The organizational fit of information systems

Abstract. One can expect that the fit, match or congruence between an information system and its organizational context will be of increasing importance as information systems become more and more integral parts of organizations. Existing IS research has largely neglected the theoretical analysis of the concept 'fit', however, even though it has been widely used in a 'pre-theoretical' sense. The analysis of the concept of 'organizational fit of an information system' put forward in this article is essentially based on the recent analysis of 'fit' in contingency theory, suggesting three interpretations for the concept: a selection approach, an interaction approach and a systems approach. A review of the IS literature on the organizational fit of information systems indicates a lack of any cumulative tradition in existing empirical contingency research into information systems and dominance of the selection approach. Because of the two limitations, this paper regards any definite assessment of the potential prospects of contingency research into information systems as overhasty and proposes a framework for future research into the situation dependence and organizational fit of information systems which integrates contingency research into information systems, contingency research into IS impacts and contingency research into the IS adoption (development/implementation) process.     

Building an organization-specific infrastructure to support CASE tools

CASE tools are notorious for forcing organizations to adapt to a standard development methodology. The underlying assumption is that a universally applicable development method exists and it is up to the organization to conform to that method. But software development is no longer a homogeneous field. As computers are applied to an increasingly diverse set of applications, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the different demands these domains place on the development process. Our solution to this dilemma is to create an organization-wide development infrastructure based on accumulated experiences within application and technical domains. The domain lifecycle formalizes a process for accumulating project experiences and creating domain knowledge than can be used to increase product quality and improve development productivity. Supporting the domain lifecycle eases development of software that has been developed previously in the organization, freeing designers to concentrate on less well-known elements of an application.     

Principles of canonical action research

Abstract.  Despite the growing prominence of canonical action research (CAR) in the information systems discipline, a paucity of methodological guidance continues to hamper those conducting and evaluating such studies. This article elicits a set of five principles and associated criteria to help assure both the rigor and the relevance of CAR in information systems. The first principle relates to the development of an agreement that facilitates collaboration between the action researcher and the client. The second principle is based upon a cyclical process model for action research that consists of five stages: diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation and reflection. Additional principles highlight the critical roles of theory, change through action, and the specification of learning in terms of implications for both research and practice. The five principles are illustrated through the analysis of one recently published CAR study.     

The significance of context in information systems and organizational change

This paper argues that it is of crucial importance that information systems (IS) research and practice associates technology innovation with the context within which it is embedded. It identifies three principles to be followed in order to address the contextual processes involved in IS implementation: first, technology innovation should be considered in relation to socio‐organizational change; second, analysis should consider not only the local organizational, but also the national and international context; and third, analysis should consider both the technical/rational decisions and actions involved in the innovation process and the cultural, social and cognitive forces of such a process. These principles are demonstrated with the analysis of a case study of organizational reform in Cyprus.     

面向对象法、原型法及CASE方法的有机复合在大型MIS开发中的应用研究

通过对以往软件开发方法的研究,结合具体的MIS开发实践,文章给出了一种开发大型MIS的复合方法。即将原型法、面向对象法和CASE方法在MIS开发各阶段有机结合,相互补充,从而达到快速有效地开发MIS系统的目的。     

计算机软件开发工具的集成和应用研究

主要探讨了如何针对不同的软件开发机构特点，构造与之相适应的计算机辅助软件工程（CASE）工具支持的集成化开发环境，用以支持软件开发机构的软件开发过程。     

E-business and organizational change: a structurational approach

Abstract.  Although e-business is a familiar part of the organizational landscape, its implementation remains a problem for large traditional organizations. This paper argues that the pervasiveness of e-business calls for the adoption of an organizational change perspective to study its implementation. Using structuration theory, the paper analyzes a detailed case study of the implementation of a major e-business initiative in a traditional automotive manufacturer. It shows how a combination of structural contradictions and unexpected consequences derailed the initiative.     

Transforming information systems development through computer-aided systems engineering (CASE): lessons from practice

In dealing with the challenges posed by the ongoing problem of developing and integrating an evermore complex and diverse range of information systems in a timely manner, practitioners continue to grapple with important issues such as increasing developer productivity and bringing quality improvements to the process and product of systems development. Many organizations have adopted computer‐aided systems engineering (CASE) tools with such outcomes in mind. With few exceptions, previous research into the phenomenon of CASE adoption and use has been survey based in the main, and has resulted in some confusion over the benefits to be derived from the use of CASE tools within the systems development process. This paper extends previous work as part of an interpretive, case‐based research strategy to examine the adoption and use of integrated CASE (I‐CASE) in a single organization. Such an approach facilitates a deeper understanding of the impact that CASE exerts on the process and product of systems development. Based on the experience of practitioners in the organization studied, a set of recommendations is presented. The findings of this study also lend support to the view that an I‐CASE development platform does indeed have the potential to exert a positive impact on the development process and its product.     

Flamingos on a slackline: Companies' challenges of balancing the competing demands of handling customer information and privacy

Providers of online services are under increasing pressure to leverage the value inherent in customer data to remain competitive. At the same time, however, Internet users' privacy has become more and more subject to public debate, and companies must protect this privacy if they want to attract and retain customers. It seems that companies struggle to satisfy these competing demands, and neglecting either could have detrimental effects on their success. Different streams of research underline the importance of either privacy protection or the collection and use of customer information. But they remain largely silent about the resulting challenges that companies face. In this study, we address this gap by exploring how companies perceive and handle the tensions between their organizational information needs that necessitate some degree of privacy intrusion and their need to attract and retain customers, which requires privacy protection. We develop a grounded theory that explains how companies balance these opposing demands from an organizational perspective. More specifically, we identify four challenging tensions that define the conditions under which companies must operate. We find that companies try to achieve and maintain a state of balance in the presence of these tensions, and we discover three categories of tactics that help companies in their balancing acts. Our research contributes to a provider‐centric perspective on information privacy and uncovers the management of customer information and privacy as a new but important context in which organizational ambidexterity is required. We offer a detailed perspective on the specific challenges that companies face with respect to customer information and privacy, and our results can guide managers who have to deal with these challenges.     

