[AISWorld] CfP: ECIS 2015 - Track "Advancing Theories and Theorizing in IS Research"

[Nils Urbach]

(Apologies for cross-postings of this announcement.)

 

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CALL FOR PAPERS

 

23rd European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2015)

 

Track: Advancing Theories and Theorizing in IS Research

(http://ecis2015.eu/files/tracks/19AdvancingTheoriesandTheorizinginISResearc
h.pdf)

 

May 27-29, 2015, Münster, Germany (http://ecis2015.eu/)

 

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TRACK CHAIRS

 

Dorothy E. Leidner, Baylor University, Texas, USA,
dorothy_leidner at baylor.edu

Benjamin Mueller, University of Groningen, The Netherlands, b.mueller at rug.nl
(Corresponding track chair)

Nils Urbach, University of Bayreuth, Germany, nils.urbach at uni-bayreuth.de

 

 

DESCRIPTION

 

The generation of knowledge from data can likely be seen as one of the key
contributions of any science. Consequently, scholars like Whetten (1989),
Steinfield and Fulk (1990), and Blalock (1969) have emphasized the
centrality of theories for any scientific endeavor – a thought widely
reflected in many disciplines from natural to social sciences (Atmanspacher
2007). While this attention to theoretical work has been at the heart of the
IS discipline for a long time (cf. Keen 1980), we believe that advanced
theorizing in an increasingly networked society calls for a dedicated
discussion on the evolution of existing methodological and conceptual
approaches to theorizing. Particularly the growing connection of individuals
and groups with other people and organizations forces us to pay attention to
complexity and contingencies that create opportunities and challenges for
the careful development of new theories. 

 

Recently we have seen some of our reference disciplines turn towards
reviving their own examination of theories and theoretical work and their
role in producing high quality scholarly contributions (e.g., in management
research). It is this rekindled interest that leads us to suggest that the
IS discipline, too, should intensify its discussion of theory and theorizing
above and beyond such landmark papers as Gregor's (2006) influential piece
on the role of theory in IS research, Urquhart et al.'s (2010) guidelines
for theory building, Weber's (2012) treatment of quality of theories and
theorizing, or Straub's (2012) discussion on native IS theories.

 

This track is targeted towards picking up this debate. It provides a
platform for the discussion and development of new approaches to theorizing
as well as new methods to inform this theorizing. We also want to engage in
a differentiated discussion on the nature and role of our theorizing in our
discipline in order to advance our understanding of the "networked society."


 

We seek submissions that are innovative, novel, and significant in terms of
advancing our discipline's ability to theorize phenomena in the networked
society. We place particular emphasis on a submission's ability to highlight
how it helps us as a discipline to better describe, explain, predict, and
design these phenomena. The latter requires special considerations.
Following the classic work of Simon (1981), artifacts have an inside and
outside view and we encourage specific consideration of both. In
methodological contributions, we encourage potential authors to elaborate on
what in the phenomena we study can now be captured better and how and why
the method suggested is able to do that. Authors of methodological pieces
are encouraged to carefully reflect on issues of epistemology in their work.
In theoretical pieces, we will look not only for novel ideas, but also for a
careful integration with what is known already and how and why the new
contribution advances existing nomological nets.

 

 

TOPICS OF INTEREST

 

Conceptual advances in theories for IS research

* New theories on phenomena of the networked society

* Significant advances or critiques of existing theories (e.g., innovative
or substantially improved construct conceptualizations or meaningful
extensions through additional constructs)

* Exploration of multi-level aspects extending existing theories

* Integration / synthesis of existing theories

* Detailed application of existing theories to inform design and action
(e.g., formal verification, design theories, as well as exploring the
interaction between technology artifact and humans)

* Reflections on theories-in-practice and what we can learn from their
application

 

Methodological advances in theorizing about IS phenomena

* New or advanced methods for data collection with an emphasis on what kind
of data they contribute beyond conventional methods as well as a discussion
of how and why this advances our theorizing

* New or refined methods of data analysis (i.e., theorizing, theory
building) with an emphasis on a comparison to established approaches and a
discussion of how and why they advance our theorizing

* Strategies for inductive theorizing and the building of substantive
theories grounded in an IS context

* The interplay of theory and design and how engaged forms of scholarly work
help to advance our discipline theoretically

* A constructive critique of existing methods and an identification of
impacts on and limits to current theorizing

 

The nature and role of theoretical contributions of IS research

* An analysis of the current state-of-the-art of the discipline's theorizing

* Reflections on what can be learned from reference disciplines

* Frameworks and typologies for theories and theoretical work in IS

 

 

SPONSORSHIP

 

Our track collaborates closely with the European Journal of Information
Systems (EJIS). Based on the reviews and editorial recommendations, the
authors of the best papers submitted to the track will be invited to
participate in the EJIS paper development workshop immediately after the
ECIS conference. There, authors will have the opportunity to further develop
their papers for consideration as part of a planned EJIS special issue
building upon the track.

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES

 

Paper Submission begins: October 6, 2014

Submission Deadline Date: November 28, 2014

Notification of Acceptance: End of February 2015

Final version of accepted papers due: March 31, 2015

Early Bird Registration closes: April 12, 2015

 

 

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

 

Frederik Ahlemann, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Andrew Burton-Jones, University of Queensland, Australia

Samir Chatterjee, Claremont Graduate University, California, USA

Yogesh Dwivedi, Swansea University, UK

Nik R. Hassan, University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Dirk Hovorka, Bond University, Australia

Allen Lee, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA

Sebastian Olbrich, Mercator School of Management, Germany

Suzanne Rivard, HEC Montreal, Québec, Canada

Suprateek Sarker, Washington State University, Washington, USA

Henk Sol, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Ron Thompson, Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA

Ron Weber, Monash University, Australia

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