Biography

Arpan Y. Jani is a PhD candidate in Information and Decision Sciences at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Arpan holds a Bachelors degree in Electronics Engineering from the BVM College of Engineering, S. P. University, India, He completed the Masters level of course work from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, India before transferring to the University of Minnesota to pursue his doctoral studies. His PhD research has been supported by the Carlson School of Management Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and the University of Minnesota Dissertation Special Grant. He is also the 2002 recipient of the Juran Fellowship from the Juran Center for Leadership in Quality.

Background Before joining the PhD Program in Information and Decision Sciences at the Carlson School, Arpan was invited as a Guest Researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He has worked as a telecom engineer with a leading telecom company in India for three years and has worked on internship projects with Alcatel Network Systems, India and IBM - Rochester respectively.

Research interests I believe that Information Systems is an interdisciplinary field and hence one needs to draw upon the reference disciplines to gain insights into issues pertaining to development, management and assimilation of information systems within organizations. In my own research I tend to draw upon cognitive and social theories to understand phenomenon in the context of information systems. My research interests pertain to decision making in complex environments particularly software projects, social and philosophical aspects of information systems.

My research related to philosophical aspects of Information Systems is reflected in my work presented at the AMCIS conference in 2000 and 2001. My research related to decision making in software projects was presented at the AMCIS conference and the DSI conference in 2003.

•  Jani, A. Y. “The role of commitment in information search in failing projects,” in Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute Annual Meeting, November 22-25, Washington, D.C., 2003.

•  Jani, A. Y. “Decision making in software projects: A control theory perspective,” in Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems, August 2-6, Tampa, FL, 2003.

•  Jani, A. Y. “IS research relevance: A perspective from the design science and the philosophy of technology,” in Diane Strong and Detmar Straub (Eds.), Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems, August 2-5, Boston, MA, 2001.

•  Jani, A. Y. “The Informing Science framework: An assessment and implications for the discipline of information systems,” in H. Michael Chung (Ed.), Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems, August 10-13, Long Beach, CA, 2000.

Current research project Karl Weick (1990) considers new technologies as “equivoque” because it permits several interpretations. Goodman et al.(1990) argue that the individual's representation or model of technology directs the assignment of meaning of technology and the use of technology by the individual. Orlikowski and Gash (1994) argue that understanding people's interpretation of technology is key to understanding their interaction with it. It has been recognized in information systems literature that the implementation and use of technology is influenced by the frames of reference held by designers and users (Bostrom and Heinen, 1977; Kumar and Bjorn-Andersen, 1990). Orlikowski and Gash (1994) draw upon the socio-cognitive approach that proposes that individuals have frames of reference or schema through which they view, interpret and give meaning to the events and phenomena around them, which they call technological frames. Technological frames are the assumptions, expectations and knowledge the individuals have about technology and it includes not only the nature and role of technology but also the specific conditions, applications and consequences of that technology in particular contexts (Orlikowski and Gash, 1994, p. 178). In a case study based research that I have initiated recently, I am interested in the cognitive frames esp. technological frames (Orlikowski and Gash, 1994) of users of enterprise systems given that the initial technology implementation was a failure. It attempts at understanding how different organizational stakeholders make sense of initial failures of new technology and how it affects the subsequent use. Further it also attempts to understand the degree of congruence of technological frames held between the different user groups.

General impressions Being an international student this was my first experience with the educational environment in the United States. The doctoral programs in US are quite structured and a new doctoral student can find a lot of support and resources for pursuing ones area of interest. Particularly at the University of Minnesota one has the advantage of being able to study under some of the leading experts in their fields. Before joining the doctoral program at the University of Minnesota I had a background in technology and management. At the University of Minnesota I got the opportunity to broaden my horizons. I took courses in sociology, organization theory and cognitive science apart from the core courses in Information Systems. I have thoroughly enjoyed the lively discussions in the doctoral seminar courses. Even after completing my coursework I wished that I could have taken more courses esp. in philosophy! My stint at Minnesota has certainly enriched my worldview which I believe is one of the fundamental aims of education.