Infosys v1n009 (March 6, 1994) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/infosys/infs-v1n009 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * IIIII N N FFFFF OOO SSSSS Y Y SSSSS * * I NN N F O O S Y Y S * * I N N N FFF O O SSSSS Y SSSSS * * I N NN F O O S Y S * * IIIII N N F OOO SSSSS Y SSSSS * * * * INFOSYS: The Electronic Newsletter for Information Systems * * Volume 1, Number 9 March 6, 1994 * * * * Editor: Dennis W. Viehland, Massey University, New Zealand * * Listowner: Greg Welsh, American University, Washington DC * * * * Current Subscribers = 2,695 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TABLE OF CONTENTS * * * * * * * * * * * * * EDITOR'S NOTE - Comments Invited on Calendar of Events * * CONFERENCE - IFIP Conference on Women, Work and Computerization * * CONFERENCE - Information systems Research seminar In Scandinavia * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Information Systems Education Conference * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Conf on Computer Supported Cooperative Work * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Workshop on Info Technologies and Systems * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Acct, Auditing, and Tax (Expert Sys with Appl) * * HEARD ON THE NET - Surveys on Information Systems Project Failure * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 0073* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EDITOR'S NOTE - Comments Invited on Calendar of Events * * Dennis Viehland, Massey University (d.viehland@massey.ac.nz) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * This issue of INFOSYS will be followed within 24 hours by number 10. During the last three weeks a considerable number of articles have arrived and issue 10 will almost clear the backlog. This publication schedule is used instead of one massive INFOSYS issue, which some mailer programs would find difficult to manage. A major contributor to INFOSYS size is the Calendar of Events. Since there is no need for two almost identical Calendars, it is included in v1 n10 and not in this INFOSYS. A Calendar of Events is relatively rare in electronic newsletters and I can see why. Not only does it take up a lot of space but, from an editor's point of view, it is difficult to keep accurate and up to date. Comments about the Calendar are welcome. Is it something you have used/find useful? Or is the Calendar something you always skip over and consider to be wasted bytes? Would you be able to access it if we put it on a Gopher server and dropped it as a regular feature of INFOSYS. Your comments on the Calendar, or any other aspect of INFOSYS are always welcome. \EOA 0074* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - IFIP Conference on Women, Work and Computerization * * Sue Williams, Staffordshire University (cmtsw@staffs.ac.uk) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 5th IFIP Conference on Women, Work and Computerization "Breaking Old Boundaries: Building New Forms" 2-5 July, 1994 Manchester, United Kingdom Aims and Scope of the Conference This International Conference is organized under the auspices of the IFIP WG 9.1 (Computers and Work). The conference provides a forum for men and women from all over the world to present their experiences in an area of increasing international interest. It will provide an opportunity for women working in computing to meet and share experiences as in previous WWC conferences. The unifying theme is "Breaking Old Boundaries: Building New Forms'. The conference themes are: --Community, Communications and Information Networks --Information Technology, Flexibility and Restructuring --Information Systems Design and User-Centred Perspectives --Education, Training and Learning --Feminist Theoretical Perspectives on Power, Knowledge and Technology The program includes parallel and plenary sessions, including: --Through the Glass Ceiling --Hard Times: The Politics of Women's Work in Computerised Environments --Applications of Feminist Epistemologies for Systems Development --Women Defining Technology for the 21st Century - A Report from America --Windows on the Workplace: The Temporisation of Work There will also be a range of workshop and poster sessions (proposals for workshops, displays, and exhibitions can be addressed to Alison Adam (a_adam@mac.co.umist.ac.uk)). On 2 July there will be a special programme of events organized by Women into Computing (WiC). Registration fee Before April 30th: 240 pounds sterling After April 30th: 300 pounds sterling The conference fee covers attendance, copies of conference papers, refreshments, lunches and the conference dinner. For more information or to obtain a registration form by electronic mail contact the Organising Committee Chair Sue Williams, Staffordshire University (cmtsw@staffs.ac.uk). \EOA 0075* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - Information systems Research seminar In Scandinavia * * Antti Juustila, University of Oulu (antti@rieska.oulu.fi) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 17th Information systems Research seminar In Scandinavia (IRIS 17) August 6 - 9 1994 Sy|te Conference Centre, Finland Theme: "Quality