A REALIST EXAMINATION OF BUSINESS ANALYTICS

Business analytics has become the latest fad in management practice. Carried out by largely positivist statistical analysis, anecdotal evidence claims great success for these practices. This paper takes a critical realist approach to a philosophical analysis of these practices. Reviewing CR ontology and epistemology, it applies those to the practice of business analytics, showing that where BA success occurs it is because the analysis has encountered relatively unimpeded actions by relatively enduring structures of causal mechanisms. It may fail in those areas undergoing rapid structural change, or where there exists a confusing welter of mechanisms. The danger in this approach from a CR perspective is that other causal mechanisms may intrude, or the structure of the mechanisms may change causing the models built to fail. This paper argues that the practice of BA may be improved by performing retroductive analysis to identify these structures so that anticipatory action can be taken to avoid failure of the models

Using Realist Social Theory to Explain Project Outcomes

In researching IS phenomena, many different theoretical lenses have been advanced. This paper proposes the use of Margaret Archer’s Morphogenetic Approach to Analytical Dualism (MAAD) as a social theoretic approach to explain why social phenomena may occur in a case study. This paper provides a brief overview to MAAD, providing a brief description of its tenets and methodology for use in an empirical study. Then as an example, it applies MAAD to the well-known CONFIG case (Keil, 1995). This approach shows that the implementation failed due to the forces of the ideological structures on the project team. Further, it finds that the project escalated due to the prevailing corporate culture and credibility of the advocate. The project was de-escalated when the culture was changed and the advocate died. This example shows that the use of this social theory can provide explanatory purchase where social phenomena are involved

A Realist Conceptualization of the IT Artifact

The IT Artifact (ITA) has largely been implicitly conceptualized in IS research (Orlikowski and Iacono 2001). This paperproposes a theoretical conceptualization from a Critical Realist standpoint. First, it reviews the extant literature and identifiesgaps. The, it defines the IT artifact as an assemblage of IT hardware, software and networking equipment designed to extendhuman capabilities in processing symbols situated in a particular work system. Further, it proposes that the IT artifact beconsidered as a real technological entity with limited malleability and interpretive flexibility. Furthermore, it proposes thatthe ITA is a non-reflexive actor which can act as a tool, proxy or novelty (Collins and Kusch 1998) in relationship to people.Additional work needs to be performed develop a theory of how this social integration is achieved. Additional implicationsare drawn for research and practice

Conceptualizing the IT Artifact: Anon-Reflexive Actor

Orlikowski and Iacono (2001) issued a call for improved conceptualization of the IT artifact. This paper has responded to that call. After a review of three approaches to conceptualization of the IT artifact, it articulates a conception of the IT artifact as a non-reflexive actor. Based on Archer’s analytical dualist approach to social theory, it argues that IT artifacts need to be considered as actors, able to act independently of humans based on environmental characteristics to perform different tasks. They are non-reflexive in that they cannot consider their own actions and change their behavior. This conception has certain implications in how we approach artifacts. We to consider them as actors which certain skills and abilities and communication characteristics to bring to our business processes. For research purposes, we have to take a more sociological or anthropological approach to the study of these actors. For practical purposes, we need to build approaches analogical to those of human hiring practi to determine where and how to employ these actors

A Path Forward for Low Carbon Power from Biomass

The two major pathways for energy utilization from biomass are conversion to a liquid fuel (i.e., biofuels) or conversion to electricity (i.e., biopower). In the United States (US), biomass policy has focused on biofuels. However, this paper will investigate three options for biopower: low co-firing (co-firing scenarios refer to combusting a given percentage of biomass with coal) (5%–10% biomass), medium co-firing (15%–20% biomass), and dedicated biomass firing (100% biomass). We analyze the economic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions impact of each of these options, with and without CO[subscript 2] capture and storage (CCS). Our analysis shows that in the absence of land use change emissions, all biomass co-combustion scenarios result in a decrease in GHG emissions over coal generation alone. The two biggest barriers to biopower are concerns about carbon neutrality of biomass fuels and the high cost compared to today’s electricity prices. This paper recommends two policy actions. First, the need to define sustainability criteria and initiate a certification process so that biomass providers have a fixed set of guidelines to determine whether their feedstocks qualify as renewable energy sources. Second, the need for a consistent, predictable policy that provides the economic incentives to make biopower economically attractive

Use of Hirsch Index for Measuring the Impact of IS Academic Research and Journals

This study examines the use of journal rankings and a relatively new method of measuring impact of research as a surrogate of scholarly impact: the Hirsch Index (Hirsch 2005). Journal rankings are a very important exercise in academia since they impact tenure and promotion decisions. Current methods employed to rank journal influence are shown to be subjective. We propose that the Hirsch Index be adopted as a more objective journal ranking method. To demonstrate the results of using the Hirsch Index, it is applied to the “pure MIS” journals ranked by Rainer and Miller (2005). The authors find substantial differences between the scholar rankings and those obtained using the Hirsch index. This provides weak support for the current journal ranking system but also suggests that other factors are at play

Vegetation density as deduced from ERTS-1 MSS response

Reflectance from vegetation increases with increasing vegetation density in the 0.75- to 1.35 micron wavelength interval. Therefore, ERTS-1 bands 6 (0.7 to 0.8 micron) and 7 (0.8 to 1.1 micron) contain information that should relate to the probable yield of crops and the animal carrying capacity of rangeland. The results of an experiment designed specifically to test the relations among leaf area index (LAI), plant population, plant cover and plant height, and the ERTS-1 MSS responses for 3 corn, 10 sorghum, and 10 cotton fields are given. Plant population was as useful as LAI for characterizing the sorghum and corn fields, and plant height was as good as LAI for characterizing cotton fields. These findings generally support the utility of ERTS-1 data for explaining variability in green biomass, harvestable forage and other indicators of productivity

The University Pages Game: Gamified Use of the Linkedin Student & Alumni Tool to Enhance Student Understanding of the Role of Social Media in Building Social Capital

Like many other academic disciplines, gamified learning environments are increasing in IS education. Creating and using gamified learning experiences contributes to “flipped classrooms” and is widely viewed as a mechanism for increasing course engagement among millennial students. This paper describes the creation and use of a social media module for a MIS course that uses game elements to introduce students to LinkedIn’s Student and Alumni Tool and how it can be used to build social capital. Because LinkedIn Student & Alumni tool is relatively unknown among students, the social media module, which we call the University Pages Game, also provides instructors with a vehicle for illustrating precepts of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)