很奇怪，为什么这么多的人申请IS专业博士？

龙旋九天

lz或许有点cynical, 但不无道理

adai

With respect to MIS or IS, I know that some folks have questions about the discipline. I do not. In fact, many disciplines (e.g., Accounting, Marketing, etc.) have similar concerns about their own discipline if you happen to know their history.

However, I think this is a normal part of science - scientists(I mean those guru in their own field) are generally questioning everything.. even their own existence!

Information

It is better to have a look at ISR, MISQ about the identity crisis of IS. Also you should go through the major business school websites and you will find that:  1. IS has no research area or too many research areas; 2. Few major schools have core MBA courses in IS; 3. Many business schools are cutting the program.

So am I wrong in saying that a program with no research contribution, no teaching requirement to be dying?


Although I major in Marketing, I am confident I know IS much more than at least 90% percent of the IS applicants here.  Did anyone here attend ICIS 2009? How many applicants here have IS papers in minor revision by Management Science?

From what I knew in 2009 ICIS,  at least  150 fresh job candidates,  about 10 positions. How do you think about the job market? It has been lasting for more than 5 years, so it definitely has nothing to do with the financial crisis.

Do you know why they named last year's conference "Do research that matters". It is because IS is now doing research that does not matter.

dangdangcici

Can you tell more about AIS? Thanks.

IS 如果和Accounting结合，还是很有前途的。

-- by 会员 800 (2010/2/11 16:24:12)

lh07

As an applicant, LZ does know a lot about IS, but you should learn to be humble. If you do not care IS, then do not spend your valuable time attacking it and even attending ICIS.

IS has some problems in both rigor and relevance, which are left for our IS people to tackle. As an outsider, You can have your own opinions, but you should acknowledge that there are many people as intelligent as you who are working in this "dying" field and developing it every day. Until you become a dean of a business school, you do not have to consider the development of other disciplines.

I do not want to comment on your words, but let me clarify something for our own IS applicants.

The so-called IS identity crisis debate is gone. The series of articles were written almost ten years ago. In addition, in my opinion, these debates are published to guide the direction of IS research rather than try to kill this field. I do not think anyone can use these debates to conclude that IS is dying. To my knowledge, marketing field has debated what is marketing for many years in conferences and journals. Is it correct?

I believe that IS is, or at least should be, an important area in business schools. The phenomon is obvious that IT is tranforming everything. If IS discipline currently neither addresses the practitioner's questions nor contributes to social science in general, it should be deemed as opportunities for IS researchers.

Job markets for any discipline are cyclical. IS departments are expanding in some years and shrinking in other years. It is hard for an applicant to predict the job market five year later. Just choose what you want to do in your lifetime.

Many people here went to ICIS. Actually, it is the fun part to meet many IDs there in person. They are not active because there are not interesting enough questions to discuss.

What do you mean by these words?  You should have look at ISR, MISQ about the identity crisis of IS. Also you should go through the major business school websites and you will find that:  1. IS has no research area or too many research areas; 2. Few major schools have core MBA courses in IS; 3. Many business schools are cutting the program.

So am I wrong in saying that a program with no research contribution, no teaching requirement to be dying?


Although I major in Marketing, I am confident I know IS much more than at least 90% percent of the IS applicants here.  Did Anyone here attend ICIS 2009?

From what I knew in 2009 ICIS,  at least  150 fresh job candidates,  about 10 positions. How do you think about the job market? It has been lasting for more than 5 years, so it definitely has nothing to do with the financial crisis.

Do you know why they named last year's conference "Do research that matters". It is because IS is now doing research that does not matter.

-- by 会员 Information (2010/2/12 0:38:36)

Information

Sorry for the words I said about your program.  I wish you lucky in your application and enjoy your future PhD life in IS.

IS is dying is just a fact, no matter you accept it or not. I uderstand your feeling as an applicant.  But it is the result of a recent survey (2009) by an AIS member and IS professor which shows several universities have cut the program and more are seriously considering it.  Considering the limited number of IS reseach programs in USA, the percentage of programs in ciris is striking.

If you are a serious applicant, it may be useful for you to have a look at the survey results.

To make things more complicated. Can you answer me a few questions about IS?
  1. How do you feel about TAM? A famous garbage theory.
  2. Can you exaplain the famous IS research results about "IT Paradox" and "New IT Paradox"?
  3. Can explain to me why " Distrust does not mean not trust"?
  4. Can you explain why IS has the faculty members with most diverse backgroud among all the business programs?

As an applicant, LZ does know a lot about IS, but you should learn to be humeble. If you do not care IS, then do not spend your valuable time attacking it and even attending ICIS.

IS has some problems in both rigor and relevance, which are left for our IS people to tackle. As an outsider, You can have your own opinions, but you should acknowledge that there are many people as intelligent as you who are working in this "dying" field and developing it every day. Until you become a dean of a business school, you do not have to consider the development of other disciplines.

