The blockchain technology discourse is diverse, and diffusion is increasing. It is estimated that USD39 billion will be spent within the blockchain ecosystem by 2025. One can view this as an exciting time to be involved in technology. Or another can potentially view this as wasteful spending and exploitation of scarce resources. Additionally, projects and start-ups fail at an alarming rate, making it critical to provide tools to aid decision-makers. Current blockchain research has not yet answered what blockchain is nor what situations it is best suited to. This paper problematises the current discourse on blockchain technology through a systematic literature review using bibliometric techniques. We present blockchain research on who, when, where, and what. This research also extends the multi-discipline discourse by synthesising how blockchain technology is enacted. We present a benchmarking tool for assessing solutions. Further research topics are also presented.

Using contingency theory, we argue that there is not a uniform approach for companies to govern information technology (IT) investments. Rather, the level of governance over IT investments is contingent upon the organization’s goals for its IT investments. We find that Australian organizations with both operation- and market-focused IT investment goals (i.e. dual-focused IT goals) demonstrate higher IT investment governance (ITIG) levels than those with less focused IT goals. We also document that dual-IT-focused firms that do not implement high levels of ITIG underperform. Our study informs business executives, boards of directors, and other practitioners interested in governance implementations over IT investments. JEL Classification: M1

Since the inception of blockchain-related technologies over a decade ago, investors’ uptake of the technologies has grown rapidly. But even with the advancement in standing from conceptual beginnings to real-world experimentation, mainstream adoption of the technologies in either organizational or individual contexts has yet to eventuate. To resolve this paradox, we examine progression of the technologies’ diffusion instead, and in the process, seek to uncover the underlying dynamics of sentiments at play. Diffusion involves multiple actions by different parties, with social discourses via diverse media playing an essential role. In demonstrating the interplay of support to resistance via media framing and the diffusion of innovation theory, findings from our paper contribute to the technology adoption literature. Understanding resistant behavior toward a new technology area could help resolve potential issues that may arise. This would hopefully lead to better technological implementation outcomes in future.

Various arguments for and against distributed ledger technology (DLT) appear in the media. By analyzing DLT-related online English news articles from 2010 to 2018, first, we use organizing visions to investigate DLT’s history of evolving and expanding. Second, following the Gartner hype cycle stages, we observe how DLT may offer ripe opportunities for future inquiry. We found DLT’s diffusion was characterized by competing arguments. While DLT was initially viewed as somewhat questionable, communities collectively have (re)interpreted it favorably. DLT provides researchers with opportunities warranting further development in the information systems field.

ABSTRACT The volume of freely available accounting information is rapidly becoming overwhelming. To be useful, information needs to be delivered to users in a suitable, relevant, and understandable form. Interactive data visualisation (IDV) can help address this need for useful information by organising accounting information, especially financial reports, into forms with these qualities. Given both their prevalence and their likelihood of being future users of IDV, the purpose of this research is to examine the appropriateness of IDV for non-professional investors’ use when they access accounting information. This research uses a 2 × 2 experimental approach involving 404 participants representing non-professional investors from diverse demographic backgrounds. This research suggests that IDV mitigates non-professional investors’ restricted investment capabilities by presenting information that is more salient, thus reducing non-professional investors’ cognitive effort. This combination allows such investors to better perform both simple and multipart investment tasks. By integrating three information systems’ fit perspectives (i.e. task technology, information quality, and cognitive), this research explains IDV’s suitability and fit within the accounting domain. We also discuss how the findings can inform practice and span interdisciplinary research into data and information visualisation.

