Communications of the Association for Information Systems (2024) AI Processed Human Approved
Location Analytics in Information Systems:Opportunities for Research and Teaching
This study explores the current state, challenges, and opportunities for integrating location analytics into Information Systems (IS) research and education. Drawing on insights from an academic panel, it outlines how spatial methodologies can enrich IS theories, enhance research rigor, and better prepare students for data-driven business roles.
Problem
Despite the critical role of location analytics in modern industry decision-making and strategic planning, its presence in academic IS research and business school curricula remains remarkably sparse. This gap leaves researchers overlooking spatial dimensions in complex problems and leaves graduates lacking essential geospatial skills required by the modern workforce.
Outcome
- Demonstrates how incorporating spatial methodologies (such as spatial autocorrelation and geographically weighted regression) can address complex societal 'wicked problems' like climate change, network disruption, and privacy.
- Provides a strategic roadmap for integrating location analytics into undergraduate and graduate IS curricula to prepare students for high-demand business roles.
- Outlines actionable steps to bridge academia and industry, including collaborative case study development, special journal issues, and enhanced faculty training in geospatial tools.
- Provides a strategic roadmap for integrating location analytics into undergraduate and graduate IS curricula to prepare students for high-demand business roles.
- Outlines actionable steps to bridge academia and industry, including collaborative case study development, special journal issues, and enhanced faculty training in geospatial tools.
What it means for you
- CIO / IT Executive: On Monday morning, schedule a 30-minute meeting with your Head of Data Science and Head of Business Intelligence to discuss a pilot project integrating a basic spatial analysis layer (e.g., visualizing customer locations on a map) into one of your existing dashboards for a specific business unit.
- IT Manager: On Monday morning, identify one internal IT project or operational challenge (e.g., network outage analysis, data center resource allocation) that could potentially benefit from a spatial perspective, and research one readily available open-source geospatial tool (like QGIS) for initial exploration.
- Business Strategist: On Monday morning, review your current customer segmentation data and identify 2-3 key business questions that might be better answered by understanding the geographical distribution of your customers (e.g., optimal new store locations, targeted marketing campaigns by region).
- Researcher: On Monday morning, identify one of your current research projects and brainstorm 2-3 ways that incorporating spatial data or analysis (e.g., geographic clustering of events, spatial dependencies) could strengthen your theoretical contributions or add methodological rigor.
- Policymaker: On Monday morning, contact a representative from a local urban planning or environmental agency to inquire about any existing spatial datasets related to community infrastructure, resource distribution, or environmental impact that might be publicly accessible.
Transcript
Host: Welcome back to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. I'm your host, Anna Ivy Summers. Today, we're diving into a fascinating new study titled "Location Analytics in Information Systems: Opportunities for Research and Teaching." Joining me to break it all down is our analytics expert, Alex Ian Sutherland. Welcome, Alex!
Expert: Thanks, Anna. It is great to be here!
Host: So Alex, location data is everywhere today. Tech giants like Uber, Amazon, Google, and Tesla rely heavily on knowing where things are happening. But this study points out a surprisingly major gap in higher education and research. What's going on?
Expert: It is a striking disconnect, Anna. Over 80 percent of businesses use location analytics in at least one function—whether that's site selection, route optimization, supply chain resilience, or targeted marketing. Yet, astonishingly, only about 8 percent of business schools offer exposure to spatial analysis or Geographic Information Systems. The study highlights that academic Information Systems research and business school curricula have largely underutilized spatial thinking, treating location data as an afterthought rather than a core analytical lens.
Host: That really is a huge missed opportunity. How did the authors approach investigating this gap?
Expert: The study grew out of a collaborative panel of leading scholars across several universities, including Middle Tennessee State, Arizona State, Pace, and the University of Redlands. They conducted an extensive review of decades of Information Systems literature, evaluated current curriculum models, and synthesized insights from industry trends to build a strategic roadmap for integrating spatial methodologies into both research and teaching.
Host: And what did they find when looking at how spatial analytics can elevate research?
Expert: They showed that incorporating spatial methodologies—like spatial autocorrelation or geographically weighted regression—allows researchers to tackle complex, real-world "wicked problems" far better than traditional statistics can. For example, understanding energy network disruptions during power outages, mapping climate change vulnerability for agricultural planning, designing effective public health dashboards during crises like COVID-19, and addressing location privacy concerns. Without a spatial lens, researchers miss underlying patterns and risk drawing incomplete conclusions.
