Fashion Waves in Information Systems Research and Practice1
Abstract
Building on neo-institutional theory and theories of innovation and diffusion, recent work in the field of management has suggested that management research and practice is characterized by fashions. A management fashion is a relatively transitory belief that a certain management technique leads rational management progress. Using bibliographic research, we apply Abrahamson’s management fashion theory to information systems research and practice. Our findings reveal that information systems research and practice, like management research and practice, is indeed characterized by fashions. These “IS fashion waves” are relatively transitory and represent a burst of interest in particular topics by IS researchers and practitioners. However, while our findings show that IS research closely parallels practice, we suggest that a more proactive engagement of IS academics is needed in the IS fashion-setting process.
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Academia, policy and general discussions follow the technology hype cycle, and attention to technologies, management models and research approaches have characteristics of fashion cycles.
“This is not to deny its importance but a recognition that academia, like policy and general discussions follow the technology hype cycle [52] and attention to technologies, management models and research approaches have characteristics of fashion cycles [1,12].”
From From computer ethics and the ethics of AI towards an ethics of digital ecosystems (2022) · cites this paper as [12]
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- Authors
- Baskerville, R. L., & Myers, M. D.
- Affiliations
- Georgia State University (US)
- Department of Information Systems and, Operations Management, University of Auckland Business School, Auckland, New Zealand 1142
- Venue
- MIS Quarterly
- Publisher
- MIS Quarterly
- Published
- 2009-12-01
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 647-662
- ISSN
- 0276-7783 (ISSN-L)
- 2162-9730
- OpenAlex
- W3178018057
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 39.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- MIS Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Innovation Diffusion and Forecasting
- Keywords
- management fashions, information systems research, information systems practice, new institutionalism, diffusion of innovations, research trends
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