This paper aims to develop a design for an accounting information system that will enhance the representational faithfulness of financial reporting information. One of the functions of financial reporting is to aggregate and report the entity's private data. This paper shows that recognizing that some of the firm's private data is already shared with others allows the methods of multiparty security to be applied to the reporting and audit processes. We contend that using both public key cryptography and network analysis allows the identity of an entity to be modelled as a place on a network. We also develop accounting recordkeeping techniques to balance public access with privacy using a blockchain. Taken together, these three design ideas can enhance the representational faithfulness of financial reporting systems because they use shared data from independent entities, a transparent system, and open-access immutable storage. Faithful representation is enhanced because information from this system can be used by auditors to support their audit opinion or by stakeholders who need credible information about the entity.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to gain insight into what aspects of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) data and information quality (DIQ) most interest professionals. Design/methodology/approach The authors use text analytics to examine XBRL discourses from professionals working in the domain. They explore the discussion in the three largest LinkedIn XBRL groups. Data collection covered the period 2010-2016. Findings Via the text analytics, the authors find the most appropriate XBRL DIQ dimensions. They propose an XBRL DIQ framework containing 18 relevant DIQ dimensions derived from both the accounting and IS fields. The findings of this study are expected to help direct future XBRL research into the DIQ dimensions most worthy of further empirical investigation. Originality/value XBRL is the international standard for the digital reporting of financial, performance, risk and compliance information. Although the expectations of XBRL to produce improvements in DIQ via its applications (e.g. standard business reporting, digital data standard and interactive data visualization) are high, they remain unclear. This paper contributes to better understanding of the aspects of XBRL DIQ most relevant to professionals.

The path to academia begins with a Ph.D. A student must then navigate the publish or perish path to prove worthy of a highly prized tenured position. In seeking to balance research in fast-paced (even hyped) areas against the tension to mature our discipline, one might feel overwhelmed and struggle with acceptance to IS academic circles. This paper presents three challenges faced in the early stages of a personal Ph.D. journey. In particular, when studying rapidly evolving technologies such as blockchain, and how some of these challenges may even be overcome with a viable blockchain solution.

Background: Interactive data and information visualization (IDIV) enhances information presentations by providing users with multiple visual representations, active controls, and analytics. Users have greater control over IDIV presentations than standard presentations and as such IDIV becomes a more popular and relevant means of supporting data analytics (DA), as well as augmenting human intellect. Thus, IDIV enables provision of information in a format better suited to users' decision-making. Method: Synthesizing past literature, we unpack IDIV characteristics and their influence on decision-making. This study adopts a narrative review method. Our conceptualization of IDIV and the proposed decision-making model are derived from a substantial body of literature from within the information systems (IS) and psychology disciplines. Results: We propose an IS centered model of IDIV enhanced decision-making incorporating four bases of decision-making (i.e., predictors, moderators, mediators, and outcomes). IDIV is specifically characterized by rich features compared with standard information presentations, therefore, formulating the model is critical to understanding how IDIV affects decision processes, perceptual evaluations, and decision outcomes and quality. Conclusions: This decision-making model could provide a meaningful frame of reference for further IDIV research and greater specificity in IS theorizing. Overall, we contribute to the systematic description and explanation of IDIV and discuss a potential research agenda for future IDIV research into IS.

Credit unions play a relevant role in providing microcredit and other financial services. Because such financial cooperative organizations have drawn the attention of a significant and growing academic literature, a bibliometric study becomes essential. This study comprehensively analyzes the literature on credit unions using the leading indices for bibliometric examination: Elsevier’s Scopus and Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science databases. Our searches reveal a high level of complementarity between the databases concerning the subject. Their combined use has enabled us to extensively trace the evolution of studies on the subject regarding volume and impact. We identify the major countries, journals, authors, articles, intellectual basis and topics. Further, using CiteSpace, we have mapped the networks of co-authorship, co-citations, and co-keywords in credit union research. The findings allow us to conclude that economics and business finance are the principal areas of credit union research although articles in sociology and history were also observed. Finally, by investigating contemporary co-keywords clusters and future research directions, we identify four main avenues of research: economic performance, corporate governance, accounting and disclosure and, credit union to bank comparisons regarding customer relationships and technology.

