Ten Questions for Guillermo Rodriguez-Abitia

Rodriguez-Abitia is a Clinical Associate Professor at William & Mary where he focuses on Digital Transformation, Cross-cultural issues of Information Technology, Innovation and Educational Technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Information Systems, both from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in México. As a Fulbright scholar, he obtained a master’s degree in business administration and a Ph.D. in Information Systems, at the University of Texas at Arlington.

1. You are a co-founder and former president of the LACAIS (Latin American and Caribbean) Chapter of AIS. Tell us a bit about that process of founding a chapter and how the group has evolved over the years.

When we first thought of how to support the Latin American IS community, some members of the AIS Council took a trip to Mexico City, hoping to get to know the Mexican IS community and attract them to AIS. When we returned from the trip, we decided to create a Mexican Chapter and we would make a bid to organize AMCIS in Mexico. The meeting was incredibly enriching and great ties were created between our extremely small community, and AIS. Furthermore, I counter offered to create a Latin American Chapter, since the region did not have a community large enough to afford chapters by country. Some of us had already been in touch since the creation of the Latin American track in AMCIS. The chapter was officially constituted by 20 Mexican members, with me as the founding president, but it was international for all practical purposes, since we started to meet and had members from Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, Mexico, etc.

We held a meeting at least once a year during AMCIS, and sometimes also at ICIS. We also made a bid for AMCIS in Mexico City that was later changed to Acapulco in 2006. This was exciting because it would be the first time AMCIS would be held outside of the United States. Acapulco was very successful, and it attracted a great number of participants from Latin America and Europe. We made sure to show that we were capable of good organization and the warmest hospitality.

The group remained relatively small over the years, but very active. We aided the organization of AMCIS in Peru in 2010, Cancun in 2019, Panama City in 2023 and the forthcoming edition in Sao Paulo in 2027. Having Latin America officially included in the rotation chart was a great achievement for us.

In recent years, we created ISLA (Information Systems in Latin America) as our main LACAIS conference. ISLA is free and fully virtual. It is always organized as an ancillary event for AMCIS and is independent of its Latin American track. The proceedings for ISLA are included in the AIS eLibrary. Both ISLA and the Latin American Track in AMCIS admit papers in English, as long as the topic is related to the region.

2. AMCIS has long had a track on Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin America that promotes IS/IT/MIS research in and about Latin America. What was your role in the evolution of this track existing at AMCIS and what do you hope to see it grow into in the future?

The Latin American track was originally created by Martha Garcia-Murillo, Carlos Navarrete and James Pick around 2002. We modified the Latin American track to include papers in Spanish for the first time at AMCIS 2005 in Omaha, and a full parallel Spanish program at AMCIS 2006 in Acapulco. We also started RELCASI, the Latin American and Caribbean Journal of AIS, and later extended the scope of the Latin American Track and the Journal to include papers in Portuguese, greatly increasing the membership from Brazil.

3. Where is RELCASI today?

RELCASI stalled for a few years, but we caught up with all the pending volumes in 2023. We are now working with the VP of Publications to have it properly indexed. We are working now in the 2023 volume. The ISLA and the AMCIS LACAIS Track are very important sources for RELCASI.

4. Before serving as Vice President of Conferences on the AIS Council, you served as an AMCIS Representative and Region 1 Representative. How has the Council changed over the years?

The change has been enormous. I served in Council first as AMCIS representative (a role that no longer exists), and as one of two Region 1 representatives (now we only have one per region). Just as some roles have been eliminated, some others have been created, aiming at addressing issues that are more relevant today, such as student chapters and inclusion. I believe the coordination between past and current president and the president-elect are stronger now. I also have to add that the support provided by the AIS office now is much greater than that in the past. This helps greatly to focus on the important issues.

5. What has been the most rewarding part of your time as an AIS volunteer? Are there any programs or initiatives that stand out that you were especially proud to be involved in?

I have had a unique opportunity as an AIS member and volunteer that is difficult to rival. Having outstanding people from our dear IS community like Jane Fedorowicz, Eph McLean, Diane Strong, Dennis Galletta and many others come to your country and ask you directly to be a driver of change in your region, makes it impossible to say no. That gave me all the inspiration and energy to help create LACAIS and RELCASI, and bring AMCIS to our region several times, always with great success.

6. What is your favorite memory at an AIS event (ICIS/AMCIS) or affiliated conference (ECIS/PAIS/etc.)?

People never forget going into the social event in Acapulco and receiving a mini clay pot with tequila. They still remind me of that social event and the tequila clay pot, the wonderful food, the fireworks and the Latin American hospitality. Making an experience unforgettable for our members gives me the greatest satisfaction!

7. You have been a part of many collaborative projects over the years. How has AIS helped to build your network of partnerships and what can further be done to expand collaborations with the Latin American IS community?

I have met the most wonderful and talented people thanks to my involvement in the AIS. The nationalities of people involved in LACAIS now span to many other countries in the region. We are still a small group, but much bigger and robust than before.

8. Who have been major influencers not just in your career, but also in your volunteer service with AIS and why?

Eph McLean was probably the evil mind behind my involvement. I was already an AIS member, but I would have become as involved as a volunteer, had he not shown me the way. Jack Becker, Jerry Luftman and Rob Nickerson were examples of commitment to me when I saw them pursue initiatives with passion. Sue Conger has been an example of social commitment. In the Latin American region, I would not possibly be talking about this without the founders of the track, as well as some of the original LACAIS participants, including Indira Guzman, Aurora Sanchez, Luiz Joia, Martin Santana and many others.

9. What are some of the most important research areas with the potential for lasting global impact that IS researchers should focus on more?

I am a strong believer that research should have a practical purpose, especially in areas that require solutions for life quality improvement, such as Latin America and the Caribbean. Exploring IT as a means for development is paramount. Also, IT and education is an extremely important area to strengthen the skills of people and foster growth.

10. What is the one trend you are most excited about for the future of IS?

I am particularly excited about digital transformation as a whole. This obviously includes capitalizing and leveraging emerging technologies for organizational competitiveness and resilience.