Biography

Shariffah Zamoon is a PhD candidate in Information and Decision Sciences at the Carlson School of Management. She earned a BS from Iowa State University in 1993, majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Mathematics. She was granted a Masters in Business Administration in 1999 from Iowa State University. After visiting the University of Minnesota in 2001-2002, Shariffah was officially admitted to the Ph.D. program in Fall of 2002. Her doctoral studies at the Carlson School of Management are currently funded by a scholarship from Kuwait University.

Background: "I think it makes sense to break up my employment background into two areas: education and professional. This is just the way I think about these, not that one is preferred to the other, just that they are distinct. Each has a different focus. I have had a significant experience in professional positions. For example, I was an information technology auditor in a major bank in Kuwait for three years. I was also a product researcher at Gulf AZM International Trading Corporation in Kuwait for about two and a half years. I did a short stint as a survey researcher in Iowa, and my first real job was an internship at Kuwait’s Ministry of Planning. I have also had experience with teaching courses at the University of Minnesota, Kuwait University, and Kansas State University."

Research Interests: "I am interested in researching various aspects of the information technologies field. My interests generally fall into two streams: ethical decision making processes, and issues surrounding human-technology interaction in business settings. In my work on ethical decision-making and judgment, I am interested in understanding why ethical decision-making processes and judgments are blurred in the presence of technology. I am also studying the impact of culture on business and technology."

Current Research Project: “I am currently working with my faculty advisor, Professor Shawn Curley, on the problem of software piracy. I am emphasizing the role of “neutralization” that people use to circumvent the ethical decision making process. My work studies the excuses and justifications that people use when they illegally copy software.”

General Impressions: “The PhD program marks a shift in the learning process for me. I think of it as a departure from undergraduate and even masters level study habits that focus on accumulating of new knowledge in favor of critical examination, and integration of multi-disciplinary perspectives, culminating in the creation of new knowledge. Throughout this process communication skills are crucial. You can be an ‘Einstein,’ but if you cannot express and explain your ideas in a manner that others can comprehend and critically examine, your work might be for naught.”

“Also worthy of mention in the PhD process are the enormous resources available: course offerings, library access, software and data services, support staff, the University of Minnesota faculty and outstanding Carlson faculty. Included in these resources, but highly under-advertised, are the Carlson PhD students (past and present). They will give you honest feedback and help, and support you through the PhD process. They can become your friends and collaborators for life. For all of these precious resources, I am very grateful.”