Host: That makes total sense. Now, turning to education, how does the study propose business schools fix this skills shortage?
Expert: They outline a practical, stepwise approach. It starts simple—hosting industry guest lectures and workshops to build initial spatial awareness. The next step is integrating brief location analytics modules directly into foundational business courses like marketing, supply chain, or management information systems. Finally, committed business schools can offer specialized electives, certificate programs, or even full concentrations in location analytics.
Host: Why is this so urgent for business leaders and hiring managers right now?
Expert: Because the global geospatial market is projected to surpass 1.4 trillion dollars by 2030! Businesses are sitting on massive amounts of location-tagged data, but top business graduates often arrive without knowing how to run spatial queries or build actionable location dashboards. By partnering with universities through capstone projects, case studies, and shared datasets, businesses can help shape the workforce they desperately need while gaining fresh, data-driven solutions to their operational challenges.
Host: It sounds like bringing location analytics into mainstream business education is a win-win for both academia and industry.
Expert: Absolutely, Anna. Spatial thinking isn't just a peripheral technical skill anymore; it's a critical strategic capability for competitive advantage and solving society's biggest problems.
Host: Well said, Alex. Thank you for walking us through this insightful study. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we continue exploring the frontiers of technology and business strategy.
Expert: Thanks, Anna. It is great to be here!
Host: So Alex, location data is everywhere today. Tech giants like Uber, Amazon, Google, and Tesla rely heavily on knowing where things are happening. But this study points out a surprisingly major gap in higher education and research. What's going on?
Expert: It is a striking disconnect, Anna. Over 80 percent of businesses use location analytics in at least one function—whether that's site selection, route optimization, supply chain resilience, or targeted marketing. Yet, astonishingly, only about 8 percent of business schools offer exposure to spatial analysis or Geographic Information Systems. The study highlights that academic Information Systems research and business school curricula have largely underutilized spatial thinking, treating location data as an afterthought rather than a core analytical lens.
Host: That really is a huge missed opportunity. How did the authors approach investigating this gap?
Expert: The study grew out of a collaborative panel of leading scholars across several universities, including Middle Tennessee State, Arizona State, Pace, and the University of Redlands. They conducted an extensive review of decades of Information Systems literature, evaluated current curriculum models, and synthesized insights from industry trends to build a strategic roadmap for integrating spatial methodologies into both research and teaching.
Host: And what did they find when looking at how spatial analytics can elevate research?
Expert: They showed that incorporating spatial methodologies—like spatial autocorrelation or geographically weighted regression—allows researchers to tackle complex, real-world "wicked problems" far better than traditional statistics can. For example, understanding energy network disruptions during power outages, mapping climate change vulnerability for agricultural planning, designing effective public health dashboards during crises like COVID-19, and addressing location privacy concerns. Without a spatial lens, researchers miss underlying patterns and risk drawing incomplete conclusions.
Host: That makes total sense. Now, turning to education, how does the study propose business schools fix this skills shortage?
Expert: They outline a practical, stepwise approach. It starts simple—hosting industry guest lectures and workshops to build initial spatial awareness. The next step is integrating brief location analytics modules directly into foundational business courses like marketing, supply chain, or management information systems. Finally, committed business schools can offer specialized electives, certificate programs, or even full concentrations in location analytics.
Host: Why is this so urgent for business leaders and hiring managers right now?
Expert: Because the global geospatial market is projected to surpass 1.4 trillion dollars by 2030! Businesses are sitting on massive amounts of location-tagged data, but top business graduates often arrive without knowing how to run spatial queries or build actionable location dashboards. By partnering with universities through capstone projects, case studies, and shared datasets, businesses can help shape the workforce they desperately need while gaining fresh, data-driven solutions to their operational challenges.
Host: It sounds like bringing location analytics into mainstream business education is a win-win for both academia and industry.
Expert: Absolutely, Anna. Spatial thinking isn't just a peripheral technical skill anymore; it's a critical strategic capability for competitive advantage and solving society's biggest problems.
Host: Well said, Alex. Thank you for walking us through this insightful study. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we continue exploring the frontiers of technology and business strategy.