Analysis and Synthesis of Prior Research

Application 1 – Analysis and Synthesis of Prior Research

At professional conferences, blocks of time may be set aside for what are termed “poster sessions.” A hotel ballroom or large open area will be ringed with individuals who use displays such as posters or electronic presentations displayed via projectors. These sessions provide an opportunity to share one’s research in an intimate setting, with a small group gathered around who share a similar interest. The seminar format of this course is very similar to this academic exchange. During one set of paired weeks, you will be appointed as a Group Leader. If you are one of the Group Leaders for this week, you are to prepare an academic presentation, much like a poster session.

Your presentation should present analysis and synthesis of prior research and will begin the interaction with your colleagues. You will prepare an academic paper of between 5–7 pages in APA format, as well as a PowerPoint presentation of 7–10 slides. This analysis will be an open-ended introduction to relevant topics of study regarding e-commerce management information systems. Your goal, as the presenter, should be to persuade your discussants that the approach(es) you have analyzed and synthesized is/are a sound means for discovering new methods to manage information systems. You should acknowledge that there are other models, or means to study MIS, but you should strive to be as persuasive as possible that the specific concepts you have reviewed are exciting research avenues and that they are potentially breakthrough areas for advancing the understanding of information systems, especially related to e-commerce.

Your paper and presentation should contain the following elements:

• An incorporation and analysis of at least 5 of the required resources from this pair of weeks
• The incorporation and analysis of 5 additional resources from the Walden Library
• An identification of principal schools of thought, tendencies in the academic literature, or commonalities that define the academic scholarship regarding your topic
• An evaluation of the main concepts with a focus on their application to management practice and their impact on positive social change

In addition to the above elements, the Group Leader(s) for this week will focus thematically on the following:

• What is your definition of the term system, and how would you describe “systems thinking?”
• How would you conceptualize the difference between data and information?
• What is information, and who needs it? Why do managers need information?
• What are the particular attributes of systems software? Give examples of system software.
• What defines application software, and how does it differ from systems software? Give examples of application software.
• Within application software, distinguish between general purpose software (word processors, spreadsheets) and application-specific software (a construction estimating package, for example).
• What IS-related activities need to be managed by a business? Be sure to define at least four major types, and give specific examples.