[AISWorld] Panel at ICIS 2018 - Seeking Public Intellectuals in the Information Systems Discipline: Towards an Impact and Engagement Agenda

[Tarafdar, Monideepa]

Dear Colleagues,

The question of if and how IS researchers can or should influence public policy is one that many IS scholars now grapple with. We invite you to the ICIS 2018 Panel - Seeking Public Intellectuals in the Information Systems Discipline: Towards an Impact and Engagement Agenda (details below). We hope the panel will be of interest to many of us in the IS scholarly community – to that end we welcome questions that interest you, which we will consolidate as audience questions for the panel. Please email your questions by December 7  to: Monideepa Tarafdar (m.tarafdar at lancaster.ac.uk<mailto:m.tarafdar at lancaster.ac.uk>)  and Kevin Desouza (kevin.c.desouza at gmail.com<mailto:kevin.c.desouza at gmail.com>)

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Date: Friday December 14, Time: 8:30 to 10:00 am, Location: Salons 3 and 4.

Panellists:
Ritu Agarwal, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland
Michael Barrett, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
Kevin C. Desouza, School of Management, Queensland University of Technology
Ramayya Krishnan, H. John Heinz III College, Carnegie Mellon University
Monideepa Tarafdar, Management School, Lancaster University (Moderator)
Richard T. Watson, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

Description: Information systems (IS) play a major role in all areas of civic/social life, giving rise to research problems in areas such as cybersecurity, well-being, healthcare, social classification and digital divides. Yet, seldom does IS research find its way into policy forums and issues of public debate. The position of the panel is that IS scholars need to consider seriously their role in conducting and reporting research that can influence policy. Panellists will focus on different modes of engagement with policy makers and policymaking forums. They will articulate successes, challenges and heartaches – in their aspirations and activities for such engagement. They will discuss how research they have conducted in areas such as cybersecurity, healthcare IS, technology innovation and well-being has influenced policymaking bodies. They will debate about visions and opportunities facing leading IS journals in publishing policy focused papers. They will also discuss challenges involved in leading transformation agendas for developing institutional capacity in policy focused research and its dissemination