Does pedagogy make a difference?: An experimental study of unethical behavior in information systems

Jn the past few years ethics education has received increasing attention from the business and academic communities. Many have instituted pedagogical programs for increasing awareness of ethical issues, ethical norms and codes of conduct in different professions. It appears that both researchers and practitioners are in agreement about the need for providing adequate ethics education to managers (13, 20, 9). This has become especially important in the context of the information systems (IS) discipline. Proliferation of information and communication technologies has raised many questions on what constitutes ethical managerial behavior. Researchers have reported that the existence of a computer-based information system in the context of an ethical dilemma appears to influence the ethical decision-making process differently than in non-IS related tasks (17, 22)

A Study of K-12 Classroom Teachers\u27 Concerns and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Implementing Inclusive Teaching Practices to Instruct Students with Disabilities

Research over the past decade suggests teachers have low instructional self-efficacy/confidence and more concerns about implementing inclusive teaching practices. This quantitative correlational study explored whether reported concerns and demographic variables (gender, age, education, and years of teaching experience) predicts teachers’ instructional self-efficacy with students with disabilities. The Concerns about Inclusive Education and the Teachers’ Efficacy in Implementing Inclusive Practices scales were administered to 123 K-12 classroom teachers in Georgia. Data were subjected to hierarchical linear multiple regression to examine whether systematically adding select demographic variables and teachers’ concern scores to the overall model significantly improved the model’s ability to predict teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing inclusive instruction. Analysis revealed a nonsignificant predictive relationship between all the demographic variables and self-efficacy, where these predictors accounted for only 2.9% of the variance with the criterion variable. A significant inverse relationship was found between the concern predictor and self-efficacy variables (β = -0.414. t = -4.58, p \u3c .001) with the concern variable accounting for an additional 15.80% of variance with self-efficacy, p = .009, R2 = 0.216. Results suggest gender, age, educational qualification, and years of teaching experience contribute scant explanatory power to teachers’ reported self-efficacy in implementing inclusive education. However, teachers’ concerns about inclusive education offer some meaningful explanation about their instructional self-efficacy with students with disabilities. Future research studies need to replicate this study on a different sample population region, using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed research methods to understand better teachers’ concerns and their PSE in implementing inclusive teaching practices to instruct students with disabilities

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES ON TRUST IN VIRTUAL TEAMS

Purpose – In an environment of constant technological change, the use of virtual teams has become commonplace for many organizations. Virtual teams (VTs) bring together dispersed individuals with varying knowledge and skill sets to accomplish tasks. VTs rely heavily on information technology as the medium for communication and coordination of work. The issue of establishing and maintaining trust in VTs poses challenges for these dispersed workers. Previous research has established that higher trusting teams have better cooperation and experience improved outcomes. We hope to contribute to the literature on trust in VTs by exploring how technology can facilitate high trusting teams. Specifically, this paper reports the results of our research addressing the following questions: How does the use of technology capabilities afforded by virtual worlds affect the development of trust in virtual teams? Design/methodology/approach: We employed a multiple case study research design. Each case spanned a two-week period allowing for longitudinal data collection. Findings: We found that communication, rendering, and interaction technology capabilities allowed participants to use the technology to assess individual capabilities. While this paper answers some questions about how technology capabilities can help develop trust in VTs, it also raises many questions. This study offers a model and framework for further work on this topic and encourages researchers to investigate other social and behavioral issues faced by VTs in a virtual world setting. Originality/value: – This paper offers practical implications for developing trust in VTs, specifically, how the use of information technology capabilities can facilitate trust development. Our goal was not to recommend a specific technology platform, but rather explore how unique technology capabilities impact behaviors in VTs. The study identified interesting findings relating to how people use technology on a team. These findings may be used to help develop guidelines and recommendations for using technology to enhance work practices in VTs

An Empirical Analysis of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Implementation Benefits in Kentucky Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Some Implications for New IT Implementation

This paper reports that the benefits accrued from implementing and integrating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can be conceptualized into two factors. First, firms derive operational/tactical benefits by predominantly focusing on increasing internal utility of this technology. Second, firms derive strategic benefits from EDI in the form of better external relationships and alliances with trading partners and an enhanced ability to compete in their market. Among other significant findings, there are clear indications from the correlation statistics reported here that experience with EDI, industrial category of a firm and the level of ED! integral ton have a significant influence on the ability of a firm to obtain long-term (strategic) benefits from such IT projects. These results also have significant implications for SME managers/stakeholders considering new interorganizational IT initiatives

