Three Walton College Faculty Among Top Most Frequently Cited in Decision Sciences Journal

 In a complex area like decision sciences, it is sometimes difficult to know which expert opinions to value. But academics in decision sciences know where to find experts, and they cite these opinions in their own research studies. Three professors in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas were recognized as authors of two of the top eight most frequently cited articles published between 1970 and 2005 in the journal Decision Sciences.

A list of the “Top 50 Cited Decision Sciences Articles” was reported in the September 2005 Editor’s Corner of the journal’s Web site: http://wpcarey.asu.edu/dsjOnline/editorcorner.cfm.

An article authored by Matthew Waller, associate professor and holder of the Oren Harris Chair in Logistics, was the No. 2 most-cited article over the last 35 years of the publication. His article, “Development and Validation of TQM (Total Quality Management) Implementation Constructs,” was co-authored by S.L. Ahire and D.Y. Golhar in 1996.

Fred Davis, chair of the information systems department and holder of the David D. Glass Chair in Information Systems, and Viswanath Venkatesh, professor and holder of the George and Boyce Billingsley Chair in Information Systems, hold eighth place for their 1996 article, “A Model of the Antecedents of Perceived Ease of Use: Development and Test.”

“These are remarkable accomplishments for Dr. Waller, Dr. Davis and Dr. Venkatesh,” said Walton College Dean Dan L. Worrell. “Not only are they producing relevant and leading-edge research in the decision sciences field, but also they are exemplary teachers for our students.”

Waller’s research interests focus on retail supply chain management, inventory theory and the integration of marketing and logistics decisions. He recently published a study on the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) to reduce out of stocks.

Davis researches user acceptance of information technology, computer training and skill acquisition, computer-assisted decision making and managing emerging technologies. Venkatesh also studies user acceptance of technology. His recent research focuses on gender and age differences in employee decisions about new technology.

Decision Sciences is a quarterly journal that publishes scholarly research about decision making within the boundaries of an organization, as well as decisions involving inter-firm coordination. The journal is subscribed to by more than 1,000 libraries and read by more than 4,000 faculty and students in all functional areas of business, as well as by corporate-related personnel and consultants.

The Decision Sciences Institute is a multidisciplinary international association dedicated to advancing knowledge and improving instruction in all business and related disciplines. To pursue this mission, the institute facilitates the development and dissemination of knowledge in the diverse disciplines of the decision sciences through publication, conferences, and other services.