SLIS faculty members Noriko Hara, Pnina Shachaf, and Howard Rosenbaum, along with MLS student Sara Horowitz and Mass Communications-Telecommunications doctoral student Venkata Ratnadeep Suri, presented at the Twelfth Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) in Acapulco, Mexico, August 4-6, 2006. The conference theme was Connecting the Americas. (Abstracts are included below.)
Shachaf and Horowitz presented "Beneath the Wires: E-services Equality"— research on virtual reference services discrimination. Shachaf and Hara discussed their behavioral complexity theory on media selection ("Media Selection Theory for Global Virtual Teams"). Ratnadeep Suri and Hara presented their work on an alternative framework for Information Systems for Rural Development from their research paper "Community Information Capacity Building through Information Systems - A Conceptual Framework Based on Case Studies from India."
Rosenbaum and Elisabeth Davenport of Napier University, Scotland (and SLIS Visiting Scholar) presented "Why the Context Matters: A Social Informatics Approach to the Problem of Interdependence in Information Systems Research." The research paper examines the connection between information and communication technology use on the micro level and organizations, institutions, and social structures on the macro level.
In addition to his presentation, Rosenbaum chaired the conference session "Social Theory in Information Research II." He also co-chaired with J.P. Allen of the University of San Francisco the mini-track session "Social Theory in Information Systems Research: Emerging Issues, Conceptual Advances and Empirical Findings (STIR '06)." The session was designed to "critically examine the constitution of information and communications technologies, and their role in organizations and society"(AMCIS website).
Abstract —
Why the Context Matters: A Social Informatics Approach to the Problem of Interdependence in Information Systems Research
Throughout the social sciences, theorists have grappled with the problem of interdependence; what is the connection between the social world of individuals, groups and their interactions, and that of complex organizations, institutions, and social structures? This problem is still being investigated in sociology, where is it called by some the "micro-macro" problem and by others problem of the relationship between agency and structure. What ever it is called, the problem of interdependence is a serious theoretical challenge. This paper argues that as an unintended consequence of the social turn in information systems research, the problem can be expected to arise and without useful conceptual tools, much intellectual capital will be spent thinking it through. It offers a concept from social informatics Kling et al.'s (2003) "sociotechnical interaction network" (STIN), as a way to resolve the problem by offering a link between the micro order of information and communication technology use and the larger macro order of organizations and institutions. Extended by incorporating insights from Dourish's (2004) interactional view of context and Scheff's (2005) interpretation of Goffman's concept of frames, STIN is useful for providing a connection between the macro and micro orders.
Rosenbaum, H. & Davenport, E. (2006). Why the Context Matters: A Social Informatics Approach to the Problem of Interdependence in Information Systems Research. Proceedings of the Twelfth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Acapulco, Mexico, August 4-6, 2006.
Abstract —
Beneath the Wires: E-services Equality
Are e-services to different ethnic groups equal? Although extensive research has been conducted on racial and ethnic bias, little research has been conducted on discrimination in the online setting. Title II of the Civil Rights Act states that service providers should not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, or national origin, yet it is possible that e-services are biased. Providing services to diverse user groups over the internet may increase, eliminate, or decrease such bias. This experimental study examines virtual reference services to determine whether services are equal. E-services received queries that differed only by the user's name; these names represent to most Americans a specific ethnic group. Findings indicate lower quality of e-services provided to Arabs and African-Americans compared with Caucasian users. This study adds to the knowledge base of subjective bias in virtual environments.
Shachaf, P., & Horowitz, S. (2006). Beneath the wires: E-service equality. Proceedings of the Twelfth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Acapulco, Mexico, August 4-6, 2006.
Abstract —
Media Selection Theory for Global Virtual Teams
This study proposes a behavioral complexity theory for media selection in global virtual teams. This theory captures multiple contingencies into one holistic approach. Unlike existing linear and mechanistic theories of media selection, this heuristic theory moves away from the universal models that were previously proposed. The behavioral complexity theory assumes ambiguity, complexity, and a nonlinear, organic, and holistic process. This theory emphasizes the role of media repertoire, the ability of individuals to differentiate situations according to multiple contingencies, and their flexibility to effectively use multiple media in any particular situation. This theory is examined in a context of exploratory case study of global virtual teams' media selection in one of the leading fortune 500 corporations.
Shachaf, P., & Hara, N. (2006). Media selection theory for global virtual teams. Proceedings of the Twelfth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Acapulco, Mexico, August 4-6, 2006.
Abstract —
Community Information Capacity Building through Information Systems - A Conceptual Framework Based on Case Studies from India
The strategy of providing access to Internet through kiosks for fostering socio-economic growth in rural areas in developing countries is receiving increasing attention. However, results from case studies have shown that context-related factors and inadequate supporting infrastructure tend to limit the potential of such development strategies. We propose an alternative conceptual framework for designing and deploying Information Systems for Rural Development (IS for RD) in developing countries, with the objective of cultivating each involved community's "capacity building" (Skinner, 1997). This framework emphasizes a bottom-up approach to IS system-centered development strategies. We identify two important factors that can contribute to the successful assimilation of ISs in a rural social context scenario for information "capacity building". Finally using a number of IS for RD development projects from India and other developing countries, we highlight how the conceptual framework can be operationalized.
Ratnadeep Suri, V. & Hara, N. (2006). Community Information Capacity Building through Information Systems - A Conceptual Framework Based on Case Studies from India. Proceedings of the Twelfth Americas Conference on Information Systems, Acapulco, Mexico, August 4-6, 2006.
Posted August 03, 2006