Survey research is believed to be well understood and applied by management information systems (MIS) scholars. It has been applied for several years and it has precise procedures which, when followed closely, yield valid and easily interpretable data. Our assessment of the use of survey research in the MIS field between 1980 and 1990 indicates that this perception is at odds with reality. Our analysis indicates that survey methodology is often misapplied and is plagued by five important weaknesses: (1) single-method designs where multiple methods are needed, (2) unsystematic and often inadequate sampling procedures, (3) low response rates, (4) weak linkages between units of analysis and respondents, and (5) overreliance on cross-sectional surveys where longitudinal surveys are really needed. Our assessment also shows that the quality of survey research varies considerably among studies of different purposes: explanatory studies are of good quality overall, exploratory and descriptive studies are of moderate to poor quality. This article presents a general framework for classifying and examining survey research and uses this framework to analyze the usage of survey research conducted in the past decade in the MIS field. In an effort to improve the quality of survey research, this article makes specific recommenoations that directly address the major problems highlighted in the review.

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Survey research methodology in management information systems: an assessment

SURVEY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS: AN ASSESSMENT Alain Pinsonneault Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales 5255 Decelles Avenue Montreal, Quebec Canada H3T 1V6 and Kenneth L. Kraemer Graduate School of Management University of California Irvine, California U.S.A. 92717 Working Paper #URB-022 The authors would like to thank the participants of the 1991 Queen's-HEC workshop and two anonymous reviewers and the Editor in chief of JMIS for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper. This study was supported financially by Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Montreal and the University of California at Irvine.

Survey Research Methodology in Management Information Systems: An Assessment

The value added by an organization’s IT assets is a critical concern to both research and practice. Not surprisingly, a large number of IS effectiveness measures can be found in the IS literature. What is not clear in the literature is what measures are appropriate in a particular context. In this paper we propose a two-dimensional matrix for classifying IS Effectiveness measures. The first dimension is the type of system studied. The second dimension is the stakeholder in whose interests the system is being evaluated. The matrix was tested by using it to classify IS effectiveness measures from 186 empirical papers in three major IS journals for the last nine years. The results indicate that the classifications are meaningful. Hence, the IS Effectiveness Matrix provides a useful guide for conceptualizing effectiveness measurement in IS research, and for choosing appropriate measures, both for research and practice.

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Dimensions of information systems success

Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations

Understanding persuasion contexts in health gamification: A systematic analysis of gamified health behavior change support systems literature

An analysis of the opinions of decision makers who select software for business use indicated that a software quality assurance certificate would add value to and confidence in a software product. Marketing research techniques were used to obtain and analyze data from business users of software. Their problems, anxieties, influences on software choice, the value of a certificate in the choice process, and the importance of auditing the various aspects of the software development process were assessed. The findings indicate that such a certificate would benefit users and demonstrate how marketing research techniques can be applied to assess market acceptability. This study used three market segments and proposed two services to cater to their needs.

J. Saunders

Papers

Assessing the value of quality assurance certificate for software; an exploratory investigation