Interrogating Race and Place-Based Inequities in HIV and COVID-19

Over the last four years, I have developed a research focus examining the intersections of race, place, and health. My M.D. Honors Thesis reflects a snapshot of these efforts. In this collection of brief research reports, I leverage area-based measures to investigate structural inequities in three contexts: the HIV epidemic in our hyperlocal community, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and clinical trials for novel COVID-19 therapeutics. I apply novel social epidemiologic tools to measure and explore disparate outcomes. And, in reflecting upon my findings, I discuss concrete implications for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers alike. Chapter 1: Neighborhood-Level Deprivation and Racial Inequities in HIV Viral SuppressionHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a treatable chronic disease. Yet, geographic and racial inequities across the HIV care continuum are persistent, even in the U.S. Midwest. Using the Area Deprivation Index, a novel measure of neighborhood-level disadvantage, I showed that Black-White disparities in HIV viral suppression among our clinic population are explained by neighborhood deprivation. Our findings highlighted how structural racism, through longstanding place-based disinvestment, directly contributes to disparate HIV outcomes. Chapter 2: County-Level Social Vulnerability and COVID-19 Cases & DeathsWhile it is now widely recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an outsized impact on marginalized and minoritized communities, the pandemic’s inequitable trajectory was not as obvious during the early stages. Leveraging publicly available data as of mid-April 2020 and the validated CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index, I showed how greater prevalence of population-level characteristics like racial/ethnic minority status, limited English proficiency, poverty, unemployment, crowded housing, and poor transportation access are directly associated with disease incidence and death. Our findings informed risk prioritization efforts across the country and offer an evidence-based framework for allocation of scarce resources. Chapter 3: Census Tract-Level Inequities in Access to COVID-19 Therapeutic TrialsGeography is a key determinant of access to health care yet is often unexplored as a determinant of clinical trial enrollment. Using publicly available data from ClinicalTrials.gov, I geocoded the locations of 2,095 COVID-19 biomedical trial sites and calculated the driving distance from each U.S. Census tract center of population to the nearest site. I identified that nearly one-third of the overall US population, over one-half of the Native American population, and over three-fourths of the rural population lived more than an hour away from the nearest trial site. Of further concern, Black and Hispanic populations lived closer to trial sites than other populations, yet several studies highlighted the underrepresentation of these populations in major COVID-19 trials. Our findings demonstrated that geographic accessibility alone may not improve representative trial enrollment in the absence of additional structural interventions. If interested in citing this work, please consider referencing one or more of the following peer-reviewed publications relevant to the content herein. The manuscripts published which directly represent the content of this honors thesis include references 1-4, whereas, the subsequent citations include related works which were cited but not directly discussed in this thesis. 1. Khazanchi R, Sayles H, Bares SH, Swindells S, Marcelin JR. Neighborhood Deprivation and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in HIV Viral Suppression: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study in the U.S. Midwest. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;72(10):e642-e645. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa1254 2. Khazanchi R, Beiter ER, Gondi S, Beckman AL, Bilinski A, Ganguli I. County-Level Association of Social Vulnerability with COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the USA. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(9):2784-2787. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-05882-3 3. Khazanchi R, Beiter ER, Ganguli I. Methodological Considerations for Modeling Social Vulnerability and COVID-19 Risk—Response to Nayak et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(4):1115-1116. doi:10.1007/s11606-021-06601-2 4. Khazanchi R, Powers SD, Rogawski McQuade ET, McManus KA. Inequities in the Geographic Accessibility of COVID-19 Biomedical Therapeutic Trials in the United States. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(11):3650-3653. doi:10.1007/s11606-021-07081-0 5. Chen J, Khazanchi R, Bearman G, Marcelin JR. Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Healthcare-associated Infections Under the Shadow of Structural Racism: Narrative Review and Call to Action. Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2021;23(10):17. doi:10.1007/s11908-021-00758-x 6. Khazanchi R, Evans CT, Marcelin JR. Racism, Not Race, Drives Inequity Across the COVID-19 Continuum. JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(9):e2019933. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19933 7. Khazanchi R, Winkelman TNA, Pandita D, Jelinek R, Shearer RD, Bodurtha PJ. Patient Characteristics and Subsequent Health Care Use by Location of SARS-CoV-2 Testing Initiation in a Safety-Net Health System. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2112857. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.12857 8. Khazanchi R, Crittenden F, Heffron AS, Cleveland Manchanda EC, Sivashanker K, Maybank A. Beyond Declarative Advocacy: Moving Organized Medicine And Policy Makers From Position Statements To Anti-Racist Praxis. Health Affairs Forefront. Published February 25, 2021. Accessed February 26, 2021. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210219.107221/full/ 9. Tsai J, Cerdeña JP, Khazanchi R, et al. There is no “African American physiology”: The fallacy of racial essentialism. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2020;288(3):368-370. doi:10.1111/joim.13153 10. Khazanchi R. On Student Advocacy, Syndemics, & Structural Racism. The Advocate: Nebraska Medical Association’s Magazine. 2020;20(3):14-15, 22-23. 11. Thakore N, Khazanchi R, Orav EJ, Ganguli I. Association of social vulnerability, COVID-19 vaccine site density, and vaccination rates in the United States. Healthcare. 2021;9(4):100583. doi:10.1016/j.hjdsi.2021.100583 12. Khazanchi R, Marcelin J, Abdul-Mutakkabir J, Essien U. Race, Racism, Civil Rights Law, And The Equitable Allocation Of Scarce COVID-19 Treatments. Health Affairs Forefront. Published February 10, 2022. Accessed February 26, 2022. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20220208.453850https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/emet_posters/1029/thumbnail.jp

