A News Publication of the Decision Sciences Institute DECISION LINE Vol. 42, No. 5 October 2011 2012 Officers’ Nominees Selected Inside This Issue President-Elect FEATURES Soumen Ghosh, Georgia Institute of Technology From the Editor. Decision Line Editor Krishna S. Dhir Maling Ebrahimpour, University of South Florida St. Petersburg provides an overview of 42(5) feature articles. 3 DSI Election Special Feature. Candidates for the At-Large Vice Presidents position of DSI president-elect provide their vision Constantin Blome, European Business School, Wiesbaden, Germany statements for the 2012 election of officers. 4 M. “Mo” Adam Mahmood, University of Texas at El Paso 2010 DSI Instructional Innovation Award Ceyhun Ozgur, Valparaiso University Competition Finalists. “Puzzle-Based Learning: Marc Sachon, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Problem Brooke A. Saladin, Wake Forest University Solvilng,” by Zbigniew Michalewicz and Nickolas Subhashish (Sub) Samaddar, Georgia State University Falkner, University of Adelaide; and Raja John Seydel, Arkansas State University Sooriamurthi, Carnegie Mellon University. 6 Minoo Tehrani, Roger Williams University International Issues. “An Overview of Gregory W. Ulferts, University of Detroit Mercy Management Information Systems in China,” by Ying Sai, Loyola Marymount University. 10 Regionally Elected Vice Presidents—Asia-Pacific, European, Mid- E-Commerce. “2D or Not 2D: That Is the Barcode west, Northeast—TBD Question,” by Julie E. Kendall, Rutgers University. 14 The 2010-11 Nominating Committee, chaired by Ram Nara- Research Issues. “Research Opportunities for simhan, Michigan State University, has completed the slate Supporting Humanitarian Operations,” by Aruna Apte, The Naval Postgraduate School. 17 From the Bookshelf. “Convergenomics,” by See BALLOTS, page 55 Katherine M. Chudoba, Utah State University. 22 Alpha Iota Delta. “The International Honor Society in the Decision Sciences and Information Systems,” PRESIDENT’S LETTER by Mehmet Ulema, Manhattan College. 2 5 Congregating in SPECIAL REPORTS Boston Decision Sciences Journal: An Update 27 By Krishna S. Dhir, Berry College 2011 Program Chair's Message 31 2011 Annual Meeting Keynote Presentations 32 oon we will be packing our bags for travel, in anticipation of renewing our friendships and making new ones in Bos- 2011 Annual Meeting Featured Sessions 42 Ston. One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston is regarded by many as the capital of New England. While the DSJIE Editor Vacancy 54 city was founded by the Puritans from England, today it is a highly diverse community representing every part of the world. Program Chair Ken Boyer of Ohio State University has DEPARTMENTS been hard at work to ensure a superb experience for us all. He is From the Regions 24 developing an excellent program, promoting decision sciences as a catalyst for interdisciplinary exchange and cultural change. Announcements 30 I hope the members of the Institute will respond to this effort See PRESIDENT’S LETTER, page 55 2011-2012 Decision Sciences Institute Officers President DECISION LINE Krishna S. Dhir, Berry College President Elect DECISION LINE is published five times a year by the Decision Sciences E. Powell Robinson, Jr., University of Houston Institute to provide a medium of communication and a forum for expres- Vice Presidents sion by its members, and to provide for dialogue among academic and Hope M. Baker, Kennesaw State University Thomas Y. Choi, Arizona State University practitioner members in the discipline. For more information about the T. Paul Cronan, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Institute, please call 404-413-7710. Laura B. Forker, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth Norma J. 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Subhashish ‘Sub’ Sammadar, Georgia State University Global Development Coordinator Editor: Krishna S. Dhir, Campbell School of Business, 2277 Martha Berry Shaw K. Chen, University of Rhode Island Highway NW, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA 30149-5024, USA, Member Services Coordinator 706-238-7908, fax 706-238-7854, [email protected] Robert L. Andrews, Virginia Commonwealth University Managing Editor: Hal Jacobs, Decision Sciences Institute, J. Mack Placement Services Coordinator Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Arijit Sengupta, Wright State University GA 30303, USA, 404-286-0170, fax: 404-413-7714, [email protected] Decision Sciences Journal Editor Asoo Vakharia, University of Florida President: Krishna S. 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Contact: Susan Pariseau, Merrimack College Decision Sciences Institute • Southeast J. Mack Robinson College of Business Quinton Nottingham, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University University Plaza • Southwest Georgia State University Roderick Posey, University of Southern Mississippi Atlanta, GA 30303 • Western fax: 404-413-7714 John Davies, Victoria University of Wellington DECISION LINE • 2 • JULY 2 0 1 1 FROM THE EDITOR n KRISHNA S. DHIR, Editor, Berry College his is my last letter to you, the readers, China.” When computers arrived in China as the editor of Decision Line! Serving three decades behind the United States, the Tthe Institute as the editor of this pub- demand for information spread “like an lication has been a very rewarding experi- unstoppable wild fire.” In 2010 alone, 73 ence! Over the last four years of my tenure, million individuals were added as Inter- Decision Line has been read extensively, net users, bringing the proportion of the has grown steadily, and has been included country’s population using the Internet to in Cabell’s Directory of Journals as a ‘Com- 35 percent. However, 300 million Chinese mendable Journal.’ EBSCOhost has invited are farmers are still working their small Decision Line for inclusion in their data base. plots of land, unable to afford computers. Also, we introduced color, as it transitioned The challenge of education in the field of into the electronic media. Its progress reflects information systems remains enormous. the superior quality of creative and stimu- In the E-Commerce