Historical Development of Research Methods in the Information Systems Discipline

In this article, we report on an investigation that integrated the results from twenty meta-studies on research methods asidentified by a thorough literature review. By conducting this investigation, we seek to reconstruct the historical developmentof research methods in the Information Systems (IS) discipline. Major results of the investigation are: Only the classicalempirical methods (survey, case study, laboratory experiment, and field experiment) have been the subject of intensivediscussion. Survey, case study, and laboratory experiment demonstrate an upward tendency in their historical developmentduring the past forty years (1968-2006), whereas the field experiment does not. The investigation reveals an average adoptionrate of 24 percent for the survey, 13 percent for the case study, 10 percent for the laboratory experiment, and 3 percent for thefield experiment. Finally, we have not observed radical methodological changes in the IS discipline. Key findings and theirimplications for the future development of the IS discipline are discussed

Measures for Quantitative Process-Tracing Methods

To know the decision strategy and the underlying information acquisition behavior of a person is essential for the design of computer programs that support managerial and consumer decision making. Both quantitative methods (e.g. computer-assisted process-tracing systems) and qualitative methods (e.g. verbal protocols) are used to investigate information acquisition behavior of managers and consumers, respectively, and to detect their decision strategies. This article presents measures that allow for the detection of important decision strategies—that is, one is able to distinguish decision strategies from each other. The presented measures are the methodological basis of widely used quantitative process-tracing methods such as computerized process-tracing (CPT) tools or eye-tracking systems. The article concludes that the measures and their application within CPT tools or eye-tracking systems constitute the basic foundation of an emerging research field called clickstream analysis, which is a method to investigate human decision processes by analyzing computer log files

NeuroIS: Hype or Hope?

This panel discusses the opportunities and challenges of applying cognitive neuroscience theories, methods, and tools to inform IS theories, methods, and data (termed “NeuroIS”). Given the ability of cognitive neuroscience to localize the functionality of brain areas that underlie higher-order human processes using functional neuroimaging tools, many social scientists in economics, psychology, and marketing use such tools to derive many interesting insights by opening the “black box” of the brain. Recently in the IS discipline, there have been some attempts to explore the potential of cognitive neuroscience for IS research (e.g., Dimoka, Pavlou, and Davis 2007). The purpose of this panel is to explore the potential of cognitive neuroscience and functional neuroimaging tools for IS research, and consistent with the theme of this year’s ICIS, suggest whether and how NeuroIS may help IS academics conduct IT research that really matters. This panel will host an intellectual debate on the opportunities and challenges of employing cognitive neuroscience and functional neuroimaging tools in IS research. The panelists come from different disciplines (Marketing, IS, Neuroscience), theories (technology adoption, IS economics, IT productivity, design science), and methods (behavioral/organizational, economics, technical), and they will discuss how IS theories and methods in their respective areas can be complemented by cognitive neuroscience theories and neuroimaging data. They will also debate the potential of physiological data for IS research, the pros and cons of functional neuroimaging tools, and whether NeuroIS can help IS researchers do research that they could not do with other means. The panel will have a broad appeal to IS researchers who may be interested in the potential of cognitive neuroscience for IS research but they are concerned about the challenges associated with using neuroimaging tools. The panel will debate whether NeuroIS can help IS researchers learn more than they already know, and whether, how, and when cognitive neuroscience will prove beneficial for IS research. The panel will also debate whether and how NeuroIS can contribute to IS research, whether and how the IS field can benefit by cognitive neuroscience theories, and what research questions could arise from using neuroimaging tools in IS research. The panel’s ultimate goal is to gauge whether NeuroIS is “hype or hope,” aiming to conclude whether NeuroIS could provide valuable opportunities for IS research, or whether the challenges associated with neuroimaging tools will impede their wide usage

Zur personellen Verankerung der IT-Funktion im Vorstand börsennotierter Unternehmen: Ergebnisse einer inhaltsanalytischen Betrachtung

Zur personellen Verankerung der IT-Funktion im Vorstand börsennotierter Unternehmen: Ergebnisse einer inhaltsanalytischen Betrachtung: In diesem Artikel wird über eine Inhaltsanalyse berichtet, deren Ziel es ist, Aussagen über den Grad der personellen Verankerung der IT-Funktion (kurz: IT) im Vorstand börsennotierter Unternehmen im deutschen Sprachraum zu machen. Zudem wurde der Zusammenhang von sechs inhaltsanalytisch erfassbaren Faktoren mit der IT-Verankerung bestimmt. Insgesamt wurden 679 Geschäftsberichte von börsennotierten Unternehmen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz analysiert. In Deutschland und der Schweiz ist die IT jeweils in 26 Prozent der untersuchten Unternehmen auf Vorstandsebene verankert und in Österreich in 23 Prozent der Unternehmen. Ein weiteres zentrales Ergebnis ist, dass Umsatz sowie Mitarbeiteranzahl einen hohen positiven Zusammenhang mit der IT-Verankerung aufweisen. Zudem gibt es zwischen der Branche und der personellen Verankerung der IT auf Vorstandsebene einen Zusammenhang.Interne Organisation & Information Servic

The Influence of Context-based Complexity in CBC Choice Tasks

Pfeiffer J, Meißner M, Brandstätter E, Riedl R, Rothlauf F. The Influence of Context-based Complexity in CBC Choice Tasks. Universität Mainz; 2012

Solution-processed tin oxide-PEDOT:PSS interconnecting layers for efficient inverted and conventional tandem polymer solar cells

Tin oxide nanoparticles are employed as an electron transporting layer in solution‐processed polymer solar cells. Tin oxide based devices yield excellent performance and can interchangeably be used in conventional and inverted device configurations. In combination with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as a hole transporting layer, tin oxide forms an effective interconnecting layer (ICL) for tandem solar cells. Conventional and inverted tandem cells with this ICL provide efficiencies up to 10.4% in good agreement with optical‐electrical modeling simulations. The critical advantage of tin oxide in an ICL in a conventional tandem structure over the commonly used zinc oxide is that the latter requires the use of a pH‐neutral formulation of PEDOT:PSS to fabricate the ICL, limiting the open‐circuit voltage (VOC) because of its low work function. The SnO2/PEDOT:PSS ICL, on the other hand, provides a nearly loss‐free VOC