I do not want to comment on your words, but let me clarify something for our own IS applicants.

The so-called IS identity crisis debate is gone. The series of articles were written almost ten years ago. In addition, in my opinion, these debates are published to guide the direction of IS research rather than try to kill this field. I do not think anyone can use these debates to conclude that IS is dying. To my knowledge, marketing field has debated what is marketing for many years in conferences and journals. Is it correct?

I believe that IS is, or at least should be, an important area in business schools. The phenomon is obvious that IT is tranforming everything. If IS discipline currently neither addresses the practitioner's questions nor contributes to social science in general, it should be deemed as opportunities for IS researchers.

Job markets for any discipline are cyclical. IS departments are expanding in some years and shrinking in other years. It is hard for an applicant to predict the job market five year later. Just choose what you want to do in your lifetime.

Many people here went to ICIS. Actually, it is the fun part to meet many IDs there in person. They are not active because there are not interesting enough questions to discuss.

What do you mean by these words?  You should have look at ISR, MISQ about the identity crisis of IS. Also you should go through the major business school websites and you will find that:  1. IS has no research area or too many research areas; 2. Few major schools have core MBA courses in IS; 3. Many business schools are cutting the program.

So am I wrong in saying that a program with no research contribution, no teaching requirement to be dying?


Although I major in Marketing, I am confident I know IS much more than at least 90% percent of the IS applicants here.  Did Anyone here attend ICIS 2009?

From what I knew in 2009 ICIS,  at least  150 fresh job candidates,  about 10 positions. How do you think about the job market? It has been lasting for more than 5 years, so it definitely has nothing to do with the financial crisis.

Do you know why they named last year's conference "Do research that matters". It is because IS is now doing research that does not matter.

-- by 会员 Information (2010/2/12 0:38:36)

-- by 会员 lh07 (2010/2/12 2:33:03)

xiaopanghu

别看到个title就觉得有关系，biostatistics跟生物也没关系。

fzxc613

thx for LZ's comments, however, it is hard for ppl to change to another major  easily. Maybe CS is a potential way.

lh07

I do not know the article you are referring to. Could you share the full reference?
Several years ago around 2000, there are several articles about IS faculty openning. These articles are very very optimistic because the supply-demand of IS phds are also 1:3~4. Was this the evidence that IS is booming at that time? No, actually, the oppsite, the IT bubble was bursting at the same time. I just use this example to say that business schools always lag behind industrial trends.  

The fact is that IS is recruiting less PHD students in the past two or three years. It is open for you or anyone else to interpret what it means. I will not say that it means the discipline is dying. Biology recruits much more PHD students than necessary. Is it because the discipline is booming?

For the other questions:

1. I personally do not like TAM either, but I think you should show respects to any established theories. They proliferated for some reasons.
2. IT paradox is a term used many years ago. I think Bryonfosson and Hitt's article, along with several others, already got the answer. I am not sure what the "new paradox" is.
3. I am not familar with the concept "distrust". Is this a completely new concept invented in IS? I will be surprised if it is not borrowed from phychology or similar fields.
4. That is because IS is yound.  With a history of roughly 40 years, most of the senior people must to be trained in other discipliens. How many junior researchers in IS are from other disciplines?


You do not get my point by asking these questions. There were problems in the IS research, and IS people are working to resolve them. If you feel the phenomena worth studying, join us and improve this field. If it does not interest you, you can step away. Why do you want to prove it is dying? Do you also think that enterprises will cut their CIO position, the internet startups will all go bankrunpcy, or innocent people will give up using any IT in their daily life?

Sorry for the words I said about your program.  I wish you lucky in your application and enjoy your future PhD life in IS.

IS is dying is just a fact, no matter you accept it or not. I uderstand your feeling as an applicant.  But it is the result of a recent survey (2009) by an AIS member and IS professor which shows several universities have cut the program and more are seriously considering it.  Considering the limited number of IS reseach programs in USA, the percentage of programs in ciris is striking.

If you are a serious applicant, it may be useful for you to have a look at the survey results.

To make things more complicated. Can you answer me a few questions about IS?
  1. How do you feel about TAM? A famous garbage theory.
  2. Can you exaplain the famous IS research results about "IT Paradox" and "New IT Paradox"?
  3. Can explain to me why " Distrust does not mean not trust"?
  4. Can you explain why IS has the faculty members with most diverse backgroud among all the business programs?

Information

I really wish the Chinese PhD applicants like you have the clear understanding of their future program. I share what I know and what I think.


The survey I metioned is not an article. I subscribed a mailist from AIS and an professor conducted it to all the subscribers. After several months, they shared the results with all the subscribers.

Why do you want me to "step away"?  Why cannot I express my opinion about IS and their garbage theories? Actually, most of American professors I met hold the same opinion about the first three questions I proposed here.