Ariav, Gad

Clifford, James

Croker, Albert

Ginzberg, Michael J.

Jarke, Matthias

Laudon, Kenneth C.

Lucas, Henry C., Jr.

Olson, Margrethe H.

Reitman, Walter

Stohr, Edward A.

Turner, Jon A.

Uretsky, Myron

Vassiliou, Yannis

White, Norman

DSpace at New York University

A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH 
TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH 
Gad Ariav 
James Clifford 
Albert Croker 
Michael J. Ginzberg 
Matthias Jarke 
Kenneth C. Laudon 
Henry C. Lucas, Jr. 
Margrethe H. Olson 
Walter Reitman 
Edward A. Stohr 
Jon A. Turner 
Myron Uretsky 
Yannis Vassiliou 
Norman White 
October 1983 
Center for Research on Information Systems 
Computer Applications and Information Systems Area 
Graduate School of Business Administration 
New York University 
Working Paper Series 
CRIS #61 
GBA #83-108(~~) 
Presented by Professor Henry C. Lucas, Jr., at the 75th Anniversary 
Harvard Colloquim, Fall 1983. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83- 108 
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH 
The development of computer-based information systems has had a 
dramatic impact on business during the last three decades. The 
government estimates that half of all U.S. workers are in the 
"knowledge industryn; their jobs involve significant information 
processing. While the study of information systems is often considered 
an applied field, it is more of an underlying management discipline. 
Managers, no matter what their specialty, process information, make 
decisions and take action. In a business school, finance, marketing, 
economics, production and most other areas all share a common bond of 
information processing. 
UNDERLYING DISCIPLINES 
The field of information systems extends across a number of areas 
and systems research must encompass topics ranging from organization and 
management to applied mathematics. NYU has based its research program 
on three underlying disciplines: 
Behavioral Science - questions of how organizations are structured 
and managed, the flow of information, individual perceptions, 
decision making and the behavior of individuals, groups and organ- 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 2 
izations, and the use of information and systems. 
Computer Science - especially database design and formal systems 
for describing and representing knowledge; issues in the design 
and performance of combinations of hardware and software; the 
development and integration of different aspects of technology. 
Applied Mathematics - approaches to the optimization of decision 
problems, particularly decisions supported by computer-based 
applications; also the optimization of aspects of information 
systems and systems development. 
MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH 
Given the broad nature of the information systems field and the 
presence of diverse areas of expertise, a natural strategy for the 
Center for Research on Information Systems at NYU is multidisciplinary 
research at the leading edge - of information processing. The variety of 
faculty interests and the nature of research in the field mean that 
applied research projects are multidisciplinary in nature. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Database 
Databases are a fundamental component of an information system. To 
a large extent, data structures make possible the kind of computer-based 
systems in use today, from decision support to transactions processing 
applications. The study of database systems and their technology 
represents a point of intersection between the information systems field 
and the traditional discipline of computer science. 
Database applications may be found in operating systems, query 
processing, decision support and artificial intelligence, Each of these 
areas involves the processing of information and database research 
provides guidelines for representing the required data. 
Artificial Intelligence 
The artificial intelligence (AI) field provides a different way of 
thinking about computers and information processing, A1 research is 
concerned with the representation and processing of knowledge as opposed 
to more traditional numerical processing. 
Artificial intelligence techniques offer promise in three areas. 
First, there is significant interest in expert or rule-based systems. 
The knowledge and rules of thumb of an expert are represented in a 
computer; less expert users can draw on the knowledge in the computer 
to improve their decisions. 
A second application concern is natural languages; a good example 
is the use of natural language as opposed to a restricted, structured 
query language to store and retrieve data from a database. As a third 
option, the power of artificial intelligence can be used to expand the 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
Working Paper IS-83-108 
Page 4 
range of decision support systems. The user must, with current 
technology, specify the alternatives to be assessed. An intelligent DSS 
might be able to develop a small set of good alternatives and evaluate 
them for the decision maker. 
Implementation 
There is no consensus on what makes a system a success, Various 
criteria are used for this purpose including ROI, cost savings, extent 
to which original goals are met, and system use. The question of 
success is directly related to determining the organization's return on 
its investment in information processing. 
Implementation research attempts to determine what factors and 
approaches are most likely to lead to successful systems. How should 
the analyst work with the user? What is the role of senior management 
in planning and controlling information processing? 
Impact of Computers 
For two decades researchers and managers have speculated about the 
changes that would occur in job content, working life quality and 
employment when computers were used extensively. While middle and upper 
level managers usually have the option whether or not to use a computer 
system, lower level workers frequently are not given this choice - the 
use of applications is mandated. 
The impact of forced use of a system is of great interest; it is 
also important to encourage the use of voluntary computer applications. 
From the clerical worker to the professional working at home with a 
terminal or microcomputer, managers and the information processing 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 5 
