Chapter 8: Information Systems at the University of Auckland Business School – Professor Michael Myers, PhD and Lesley Gardner, PhD

Chapter 8: Information Systems at the University of Auckland Business
School – Professor Michael Myers, PhD and Lesley Gardner, PhD

Professor Michael Myers, PhD
Head, Department of IS and Operations Management

University of Auckland Business School

Michael Myers is Professor of Information Systems and Head of the
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the
University of Auckland Business School. Auckland, New Zealand. He is
particularly interested in the “softer” side of information systems, that is, the
relationship between information systems and organizations. He has taught
and does research on the relationship between information systems and
organizational structure and culture. His most recent project is concerned
with digital natives and ubiquitous information systems (systems such as
Facebook or YouTube that are available anywhere and at any time). His
research work has been published in the top journals such MIS Quarterly and
Information Systems Research. He has served as Senior Editor of both these
journals. He has also served as President of the Association for Information
Systems (AIS), which is the main international association for all academics
in the field. Michael is now a Fellow of the Association for Information
Systems.

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Lesley Gardner, PhD
Senior Lecturer

University of Auckland

Dr. Lesley Gardner is a senior lecturer in the department of Information
Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) at the University of Auckland
Business School, The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Dr Gardner’s
research interests include social media, virtual communities and other
emerging technologies, publishing in journals and conference proceedings.
She teaches in the fields of decision science and virtual communities and is
delighted to see students working in this field design new virtual communities
and create decision support systems that support the UN millennium
development goals. As well as research and teaching Lesley is also deputy
head of department, which includes a pastoral care role. She oversees the
development of curriculum and also deals with a number of other
administrative tasks.

The Discipline of Information Systems

The discipline of information systems deals with how information and
communications technology can be used to achieve strategic goals. The focus is
on developing and using cutting edge products to create new opportunities or
solve existing organizational problems. At the University of Auckland the
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management focuses on
two vital aspects of modern organisations.

Information Systems deals with the design, development, and implementation
of information technology in contemporary organisations. The major questions
that are investigated involve both technical and organisational aspects using
information technology. The nature of information technology is such that
whether your interests lie in organisational analysis, knowledge management,
digital environments or systems development, there is a multitude of research
possibilities to work on.

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Operations and Supply Chain Management deals with the design,
management and improvement of processes, systems, and networks to deliver
products and services. Areas of research include manufacturing systems,
modelling, quality management, supply chain modelling, and systems
thinking.

The work done in the Department combines research excellence, practical
grounding in industry, and a rapidly evolving technological climate. Our
students need to know how to communicate knowledge about ICT and its value
to the correct person at the correct time.

Why Study Information Systems?
Why study information systems? One reason is that IT is an integral part of the
business world. Choosing to study information systems offers you distinct
advantages in the knowledge economy. Another reason is the higher than
average salaries that IT graduates obtain. Recent surveys of salaries in New
Zealand show that IT careers are amongst the best paid of any. Third,
becoming an ICT professional allows you make a difference in the world. Our
mission as a business school is help build a better world by developing
graduates, knowledge and ideas that enhance the growth, productivity and
global competitiveness of enterprises. ICT is one of the best ways to do that.
Some practical examples are as follows.

Marketing

“Knowing your customer” is vital for marketing managers. Growing one’s
customer base has become critical in most organisations using techniques such
as “cross-sell” and “up-sell” to increase sales and using promotions and

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rewards to retain clientele. Taking care of the customer experience can be
helped by using intelligence gained using big data.

Business Intelligence

State of the art business intelligence tools are also used by various agencies
such as the police. In day-to-day operations, these agencies capture large
volumes of data: for example, vital emergency call information including time,
location, and unit response. The police need to communicate with various
other related organizations such as fire and ambulance services. Business
intelligence tools can be deployed to enhance crime-prevention and improve
organizational-response in emergency situations.

Medicine

Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothernburg Sweden, northern Europe’s
largest hospital, retrieves data stored in several locations, such as notes from
physical examinations and medical test results, and processes the collated
information using various algorithms stored in different applications. The
results are then communicated to relevant medical practitioners using
appropriate visualisations to assist with diagnosing specific medical situations.
For example, to find out whether a patient recovering from brain surgery has
meningitis and how it should be treated. The computer information systems at
the hospital do not replace a doctor but augment the decisions made by the
physicians.

Mobile Business solutions

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Many organizations are now using mobile device based solutions to manage
business needs. The correct design and deployment of such systems can either
enhance or destroy a business.

Learning Technologies

There is a need to understand and design learning technologies for current
students. The nature and learning styles of students are changing rapidly. The
increasing use of electronic/ smart technology means that the information is
accessed at all times of the day and night. The facilitation of this access
requires access to internet mediated devices and media on a 24/7 basis. This
changes the way learners address and acquire information and also requires
instructors to change their delivery mechanisms.

Project Management

The timely and efficient use of resources to make sure that a project is
completed on time and within budget, using resources efficiently and
minimising waste, is important for all organizations. Students from our
department are able to study project management from a number of different
angles.

Undergraduate Study

Courses offered at the Department of Information Systems and Operations
Management at the University of Auckland Business School prepare students
to decipher an information problem, design the high-level system
infrastructure needed, and use business intelligence and data mining solutions
to solve problems such as those discussed above. The department also teaches

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project management, enterprise resource planning and supply chain
management.

At the University of Auckland Business School all students study a common
first year core to give them a good understanding of business from all aspects
including accounting, management, economics, information systems and
operations management.

Students entering a second year of an information systems major within the
BCom degree will gain practical skills using state of the art software to master
techniques in the design of business systems, their databases and applications.
After completing this component of their degree they are free to choose from a
variety of courses to design a degree that best suits their interest area.

Graduating students find jobs as developers and designers, as business
analysts and information assurance specialists in the leading consulting firms,
and as operations and supply chain specialists in a range of small to medium
sized enterprises throughout New Zealand and the world.

Postgraduate Study

Students can also choose to take a postgraduate research degree at the
University of Auckland Business School. To this end we have two choices of
degrees: the first is the BCom (Hons) degree which is one year (two semesters
one year full time enrolment, or four semesters two years part time
enrolment). Within this degree students take six courses and write a
dissertation. This is a highly sought after qualification in New Zealand and
many of our industry partners are very keen to talk to our students with regard
to internships and employment.

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For students who would also like to complete a more detailed piece of research
we offer the MCom degree. Within this degree we have a taught first year of
eight courses and the second year which is purely a thesis. During the thesis
the candidate will work one on one with a member of staff in their chosen
research field. This is also a degree which is in high demand. Students
frequently go into industry to use the knowledge that they have acquired or go
on to complete a PhD. Ay postgraduate level all students study in a seminar
environment where interaction, discussion and argument are an essential part
of class life.

Being situated in the Owen G Glenn building of the University of Auckland
means that ISOM students have access to a world class, architecturally
applauded facility containing state of the art equipment and resources.
Because of its location in the CBD of Auckland, students are also able to
enjoy the benefits of being right in the city, its restaurants, arts,
entertainment and transportation. Auckland City is a very cosmopolitan
city with a breadth of activities and tastes to suit everyone.

Research

The Department of Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM)
is one of the most highly ranked departments in Australasia for its research
productivity as measured by its publications in the top information systems
journals. ISOM researchers study information systems analysis and design,
information management, data communications, networking and security,
information technology and people, and operations and supply chain
management.

Research in the area of information systems analysis and design area is
concerned with creating systems that meet the needs of users (consumers and
businesses). This field includes the set of techniques and tools that the

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analyst/designer requires for success and the study of the steps that
organizations need to take for business transformation.

Our department has a number of researchers working in this area: Professor
Michael Myers; Professor Ananth Srinivasan; Associate Professor Arvind
Tripathi; Associate Professor Cecil Chua; Associate Professor David Sundaram;
Associate Professor Don Sheridan; Dr. Ami Peiris; Dr. Jonanthan Ye and Dr.
Lesley Gardner. These academics work in the following areas.

Use of social media to determine business engagement, human behaviour,
business analytics, governance, customer engagement, and CRM.

Sustainability modelling and reporting systems: the analysis and development
of enterprise systems that support sustainability.
Enterprise application integration: the integration of enterprise resource
planning (ERP) systems and decision support systems.

Decision support systems: the design and implementation of such systems,
including generators and recommender systems.

Learning and teaching with technologies: how students and lecturers can
increase their productivity through the design and use of new applications,
tools, systems and methodologies.
Personal information management: how people manage and organise their
personal information and, in particular, the management of personal digital
document collections.

The Relationship between Information Systems and Organizations

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The relationship between information systems and organizations: how IT
impacts on organisational strategy and vice versa.

Michael Myers leads this research team with David Sundaram. Michael D.
Myers is Professor of Information Systems and Head of Department. He is
widely known for his qualitative research on how people interact with IT
systems. He won the Best Paper award (with Heinz Klein) for the most
outstanding paper published in MIS Quarterly in 1999 and also won the Best
Paper Award (with Lynda Harvey) for the best paper published in Information
Technology & People in 1997. Michael currently serves as a senior editor of
Information and Organization, as Senior Editor of Pacific Asia Journal of
AIS, as an associate editor of European Journal of Information Systems, and
as editor of the AIS World Section on Qualitative Research. He has previously
served as President of the Association for Information Systems and as a senior
editor of MIS Quarterly and Information Systems Research.

Associate Professor David Sundaram has over twenty-two years’ experience in
information systems as a researcher, teacher, and consultant. His research
focuses on the modelling, design, and implementation of flexible and evolvable
information, decision, knowledge, and social systems. David’s work is
primarily interdisciplinary in nature and has appeared in journals such as
Decision Support Systems, the European Journal of Operational Research,
and the Journal of Decision Systems. He is the co-author of Implementing
Decision Support Systems: Methods, Techniques, and Tools (McGraw Hill,
2000). David’s research-informed teaching has led to his receiving several of
the University’s Teaching excellence Awards.

Information Management

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Research in Information management bridges the gap between IT and the
functional areas of the business. The emphasis is on organizing, retrieving,
acquiring and maintaining information and on the key role of Internet
technologies as they serve the exchange of data and information. ISOM
research in this area covers a wide range of topics:

 Design and implementation of Decision Support System Generators
 Big data, Business intelligence and business analytics.
 Design and implementation of flexible and evolvable Information

Systems
 Enterprise application integration with a focus on ERP-DSS integration
 Human computer interaction and simulation with specific reference to

learning and teaching with technologies
 Personal Information Management: Research into how people manage

and organise their personal information, and in particular, the
management of personal digital document collections.

ISOM staff who conduct research in this area are: Associate Professor David
Sundaram, Associate Professor Don Sheridan, Dr. Ami Peiris, Dr. Lesley
Gardner, and Dr. Jonathan Ye.

Information Assurance, Security and Data Communications

Research in data communications, networks and security covers both wired
and wireless communications of voice, data, images and video and their impact
on the organisations in which they are used. It addresses key issues for
utilising data communications and networking technologies in a secure way to
support organisations. ISOM researchers working in this area are Associate
Professor Lech Janczewski and Dr. Fernando Beltran.

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 Security of information systems: the management of information system
resources with a special emphasis on data security and information
systems’ investments.

 Pricing of pervasive networking services: investigation into how to
integrate pricing mechanisms with policy-based network management
systems to facilitate ubiquitous services.

 Viable business models for mobile commerce: how to develop a viable
business model that improves the processes and results of M-commerce
activities.

 Competition in ‘next generation networks’ (NGNs): development of
dynamic models of competition between next-generation networks.

 Computational incentive mechanism incubators: software platforms for
the design, implementation and testing of market-based resource
allocation methods.

Associate Professor Lech Janczewski leads this research team and has over 35
years’ experience in information technology. He was the managing director of
the largest IBM installation in Poland, and the project manager of the first
computing centre in the Niger State of Nigeria. His area of research includes
the management of IS resources with special emphasis on data security and
information systems investments. He is currently contributing to a project
aimed at developing a tool for handling ‘distributed denial-of-service attacks’.
Lech’s work has appeared in such journals as Computers & Security,
Industrial Management & Computer Security, and Industrial Management &
Data Systems. He is the co-author of The Managerial Guide to Handling
Cyber-Terrorism & Information Warfare (IDEA Group Reference, 2005).

Operations and Supply Chain Management

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Research in Operations and Supply Chain Management studies technologically
sophisticated methods of solving business problems related to the delivery of
products and services from the manufacturer or provider to the end-customer.
This encompasses a set of issues that is faced by all large organisations and
particularly those that serve a geographically dispersed market. The
department of ISOM has a number of eminent researchers in this area and
these are: Professor Tava Olsen; Assoc. Professor Tiru Arthanari; Dr. Anson Li;
Dr. Leith Oliver; Gabrielle Peko, and Dr. Valery Pavlov.

Some of the research areas are:
 Operations strategy: strategies for business growth in New Zealand
medium-sized companies, including operational constraints on growth,
strategic pathways to growth, and the application of systems thinking to
the design of operational programmes for owner-managers.
 Quality control and the optimisation of operations: applications of
multivariate measurement systems in quality improvement and control
and new polyhedral approaches to difficult combinatorial optimisation
problems in supply chain operations.
 Decision-making and interventions in complex systems: pitfalls in
complex decision-making in terms of the magnitude, frequency,
sequence, and scope of decisions.
 Supply chain management in the context of port operations: transport
allocation and scheduling in the Ports of Auckland.
 Radio frequency identification (RFID) in the supply chain in New
Zealand: the critical characteristics of RFID and how to successfully
adopt RFID as an enabling tool in supply chains.

Professor Tava Olsen holds the Ports of Auckland chair in Logistics and Supply
Chain Management at the University of Auckland Business School. Prior to

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joining Auckland, she was Professor of Operations and Manufacturing
Management in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St.
Louis, which she joined after serving as an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Tava received her B.Sc. (honours) in Mathematics from the University of
Auckland and her Ph.D. in Operations Research in 1994 from Stanford
University. Tava’s research interests include supply-chain management,
pricing, and inventory control and stochastic modeling of manufacturing,
service, and healthcare systems. Tava has taught a wide variety of courses,
including operations management, service operations, healthcare
management, simulation, critical thinking, and project management, to a
range of audiences from bachelors to executives.

Tava is currently an Associate Editor for Management Science, M&SOM and
Operations Research, is a senior editor of Production and Operations
Management, and is the Topical Editor for Supply-Chain Management for the
Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science. Tava
is the director of the Centre for Supply Chain Management and a past
president of the Manufacturing and Service Operations (MSOM) society.

Points of contact
Information Systems
Professor Michael Myers - [email protected]
Associate Professor David Sundaram - [email protected]
Information Management
Associate Professor Don Sheridan – [email protected]
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Professor Tava Olsen - [email protected]

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