Information Systems Foundations: Constructing and Criticising
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Information Systems Foundations: Constructing and Criticising

Table of Contents

Concluding remarks

2. The development of ‘grand’ theory

Introduction
Information systems: fading into the background
‘Information systems as a reference discipline’ – Baskerville and Myers
A problem of visibility
The value of cultural capital
Theory as symbolic capital
Finding a site for grand information systems theory
Existing portfolio-level theory
Toward a structural theory of information systems
Conclusions and recommendations

3. The reality of information systems research

Introduction

Characterising information systems research

Ontology

Reference ontologies
Domain specific ontologies
Ontology and artificial intelligence

Approaches to categorisation

Approaches to the literary work of art

Providing for perspectives: identifying an appropriate reference ontology

Establishing and empirically validating ontological categories

Conclusions

4. Qualitative research in information systems

Introduction
Qualitative research perspective
Grounded theory
Personal construct theory
Narrative inquiry
Conclusions

2. Research methods, reference theories and information systems

5. Issues and design

Introduction

Background

The Glaserian and Straussian approaches

Grounded theory and case study

Walking the research model

Particular characteristics of the method

Role of the extant literature
Unit of analysis
Focusing on properties of a process
Theoretical sampling
The core category: role and selection criteria
Induction and deduction
Recording and transcribing interviews
Using qualitative data coding tools in GTM research

Demands and risks of grounded theory

Conclusion

6. The Denver International Airport Baggage Handling System

Introduction
Making sense of hermeneutics
Practical hermeneutics
Research method
First cycle
Second cycle
Third cycle
Fourth cycle
Fifth cycle
Sixth cycle
Reflections
Conclusions

7. Institutional facts

Introduction
Success at the local scale
If logical databases are the solution, what is the problem?
What sorts of applications satisfy the requirements for logical databases?
How does this view help?
How can we build on this?

8. A fresh approach to IS/IT gender research?

Introduction

Background

IS as an emerging discipline
The imbalance of women in the IS/IT industry
The scope of IS gender research
Feminist research

Method

Participant recruitment
Data collection and analysis

Findings

Supermum factor
Serendipity
Culture

Validity

Discussion

Conclusions

9. Reflection in self-organised systems

Introduction

Reflection

Reflection types

Simple reflection
Double-loop reflection
Reflecting against ideal
Learning from negative feedback

Reflective culture

Self-organisation

Constructs of self-organisation

Reflection in self-organisation

Description of process

Conclusion

Future research

10. Strategic knowledge sharing

Introduction

Wicked problems and wicked systems

Self-organisation

The insect literature

Small-worlds

Examples

Implications and conclusion

11. Explaining organisational change

Introduction

Closed systems and organisational theories

Closed systems and change

Open systems and organisation theories

Characteristics and mechanics of open systems
Homeostasis and the behaviour of open systems

Organisational life cycle: growth, maturity, decline and death

The dissipative systems model

The theory of dissipative structure
Dissipative structure in physical systems
Order in a non-equilibrium state
Entropy and sustainability of dissipative systems

Implications for organisations

Order through fluctuations and system transformation

Model synthesis and discussion

Theory of punctuated equilibrium and rationale for model synthesis
Homeostasis, adaptation, and transformation

Tools for system manipulation

Bifurcations and self-organisation

Conclusion

Acknowledgement

3. Linking information systems theory and practice

12. Research as an information systems domain

Introduction
e-Science and e-Research
Information systems
Research, human activity systems, and ICT
Information systems in research
Research and practice interoperability
Conclusion

13. A procedural model for ontological analyses

Introduction

Shortcomings of current ontological analyses

Lack of understandability
Lack of comparability
Lack of completeness
Lack of guidance
Lack of objectivity
Lack of adequate result representation
Lack of result classification
Lack of relevance

Reference methodology for conducting ontological analyses

Input
Process
Output

Summary and future work

14. Lessons learned from manual systems

Introduction

Information systems design and theories of agency

Learning from evolved manual systems

Air traffic control: landing by the strips system
Small-scale efficient ‘cottage’ manufacturing: the Cash Compressor System
Large-scale lean manufacturing: the Kanban system
Common features of the systems
Implications for a situational methodology

Discussion and conclusions

15. Conversations at the electronic frontier

Introduction

Language and power

Conversations at the electronic frontier
Propositions

Information systems with social autonomy

The information systems business language (ISBL)

Actor network theory

Social impacts of the ISBL

Imposing the ISBL

Vocabulary control

The scope of the ISBL

Conclusion

References

List of Figures

1.1. Interrelationships among theory types.
5.1. Thematic structure.
5.2. Grounded theory’s building process (Lehmann 2001a).
5.3. Expanded Lehmann’s research model.
5.4. The concept indicator model (Glaser 1978, p.62).
5.5. The inductive-deductive cycle of the grounded theory method.
9.1. Kolb’s model of reflection.
9.2. Schon’s double-loop reflection.
9.3. Stigmergy – information flow.
9.4. The integration of reflection into self-organised processes.
9.5. Levels of decision making in self-organised systems.
10.1. Small-worlds.
11.1. Homeostasis in an open system at t and t+s. Adapted from Flood and Carson (1993).
11.2. The five phases of organisational growth (adapted from Greiner, 1972).
11.3. Control requires that the system be maintained within the bounds of the homokinetic plateau. Adapted from Van Gigch (1991).
11.4. An open system’s entropy production and dissipation.
11.5. The role of fluctuations in creating order.
11.6. System transformation and production of macroscopic order.
11.7. Punctuated equilibrium model showing adaptive (convergence) phase A and transformational (reorientation) phase B.
11.8. System interface and hierarchy of efforts required for change in an organisation.
11.9. Bifurcation diagrams showing (a) the possibility of successful or unsuccessful change, and (b) change, entropy and self-organisation.
12.1. A general model of information systems activity.
12.2. Traditional interoperation of research and practice systems.
13.1. The BWW meta model.
13.2. An extension of ontological analysis through the use of focused ontologies.
14.1. The two views of ‘Rat World’.
14.2. A flight strip describing Air France Flight 540 (Mackay, 1998, p. 322).
14.3. The strips being manipulated by an operator.
14.4. A typical Kanban card.
15.1. Business transaction mediated by the ISBL.

List of Tables

3.1. Ontologies and data models
4.1. Qualitative theories
6.1. Actors (extract)
6.2. Environments (extract)
6.3. Decisions (extract)
6.4. Flexibility factors (extract)
8.1. Research findings
8.2. Supermum sub-themes
8.3. Serendipity sub-themes
8.4. Culture sub-themes
13.1. Summary of Step 2 mapping agreement between both researchers
13.2. Summary of Step 3 mapping agreement
15.1. ISBL-English comparison