IS enables organizations to improve their productivity, streamline their business processes, and better understand the challenges and opportunities facing their business. These benefits can further accrue to individuals and organizations when they adopt and use the systems. While the benefits of IS are multifarious, IS adoption remains challenging. The far-reaching consequences of IS motivate research examining the antecedents of successful IS adoption both at individual and organizational levels. To examine the complexity of IS adoption, we undertook an interpretive case study of SBR adoption in Australia. We contend that SBR’s context in Australia offers distinctive perspectives on the complexity of IS adoption. We found that IS adoption decisions can be based on both constructivist and ecological rationalities. Our findings can provide insight in improving understanding of the benefits of SBR and have implications for companies, regulators, standard setters, and the accounting profession, more generally.

As part of business analytics (BA) technologies, reporting and visualization play essential roles in mitigating users' limitations (i.e., being inexperienced, having limited knowledge, and relying on simplified information). Reporting and visualization can potentially enhance users' sense-making, thus permitting them to focus more on the information's message rather than numerical analysis. To better understand the role of reporting and visualization in a contextualized environment, we investigate using interactive data visualization (IDV) within accounting. We aim to understand whether IDV can help enhance non-professional investors' ability to make sense of foundational financial statement analyses. This study conducted an experiment using a sample of 324 nonprofessional investors. Our findings indicate that nonprofessional investors who use IDV are more heuristically adept than non-professional investors who use non-IDV. These findings enrich the theoretical understanding of business analytics' use in accounting decision making. The results of this study also suggest several practical courses of action, such as promoting wider use of IDV and making affordable IDV more broadly available, particularly for non-professional investors.

The benefits of using eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) as a business reporting standard have been widely canvassed in the extant literature, in particular, as the enabling technology for standard business reporting tools. One of the key benefits noted is the ability of standard business reporting to create significant efficiencies in the regulatory reporting process. Efficiency-driven cost reductions are highly desirable by data and report producers. However, they may not have the same potential to create long-term firm value as improved effectiveness of decision making. This study assesses the perceptions of Australian business stakeholders in relation to the benefits of the Australian standard business reporting instantiation (SBR) for financial reporting. These perceptions were drawn from interviews of persons knowledgeable in XBRL-based standard business reporting and submissions to Treasury relative to SBR reporting options. The combination of interviews and submissions permit insights into the views of various groups of stakeholders in relation to the potential benefits. In line with predictions based on a transaction-cost economics perspective, interviewees who primarily came from a data and report-producer background mentioned benefits that centre largely on asset specificity and efficiency. The interviewees who principally came from a data and report-consumer background mentioned benefits that centre on reducing decision-making uncertainty and decision-making effectiveness. The data and report consumers also took a broader view of the benefits of SBR to the financial reporting supply chain. Our research suggests that advocates of SBR have successfully promoted its efficiency benefits to potential users. However, the effectiveness benefits of SBR, for example, the decision-making benefits offered to investors via standardised reports, while becoming more broadly acknowledged, remain not a priority for all stakeholders.

While the growth in the number of IT investments remains strong, research in the IT investment field is limited, resulting in suboptimal practical guidance on effectively governing IT investments. Based on resource-based theory, this paper reports the initial work involved in developing a construct named IT investment governance (ITIG), because it can be used to measure organizations' capability to govern their IT investments. This paper then empirically examines the association of ITIG and corporate performance. The preliminary result is a four-factor, 16-item instrument for assessing the ITIG construct. This method's factors are IT investment value governance, IT investment value monitoring, IT investment appraisals and IT investment project management. The impact of ITIG on corporate performance was demonstrated with a significant and positive relationship found to exist between the ITIG construct and corporate performance, thus supporting the effectiveness of the ITIG construct. Corporations with higher levels of ITIG capability are more likely to maximize the contribution of their IT investments to firm value.