by Diversity in Information Systems Research" IRIS is an annual Working Seminar for Scandinavian researchers within Information Systems. The main organiser of the IRIS 17 is the Department of Information Processing Science at the University of Oulu, Finland, in cooperation with the Finnish Doctorate Programme in Information Systems. The seminar is open to submissions based on conceptual, constructive and empirical research. In addition to topics focused within the traditions of one discipline, interdisciplinary studies are encouraged. Based on the selection of the main topics, different technologies (e.g. hypermedia, parallel processing, neural networks) and their use can be handled under each main topic. For more information (program, letter of intent), contact: Seminar Secretariat IRIS 17 Department of Information Processing Science University of Oulu FIN-90570 OULU, Finland Fax: +358-81-553 1890 Internet: iris17@rieska.oulu.fi \EOA 0076* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Information Systems Education Conference * * Eli Cohen, Eastern New Mexico State Univ (cohene@email.enmu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Information Systems Education Conference (ISECON '94) October 28-30, 1994 Louisville, Kentucky "IS Education: For Today And For The Next Millennia" is the theme for ISECON '94. Professional educators in both academia and industry, and corporate professionals are invited to submit paper, panel proposal, or workshop proposals. ISECON is sponsored by the Education Foundation of the DPMA. In addition to the program, INSECON '94 features pre-conference workshops, placement service, EDSIG awards, exhibits, and poster sessions. PROGRAM TRACKS for ISECON '94 (topics are illustrative only): --IS Curricula (eg, model curricula, accreditation issues, teaching Methods, internships) --Emerging and Leading Edge Technologies (eg, OOP, AI/expert systems, LANs) --CIS Program Directions and Issues (eg, TQM, recruiting, ethical and social issues, ergonomics) --Industry and IS Education Relationships (eg, faculty internships, role of 3 and 4 GLs, industry-college relationships) --Small or Community College Programs (eg, computer lab facilities, faculty requirements and constraints, 2+2 concerns) --International IS Issues (eg, global instructional issues, Hispanic IS settings, European and Asian IS settings) INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Submit by March 21, 1994 three copies of your paper, panel proposal, or workshop description. All submissions must include: --author identification page listing the author(s), address, affiliation, phone number and e-mail address (if available). --a self-addressed stamped postcard with the title 2. Paper proposals must include: --a one paragraph abstract --title page with intended track --author name(s) should NOT be on the title page or be identified in the body of the paper. --be double-spaced and not exceed 20 pages 3. Workshops proposals must include detailed outline and vita(e) of presenter(s). 4. Panel proposals must include a description of the topic and identify potential panelists. Acceptance notices will be sent by June 1, 1994. Papers not accepted for sessions may be accepted for Poster Presentation.. All submissions must be sent to the program chair: Dr. Eli Cohen Eastern New Mexico State University College of Business Portales, New Mexico 88130 e-mail: cohene@email.enmu.edu \EOA 0077* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Conf on Computer Supported Cooperative Work * * Claire Gingell, U of N Carolina-Chapel Hill (cscw94@cs.unc.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ACM 1994 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work "Transcending Boundaries -- People, Places, and Time." October 22-26, 1994 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA The organizers of the 1994 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW'94) invite you to submit original work and to attend the conference. CSCW combines communications and computing technologies to support work and other activities in groups varying in task, size, permanence, and structure. As a field of research and development, CSCW is multidisciplinary, drawing on computer, behavioral, social, and organizational sciences, as well as management, engineering, and education disciplines. The theme for CSCW'94 will be "Transcending Boundaries -- People, Places, and Time." It suggests that it may be possible to build computer-supported environments, and a base of knowledge, that enable groups to overcome limitations of time and place so that distributed work may be done almost as readily as work done in one location. We hope that this conference -- through its technical program, workshops and tutorials; and interactions -- will help make this possibility a reality. Proposals for workshops, tutorials, and panels, and submissions of videos are due on March 25 (the papers deadline was February 10). For more information: copies of the call for participation, detailed instructions on preparing papers and videos, and information on hotel rates and other conference prices may be obtained via: --anonymous ftp at ftp.cs.unc.edu, in the