One opportunity for organizations to participate in open source software (OSS) development is through organizations OSS (orgsOSS), a term we use to describe a group of organizations that commit resources to collectively develop OSS. This archetype of OSS development is distinct from other types that include organizations, yet is understudied. As organizations increasingly contribute to and rely on OSS as part of their strategy, understanding how they can collaborate to build software holds importance for the future of software development. This study collects a unique dataset of development tasks from a large orgsOSS project spanning over two years and seven releases. Building on existing OSS research, we explore norms with respect to collaboration, i.e., how developers assign, discuss, and complete tasks, in an orgsOSS project. Interestingly, our analysis reveals that developers in orgsOSS do not always adhere to ideals of widespread sharing and participation espoused by traditional OSS, however some developer and task characteristics helped foster these ideals. Based on these and other findings, we develop a set of propositions and associated collaboration mechanisms that are important to future orgsOSS and other similarly structured software development projects.

Cognitive research suggests that understanding the semantics, or the meaning, of representations involves both ascension from concrete concepts denoting specific observations (that is, extension) to abstract concepts denoting a number of observations (that is, intension), and vice versa. Consonantly, extant conceptual schemas can encode the semantics of a domain intensionally (e.g., ER diagram, UML class diagram) or extensionally (e.g., set diagram, UML object diagram). However, prior IS research has exclusively focused on intensional representations and the role they play in aiding domain understanding. In this research, we compare the interpretational fidelity of two types of representational encoding of cardinality constraints, an intensional schema using an ER diagram and its extensional analog using a set diagram. We employ cognitive science research to conceptualize that extensional representations will enable enhanced understanding as compared with intensional representations. Further, given that prior research suggests that the semantics of cardinality constraints remain challenging to understand, we focus on mandatory and optional cardinality constraints associated with relationships in these representations. Based on our laboratory experiments, we find that understanding with an extensional representation was (1) at least as good as that with an intensional representation for mandatory cardinality constraints and (2) significantly better for optional cardinality constraints. We also conducted an applicability check of our results via focus groups and found support for the perceived significance of extensional representations in practice. Overall, this research suggests that the tradition in IS research of exclusively focusing on intensional encoding of domain semantics should be reexamined.

The curriculum recommendations for master's level degree programs in Information Systems (most recently, MSIS 2006) have served the IS community well and formed a strong foundation on which many departments have built their graduate programs. Changes in technology, the way in which IS/IT solutions are procured and provided, and the need to raise the profile of master's programs in IS, however, have created a need to review the master's level model curriculum. This article builds on recent discussion on this topic within the IS community and is intended to move the conversation regarding the curriculum revision forward. Through three program exemplars and integrative discussion, the article identifies and addresses key questions related to the curriculum revision and provides guidance for any department that is currently in the process of modifying its degree program.

Readers who want an up-to-date overview of database development and management. Focusing on the topics that leading database practitioners say are most important, Essentials of Database Management presents a concise overview designed to ensure practical success for database professionals. Built upon the strong foundation of Modern Database Management, currently in its eleventh edition, the new Essentials of Database Management is ideal for a less-detailed approach. Like its comprehensive counterpart, it guides readers into the future by presenting research that could reveal the next big thing in database management. And it features up-to-date coverage in the areas undergoing rapid change due to improved managerial practices, database design tools and methodologies, and database technology.

Master’s level programs in Information Systems provide exciting opportunities for schools and departments that are willing to actively engage with their corporate partners and other key stakeholders to develop products that simultaneously address the needs of students, employers, and other stakeholders and build on the core strengths of the IS discipline. This article reports on the results of a panel discussion on master’s level education in IS that took place at AMCIS 2010. The panelists included experienced program directors, curriculum experts, and academic administrators from both North America and Europe. Their contributions brought together descriptions of successful program models, in-depth understanding of how the context for master’s programs in IS is changing, and ideas regarding the future direction for master’s education in IS.

This article introduces a complete storage and retrieval architecture for a database environment for XML documents. DocBase, a prototype system based on this architecture, uses a flexible storage and indexing technique to allow highly expressive queries without the necessity of mapping documents to other database formats. DocBase is an integration of several techniques that include (i) a formal model called Heterogeneous Nested Relations (HNR), (ii) a conceptual model XER (Extensible Entity Relationship), (ii) formal query languages (Document Algebra and Calculus), (iii) a practical query language (Document SQL or DSQL), (iv) a visual query formulation method with QBT (Query By Templates), and (v) the DocBase query processing architecture. This paper focuses on the overall architecture of DocBase including implementation details, describes the details of the query-processing framework, and presents results from various performance tests. The paper summarizes experimental and usability analyses to demonstrate its feasibility as a general architecture for native as well as embedded document manipulation methods.

This panel report discussed three different ways that IT Services Management (ITSM) can be infused into the curriculum of university programs. One aspect of the panel focused on noncourse-specific means of infusing ITSM in a MSIS program, while another looked at a basic course in ITSM in the MSIS program. A final aspect described entire degree programs in ITSM and curricular support for them. Though this panel focused primarily on graduate programs, the lessons in some cases are applicable to undergraduate programs as well.