The DeLone and McLean (D&M) model (2003) has been broadly used and generally recognised as a useful model for gauging the success of IS implementations. However, it is not without limitations. In this study, we evaluate a model that extends the D&M model and attempts to address some of its limitations by providing a more complete measurement model of systems success. To that end, we augment the D&M (2003) model and include three variables: business value, institutional trust, and future readiness. We propose that the addition of these variables allows systems success to be assessed at both the systems level and the business level. Consequently, we develop a measurement model rather than a structural or predictive model of systems success.

ABSTRACTExtensible business reporting language (XBRL) was developed from an established markup computer language (eXtensible Markup Language, XML). XBRL facilitates data and information exchange between different information systems (IS). This important feature has attracted much research since the early 2000s. This article aims to provide a framework for XBRL research's contributions to information systems (IS). An integrative review is needed to draw an overall picture and canvas key findings regarding the various XBRL topics examined in past studies. Such a review also identifies research opportunities and guides future XBRL research. We conducted thematic analysis using an integrative literature review. A sample of 150 XBRL articles obtained from various peer-reviewed academic journals was used to understand past XBRL studies and suggest XBRL's future research direction. This article identifies and proposes four current XBRL research streams; namely, XBRL's impact on business, XBRL's adoption, XBRL's technical development, and XBRL education. This paper then examines the key findings of these XBRL papers, offers several potential areas where further investigation may be warranted, and suggests XBRL research-informed practices.

Experimental research has been widely used within the information systems (IS) field. Using a meta-review, this study examines the use of experimental research in the IS field during the period 1990 to 2013 and investigates the utilisation of statistical techniques, particularly multivariate analyses. This study provides important information regarding the pattern of experimental research in the IS field (i.e., experimental designs, treatments, tasks, incentives and participants). This study finds that multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) is frequently used as the multivariate statistical technique in experimental IS research. While the use of multivariate analyses is common in recent experimental IS research, concerns remain about the potential inappropriate use of measurements and violations of statistical assumptions required by the various multivariate analyses, for example, using ordinal scales rather than interval scales and issues surrounding the normality of data. This article is intended to offer guidelines to help future researchers be aware of the statistical issues and to mitigate the shortcomings that arise due to inappropriate use of measurements and violations of the statistical assumptions in experimental IS research.

ABSTRACTMultiple discourses are critical in determining the success of information technology (IT) diffusion. Since its inception, such discourses also appear in the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) diffusion sphere. To help explain XBRL diffusion, we explore the discourses relative to XBRL in social media. A case study with text mining and content analysis was conducted to address three research questions covering community discourses, polarity of viewpoint, and learning surrounding XBRL in social media. Our sample data consisted of members' posts and comments in LinkedIn XBRL groups over the period 2010 to 2013. Our analysis finds that XBRL discourses in social media have largely revolved around the dissemination of XBRL information to raise awareness among potential adopters (i.e., theorization) and to properly implement XBRL (i.e., translation). Our findings indicate that XBRL's theorization is not in doubt, while XBRL's translation remains challenging. Professionals generally view XBRL positively. Those who view XBRL less favorably are more likely to be skeptical rather than dismissive. We also observe that social media like LinkedIn is a relevant channel for communities to learn about XBRL. We discuss the findings and include several insights and implications that may be useful in augmenting the future of XBRL.

ABSTRACT Top management's involvement in IT governance appears to positively influence the establishment and implementation of effective IT governance within organizations. Considering the lack of advancement in the area in practice, this study offers a deeper understanding of dimensions that help to explain top management's knowledge of IT governance. Using absorptive capacity as its theoretical underpinning, and based on Australian empirical data, this study shows that for top management to achieve higher levels of absorptive capacity of IT governance knowledge (ACAP-ITG), they need to focus on four dimensions: prior relevant knowledge, effective communication network, appropriate communication climate, and effective knowledge scanning. To further support the usefulness of the ACAP-ITG construct, this study empirically tested the relationship between the construct and corporate performance. This study presents top management in organizations with useful measures that can help them assess their organization's strengths and weaknesses related to ACAP-ITG.