Using Information Systems Theory to Increase IS Enrollment

Information systems (IS) departments have been struggling with declining enrollment since 2001. While we have shared ideas about how to increase enrollment at our conferences, few of us have looked to our theory to design initiatives to increase enrollment. This paper describes an action research project where the authors draw from IS research to design an event to increase enrollment in the IS major. First, we pulled on common IS knowledge showing that system success requires user involvement. Using this lesson, we identified our stakeholders, got their input, and involved them in the event. Second, we drew on social exchange theory and conceptualized the event as a boundary object bringing different stakeholders together to donate and acquire resources. Third, we drew upon the information processing cycle and social capital theory, to show what types of resources are critical to designing an event that converts pre-business majors to IS majors. The paper offers practical insights to design your next IS recruiting event and shows how we can use IS theory to design initiatives that address our enrollment problems.