This map illustrates some work related to the identity issue of IS as a discipline. While some argued for a more focused topic orientation of the discipline to differentiate IS from other disciplines, other researchers embraced the plurality of topics and methods.
IS discipline lacks
legitimacy. Identity of
the discipline is
achieved through
research topics. IT
artifact and it's
nomologial set must be
at the center
DeSanctis (2003)
When viewed as a
Community of practice, IS is
not lacking legitimacy.
Legitimacy should come
from internal interactions
rather then from external
judgement. More views and
diverse topics signal of the
maturity of the discipline
Hirschheim and Klein (2012)
Common history.
Focus on common
body of knowledge
(differentiating IT
from others and
better identify
stakeholders.
Sidorova et al. (2008)
Intellectual core of the discipline: IS
discipline focuses on how IT systems
are developed and how individuals,
groups, organizations, and markets
interact with it
Baskerville and Myers (2002)
IS is a mature discipline and is a reference
discipline. IS has it's subject matter and
disctictive research
Wade et al. (2006)
IS is NOT a reference discipline, but a
"contributing" discipline. IS is more of
consumer of ideas (importer) than a
producer of ideas (exporter to other
disciplines).
Orlikowski and Iacono (2001)
IS has not deeply engaged in
it's core subject matter: IT
artifact. Five views of IT:
(1)tool view, (2) proxy view, (3)
computational view, (4)
ensemble view, and (5)
nominal view
Karuga et al. (2007)
IS is a mature discipline
Benbasat and Zmud (1999)
Relevance of research to practitoners:
to be relevant research must be
implementable, synthesize , and elicit
critical thinking. Five reasons for
lacking relevance; (1) IS as a new
discipline emphasized rigor over
relevance (2) lack of cumulative
tradition (3) IT is changing rapidly (4)
lack of exposure to real world
problems (5) requirements from
schools and peers.
Markus and Saunders (2007)
Unless IS builds
its own unique
theories and
themes it will not
be recognized as
a discipline