Resource-Based Framework for IS Research: Knowledge Firms and Sustainability in Knowledge Markets

摘要

The open and fragmented nature of IS research has spawned a vibrant debate about sustainability of the IS discipline. nIntellectually stimulating and rooted in a rich repertoire of approaches, the debate is frequently polarized along a dialectical nspectrum, where advocates take positions on appropriate boundaries and audiences for the discipline. With the objective of nreframing this debate, and the hope of moving it forward, this paper develops a resource-based metaphorical model for IS nresearch. We establish that disciplines can be viewed as analogous to contemporary firms, and thus, resource-based concepts for nthe sustainability of contemporary firms can be extended to examining the sustainability of knowledge firms. Our central nproposition is that differences in “knowledge product” heterogeneity, when positioned appropriately with the market demand, can naffect the sustainability of the IS firm. In resolving the issue of boundary conditions, our analysis suggests that the likelihood of IS noutperforming other competing disciplines is feasible regardless of whether a distinct identity is forged. This relation is contingent non the ability of a knowledge firm to secure resources. Distinctness is required however, when a knowledge firm is unable to ngenerate resources. Our analysis also indicates that the debate on audiences maybe misplaced. Beyond addressing the debate, nhowever, we conclude that an inductive approach to research with a focus on addressing problems faced by emical markets is nmore likely to ensure sustainability when contrasted with other perspectives.