4.3 Marketing and promotion approaches¶
Marketing and promotion, the third category of approaches, seem to be quite popular, judging from the responses to our ISWorld query. As incoming Association for Information Systems President Dennis Galletta pointed out in an ISWorld posting, marketing the field is of critical importance to AIS.
Many departments are engaging in marketing and promotion efforts. These vary in their level of complexity and in the amount of resources required. However, most seem to have one of two goals: building awareness of a department’s programs or changing the image of the profession. Of course, some marketing programs are directed at both. The MIS Department at Florida State in collaboration with their MIS Industry Advisory Council sponsors “MIS@ the Movies”, offering free showings of popular films and recent releases that highlight the role of information technology in today’s society. Bearing Point recently sponsored a showing of “The Matrix”, complete with free popcorn.
Reaching out to influential groups was a recurring theme in the responses received. A number of respondents indicated that their departments were making concerted efforts to reach “feeder” institutions, such as secondary schools, junior/community colleges and regional campuses. There is anecdotal evidence that high school counselors are still under the impression that the IT job market is poor. Educating counselors and even our own admissions officers on the glowing prospects in the IT profession may lead to more capable students being advised to consider IT-related programs. A more serious education problem is that many high school teachers and counselors may not have a good understanding of the nature of information systems jobs. Many may equate IS with computer science and think that IS professionals spend their days programming. It will take considerable effort to correct these misimpressions, but the effort is likely to pay off in the long run. One department that has engaged in outreach efforts to feeder institutions reports stable enrollments, providing evidence to support the efficacy of this tactic.
More comprehensive marketing efforts are also underway. The MIS department at the University of Georgia developed a multi-phase marketing plan. This plan included various components such as developing and distributing marketing materials, contacting employers and alumni for assistance, and holding social events for prospective students. According to the chair of this department, these efforts have yielded results. In less than a year, preliminary figures indicate that the number of MIS majors has more than doubled. The well-thought-out, comprehensive nature of this marketing plan is likely one reason for its success. Efforts that are well planned are much more likely to bring success than haphazard, “shotgun” approaches.
At Baylor University (Koch and Kayworth, 2007) a great deal of energy created an event, titled "IS Summit" targeted at recruiting IS majors. Current and former IS students, faculty members, and IS practitioners were involved in the effort to highlight the potential of majoring in IS. There were roundtable discussions, contests, and prizes. Students completing questionnaires at the end of the day indicated that they learned more about potential IS careers and increased their knowledge about the IS major. How many of these students decide to major in IS still must be determined. However, the awareness of IS definitely increased.
One promising and socially beneficial approach is to market the profession to underrepresented groups. The literature has documented the under-representation of women in IT-related fields (Chabrow, 2007; Cone, 2007; Reich, 2006). These groups represent a large and potentially fruitful pool of potential majors. Efforts are underway to recruit those in underrepresented groups. For example, Saint Louis University, Claremont McKenna College and the Claremont Graduate University are collaborating on the Workshop for Women in IT Emerging Leaders, which provides an opportunity for young women to explore opportunities in IT. Similar efforts have been made in other fields, such as engineering.
A number of departments are using the core course (such as Introduction to IS) as a means for changing students’ perceptions of IS-related careers. Traditionally, some departments have relegated the introductory course to “second-rate citizen” status. This course was often viewed purely as a service course to be taught by graduate students or other less experienced faculty. More recently, however, many have realized that the introductory course offers an opportunity to educate and excite students about IS. Looney and Akbulut ((2007) provide evidence that effective teaching in the introductory IS course can positively influence a student to pursue an IS degree. Several universities have effectively used the core course to attract students to the major and/or secondary programs. This approach may require careful redesign of the core course to make it interesting and informative, while at the same time achieving educational objectives. In addition, the most successful efforts put the “best and brightest” teachers in this course. This approach takes considerable effort, but may prove to be an effective tactic for many programs.
IT-related professional organizations are also lending their support to promoting careers in IT. Microsoft and the Society for Information Management (SIM) have partnered in developing a program whose goals include dispelling the myths about the IT field, increasing the number of students enrolled in IT programs, and creating meaningful opportunities for future IT professionals through mentoring, internships, and scholarships. To date, the program has been presented on about a dozen campuses across the US. One SIM chapter, in an effort to reach teens early, has partnered with their local library to sponsor a weeklong summer IT camp for youth ages 12 to 15. The program, which is now in its third year, includes an orientation session for the campers and their parents during which the sponsors lay out the curriculum and promote careers in IT (Tucci, 2007). The Association for Computing Machinery Education Board has developed an information brochure to promote opportunities in the computing field (computingcareers.acm.org). This brochure addresses various computing fields: computing engineering, computer science, software engineering, and information systems. The National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies, the National Science Foundation, and IEEE are working together on CyberCareers, a project to provide resources for students, faculty and counselors regarding IT careers (www.nwcet.org/programs/CyberCareers/default.asp).
Programs are also encouraged to develop relationships with practitioners in general, enlisting their support in increasing the pool of IS majors and potential future employees. Advisory Board members and adjunct faculty may be willing to sponsor interns, provide a guest speaker from their organization, or offer a tour of their corporate site. They can directly assist in recruitment by promoting your graduate programs at their work sites and providing connections to high schools in their neighborhoods. Baylor University’s IS Summit solicited speakers, prizes, and funding from area businesses. Florida State obtained corporate sponsorship for their MIS @ the Movies.
4.4 Visibility of IS within the university
Marketing efforts may also need to be directed to faculty in other departments who do not understand or who downplay the significant role of IS within organizations. If students are made aware of the importance of IS to an organization, in any field, this awareness may positively impact enrollments. At George Washington University, students in a sophomore-level core course completed team projects on assessing the impact of IS on a business issue. The best team projects from each of 10 sections competed against each other. Faculty and students from across the university as well as staff advisors were invited to the competition. This exercise provided both visibility and information about the IS field. The IS Summit at Baylor University also raised the visibility of IS on campus.
The National Science Foundation also sponsors a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) to encourage future research in the sciences. Students work on a project with a faculty mentor. Within the computing field, these programs are almost exclusively in Computer Science. Some universities provide REUs during the school year. In both instances, presentations and sharing of the students’ research work provides visibility for the IS field. Other computing disciplines may benefit by introducing similar programs.
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