BPS'12 Keynote Speech

Processes Writ Large: IS as a Reference Discipline for Process Analysis

Dr. Eric Overby

Scheller College of Business

Georgia Institute of Technology
 

Overview of Speech:

Starting from his work on Process Virtualization Theory (Organization Science 2008 - http://orgsci.highwire.org/content/19/2/277.full.pdf), Dr. Overby will structure his talk around three areas. First, he will propose a broad definition of the term "process" to reflect the ubiquity of processes throughout society and to argue that "business processes" are a subset of "processes" rather than a synonym for it, as is sometimes implicitly assumed. Second, he will discuss the implications of this broad view for IS research, particularly his belief that IS should strengthen its position as a reference discipline for other fields whose core processes are increasingly affected by information technology, including medicine and education as well as our "sister" disciplines such as organizational behavior and marketing. He will offer his opinions about how the field might further develop its status as a reference discipline in this area. Third, he will offer up his own experiences in trying to promote this view in the literature. This will include some reflections on the IS discipline that motivated him to develop process virtualization theory and related research endeavors.

Biography:

Eric Overby is an assistant professor at the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Eric's research focuses on the "virtualization" of business and society: he studies how processes that have traditionally been conducted physically are increasingly being conducted electronically, focusing primarily on the economic implications of this shift. Eric's research has appeared in academic journals such as Management Science, Organization Science, Information Systems Research, and the European Journal of Information Systems. His research has received awards from scholarly organizations such as INFORMS and the Academy of Management, including the Best Published Paper of 2008 award and the Best Program Paper of 2010 award from the Organizational Communication and Information Systems division of the Academy of Management. In 2011, he was the first College of Business faculty member since 1993 to receive the CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence, which is a university-wide award given to junior faculty members for excellence in teaching. He has received grants from the NET Institute, the Rich Foundation, and the National Auto Auction Association to support his research and teaching.