An Unhealthy Obsession with Theory

Abstract

As the flagship journal of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), the Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS) invites the incoming president of AIS to write an editorial about issues facing AIS and its members. In this editorial, I argue that over the past 30 years, information systems research has shifted to what I see as an unhealthy obsession with one particular type of theory to the exclusion of other types. I believe this obsession is stifling new research and is preventing us, as a discipline, from leading technology innovation. The solution is simple: return to our roots and embrace other types of theory. The opinions in this editorial are solely mine, and do not reflect the official policy of AIS, or the opinions of my colleagues at AIS or those who serve at JAIS.