Conceptualizing Emerging Technology in Local Contexts: An Ethnographic Study of RFID in an Emirate’s Farming Industry

2016 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Wenshin

Abstract: Situated in an emirate’s farming industry, this ethnographic study develops a fr ... Expand

Abstract: Situated in an emirate’s farming industry, this ethnographic study develops a framework to help bridge the existing knowledge gap about what and how local contexts interact with emerging technology, RFID in particular. Findings suggest that numerous local factors pertaining to the researched emirate’s unique environmental, project, cultural, and societal/political contexts shape and/or are reshaped by RFID implementation. For example, geographic landscape demands systems modification and device adaptation; religious custom increases project difficulty, and the systems, in turn, requires changes in certain religious practice; the notion of social sustainability establishes objectives for RFID project, while the latter helps reshape social welfare systems. As these local factors have rarely been empirically examined, my framework can help contribute to future RFID implementation in different local contexts. More specifically, insights gained urge stakeholders involved to carefully manage unique factors of the emirate or similar contexts for intended RFID projects. The findings also suggest that stakeholders should be aware of RFID’s reshaping effects on the local context particularly because those effects might be unexpected. Collapse

Topics: radio frequency identification systems implementation logistics management IT project IS economics

Methods: ethnography field study personal interview literature sample qualitative interview

Theories: technology organization environment framework

How Semantics and Pragmatics Interact in Understanding Conceptual Models

2014 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 37

Authors: Bera, Palash; Burton-Jones, Andrew; Wand, Yair

Abstract: Underlying the design of any information system is an explicit or implicit conce ... Expand

Abstract: Underlying the design of any information system is an explicit or implicit conceptual model of the domain that the system supports. Because of the importance of such models, researchers and practitioners have long focused on how best to construct them. Past research on constructing conceptual models has generally focused on their semantics (their meaning), to discover how to convey meaning more clearly and completely, or their pragmatics (the importance of context in model creation and use), to discover how best to create or use a model in a given situation. We join these literatures by showing how semantics and pragmatics interact. Specifically, we carried out an experiment to examine how the importance of clear semantics in conceptual models—operationalized in terms of ontological clarity—varies depending on the pragmatics of readers' knowledge of the domain shown in the model. Our results show that the benefit of ontological clarity on understanding is concave downward (follows an inverted-U) as a function of readers' prior domain knowledge. The benefit is greatest when readers have moderate knowledge of the domain shown in the model. When readers have high or low domain knowledge, ontological clarity has no apparent benefit. Our study extends the theory of ontological clarity and emphasizes the need to construct conceptual models with readers' knowledge in mind. Collapse

Topics: problem solving knowledge representation semantic network IT career database system

Methods: conceptual modelling hierarchical linear modeling experiment statistical hypothesis test ontological modelling

Theories: theory of ontological clarity semiotic theory speech act theory

The Role of the Family in the IT Career Goals of Middle School Latinas

2009 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Denner, Jill

Abstract: Little is known about the role of family in middle school Latinas’ pathway to an ... Expand

Abstract: Little is known about the role of family in middle school Latinas’ pathway to an IT-related career. This paper will present findings on how rural, Latina girls are thinking about the role of family in their career interests. The 77 participants range in age from 12-13, and most have parents who were born in Mexico and work in service-related jobs. Students described their career goals, influences on their goal(s), how their parents would feel if they chose to be a computer scientist, and whether their goal would be different if they were a boy. Few described an IT-related goal, and parent support was not a factor. Most students reported that parents were the primary influence on their goals, and most said that their parents would be supportive IF they chose to be a computer scientist. One third said that their career choice would change if they were a boy. Collapse

Topics: IT career virtual workplace

Methods: survey personal interview