Towards an Understanding of Accounting Information Systems as a Discipline: A Comparative Analysis of Topical Coverage in AIS and MIS Courses

Abstract

The accounting information systems (AIS) discipline lacks a sense of identity relative to the closely related field of management information systems (MIS). By identifying how AIS is evolving and what makes AIS unique from MIS, the field can gain a better understanding of its importance. We analyze a sample of syllabi for the introductory AIS and MIS courses, focusing on similarities and differences between the AIS and MIS fields as reflected in the topical coverage choices made by AIS and MIS educators. We also investigate the effects of the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on topical coverage in the introductory AIS course. The findings reveal that while AIS courses have a unique focus on transaction processing and internal controls relative to MIS courses, more technical topics such as hardware and software issues and IS solutions are covered more commonly in MIS courses rather than AIS courses. We also find that AIS topical coverage has changed since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, with a more pronounced focus on internal control and security compared to the pre-Sarbanes Oxley era. The key contribution of this paper is in providing empirical evidence in support of the “intersection view” of AIS, which asserts that while AIS and MIS have some topics in common there are also many issues unique to each field.