directory , subdirectory , --writing to: CSCW'94 c/o Computer Science Department CB# 3175, Sitterson Hall Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3175 USA --sending e-mail to cscw94@cs.unc.edu \EOA 0078* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Workshop on Info Technologies and Systems * * Prabuddha De, Univ of Dayton (deprabud@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 4th Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS'94) December 17-18, 1994 Vancouver, B.C., Canada The purpose of the workshop is to promote discussion and interaction among members of the Information Systems community with research interests in cutting-edge information technologies and systems. We are particularly interested in exchanging research ideas and results which will not only contribute to the academic arena, but will also benefit the business community in the foreseeable future. TOPICS: We solicit research papers which address issues concerning the theory, development, and/or deployment of information techno- logies and systems. Suggested topics include, but not limited to: --Information System Architectures --Database Systems --Knowledge-based Systems --Distributed Systems --Computer Networks and Telecommunications --System Development Methods --Modeling Methods --Innovative Information Technologies --Decision Support Systems --Collaborative and Group Systems --Human-Computer Interfaces --Quality Issues --Object-Oriented Topics Experience reports that describe lessons learned in the development, operations, and maintenance of actual systems and panels that examine an emerging, innovative, or otherwise provocative issue are encouraged as well. INSTRUCTIONS: Panel proposals and extended abstracts for papers and reports should be submitted by July 29, 1994 to: Professor Prabuddha De Dept of MIS and Decision Sciences School of Business Administration University of Dayton 300 College Park, Dayton, Ohio 45469-2130 USA Phone: (513) 229-2292 Fax: (513) 229-4000 E-mail: deprabud@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu Paper proposals should be double-spaced and be no more than 10 pages while panel proposals are limited to 5 pages. The best paper/report will be awarded a $2,000 cash prize and selected papers may be invited for journal publication. Panel proposals should include a summary of the topic to be covered, names and affiliations of 3-4 panelists who have made a commitment to participate, a summary of their position statements, and a brief biography of each. A mix of industry and academic panel members is recommended. Queries regarding panels should be directed to Sudha Ram (e-mail: ram@bpa.arizona.edu, phone: (602) 621-2748, fax: (602) 621-2433) or Richard Wang (e-mail: rwang@eagle.mit.edu, phone: (617) 253-0442, fax: (617) 253-3321). SUBMISSION DATES: Deadline for submission: July 29, 1994 Notification of acceptance: September 30, 1994 Camera-ready copy due: October 28, 1994 \EOA 0079* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CALL FOR PAPERS - Acct, Auditing, and Tax (Expert Sys with Appl) * * Carol Brown, Oregon State University (brownc@bus.orst.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Call for Papers Expert Systems With Applications Special Issue on Expert Systems for Accounting, Auditing and Tax Mid-year 1995 Expert Systems With Applications is a refereed international journal focusing on exchanging information relating to expert systems in industry, government and universities worldwide. The thrust of the journal deals with the design, development, testing, implementation, and/or management of expert systems. Financial topics appropriate to this special issue include accounting, auditing, tax and other related financial domains. Papers will be considered in the following areas: --organizing research issues related to expert systems --task selection and feasibility analysis --knowledge acquisition and explanation --knowledge representation and processing --use of uncertainty, validation and verification --impact of expert systems on organizations --integration --intelligent databases --machine learning --case-based reasoning --rule induction --neural networks --management and implementation of intelligent systems for business applications --the legal implications of expert system use --deeper understanding of financial domains --cognitive modeling SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Editors for this special issue are Carol E. Brown (Oregon State University) and Anthony K.P. Wensley (University of Toronto). Submit papers to: Carol E. Brown Oregon State University College of Business Bexell Hall 200 Corvallis, OR 97331-2603 USA Phone: (503) 737-3309 FAX: (503) 737-4890 (do not fax papers) E-mail: brownc@bus.orst.edu IMPORTANT DATES: Submission of papers (4 copies): July 1, 1994 Notification of first-round results: October 1, 1994 \EOA 0080* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HEARD ON THE NET - Surveys on Information Systems Project Failure * * Dennis W. Viehland, INFOSYS Editor (d.viehland@massey.ac.nz) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Extracted from the International Conference on Information Systems (icis-l@uga.cc.uga.edu) on 2-4 March, 1994. The Subject line is "Surveys on IS Failure": I am undertaking research on social and organisational aspects of IS failure. I have come across a number of papers that quote figures for the proportion of systems projects which are considered as failures. For example, Lyttinen and Hirschheim in 1987 quote surveys indicating up to 50% of IS projects fail. Other authors quote figures of 15%. I have not been able to find references for the sources of these figures. Can anyone suggest where they come from or how reliable they are? Thank you for your help. --Bruce Robinson, Univ of Salford, (b.a.robinson@iti.salford.ac.uk) The reference there is based on Gladden, and Gladden was using a survey of c.a. 500 DoD projects. I came with little bit more lower numbers, and Saaksajarvi and Saarinen came up with c.a. 15%. As you may know these figures are extremely difficult to pin down exactly as they depend how you define a failure. --Kalle Lyytinen, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (kalle@uxmail.ust.hk) This whole area of IS project failure is quicksand. If you track back most of the outrageously high failure numbers, they are generally all from the same source - a U.S. Government General Accounting Office study conducted in 1979 that came up with these kinds of numbers: over 50% of software contracts had cost overruns, over 60% had schedule overruns, etc. But there is a huge problem with those numbers - the GAO is a watchdog agency which looks at problem situations, and in this study they were examining projects that got into trouble and because of that became the subject of study. The true meaning of the report's numbers, then, is that for a collection of projects already in trouble, over 50% had cost overruns, etc. Thus the numbers are, for the most part, meaningless. This has been documented in several different places by Bruce Blum of Johns Hopkins. My personal belief, based on reading the literature with a watchful eye because I care about what the track record of practice really is, is that most such data is based on anecdotal evidence, not real data. That's why, for example, you've seen the numbers 50% and 15%, and I've seen those and some up to 80% (none of which I believe!). Picture the research problem involved in getting at real data here. I tend to think it simply doesn't exist. --Robert L. Glass I agree with many of the points that Robert raises re. unreliability and poor construct validity of the studies. This does not mean that all studies are as bad. The studies which I pointed out in my earlier studies (Saaksajarvi and Saarinen, Lyytinen 1987) are more objective, reliable and carefully done. I think the key issue why you should be concerned with these statistics is that they usually come with quite high figures and if you talk with management or systems analyst they nearly always tell you that the status of the field is unsatisfactory. --Kalle Lyytinen, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (kalle@uxmail.ust.hk) Kalle Lyytinen made the point that a major problem in studying IS failures is how the definition of failures. The references qouted in the debate so far seem to be concerned with IS development projects. However, a system may be a regardes as a failure even if it is implemented and in frequent use. Surveys of user opinions indicate that as much as 80% of all systems development efforts are judged as either direct or partial failures. Two references to such numbers are found in: --Mowshowitz, A. (1976). The Conquest of Will: Information Processing. Reading, MA.: Addison-Wesley. --Vowler, J. (1991). A Risky Investment that Business Has to Make. Computer Weekly, 6(November). --Ragnvald Sannes, Stockholm School of Economics (irs@hhs.se) \EOA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * INFOSYS is an electronic newsletter for faculty, students, and * * practitioners in the field of Information Systems. INFOSYS * * publishes news items, requests for assistance, announcements of * * professional meetings and conferences, position notices, a * * calendar of upcoming events, comments on recent publications, * * abstracts of papers that authors are willing to share, and other * * items of interest to the Information Systems community. * * * * INFOSYS is published biweekly, more frequently if volume requires * * it. INFOSYS operates as an electronic mailing list on listserv * * software at American University in Washington, DC. The editor is * * Dennis W. Viehland (d.viehland@massey.ac.nz). * * * * To subscribe to INFOSYS send the following one-line electronic * * mail message to listserv@american.edu (Internet) or listserv@auvm * * (Bitnet): subscribe infosys yourfirstname yourlastname * * (e.g., subscribe infosys John Smith). You will receive a welcome * * letter that will tell you more about INFOSYS and listserv. * * * * Guidelines for submitting articles to INFOSYS are published in * * the Welcome message each new subscriber receives (or e-mail "GET * * infosys welcome" to listserv@american.edu). Send articles to * * infosys@american.edu or d.viehland@massey.ac.nz. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *