Management Information Systems

PhD Program

 

This page provides an introduction to the Management Information Systems Doctoral program. Discussions include the:

You may also be interested in the following related information:

Purpose

The Management Information Systems doctoral program is designed to produce outstanding scholars possessing a breadth of understanding of business integrated with a thorough and penetrating knowledge in Management Information Systems. This program is research-oriented and is directed toward educating scholars who are equipped to expand managerial knowledge in complex organizations. The program focuses not only on business and industry, but also encompasses governmental, service, and social institutions.

Content and Length of Program

The program requires full-time continuous enrollment and consists of approximately two years of coursework. Approximately eleven courses are taken in your major area of Management Information Systems. A minimum of three courses are taken in a supporting area of your choosing and three additional courses are required to fulfill the research methodology requirement. Coursework is followed by a comprehensive exam, the development of a dissertation proposal, and your dissertation research. The program length varies depending on the time required to complete the dissertation. However, four and one half years is a reasonable estimate.

Research Focus and Placement

The Management Information Systems program is research-oriented and is consistently rated among the top ten universities in faculty research productivity. Our Ph.D. graduates are prepared for academic careers in research and teaching. Program graduates have accepted faculty positions at institutions such as Baylor College of Medicine, Arizona State University, Iowa State University, Penn State University, Texas Christian University, University of Colorado - Denver, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of South Florida, and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. We typically have eight to ten students enrolled in the program; this provides an ideal student-faculty ratio with extensive individual attention.

Facilities

The Management Information Systems area is part of the Department of Decision and Information Sciences in the College of Business Administration. Our offices are located in Melcher Hall; a $20 million facility that is one of the most technologically advanced buildings devoted to business education in the United States. At the present time, the building contains over 400 personal computers that share a common network.

Financial Support

Most of our doctoral students are financially supported by teaching/research assistantships ranging from $18,000 to $27,000. Tuition waivers are also available.

Admissions Requirements

We typically consider new students in the March to May time frame for admission in the fall semester. Expertise in oral and written English is of preeminent importance for the successful completion of our program. Admission decisions focus on standardized test scores (GRE or GMAT), transcripts from former institutions, and letters of reference. If you have any questions or would like to apply for admission, please send email to:

WCHIN@UH.EDU

Coursework

1. Foundation

Foundation course requirements are satisfied by:
MBA or MS in Accounting from AACSB Accredited University

     -or-

Five courses consisting of:
(Any of these courses may be waived based on appropriate equivalent coursework.)

2. Management Information Systems

3. Supporting Field

Students obtain an understanding in his/her supporting field with which to draw upon for excellent MIS research. This understanding will include sufficient depth in terms of theory and research methodology to enable them to publish in a respected journal in the supporting field. The breadth of understanding depends on the student's research interests. For example, if the student is interested in economic aspects of the firm, supporting field courses may focus on microeconomic production issues and exclude other microeconomic and macroeconomic issues. Supporting fields may be found inside the College of Business (Management, Operations Management, Marketing, etc.) and outside the College of Business (Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Engineering, Anthropology, Computer Science, etc.).

4. Research Methods

A minimum of three courses that emphasize research methodology and/or statistical data analysis are required. Typically, courses taken cover regression, ANOVA, experimental design, multivariate analysis, etc. Specific course requirements depend on the student's research interests.

Typical MIS Ph.D. Timeline

First Year
Take Courses in MIS, Supporting Field, and Research Methods. Begin directed research with at least one faculty member.
Second Year
Continue courses from first year. Seminars as well as directed research provide increased research experience.
Third Year
Take Comprehensive Exam. This exam covers the MIS and Research Methods courses and has both written and oral components. Prepare and defend dissertation proposal.
Fourth Year
Continue dissertation research; defend dissertation.

MIS Faculty

Dennis Adams
Degree: Ph.D., Texas Tech University (1988)
Research Interests: Telecommunications Management, Strategic Uses of IT, MIS Applications of Parallel Processing, Text-Based Decision Support.
Current Position: Chairman of the Decision and Information Sciences Department, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "Organizational Communication: A Comparison of Modes and Media", Information and Management, 1993, with others.
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    • "Perceived Usefulness, Ease of Use, and Usage of Information Technology", MIS Quarterly, 1992, with others.
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    • "The Effects and Limitations of Automated Technology on Reading Comprehension", Information Systems Research, 1992, with others.
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    • "A Manager's Guide to Parallel Processing", Interfaces, 1990.

 

Wynne Chin
Degree: Ph.D., University of Michigan (1992)
Research Interests: modeling the individual IT adoption process, end-user satisfaction, and developing group process measures such as cohesion, satisfaction, and consensus to understand the impact of electronic meeting systems, cross-cultural analysis, structural equation modeling.
Current Position: Associate Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
  • "Structural Equation Modeling analysis with Small Samples Using Partial Least Squares", in Rick Hoyle (Ed.),  Statistical Strategies for Small Sample Research, Sage Publications, (forthcoming), with Newsted, P. R.
  • "Advancing the theory of adaptive structuration: The development of a scale to measure faithfulness of appropriation", Information Systems Research, vol. 8, no. 4, 1997, with Gopal, A., and Salisbury, W. D..
  • "On the use, usefulness and ease of use of structural equation modeling in MIS research: A note of caution"  MIS Quarterly, 19(2), pp.237-246, with Todd, P. A., 1995.
     
  • "Adoption intention in GSS: Relative importance of beliefs",  DataBase, 26(2&3), pp. 42-64, 1995, with Gopal, A.

 

Randy Cooper
Degree: Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles (1983)
Research Interests: Diffusion of Information Technology, Impact of Culture on Information Technology Effectiveness, Creativity and Information Technology Development.
Current Position: Director of the MIS Ph.D. Program, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "Information Technology Development Creativity: A Case Study of Attempted Radical Change", forthcoming in MIS Quarterly.
      •  
    • "GSS Participation: A Cultural Examination", Information & Management, 1998, with Barry Robichaux.
      •  
    • "A Microeconomic Production Assessment of the Business Value of Management Information Systems: The Case of Inventory Control", Journal of Management Information Systems, 1993, with Tridas Mukhopadhyay.
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    • "Information Technology Implementation Research: A Technological Diffusion Approach", Management Science, 1990, with Robert Zmud.

 

Kathy Cossick
Degree: Ph.D., Florida State University (1992)
Research Interests: Decision Support Systems.
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "Management Policies to Improve the Effectiveness of Multi-Station Service Organizations", Decision Sciences, 1992, with others.
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    • "A Synthesis of Research on Requirements Analysis and Knowledge Acquisition Techniques", MIS Quarterly, 1992, with others.
      •  
    • "A Sytems Analysis and Model of a Parallel Multi-Server Queuing System", Proceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference, 1990, with others.

 

Rudy Hirschheim
Degree: Ph.D., University of London (1985)
Research Interests: Social and Organizational Aspects of Information Technology, Systems Development Methodologies, Philosophical Issues of Information Technology Research, Information Technology Outsourcing.
Current Position: Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "Exploring the Intellectual Structures of Information Systems Development: A Social Action Theoretic Analysis", Accounting, Management and Information Technologies, 1996, with others.
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    • "Realizing Emancipatory Principles in Information Systems Development: The Case for ETHICS", MIS Quarterly, 1994, with H. Klein.
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    • "The Information Systems Outsourcing Bandwagon", Sloan Management Review, 1993, with M. Lacity.
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    • "Symbolism and Information Systems Development: Myth, Metaphor and Magic", Information Systems Research, 1991, with M. Newman.

 

Blake Ives
Degree: Ph.D., University of Minnesota (1978)
Research Interests: Electronic Commerce, Reengineering Intellectual Infrastructure, Global information systems, Information for competitive advantage, Use of IT to support customer service
Current Position: C.T. Bauer Chair of Business Leadership, Director of the Information Systems Research Center,  and Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 

  • " The Impact of Intranet Technology On Power in Franchisee/Franchisor Relationships" (with Michael Dickey), Frontiers of IS Vol 2., No. 1, January 2000, pp. 99-114.

  • "Knowledge Management in Academia: A Proposed Framework",  (with Gabriele Piccoli, and Rami Ahmad, Information Technology and Management,  Vol 1, No. 4, 2000 pp. 229-245

  • "DxR: Multimedia for Medical Education" (with Carol Saunders), Communications of the Association for Information Systems, Vol. 3 Article 5 March, 2000

  • "Electronic Commerce: Markets and Users" (with Gabriele Piccoli and Michael Dickey), Handbook on Electric Commerce, eds: Michael J. Shaw, Robert Blanning, Troy J. Strader, and Andrew B. Whinston; Springer-Verlag, October, 1999

 

Cam Mitchell

Degree: Ph.D., University of Texas at Ausin (1972)
Research Interests: Computer Simulation, Forecasting Models, Applied Statistical Analysis.
Current Position: Associate Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "The Impact of Credit Rationing on the Real Sector: A Study of the Effects of Mortgage Rates and Terms on Housing Starts", Applied Economics, 1987, with S.R. Stanell.
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    • "Analysis of a Finite Capacity Non-Preemptive Priority Queue", Computers and Operations Research, with others.
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    • "Stock Yields, Bond Yields and the Money Supply: A Study of Causal Relationships", Review of Business and Economic Research, with S.R. Stanell.
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    • "A Technical Note on MIL-STD-781C", Journal of Quality Technology, 1979, with J.M. Mogg.

 

Mike Parks
Degree: Ph.D., University of Georgia (1973)
Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence, Decision Support Systems.
Current Position: Associate Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "Disystem Conjectures", Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Systems Research, Informatics, and Cybernetics, 1988.
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    • "The Disystem as Natural Intelligence: The Conjectures and Experimental Regimen", Cybernetics and Systems: Present and Future, 1987, with C. Walter.
      •  
    • "Natural Intelligence: The Disystem Congectures", Proceedings of the Biophysical Society, 1986, with C. Walter.
      •  
    • "Natural Intelligence", Computer Power and Human Reasoning, 1985.

 

Jaana Porra
Degree: Ph.D., Jyvaskyla Graduate School in Computing and Mathematical Sciences (1996)
Research Interests: Electronic Commerce, Philosophical and Conceptual Foundations of Information Systems, The Role of CIO and IT Functions.
Current Position: Visiting Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Papers:

 
       
    • "Colonial Systems", Information Systems Research, 1999.
      •
       
    • "Internet-based EDI strategy", Decision Support Systems, (forthcoming), with A. Segev and M. Roldan.
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    • "Colonial Systems: Alternative Foundations for Organizational Design and Information Systems"
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    • "A Bigger Picture of Internet Security -- The Case of Bank of America" with A. Segev and M. Roldan
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    • "The Pioneers of the Virtual Future" (a column). MikroPC, 11 (6.11.), 1997, p.96

 

Richard Scamell
Degree: Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin (1972)
Research Interests: Database Management Systems, Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Dynamics, Human-Computer Interface.
Current Position: Professor of Management Information Systems.
Selected Publications:

 
       
    • "Acceptance of Groupware: The Relationships Among Use, Satisfaction, and Outcomes", Journal of Organizational Computing, 1996, with Hou Lou.
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    • "The Effects of Information System User Expectations on Their Performance and Perceptions", MIS Quarterly, 1993, with Bernadette Szajna.
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    • "A Human Factors Experimental Comparison of SQL Versus QBE", IEEE Transactions of Software Engineering, 1993, with Minnie Yi-Miin Yen.
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    • "The Effects of Information Sources and Communication Channels on the Diffusion of an Innovation in a Data Base Development Environment", Management Science, 1990, with Sree Nilakanta.