industry need to understand the impact of computers. 
Related to impact research is the study of management control over 
information processing. How do firms take advantage of technology to 
gain a competitive edge? How should senior management evaluate 
information processing? 
Summary 
Figure 1 describes the relationship between disciplines and applied 
research projects at the Center for Information Systems Research at NYU. 
EXAMPLES 
Database 
1. An important factor for the successful application of 
artificial intelligence in a business environment may be how well A1 
applications integrate with database systems and mathematical models. A 
major objective of an expert systems project at NYU is the exploration 
of combined use of a database management system and expert system for a 
business application. The large body of facts usually required in 
business applications can be made available to the expert system through 
a commercial DBMS. In addition, the DBMS itself can be used more 
intelligently and operated more efficiently if enhanced with expert 
systems technology. 
NYU is investigating the technical and theoretical problems 'of 
successful cooperation between database and expert systems. A large 
relational database system and a mathematical logic approach to expert 
systems are the research tools. The inherent similarities betweeen the 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School o f  Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83- 108 
Page 5a 
Applied 
Research 
Database 
A r t i f i c i a l  
I n t e l l i g e n c e  
UNDERLYING DISCIPLINES AND APPLIED RESEARCH 
Implement a t  ion 
Impact of 
Computers 
Behavioral 
Science 
FIGURE 1 
Computer 
Science 
Applied 
Mathematics 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 6 
relational model of data and predicate logic should ease the task of 
coupling systems with substantial differences in basic philosophy and 
orientation. 
2. The Advanced Language Project, currently in its final stages, 
is an excellent example of a multidisciplinary study. The purpose of 
this research is to compare and contrast a restricted natural query 
language with a structured language for retrieval from databases. 
The researchers developed a database application for alumni records 
in the Business School. The application became the focus of field and 
laboratory research to evaluate the two query languages, both of which 
process retrievals against the same relational database system. The 
project draws on expertise in computer science, systems analysis and 
design, database technology and experimental and field research. 
3. One research effort involves investigation of techniques for 
organizing data so as to accurately reflect its semantics, That is, the 
meaning of the individual data items and the relationships which exist 
among data items are clearly specified. A related research effort 
involves an investigation of how to maximize the number of users that 
can simultaneously and safely access the same database. "Safely" 
implies that users do not interact with each other in such a way as to 
produce incorrect results. This area of research is known as 
concurrency theory and has applications both with centralized and 
distributed databases. By basing concurrency control techniques on the 
semantics of the data, it should be possible to further increase the 
number of concurrent users of a database. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
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4, The sense of time plays a central role in many management 
functions, yet it is rarely reflected in the ways computer-based 
information systems view these activities. A number of faculty members 
in the Center are currently working on developing a basis for the 
explicit treatment of time in computerized information systems and 
designing tools that address the unique temporal needs of these 
applications. 
The current thrust of the effort aims at extensions to the 
generalized DBMS that will support the automatic generation of 
three-dimensional "data landscapes," The imaginary depth of the 
pictorial output corresponds to the time dimension, and retrieved events 
that happened earlier are shown farther "inside." This project involves 
new options in interfacing with databases and novel concepts for 
manhachine interaction like direct manipulation interfaces. 
Expert Systems 
The Center is currently engaged in a major project on expert 
systems. The study consists of two major parts; the interface of a 
large database management system and an artificial intelligence 
language, and the development of a prototype business application. As 
described above in the database section, various strategies for coupling 
the database to the A1 language are under study. When the interface has 
been completed, a tool will exist for building expert systems. Most 
current A f  systems do not need extensive access to large and complex 
data structures, yet many business problems have exactly these kinds of 
data requirements. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
\Vorking Paper IS-83-108 
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The business application is currently being evaluated, though the 
leading candidate is a system for custom tailoring life insurance 
policies. A potential insurance customer has a variety of needs and 
personal situations vary widely among customers. It would be 
prohibitively expensive to develop a custom policy for each customer 
using existing underwriting and actuarial personnel. However, an expert 
system that captured the knowledge of these professionals could develop 
uniquely tailored policies. Such a system needs access to a large 
amount of data on individuals and insurance products as well as 
computational capabilities for actuarial analyses. 
Implementation 
1. A project is underway to develop a general model of system 
implementation and to test that model in a specific setting. The 
general model attempts to synthesize the findings of a decade of 
research on the implementation of information systems and management 
science models into a unified model applicable to a wide range of 
systems and settings. 
The system in the study supports the decisions of a large number of 
product planners. These individuals have access to extensive 
company-maintained databases; in addition, users can create private 
