About the Group
The Information Systems and Innovation Group of the Department of Management is one of the largest and most well established groups of information systems (IS) researchers and teachers in Europe.
We have expertise across a broad range of areas within the information systems, field, with a particular focus on social and organisational issues related to information and communication technology (ICT) innovation.
ICT is absorbing an ever-increasing proportion of the resources of organisations and governments. Consequently, there is a need for people in all professions to understand and assess the complex interactions between information technology and people. To do this it is essential to look beyond the technologies themselves and investigate the social and organisational contexts in which they are constructed and which they continuously influence.
Our research and teaching emphasise the need to continuously explore the opportunities the technology provides. We seek to understand the technological, organisational, social and economic factors that influence successful innovation. Using a variety of approaches from management and the social sciences, we explore the current problems of developing and managing information systems in organisations and developing appropriate policy responses.
Members of staff are active in the International Federation of Information Processing, the Association of Information Systems, British Computer Society and other national and international organisations.
Our strong research base feeds into graduate teaching to produce up-to-date, research-led courses which prepare students for careers in the information society. There are numerous opportunities for people with information technology skills with industries that supply information technology and those that use it. Research students generally move on to an academic or research careers.
Staff and their academic interests
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Professor Chrisanthi Avgerou: Information systems development and management; information systems in developing countries; IT and organisational change.
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Dr James Backhouse: Managing information risks in the digital age; information risk and assurance; power, politics, and institutionalisation; identity management, privacy and security; certification and security management standards.
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Dr Antonio Cordella: Relationships between IT and organisations, forms and behaviours; information systems infrastructures; actor network theory and information systems; electronic commerce; e-government.
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Dr Tony Cornford: IS implementation; IT in health care; socio-technical and socio-cognitive approaches to IS; open source software process.
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Professor Jannis Kallinikos: Information and communication technologies and emerging organisation forms; technology and social structure; information growth.
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Dr Ela Klecun-Taylor: Health information systems and telehealth; evaluation of information systems; application of critical theory in information systems.
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Professor Frank Land: Information management; applications of IT; investments in information systems; technology transfer and management of change; policy issues; knowledge management; ethics and information systems.
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Dr Shirin Madon: IS in developing countries; e-government and telecentre projects for development; integrated health information systems in developing countries.
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Dr Nathalie Mitev: Information technology and organisational change; strategic information systems; information systems failures; electronic markets; global distribution systems; computerised reservation systems; air, rail transport and tourism; sociology of technology.
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Dr Susan Scott: Strategic use of information systems in financial services; organisational risk and IT-enabled risk management; enterprise information systems.
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Dr Steve Smithson: IS evaluation; e-commerce; IS management and use within organisations.
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Dr Carsten Sørensen: Information services and organisational innovation; mobile and ubiquitous technology; internet technology; computer supported collaborative work; software engineering. Professional services automation; interaction management; information overload.
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Dr Will Venters: Information systems development; software engineering; sociotechnical approaches to information systems; knowledge management; action research.
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Dr Edgar Whitley: Identity cards/identity management; actor network theory; privacy; research methodology.
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Professor Leslie Willcocks: ICTs and innovation; IT and business process outsourcing; social theory and philosophy for IS; IS human capabilities and skills; information management, technology work and globalisation.
Opportunities for research
The PhD Management: Information Systems track features a comprehensive programme of research methods training in the first year, consisting of six half unit modules: Foundations of Social Research in Information Systems: Paradigms and Traditions, Interpretations of Information, Fundamentals of Social Science Research Design, Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Regression Analysis and one further option to be agreed with the candidate's supervisor and PhD Programme Director. Candidates are normally expected to pass these courses with a merit grade or above. All candidates also take a full unit research paper. In addition, students are expected to attend and participate in the regular Information Systems research seminars.
Weekly PhD seminars in the Michaelmas and Lent terms. These seminars discuss seminal literature and emerging issues of relevance to the research domain of the Group. PhD Conference Day: all students are required to attend a PhD Conference day once per term. Students present work in progress and discuss methodological problems and interpretations. Staff research is presented and new approaches are routinely analysed and criticised.
In addition students are strongly advised to attend courses run by the Methodology Institute| and other departments.
For detailed information on the other tracks which are available under the PhD Management programme please see the Department of Management PhD programme website.
Taught programmes