-------- Original-Nachricht -------- Betreff: [isworld] Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education: Special Issue call-for-papers Datum: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 21:21:52 -0500 Von: David C. Chou david.chou@emich.edu Antwort an: David C. Chou david.chou@emich.edu An: AISWORLD Information Systems World Network isworld@lyris.isworld.org
Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education Announces Call for Papers for Special Topic Forum
"Leveraging Enterprise System Technology for Curricular Innovation and Redesign"
Special Issue Guest Editors John R. Grandzol, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania David Chou, Eastern Michigan University
Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education seeks papers for a theme specific issue, �Leveraging Enterprise System Technology for Curricular Innovation and Redesign� (submission period August 1, 2009 �January 31, 2010). Whether discipline- or pedagogy-focused, the articles must meet Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education�s high standards of research rigor and originality, while simultaneously offering new insights to its readership of practicing educators. Many (if not most) pedagogical researchers in the field are also practicing educators � as are most of the readers of education-focused journals such as Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education. Effective communication of results is critical to achieving our desired influence on teaching best practices.
Managing today�s business processes requires systematic understanding and integration of relevant knowledge resources, discipline-based activities, information flows across organizational gatekeepers and their respective supply chains, and appropriate transparency for employees, customers, and suppliers. Enterprise systems or Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) software, foster integration of business activities so that allocation of resources maximizes process efficiency and customer satisfaction. Real-time managerial decisions typically require continuous multi-directional flow of accurate, relevant, and timely data and their conversion to valid, reliable information; enterprise systems can enable this transformation.
Joseph and George (2002) presented an interesting perspective on integrating ERP in business school curricula. They argued that a systems approach to business is basically incongruent with typical functional alignments (departmental structure); hence, ERP implementation requires restructuring curricula toward the experiential end of the learning continuum. ERP facilitates students� recognition that a change or decision in one area of an organization does, in fact, ripple through the entire organization and manifest itself, positively or negatively, elsewhere in the organization. Failure to recognize and understand the links and transactions that cause such reactions undermines potential for improvement and represents a naïve approach to the complexity of business processes.
Taking advantage of potential pedagogy-technology synergies by incorporating enterprise systems in multi-disciplinary programs can facilitate a business process approach to business education and improve faculty and student technology skills. Several enterprise system software providers, notably SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft, recognize the strategic value of introducing students to their respective Business One�, E-Business�, and Dynamics� platforms (all aimed at small-to-medium enterprises or SMEs) in their business curricula. The challenge to educators goes well beyond course content and/or course activities. Enhancing an academic experience by means of leading-edge technology is useful from a pragmatic business perspective. A risk inherent in this approach is dilution of theory-based content and research-based results in favor of technical �training� about software; e.g., navigation, retrieval, and transaction processing.
The academic literature provides further evidence of ERP�s potential in business curricula. Unique, innovative, and creative course-specific applications have been reported, primarily as case studies. One institution sought to prepare students for management by learning to model, measure, and improve organizational performance throughout integrated business processes using enterprise software (Becerra-Fernandez, Murphy, & Simon, 2000). Another reported successful efforts to enhance students� understanding of how business works and provide them with high-demand market skills, to create an infrastructure to integrate curricula to meet AACSB standards, and to increase visibility with business and industry leaders (Corbitt & Mensching, 2000). Other efforts were recently collected by Targowski and Tarn (2007); among them are course-related applications in information systems, human resource management, operations management, and supply chain management. Strong et al. (2006) highlighted outcomes and challenges from integrative efforts at five institutions that confirm the most likely disciplines to participate are accounting, information systems, operations management, and to a lesser degree, marketing, management, and human resource management. These case studies further document the benefits and obstacles to success. ERP vendor websites provide additional case studies of course applications and developments.
This Call for Paper intends a more deliberative exploration of this ERP-stimulated challenge to the discipline-based approach to business education. Identifying and replicating best practices in an accounting information systems course, an ERP information systems course, or an operations management course does not address, investigate, or explore the opportunities for inter- and intra-disciplinary curricular innovation. Hence the foci of this special topic include rigorous empirical investigation of ERP-related student learning outcomes and qualitative research that explore truly multi-disciplinary curricular innovations stimulated by integration of ERP software.
Relevant disciplines include accounting, finance, information systems (business and/or management), operations management, logistics, supply chain management, engineering, and marketing � disciplines that can leverage enterprise systems software for curricular innovation and redesign just as it occurs in typical business processes. These questions collectively help identify the content of manuscripts potentially responsive to this Call for Papers:
1. What environmental factors stimulated/enabled intra- and inter-disciplinary integration of enterprise system technology at your institution? How did you recognize them? How did you leverage them to innovate different curricular approaches and designs? 2. How did you utilize ERP software to integrate an applied business process approach to business curricula? To what extent were disciplines cooperative? Integrated? Sustained? 3. How did you develop your ERP-integrated curriculum research objectives? What research design did you execute? Did results confirm your expectations? What is the potential for follow-on research?
The goal of this DSJIE special topic section is to share experiences leveraging enterprise system technology to innovate new opportunities to redesign, refine, and better align business curricula with modern business environments and processes, resulting in better qualified applied business faculty and enhanced opportunities for students� career development. Manuscripts can be submitted under the categories of empirical research articles, case study research articles, conceptual/ theoretical articles, and teaching briefs. Please check the journal�s website for definition of these categories.
Manuscripts will be evaluated on the same criteria as regular manuscripts, except greater emphasis will be placed on the potential of the research to positively impact curriculum development. All submissions must adhere to the format and style guidelines of Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education.
Manuscript preparation and submission instructions can be found on the journal�s web site at www.dsjie.org and all submissions must be made through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/dsjie. In the submission form, please specify that you are submitting to the theme-specific issue. Letters to the editor should also indicate that they are intended for the theme-specific issue.
Submission Period: Manuscripts for this theme-specific issue may be submitted between August 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010. Early submission is encouraged, but not prior to the starting date of August 1st.
Please contact the special issue guest editors Dr. John R. Grandzol at jgrandzo@bloomu.edu and/or Dr. David Chou at dchou@emich.edu with any questions.
References
Becerra-Fernandez, I., Murphy, K., & Simon, S. (2000). Integrating ERP in the business school curriculum. Communications of the ACM 43(4) , 39-41.
Corbitt, G., & Mensching, J. (2000). Integrating SAP R/3 into a college of business curriculum: Lessons learned. Information Technology and Management 1(4) , 247-258.
Joseph, G., & George, A. (2002). ERP, learning communities, and curriculum integration. Journal of Information Systems Education , 51-58.
Strong, D., Fedorowicz, J., Sager, J., Stewart, G., & Watson, E. (2006). Teaching with enterprise systems. Communications of AIS 17 (33) , 2-49.
Targowski, Andrew S., & Tarn, J Michael (eds.). (2007). Enterprise systems education in the 21st century. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.
The AISWorld LISTSERV is a service of the Association for Information Systems (http://www.aisnet.org). To unsubscribe, redirect, or change subscription options please go to http://lyris.isworld.org/. You are subscribed to AISworld as: neumann@wu-wien.ac.at. Each Sender assumes responsibility that his or her message conforms to the AISWorld LISTSERV policy and conditions of use available at http://lyris.isworld.org/isworldlist.htm.