files for analysis. There are some 600 users of the system, though 
probably ten times that number could benefit from it. An extension of 
the present study will focus on nonusers to determine why they have not 
adopted the system. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 9 
2. One answer to the increasing backlog of requests for new 
applications is the use of software packages. A package includes 
program code that has been written and tested by the vendor; often 
these packages have been in use in a number of sites and are well 
debugged. 
The implementation of a package can be a difficult task, The 
software frequently has to be modified and/or the organization must 
change its procedures. Many packages are quite complex making it 
difficult for users to fully understand their capabilities and 
limitations. 
A Center project involves testing a model of the implementation 
process for software packages. The packages involved in the research 
deal with job accounting for small manufacturing firms and production 
planning for large firms. The results of the research should provide a 
better understanding of the implementation of this kind of software and 
guidelines for organizations contemplating the acquisition of a package. 
The Impact of Computers 
-
1. The purpose of this research is to determine how jobs are 
changed when they are performed using computer systems. The first 
question is to determine whether there are systematic differences among 
workersf jobs based on the extent of their computer usage. The next 
issue is understanding how jobs are changed. A micro-task model that 
relates performance and work life quality to the task environment of 
workers and to the form and degree of application system use explains 
changes in job content. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 10 
The first study of some 1500 mortgage loan servicing workers in 80 
mutual savings banks indicated that workers making more intense use of 
computer systems had poorer jobs than workers using computers less. Job 
quality was related to the characteristics of the system, A second 
study of some 650 claims processing clerks in 30 Social Security offices 
showed an interrelationship between task and the application system. 
A theory of software ergonomics has been developed to provide the 
conceptual basis for understanding how computer applications affect the 
task content of work. The model shows relationships between factors in 
system design and their likely consequences. The model leads to the 
identification of strategies for the division of labor between a 
computer application and its operators. 
2. Computer equipment and communications capabilities make it 
possible to design new work environments. There is an increasing 
tendency for individuals to deviate from traditional places and time for 
work. Many workers who currently do not spend much time at an office do 
so because they have little choice but to work from their homes as they 
often have primary child care responsibilities. It is likely that large 
numbers of individuals will have the option to work at home at least 
some percentage of their time as the technology becomes less expensive 
and more pervasive. 
A study at the Center seeks to evaluate the impact of work at home. 
What are the likely consequences for the employer? For the employee? 
How does the organization supervise and manage large numbers of 
individuals who infrequently come to a central office location? The 
technology should make it possible to increase productivity and include 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 1 1  
a skilled group of workers in the economy. The challenge is to create 
appropriate management techniques for organizing remote work. 
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Each individual research area and study in the Center has a 
particular focus. One common theme in all of the research is the 
implications of the results for management. Managers must plan for 
information processsing and monitor the execution of their plans. They 
must provide resources and participate in key decisions about 
applications and technology. In most organizations, information 
processing is one of the least understood and most poorly managed areas 
of the firm. 
Researchers at the NYU Center for Research on Information Systems 
attempt to draw conclusions from their research to help managers improve 
the effectiveness of information processing and to feel comfortable with 
their role in this activity. Through seminars, teaching programs and 
publications aimed at managers, the faculty presents key issues and 
recommendations for management in areas ranging from planning and 
control for information processing to systems analysis and design. 
In the final analysis the action or inaction of managers will 
determine the kind of information processing the organization enjoys. 
Researchers in the area need to provide guidance for management if the 
potential benefits of information processing are to be achieved. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 
Page 12 
SUMMARY 
Academically, information systems is still an emerging field. The 
dramatic reduction in hardware costs and proliferation of computers and 
their associated software will continue, trends which add impetus to 
research efforts in information processing. 
Computer-based information systems represent a revolutionary change 
for business. Because these systems are so pervasive and have the 
potential to make a significant contribution to the organization, 
courses and research on information systems in business schools are of 
vital importance. Firms that manage information processing technology 
well in the next decade will have a major competitive advantage. 
NYU has assembled a faculty with diverse interests and expertise. 
The nature of the field allows this group to coalesce around specific 
applied research projects that are highly relevant to today's 
organization. It is through this multidisciplinary approach to 
information systems research that a major contribution can be made to 
advancing the state-of-the-art. 
Center for Digital Economy Research 
Stem School of Business 
IVorking Paper IS-83-108 


A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH

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A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH

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