Management information systems and technologies : analysing research topics in France and Brazil

Abstract

When properly applied and managed, Information Systems (IS) and Information Technologies (IT) provide significant productivity gains, reinvent processes, automate tasks, and support activities that could not possibly be performed without them. They also enable a reduction in operational costs and elimination of unnecessary functions, in addition to enhancing the quickness and accuracy of decisions. IS research is expected to not only contribute to building a knowledge base for the academy itself, but also to serve IS professionals in organizations. With this purpose, the criteria behind the choice of research topics are crucial. Research topics, however, present significant differences among countries. The goal of this article is to identify the differences in research topics between Brazil and France in the MIS field: a comparison is proposed between the main Brazilian academic congress in the IS field (ENANPAD, Information Management area) and the AIM congress (France), verifying differences in approaches as well as research opportunities.