[AISWorld] Publishing theory papers or looking at theorizing in IS? Advancing IS theories

[Nik Rushdi Hassan]

Dear colleagues,
If you are looking at improving your paper's theory component or theorizing
in IS, consider submitting to this edited volume (read below). For any
inquiries about IS theory or theorizing, I'll be at AMCIS's Networking
Lunch & Meet the Authors, Table 35 in Marquette VI-IX at 12:30pm.
Sincerely
Nik

On Sun, Aug 7, 2022 at 11:54 AM Nik Rushdi Hassan <nhassan at d.umn.edu> wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
> Continuing from efforts started several years ago in the edited volume Advancing
> IS Theories Vol 1: Rationale and Processes (published by Palgrave/Macmillan)
> <https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-64884-8>, we are
> collecting chapters that showcase examples of native theorizing in the IS
> field for the second volume: Advancing IS Theories: Products of Theorizing
> and Digitalization. Send your examples of theorizing in the IS field by
> September 30th, 2022.
> Sincerely
> Editors,
> Nik, Leslie and Suzanne
>
>
> *Call for Papers and Chapters for the edited book Advancing IS Theories
> (AIST) Volume 2: Products of Theorizing and Digitalization*
>
> The information systems (IS) field represents the exciting
> multidisciplinary area that links the rapidly changing technology of
> information (or communications and information technology, ICT) to the
> business and social environment. Lately, the discourse surrounding
> information and systems has leaped into the consciousness of the public in
> unprecedented ways through the rise of social media, the Internet of Things
> (IoT), “fake news” and the weaponization of information, to name a few of
> the implications of digitalization. Unfortunately, the concerns stemming
> from these IS are rapidly overtaking the ability of the IS field to address
> them, in part, because the field itself lacks its own native theories
> (Markus and Saunders 2007). It is well known that the IS field undertakes
> its research using theories from its “reference disciplines” such as
> management, social psychology, economics, communication and computer
> science. What is not happening to the extent that is exemplary of any
> mature discipline is the development of its own native theories. The
> urgency to make sense of the increasingly unruly and complex reality from
> the increasing pace of technological innovation and digitalization is being
> felt in the IS field (Burton-Jones et al. 2021; Markus and Rowe 2021). The
> goal of this proposed series of volumes is to advance IS research beyond
> previous forms of borrowed legitimization and derivative research towards
> fresh and original research that naturally comes from its own theories –
> information system theories. It is inconceivable for a field so relevant to
> the era of digitalization, disruptive technologies, Big Data, social media
> and "fake news" to not be brimming with its own theories.
>
> To maintain the long-term growth and vitality of the IS field, cumulative
> theorizing over time is needed (Hassan et al. 2019; Hassan and Willcocks
> 2021b; King 2021). One way of achieving this is by advancing a “products of
> theorizing” approach. This “products of theorizing” perspective on theory
> celebrates the outputs of the “interim struggles” (Weick 1995) that
> characterize theory generation. It holds the promise that interim
> conceptual artefacts of theorizing such as metaphors, frameworks and
> concepts (Lowry et al. 2020) are valuable to the discipline as they can be
> leveraged and exploited further in subsequent research. In this way, a
> discipline might inch its way towards native theories over time (Rivard
> 2021).
>
> This second volume continues from the AIST Volume 1 (Hassan and Willcocks
> 2021a): Rationale and Processes by showcasing examples of what native
> products of theorizing in IS might look like. This volume acknowledges that
> the process of theorizing can be long and arduous and like all great
> things, will not be built in a day, much less in an edited series.
> Nevertheless, the products of that work remain valuable because they bring
> us closer to theories with a capital “T.” Consistent with claims made in
> the first volume, limiting theory to verificational dimensions of
> scientific practice would limit the very potential of science itself and
> have an impoverishing impact on theorizing. Products of theory that are not
> verifications have their place on the epistemological continuum. Instead of
> theories, they may be called “principles,” “propositions,” “models,”
> “paradigms,” “concepts,” “frameworks” or what have you. They may be called
> interim struggles or semantic forms of theory or any other linguistic
> variations. What they are is useful. They are the products of theorizing
> and are precursors to strong theory, and as long as they are fresh and
> original, they go a long way in advancing IS theories (Hassan et al. 2022).
