James S. Denford

Dr.
James S. Denford
CD, PhD, MBA, B. Eng
Professor of Management Information Systems
Office:
G451B
Telephone:
(613) 541-6000 ext 6970
E-mail:
Management

College Address

Royal Military College of Canada
PO Box 17000, Station Forces
Kingston, Ontario, CANADA
K7K 7B4

Dr Denford joined the Department in 2008 as a military faculty member and then again in 2012 as a civilian after a 24 year career in Army Signals, which included both the leadership of two defence research labs (the Army Experimentation Centre and the Electromagnetic Battlespace Lab) and the command of a communications and electronics training squadron (3 Sqn CFSCE). Dr Denford holds a B.Eng (Engineering Management) (1992) and an MBA (2002) from RMC and a PhD in Management (2009) from Queen's University.

Dr Denford's teaching focuses on information technology at the UG and PG level and in English and in French. Dr Denford's research specializes in the areas of information technology and knowledge strategy, governance, leadership and innovation with a particular focus on the public sector. Dr Denford is the former Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities and Interim Dean of Continuing Studies, and previously the Head of Management and Director of Research Administration at RMC. He is actively involved in the academic community through the Association of Information Systems, where he is the Immediate Past President of the College of Academic Leadership and former Past President of the Special Interest Group in Information Systems Leadership.

Courses taught

BAE220, BAE410, BAE412, AAF220, AAF410, MBA531

Selected Publications

  • Denford, JS, Dawson, GS and Desouza, KC. (2023) “A cluster analysis of national AI strategies.” In Brookings Institution TechTank. 

  • Lussier, D and Denford, JS. (2023) "Kîyokêwin (Visiting), leadership, and consenting to learn in public: indigenizing social sciences and humanities at the Royal Military College of Canada." In Critical Studies in Education.

  • Denford, JS, Dawson, GS and Desouza, KC. (2023) “WEIRD AI: Understanding what nations include in their artificial intelligence plans.” In Brookings Institution TechTank. 

  • Denford, JS, Dawson, GS, Desouza, KC and Mancharan, AP. (2022) “Assessing the Relevance of Governmental Characteristics to Address Wicked Problems in Turbulent Times.” In Public Management Review.

  • Dawson, GS, Desouza, KC and Denford, JS. (2022) “Understanding artificial intelligence spending by the U.S. federal government.” In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Fatima, S, Desouza, KC, Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2022) “Interpreting National Artificial Intelligence Plans: A Screening Approach for Aspirations and Reality,” Economic Analysis and Policy.

  • Fatima, S, Desouza, KC, Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2022) “How countries are leveraging computing power to achieve their national artificial intelligence strategies.” In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Fatima, S, Desouza, KC, Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2021) “The people dilemma: How human capital is driving or constraining the achievement of national AI strategies.” In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Fatima, S, Desouza, KC, Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2021) “Winners and losers in the fulfillment of national artificial intelligence aspirations.” In Brookings Institution TechTank

  • Denford, JS and Schobel, KB. (2021) “Public Sector CFOs and CIOs: Impacts of Work Proximity and Role Perceptions,” Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change.

  • Fatima, S, Desouza, KC, Denford, JS and Dawson, GS. (2021) “What Explains Governments Interest in Artificial Intelligence? A Signalling Theory Approach,” Economic Analysis and Policy.

  • Fatima, S, Desouza, KC, Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2021) “Analyzing artificial intelligence plans in 34 countries.” In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Levallet, N, Denford, JS and Chan, YE. (2021) “Following the MAP (Methods, Approaches, Perspectives) in IS Research,” Information Systems Research.

  • Denford, JS, Dawson, GS and Desouza, KC. (2020) “Centralization and Decentralization Decisions: Multiple Contingencies for IT Governance.” AIS Transactions on Replication Research.

  • Ringeval, M, Wagner, G, Denford, JS, Paré, G and Kistiou, S. (2020) “Fitbit-based interventions for healthy lifestyle outcomes: A meta-analysis and systematic review.” Journal of Medical Internet Research.

  • Denford, JS, Dawson, GS and Desouza, KC. (2019) “Performance Impacts of Structure and Volition in Implementing Policy through IT-Enabled Government-to-Citizen and Government-to-Employee Interactions,” Economic Analysis and Policy.

  • Chan, YE, Denford, JS and Wang, J. (2019) “The Co-evolution of IT and Knowledge with Agility in Micro and Small Enterprises,” Journal of Information and Knowledge Management.

  • Denford, JS, Desouza, KC and Dawson, GS. (2018) “Learning from IT Centralization: Who Should Own the Data?” Cutter Business Technology Journal.

  • Denford, JS and Ferris, AE. (2018) “Absorption, Combination and Desorption: Boundary Spanning Capacities in Knowledge Cycles,” Journal of Knowledge Management.

  • Desouza, KC, Denford, JS, and Krishnamurthy, R. (2018) “How the US Federal Communications Commission managed the process of IT modernization.” Chapter 22 in Urbach, N and Röglinger, M (Eds) Case Studies on Digitalization - How Companies Rethink Their Business for the Digital Age.

  • Dawson, GS, Denford, JS, Williams, C, Preston, D and Desouza, KC. (2016) “An Examination of Effective IT Governance in the Public Sector Using the Legal View of Agency Theory.” Journal of Management Information Systems.

  • Dawson, GS, Denford. JS and Desouza, KC. (2016) “Governing Innovation in U.S. State Government: An Ecosystem Perspective,” Journal of Strategic Information Systems.

  • Denford, JS. (2016) “Idea to Retire: Decentralized IT Governance.” In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Chan, YE, Denford, JS and Jin, JY. (2016) “Competing through Knowledge and Information Systems Strategies:  A Study of Small and Medium-Sized Firms,” Journal of Information and Knowledge Management.

  • Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2015) A Playbook for CIO-Led IT Innovation in the Federal Government. Washington, DC: IBM Center for the Business of Government.

  • Dawson, GS, Denford, JS and Desouza, KC. (2014) "Four Lessons for State Government Innovation." In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Dawson, GS, Denford, JS and Desouza, KC. (2014) "Are Rock Star CIOs the Secret to Public Innovation?" In Brookings Institution TechTank.

  • Desouza, KC, Dawson, GS and Denford, JS. (2014) "The 'Rock Star' Government CIO, Redefined." Information Week.

  • Schobel, KB and Denford, JS. (2013) “The Chief Information Officer and Chief Financial Officer Dyad in the Public Sector - How an Effective Relationship Impacts Individual Effectiveness and Strategic Alignment.” Journal of Information Systems.

  • Denford, JS. (2013) “Building Knowledge: Developing a Knowledge-Based Dynamic Capabilities Typology.” Journal of Knowledge Management.

  • Denford, JS and Street, CP. (2013) “Dynamic Knowledge Capabilities in Strategic Alliances.” Chapter 4 in Das, TK (Ed) Managing Knowledge in Strategic Alliances.

  • Denford, JS and Chan, YE. (2011) “Knowledge Strategy Typologies: Defining Dimensions and Typologies.” Knowledge Management Research and Practice.

  • Alavi, M and Denford, JS. (2011) “Knowledge Management: Process, Practice and Web 2.0.” Chapter 6 in Easterby-Smith, M and Lyles, MA (Eds) The Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management.

  • Street, CP and Denford, JS. (2011) “Punctuated Equilibrium Theory in IS Research.” Chapter 17 in Dwivedi, YK, Wade, M and Schneberger, SL (Eds) Information Systems Theory: Explaining and Predicting Our Digital Society.

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