What sort of community is the European Conference on Information Systems? A social network analysis 1993–2005

Abstract

This paper presents a social network analysis (SNA) of the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) community based on patterns of co-authorship. ECIS contributions are separated into research papers and panels to create social networks that are then analyzed using a range of global network level and individual ego (co-author, panellist) measures. The research community is found to have few properties of the ‘small world’ and to represent an agglomeration of co-authorships. The panels network has the properties of a ‘small world’ and displays a stronger sense of social cohesion. An analysis of individual actors (egos) provides insight into who is central to the ECIS community. Based on the SNA, a range of possible interventions are proposed that could aid the future development of the ECIS community. The paper concludes by considering the usefulness of SNA as a method to support IS research.

Keywords:

• social network analysis
• information systems
• co-authorship

Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Martin Everett of the University of Greenwich for his advice and guidance and for commenting on earlier drafts of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Vidgen

About the authors

Richard Vidgen is Professor of Information Systems in the School of Management at the University of Bath. He worked in information systems development in industry for 15 years, during which time he was employed by a large U.S. software firm and as a consultant. In 1992, he left industry to join the University of Salford, where he completed a Ph.D. in systems thinking and information system quality. His current research interests include complex systems theory and social networks, information system development methodologies, and e-commerce quality. He has published the books Data Modelling for Information Systems (1996) and Developing Web Information Systems (2002).

Stephan Henneberg

Stephan C. Henneberg is Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, U.K. He obtained his Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School. Before coming back to academia, Stephan worked as a strategic consultant with A.T. Kearney and Mckinsey & Co. His current research interests are in the areas of strategic marketing, relational marketing, consumer behavior, strategic competences, and social and political marketing.

Peter Naudé

Peter Naudé is Professor of Marketing at Manchester Business School. After studying and then later teaching at the University of Cape Town for a number of years, he joined Manchester Business School as a doctoral student in 1988 and taught there as a member of faculty until 1999 when he joined School of Management at the University of Bath as Professor of Marketing. He returned to Manchester Business School in 2005. His current research interests focus on the interactions, relationships and networks that characterize complex business-to-business marketing exchanges. From this background, it was a short leap to develop an interest in social network analysis, since this lies at the heart of how companies interact. He has published a number of books and journal articles, predominantly in the area of business marketing.