Investigating Localization and Activity-Dependent Translation of Astrocyte mRNA

Over the past two and a half years, I have studied fundamental aspects of astrocyte biology by investigating the existence and mechanism of astrocyte local translation peripherally around tripartite synapses consisting of pre- and post-synaptic neuron terminals and an associated astrocyte. Astrocytes are critical components of central nervous system synapses (which are predominately tripartite in nature); thus, it is important to consider how astrocyte dysregulation and dysfunction could contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases of synaptic connectivity such as autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, seizure disorders, and more. Overall, my projects involved the development of novel methods to identify astrocyte-specific mRNA targets and to visualize and measure local translation

Understanding and measuring corporate IS sophistication: An exploratory investigation using ground theory

This paper describes the results of an exploratory study that culminated in the development of a set of theoretical dimensions for “Corporate IS Sophistication”. These indicators were developed utilizing grounded theory to analyze archival corporate data and data from in-depth interviews with functional IT executives in two Norwegian and one North American firm

Information Technology (IT) Appropriateness: The Contingency Theory of “Fit” and IT Implementation in Small and Medium Enterprises

There is little doubt that advanced information and communication technologies (IT) arc changing the way businesses operate and conduct commerce. As the advent of a more secure Internet and new transmission standards makes it easier and cheaper for businesses to conduct inter-organizational commerce, it is incumbent upon SME managers to assess whether implementing new technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) over the Internet, XML or web-based e-commerce is the right thing to do for their organizations. The key question implicit in this decision is addressed in this paper: Under what conditions should businesses consider themselves likely candidates for (new) IT implementation? Using the structural contingency theory of fit as a foundation for this research, this paper reports the development of the notion of IT appropriateness and its determinants. This is followed by an analysis of the relationship between IT appropriateness factors and accrued benefits from IT implementation. Data collected from a survey of small businesses revealed that there are four critical factors that must be assessed by businesses to determine if they are likely candidates for IT (for this study, the particular technology in question was EDI) implementation. These factors are the internal/external business & technological environment, organizational readiness and trading partner support, financial impact and workflow productivity. The resulting factors are conceptually consistent with the notions established in the systems perspective to the structural contingency theory of fit. The results of this exploratory study demonstrate that IT appropriateness is a robust and valid construct and is a good mechanism for understanding the factors of organization-technology fit that impact organizational performance in terms

Whither EDI? An Analysis of Emerging Trends in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Use in Kentucky Small- to Medium-Sized Enterprises

In this era of Internet Commerce, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) continues to be an important technology for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For new adopters, it has never been more important to understand the nature of EDI use in the current business environment and the possibilities for the future. Based on a research study conducted on the experience of SMEs in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, this article describes some key survey findings that are potential indicators of emerging trends in the use of EDI within small firms. Included in the following discussion are answers to the following questions. Why do SMEs adopt EDI? What kind of support do they get from larger trading partners? What benefits have SMEs obtained from this technology so far? How many trading partners will be added? What types of EDI transactions will be added? What has been the growth in document volume for SMEs? What is the future potential? What kinds of alternative to traditional EDI are being considered? Are SMEs using (or plan on using) EDI for international trade