>
> To guide authors towards accomplishing the goal of this edited volume, the
> following guidelines provide the needed direction authors can take as they
> write their chapters:
>
> 1.     The edited volume does not expect authors to produce or discuss
> native IS theories. That goal will be reserved for upcoming volumes in the
> series. *Therefore authors will need to clearly specify the product or
> products of theorizing  (Hassan et al. 2022) they wish to elaborate in the
> introduction of the chapter.*
>
> 2.     The literature review section (or a similar type section in the
> chapter) describes how the products of theorizing were formulated or
> describe the sources that inspired them, and importantly, clearly indicate
> in what ways their proposed products of theorizing will change or add to
> existing IS knowledge. *A good question to answer in the literature
> review section is “Will the chapter address a question that other
> disciplines did not satisfactorily answer or are incapable of answering?”*
>
> 3.     There needs to be enough depth, evidence and warrants surrounding
> the product of theorizing (e.g. The warrant that links information
> processing to the IS concept of media richness is the metaphor of complex
> biological systems). Each product of theorizing needs to be elaborated in
> detail (maybe 2-3 pages describing the product of theorizing) and the
> theorizing should provide major implications for both theory and practice. *The
> level of depth elaborating on the products of theorizing should introduce
> non-trivial insights, challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, or fill a
> compelling need (a vacuum) in existing research.*
>
> 4.     The chapter should be written such that a lay researcher in IS will
> have no difficulty understanding what is being proposed and *provide
> adequate examples to help the reader follow their arguments more easily*.
>
> The time is ripe to native products of theorizing in the IS field, as IT
> has leaped into the consciousness of the public in unprecedented ways.
> Example of areas that fulfills the goal of this edited volume include but
> are not limited to:
>
> ·       Applying explicit use of theory generators (e.g., analogies,
> myths, models and metaphors) for
>
> understanding and guiding research of emergent digital phenomena such as
> surveillance capitalism (Zuboff 2019), fake news and other dilemmas related
> to social media, as well as the performativity of big data and AI
> technologies (Lacity and Willcocks 2021).
>
> ·       Constructing or formulating novel frameworks derived from or
> relevant to emerging technologies and digitalization.
>
> ·       Adopting a genealogical lens to uncover the products of theorizing
> that have been instrumental in the theories that have become popular in the
> IS discipline (e.g., socio-technical, sociomateriality, imbrication).
>
> ·       Reviewing and analyzing the foundations of core concepts of the IS
> field such as that of “information,” “system” and “technology”.
>
> ·       Re-theorizing areas or subfields within IS (e.g., design science,
> data analytics, big data, artificial intelligence and management of IS)
> where native products of theorizing are sparse.
>
> ·       Problematizing the IS field (i.e., going beyond gap-spotting and
> borrowing theory from reference disciplines) to identify questions and
> challenges that the field of IS is uniquely qualified to address.
>
> ·       Formulating native original concepts in the IS field that will
> serve as foundations for the scientific IS research method and declare to
> the world, the field’s core concerns.
>
> ·       Exploring the role of scientific laws in IS research as a product
> of theorizing with relevance to emerging phenomena.
>
> ·       Unpacking products of theorizing (e.g., myths, questions, models,
> and frameworks) that uncover deep-seated assumptions about contemporary IS
> phenomena (e.g., symbols of value, solidarity, social structure, conflict
> and contradictions within a technology-driven society) that are especially
> relevant to emerging technologies.
>
> ·       Distinguishing between non-observable constructs from more
> observable concepts that are rarely discussed in IS research but form the
> mainstay of scientific studies.
>
> ·       Aggregating the statements, claims and propositions that have been
> made by a stream of IS literature and that are deemed most impactful on and
> relevant for contemporary users, organizations and society, to set the
> stage for the further progress towards native IS theory.
>
> *Editors of Advancing IS Theories Volume 2*
>
> Hassan, Nik Rushdi is Associate Professor of Information Systems (IS) at
> the Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE), University of
> Minnesota Duluth, USA. He served as Chair of the Management Department at
> LSBE, President of the Special Interest Group on Philosophy in Information
> Systems (SIGPPHIL), Director of the Information Technology Program at LSBE,
> and is currently Senior Editor for the Journal of Information Technology,
> Associate Editor for the History and Philosophy Department of the
> Communications of the AIS and Senior Editor of DATA BASE: SIGMIS Advances
> in Information Systems.
>
> Willcocks, Leslie is Professor of Work, Technology and Globalization in
> the Department of Management at the London School of Economics (LSE),
> London, UK, member of the Information Systems and Innovation Faculty Group
> and Fellow of the British Computer Society. For the last 28 years he has
> been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology. He is
> co-author of 67 books, has published over 230 refereed papers in journals
> such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California
> Management Review, MIS Quarterly, MISQ Executive and Journal of Management
> Studies. In February 2001 he won the PriceWaterhouseCoopers/Michael Corbett
> Associates World Outsourcing Achievement Award for his contribution to this
> field. He is a regular keynote speaker at international practitioner and
> academic conferences, such as World Outsourcing Summit, European
> Outsourcing Summit, ICIS and PACIS and is regularly retained as adviser by
> major corporations and government institutions. Selected clients for
> executive education programs include: Standard Chartered Bank, Stater,
> ABNAmro Bank, Royal Sun Alliance, Singtel, Commonwealth Bank, Abu Dhabi
> Investment Authority, Trizma, Accenture, IBM, Rotterdam Port Harbor
> Authority, WH Smith, Eli Lilley, and several government institutions in the
> UK, USA and Australia. He has served as expert witness on congressional
> committees and senate inquiries on outsourcing in Australia and USA and
> provided evidence to a number of UK government reports on major public
> sector IT projects.
