problems in operationalizing 'experience' were generated as a result of these analyses to provide a basis for further research in this area.

Decision Support Systems for Business Intelligence, 2/E.

Praise for the First Edition "This is the most usable decision support systems text. [i]t is far better than any other text in the field" —Computing Reviews Computer-based systems known as decision support systems (DSS) play a vital role in helping professionals across various fields of practice understand what information is needed, when it is needed, and in what form in order to make smart and valuable business decisions. Providing a unique combination of theory, applications, and technology, Decision Support Systems for Business Intelligence, Second Edition supplies readers with the hands-on approach that is needed to understand the implications of theory to DSS design as well as the skills needed to construct a DSS. This new edition reflects numerous advances in the field as well as the latest related technological developments. By addressing all topics on three levels—general theory, implications for DSS design, and code development—the author presents an integrated analysis of what every DSS designer needs to know. This Second Edition features: • Expanded coverage of data mining with new examples • Newly added discussion of business intelligence and transnational corporations • Discussion of the increased capabilities of databases and the significant growth of user interfaces and models • Emphasis on analytics to encourage DSS builders to utilize sufficient modeling support in their systems • A thoroughly updated section on data warehousing including architecture, data adjustment, and data scrubbing • Explanations and implications of DSS differences across cultures and the challenges associated with transnational systems Each chapter discusses various aspects of DSS that exist in real-world applications, and one main example of a DSS to facilitate car purchases is used throughout the entire book. Screenshots from JavaScript® and Adobe® ColdFusion are presented to demonstrate the use of popular software packages that carry out the discussed techniques, and a related Web site houses all of the book\u27s figures along with demo versions of decision support packages, additional examples, and links to developments in the field. Decision Support Systems for Business Intelligence, Second Edition is an excellent book for courses on information systems, decision support systems, and data mining at the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a practical reference for professionals working in the fields of business, statistics, engineering, and computer technology