This chapter presents DSQL, a conservative extension of SQL, as an ad-hoc query language for XML. The development of DSQL follows the theoretical foundations of first order logic, and uses common query semantics already accepted for SQL. DSQL represents a core subset of XQuery that lends well to query optimization techniques; while at the same time allows easy integration into current databases and applications that use SQL. The intent of DSQL is not to replace XQuery, the current W3C recommended XML query language, but to serve as an ad-hoc querying frontend to XQuery. Further, the authors present proofs for important query language properties such as complexity and closure. An empirical study comparing DSQL and XQuery for the purpose of ad-hoc querying demonstrates that users perform better with DSQL for both flat and tree structures, in terms of both accuracy and efficiency.

IT Service management is an emerging discipline likely to enhance existing academic IT program offerings. One barrier to adoption of ITSM in IT academic programs is the uncertainty that students can get jobs as a result of such education and knowledge. To overcome this barrier, a survey of the membership of the U.S. IT Service Management Forum, a practitioner organization, was conducted. The results of this survey show that there is a market of at least 15,000 hires per year in the U.S. for undergraduate and graduate students who have ITSM skills, and that companies are willing to hire ITSM-trained graduates.

Web 2.0 represents a major shift in how individuals communicate and collaborate with others. While many of these technologies have been used for public, social interactions (e.g., Wikipedia and YouTube), organizations are just beginning to explore their use in day-to-day operations. Due to relatively recent introduction and public popularity, Web 2.0 has led to a resurgent focus on how organizations can once again leverage technology within the organization for virtual and mass collaboration. In this paper, we explore some of the key questions facing organizations with regard to Web 2.0 implementation and adoption. We develop a model of "Web 2.0 Proclivity", defined as an individual's propensity to use Web 2.0 tools within the organization. Our model and set of associated hypotheses focuses on understanding an employee's internal Web 2.0 content behaviors based on non-work, personal use behaviors. To test our model and hypotheses, survey-based data was collected from a global engine design and manufacturing company. Our results show that Web 2.0 Proclivity is positively influenced by an employee's external behaviors and that differences exist across both functional departments and employee work roles. We discuss the research implications of our findings as well as how our findings and model of Web 2.0 Proclivity can be used to help guide organizational practice.

This article presents DSQL, a conservative extension of SQL, as an ad-hoc query language for XML. The development of DSQL follows the theoretical foundations of first order logic, and uses common query semantics already accepted for SQL. DSQL represents a core subset of XQuery that lends well to optimization techniques, while at the same time allows easy integration into current databases and applications that use SQL. The intent of DSQL is not to replace XQuery, the current W3C recommended XML query language, but to serve as an ad-hoc querying frontend to XQuery. Further, the authors present proofs for important query language properties such as complexity and closure. An empirical study comparing DSQL and XQuery for the purpose of ad-hoc querying demonstrates that users perform better with DSQL for both flat and tree structures, in terms of both accuracy and efficiency.

This article is a background report describing a comprehensive study of research in the three computing disciplines Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Information Systems. Findings relate to research topics, approaches, methods, reference disciplines, and levels of analysis. The article informally describes the process used and the research products produced.

In this paper, we describe the characteristics of two different query languages designed to query XML data: DSQL, a declarative SQL like language and XQuery, a procedural language that is fast becoming the defacto language for XML querying. We then describe the design of an experiment aimed at comparing the accuracy and efficiency of the query formulation process when using the two languages. The results from our study should provide some answers to the important question of whether the W3C is justified in pushing a procedural query language like XQuery as the defacto standard for querying XML data. The answer to this question is clearly of importance to both the academic and practitioner communities.

We investigate how stories can be used in system analysis and design to better understand the application domains. The research question we explore is: How can we employ narratives as a complement to use cases to improve our understanding of application domains? To examine this question, we study the effects—i.e., recall and problem solving—of supplementing a use case with a user story. We focus on two features of stories that can facilitate comprehension, concrete thematic content and causal explanatory information.

Knowledge management (KM) has gained increasing attention since the mid-1990s. A KM strategy involves consciously helping people share and put knowledge into action. However, before an organization can realize the promise of KM, a fundamental question needs to be asked: What performance goal(s) is the organization trying to achieve? In this chapter, we develop and offer a multi-level framework that provides a view of the performance environment surrounding organizational knowledge work. We illustrate the KM framework using two organizational case studies. Then, based on the KM framework and further insights drawn from our case studies, we offer a series of steps that may guide and assist organizations and practitioners as they undertake KM initiatives. We further demonstrate the applicability of these steps by examining KM initiatives within a global software development company. We conclude with a discussion of implications for organizational practice and directions for future research.

The fundamental function of information technology (IT), whether internal or external, is the cost-effective provision of IT services that meet organizational needs and align with organizational strategy. With ever-increasing adoption of IT management "best practices," industry now leads the academic community by recognizing the need for IT professionals educated in the IT service management (ITSM) processes -- processes directly associated with the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective IT services. This article presents a summary of panel member presentations and subsequent discussions at Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) 2007 concerning the need to, and means for, incorporating ITSM concepts into business-school MIS/IS/CIS curricula. Panel members from industry strongly advocated the importance of including ITSM principles and concepts within business-school IS curricula. Academic members of the panel also articulated this need and described initiatives at their and other schools where ITSM concepts have been or are planned for inclusion in business school curricula at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. ITSM research opportunities, faculty preparedness, and possible resistance from within the IS academic community were additionally addressed.