>
> Rivard, Suzanne is professor of information technology (IT) at HEC
> Montreal and is the HEC Montreal endowed chair in strategic management of
> information technology.  She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and
> a fellow of the Association for Information Systems. She received her Ph.D.
> from the Ivey School of Business, the University of Western Ontario. Her
> research pertains to IT project risk management, outsourcing of IT
> services, and user-related issues such as user resistance to IT
> implementation. A former senior editor of the Theory and Review department
> of the MIS Quarterly, she is currently senior editor with the Journal of
> Strategic Information Systems Dr. Rivard’s work has been published in such
> journals as Journal of the Association for Information Systems, Journal of
> Information Technology, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal
> of Strategic Information Systems, MIS Quarterly, and Organization Science.
>
> *Submission of Chapters*
>
> Chapters should be submitted as MS Word documents, using 11-point font
> with manuscript lengths between 20-40 pages single-spaced (or 30-60 pages
> double-spaced) including references and appendices. Send your submissions
> to the editors (Nik Hassan nhassan at d.umn.edu), Leslie Willcocks (
> willcockslp at aom.com) and Suzanne Rivard (suzanne.rivard at hec.ca) by
> September 30, 2022.
>
> *References*
>
> Burton-Jones, A., Butler, B.S., Scott, S.V., and Xu, S.X. 2021.
> "Next-Generation Information Systems Theorizing: A Call to Action," MIS
> Quarterly (45:1) pp. 301-314.
>
> Hassan, N.R., Lowry, P.B., and Mathiassen, L. 2022. "Editorial-Useful
> Products in Information Systems Theorizing: A Discursive Formation
> Perspective," Journal of the Association for Information Systems (23:2) pp.
> 418-446.
>
> Hassan, N.R., Mathiassen, L., and Lowry, P.B. 2019. "The Process of
> Information Systems Theorizing as a Discursive Practice," Journal of
> Information Technology (34:3) pp. 198–220.
>
> Hassan, N.R., and Willcocks, L.P. (eds.). 2021a. Advancing Information
> System Theories: Rationale and Processes. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
>
> Hassan, N.R., and Willcocks, L.P. 2021b. "Introduction: Why Theory? (Mis)
> Understanding the Context and Rationale” In  " in Advancing Information
> System Theories: Rationale and Processes, N.R. Hassan and L.P. Willcocks
> (eds.). London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-52.
>
> King, J.L. 2021. "Who Needs Theory?," MIS Quarterly (45:1) pp. 495-498.
>
> Lacity, M., and Willcocks, L. 2021. "Becoming Strategic with Intelligent
> Automation," MIS Quarterly Executive (20:2) pp. 169-182.
>
> Lowry, P.B., Petter, S., and Leimeister, J.M. 2020. "Desperately Seeking
> the Artefacts and the Foundations of Native Theory in Gamification
> Research: Why Information Systems Researchers Can Play a Legitimate Role in
> This Discourse and How They Can Better Contribute," European Journal of
> Information Systems (29:6) pp. 609-620.
>
> Markus, M.L., and Rowe, F. 2021. "Guest Editorial: Theories of Digital
> Transformation: A Progress Report," Journal of the Association for
> Information Systems (22:2) pp. 273-280.
>
> Markus, M.L., and Saunders, C.S. 2007. "Editorial Comments: Looking for a
> Few Good Concepts...And Theories...For the Information Systems Field," MIS
> Quarterly (31:1) pp. iii-vi.
>
> Rivard, S. 2021. "Theory Building: Neither an Art nor a Science, but a
> Craft," in Advancing Information System Theories: Rationale and Processes,
> N.R. Hassan and L.P. Willcocks (eds.). London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.
> 131-160.
>
> Weick, K.E. 1995. "What Theory Is Not, Theorizing Is," Administrative
> Science Quarterly (40:3) pp. 385-390.
>
> Zuboff, S. 2019. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human
> Future at the New Frontier of Power, New York: PublicAffairs.
>
>
>
> --
> Nik Rushdi Hassan, PhD and Assoc. Professor of MIS
> Labovitz School of Business and Economics
> University of Minnesota Duluth
> 1318 Kirby Drive, LSBE 385A
> Duluth MN 55812
> Office Phone: (218) 726-7453
> Fax: (218) 726-7578
> Home Page: www.d.umn.edu/~nhassan
> Email: nhassan at d.umn.edu
> LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nikrushdi/
>


-- 
Nik Rushdi Hassan, PhD and Assoc. Professor of MIS
Labovitz School of Business and Economics
University of Minnesota Duluth
1318 Kirby Drive, LSBE 385A
Duluth MN 55812
Office Phone: (218) 726-7453
Fax: (218) 726-7578
Home Page: www.d.umn.edu/~nhassan
Email: nhassan at d.umn.edu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nikrushdi/