Research Methods in Information Systems

Theory, Theoretical Contribution, Constructs, and Instruments

Academic session: Session 1, 2022
Duration: 9 in-class hours (9 sessions of 60 minutes each)
Coordinator/Lecturer: Professor Rajeev Sharma, University of Waikato and
Adjunct Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Email: rsharma@waikato.ac.nz

Workshop Objectives
Theory development and theoretical contribution are the fundamental objectives of research in IS.
This is the most important aspect that top international journals in IS look for in research papers
submitted to them. The purpose of this workshop is to facilitate the development of skills to conduct
rigorous research that makes a theoretical contribution.
Learning Goals
At the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:
• Design research projects in IS that make a theoretical contribution,
• Understand the requirements expected of research papers by top international journals in
IS, and
• Develop constructs and measures to support the theorization process.
Assessments and Evaluation
None.
A group assignment is due on June 28, 2022. Feedback will be provided during the final session
on July 5, 2022. However, the group assignment is not for evaluation or assessment.
Estimated Workload
• In-class hours: 9 hours
• Readings: 20-30 hours
Structure and Required Readings by Session
This course consists of nine sessions of sixty minutes each.
Each session will be from 11.00 am to12.00 pm (IST).
Participants should read the required readings before class.

1/5
 Session/Date Topic and Readings

May 16, 2022 Introduction to Workshop

Topic 1: Understanding the concept of theory in IS research

Required readings:
Session 1 Whetten, D. A. 1989. What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution? Academy
of Management Review, 14(4): 490-495.
May 17, 2022
Bhattacherjee, A. 2012. Social science research: Principles, methods, and
practices. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3. (Chapter 4
only)

Topic 2: Understanding theoretical contribution in IS research

Required readings:
Whetten, D. A. 1989. What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution? Academy
of Management Review, 14(4): 490-495.
Bhattacherjee, A. 2012. Social science research: Principles, methods, and
practices. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3. (Chapter 4
only)
Session 2 Further readings:
May 19, 2022 Grover, V., and Lyytinen, K. 2015. “New State of Play in Information
Systems Research: The Push To the Edges.,” MIS Quarterly (39:2),
pp. 271–296.
Gregor, S. 2006. “The Nature of Theory in Information Systems,” MIS
Quarterly (30:3), pp. 611–642.
Avison, D., and Malaurent, J. 2015. “Is Theory King?: Questioning the
Theory Fetish in Information Systems,” Journal of Information
Technology (29:4), Nature Publishing Group, pp. 213–237.
(https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-50985-7).

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 Session/Date Topic and Readings

Topic 3: The importance of theoretical contribution

Required readings:
Whetten, D. A. 1989. What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution? Academy
of Management Review, 14(4): 490-495.
Bhattacherjee, A. 2012. Social science research: Principles, methods, and
practices. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3. (Chapter 4
only)
Straub, D. 2009a. Creating Blue Oceans of Thought Via Highly Citable
Session 3 Articles. MIS Quarterly, 33(4): iii-vii.

May 24, 2022 Further readings:

Hong, W., Chan, F. K. Y., Thong, J. Y. L., Chasalow, L. C., and Dhillon, G.
2013. “A Framework and Guidelines for Context-Specific Theorizing
in Information Systems Research,” Information Systems Research
(25:1), pp. 111–136.
Weick, K. E. 1995. “What Theory Is Not, Theorizing Is,” Administrative
Science Quarterly (40:3), JSTOR, pp. 385–390.
Weick, K. E. 1989. “Theory Construction as Disciplined Imagination,”
Academy of Management Review (14:4), Academy of Management
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510, pp. 516–531.

Topic 4: Constructs and instruments in IS research

Required readings:
Session 4 Rivard, S., 2014. Editor’s comments: The ions of theory construction. MIS
Quarterly, 38(2), iii-xiv.
May 26, 2022
Weber, R. 2012. "Evaluating and Developing Theories in the Information
Systems Discipline," Journal of the Association for Information
Systems (13:1), 1-30.

Break

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 Session/Date Topic and Readings

Topic 5: Construct and instrument development process

Required readings:
Lewis, B. R., Templeton, G. F., and Byrd, T. A. 2005. “A Methodology for
Construct Development in MIS Research,” European Journal of
Information Systems (14:4), pp. 388–400.
Hinkin, T. R. 2005. “Scale Development Principles and Practices,” in
Session 5 Research in Organizations: Foundations and Methods of Inquiry, R.
May 24, 2022 A. Swanson and E. F. Holton (eds.), Berrett-Koehler Publishers, pp.
161–179.
Further readings:
MacKenzie, S.B., Podsakoff, P.M. and Podsakoff, N.P., 2011. Construct
measurement and validation procedures in MIS and behavioral
research: Integrating new and existing techniques. MIS Quarterly,
35(2), 293-334.

Topic 6: Content validity assessment

Required readings:
Hoehle, H. and Venkatesh, V., 2015. Mobile Application Usability. MIS
Session 6 Quarterly, 39(2), 435-472.
May 26, 2022 Colquitt, J. A., Sabey, T. B., Rodell, J. B., and Hill, E. T. 2019. “Content
Validation Guidelines: Evaluation Criteria for Definitional
Correspondence and Definitional Distinctiveness.,” Journal of
Applied Psychology (104:10), p. 1243.

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 Session/Date Topic and Readings

Topic 7: Future directions in theory building and content validity

assessment
Required readings:
Rivard, S., 2021. Theory building is neither an art nor a science. It is a craft.
Journal of Information Technology, 36(3): 316-328.
Session 7
Lee, A.S., 2021. Theory building from the points of view of a native, an
June 14, 2022 anthropologist, and a philosopher: Commentary on Suzanne Rivard’s
“Theory building is neither an art nor a science. It is a craft”. Journal
of Information Technology, 36(3): 329-333.
Larsen, K.R. and Sharma, R., 2020. The Theory of Construct and Instrument
Development Process: Supplementing Human Judgment with Natural
Language Processing Techniques. Available at SSRN 3719547.

Topic 8: Writing for acceptance in top international IS journals

Required readings:
Straub, D.W., 2009. Editor's Comments: Why top journals accept your
paper. MIS Quarterly, 33(3): pp.iii-x.
Jason A. Colquitt, Gerard George, 2011. “Publishing in AMJ - Part 1: Topic
Choice.” Academy of Management Journal, (54, 30), p. 432-435.
Session 8 Further readings:
June 16, 2022 Jay Barney, (2018). “Positioning a Theory Paper for Publication.” Academy of
Management Review (43:3), p. 345-348.
Gerard George, 2012. “Publishing in AMJ for Non-U.S. Authors.” Academy
of Management Journal, (55:5), p. 1023–1026.
Sarker, S., Chatterjee, S., Xiao, X., and Elbanna, A. 2019. “The Sociotechnical
Axis of Cohesion for the IS Discipline: Its Historical Legacy and Its
Continued Relevance,” MIS Quarterly (43:3), pp. 695–720

Research paper (group assignment) due on June 28, 2022

June 28, 2022 Outline of research paper: Introduction, theory development, theoretical
contribution, construct definitions, and instrument development

Session 9 Topic 9: Group Presentations - Review and feedback on research paper

July 5, 2022

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