[AISWorld] Question: do we really want to risk turning AIS into a political lobbying organization?

[Richard Watson]

I want AIS to oppose discrimination. Surely, that is something we all agree upon.

Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 29, 2017, at 15:15, Kappelman, Leon <Leon.Kappelman at unt.edu> wrote:
> 
> There are other venues send organizations through which to deal with our personal issues with government policies.
> 
> The question is, what do we want AIS to be?  Should we also divide up into the divisions that support one government policy about energy versus those who don't support it?  How about abortion? Our views on that may also affect the ability of some of us to do their jobs.  Where do we draw the line?  Surely these could be valid topics for our research.  But are they the issues we want our organization to be known by?  Do we want AIS to step into the fray of political advocacy?  Personally, I think not.  To do so would  only divide us even more than our diverse teaching and research interests already do.
> 
> 
> - From iPhone - Please excuse typos -
> Leon A. Kappelman, Ph.D., Professor of Information Systems
> Director Emeritus, Information Systems Research Center
> College of Business, University of North Texas
>  Voice: 940-565-4698<tel:940-565-4698>   kapp at unt.edu<mailto:kapp at unt.edu>
> 
> 
> On Jan 29, 2017, at 1:45 PM, Mohammed Rahman <mrahman at emporia.edu<mailto:mrahman at emporia.edu>> wrote:
> 
> Dear Leon,
> 
> If government policies affect and prevent academics to engage in research and teaching, I believe it is appropriate and should be allowed to use AIS to raise concerns. I agree with your statement, "... we should keep AIS focused on the issues that concern us as academics ...". This on-going issue, although happens to be a government policy, indeed concerns many academics. Within the last year, I have witnessed many discussions in our AIS community about issues, impact, research opportunities, etc. that were evolved and impacted from Brexit and past US election. Similarly, many of our past and ongoing research/teaching activities influenced by political decisions at regional as well as global level. As an AIS member, I would like to see discussions about issues influence academics and other human lives, whether they are political or not so political.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> 
> Mohammed Sajedur Rahman, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Information Systems
> School of Business, Emporia State University
> One Kellogg Circle, Emporia, KS 66801-5415
> Phone: (620) 341-5088
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AISWorld [mailto:aisworld-bounces at lists.aisnet.org] On Behalf Of Kappelman, Leon
> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 12:30 PM
> To: aisworld at lists.aisnet.org<mailto:aisworld at lists.aisnet.org>
> Subject: [AISWorld] Question: do we really want to risk turning AIS into a political lobbying organization?
> 
> Question: do we really want to risk turning AIS into a political lobbying organization or are there already other venues for the political activities in which AIS members may wish to engage?
> 
> Seems to me we should keep AIS focused on the issues that concern us as academics - our research and teaching - and keep government policies on immigration, healthcare, gun rights, taxes, abortion, tariffs, and everything else in the venues where they belong.
> 
> "Let us be men, not monkeys minding machines, or sitting with our tails curled, while the machine amuses us." - D. H. Lawrence
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Leon A. Kappelman, Ph.D.
> Professor of Information Systems<http://www.cob.unt.edu/profiles/112>
> Director Emeritus, Information Systems Research Center
>   College of Business, University of North Texas
>   Voice: 940-565-4698   Email: kapp at unt.edu<mailto:kapp at unt.edu><mailto:kapp at unt.edu>
> Primary Investigator, SIM's Annual IT Trends Study<http://www.simnet.org/?ITTrendsStudy>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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