Research

Our focus is on the intelligent application of technology to business and societal needs.

Our faculty’s expertise cuts across a number of fields as we explore the intersection of information technology and economics, management, global markets, security, privacy, medical informatics, e-commerce and policy. We take great pride in how interdisciplinary much of our research is.  Here are just two examples of research that members of the Heinz School faculty are conducting.

Information Privacy

In today’s very complex world, determining what kinds of privacy measures to initiate and maintain is not a simple task. How much information do organizations have about us and how are they using it? How do we balance individual rights with the increased need for information sharing to protect against terrorist attacks? Understanding the dichotomy between privacy and security attitudes and actual behavior will make it possible to formulate more effective information policy and technology approaches that will strengthen personal information security and privacy.  Carnegie Mellon researchers look at privacy from two different perspectives. Alessandro Acquisti studies the impact of privacy on individuals, while George Duncan, and colleagues Ramayya Krishnan, Rema Padman and Steve Roehrig look at privacy issues from an organizational (both public and private) point of view.

Global Delivery and Sourcing

Globalization, outsourcing, service management: the information technology lexicon is one of buzzwords. But just because buzzwords are trendy doesn’t make them any less true. Companies and institutions everywhere are finding that they must adopt broader and deeper global perspectives and rethink how best to manage their IT infrastructure. New regions around the world – such as India and China – have sprung up as IT hotbeds when just a few years ago they were considered technology backwaters. Carnegie Mellon researchers are exploring the impact of this on companies, on people, on the IT workforce and on society. Understanding the drivers of success of the software industry in developing economies can teach good lessons, inspire other entrepreneurs and demonstrate that success is not reserved only for those in established economies or the elite. The triumph of the software industry in these countries can act as exemplar to the rest of the economy, especially for other sectors that rely on skilled workers, as well as to other developing nations.  Ashish Arora looks at the growth of the software industry abroad, while faculty from Carnegie Mellon’s IT Services Qualification Center look at ways to develop capability models and qualification methods to improve sourcing relationships.