Eliciting information about organizational culture via laddering

Abstract. Eliciting information about organizational culture is an important part of system analysis and design. However, eliciting knowledge of this sort is difficult. Laddering is an established technique that is particularly suitable for eliciting information about goals and for eliciting explanations, which are important issues when investigating organizational culture. This paper describes the method, its strengths and limitations, its use in several case studies and its relation to other elicitation techniques. Recommendations for further work are given.     

Multi-metaphor method: organizational metaphors in information systems development

Abstract.  Conventional methods have been criticized for their positivist philosophy and for either ignoring the organizational context of information systems development (ISD) or using only a simplistic, machine-based conceptual model of organizations. We have developed an approach to enable systems developers to use a richer view of organizations and a more interpretive approach. Multi-Metaphor Method (MMM) supports developers via a range of metaphors as cognitive structuring devices to understand an organization so that developers can learn to move between different ways of 'reading' the social context in which ISD occurs. We explain the rationale and theoretical underpinnings of MMM and then discuss our action research to investigate the viability and relevance of MMM during ISD practice. We show how the developers' use of organizational metaphors via MMM did not just enable rich conceptualizations of the client organizations but also influenced the ISD process and final product. We review the learning outcomes and discuss the implications for systems development practice of our research.     

Systems development approach: transcending methodology

Abstract.  This paper presents the findings of an empirical study investigating the nature of the process of information systems development. These findings are used to identify systems development approach, which extends understanding of the information systems development process beyond the levels of methodology and technical expertise. The term approach expresses the rich, varied, and complex ways in which professionals deal with development situations. The term transcends methodological components – which can be combined, tailored, or omitted altogether. Within approach, a framework for method choice, a key diagnostic scheme, and the use of a central repository reveal the significant background activity that goes into developing information systems. It is suggested that the information systems development process ultimately involves a professional using an approach to intervene in a problematic situation for developing the organization's information and, if needed, other systems. This understanding has implications for examining the field's ineffectiveness in relation to the approach adopted – rather than the methodology used.     

Oracle/CASE在建设项目投资控制系统开发中的应用分析

ＣＡＳＥ是计算机辅助技术应用于软件工程的结果,是目前信息系统设计开发集成环境与工具研究的热点和发展方向。结合信息系统设计和开发的实践,在建设项目投资控制系统设计开发中对Ｏｒａｃｌｅ／ＣＡＳＥ的应用进行了分析和探讨,主要对系统设计开发中的开发策略,基本设计过程和对Ｏｒａｃｌｅ／ＣＡＳＥ的核心数据字典等关键问题进行了分析。     

Exploring the Belief Systems of Software Development Professionals

It is commonly accepted that an individual's beliefs and actions are based on his or her assessment and perceptions of the world. In order to determine what practices an individual is likely to follow at any given time, it is necessary to understand the individual's behavioral intention in a given circumstance. From an Information Technology perspective, a software development professional's belief systems are potentially the basis for the adoption and implementation of new and innovative work practices and processes. In this article, we explore the belief systems of software development professionals in order to understand the beliefs underlying intention and practice, and we seek answers about how they adopt or reject new and innovative software development processes and practices. The results point out a strong influence of past experiences, personality types, and repeated behavior on current software development processes and practices in industrial settings.     

Client-Led Information System Creation (CLIC): navigating the gap

Abstract.  This paper offers a new framework to facilitate an interpretive approach to client-led information system development, referred to as CLIC (Client-Led Information System Creation). The challenge of moving seamlessly through a process of information systems (IS) design is still the subject of much research in the IS field. Attempts to address the difficulties of 'bridging the gap' between a client's business needs and an information system definition have hitherto not provided a coherent and practical approach. Rather than attempting to bridge the gap, this paper describes an approach to managing this gap by facilitating the clients' navigating through the information system design process (or inquiry process) in a coherent manner. The framework has been developed through practice, and the paper provides an example of navigating through the design phase taken from an Action Research field study in a major UK bank.     

基于信任和声誉的Agent组织信誉模型

Agent组织是OOP(Object Oriented Programming)向AOP(Agent Oriented Programming)转变的重要形式,一个Agent组织要良好运行应该具有较高的信誉值,但此前这方面研究较少。针对上述问题,基于信任和声誉提出一种Agent组织信誉模型AOCM(Agent Organizational Credit Model)和计算方法,内部信任和外部声誉集成为Agent组织信誉,内部信任基于Agent之间的交互,外部声誉基于Agent的观察;改进了Dong Huynh等人关于Agent信任等方面的工作。实验结果验证了该模型的计算可行性、合理性。     

Knowledge Management in Medium-Sized Software Consulting Companies

This thesis investigates how Intranet-based knowledge management tools are used for various strategies in medium-sized software consultancy companies. It consists of three main parts: A survey of empirical work on knowledge management in software engineering, a multicase study of four medium-sized companies, and finally a thorough study on tool usage in two companies.     

Risks to Effective Knowledge Sharing in Agile Software Teams: A Model for Assessing and Mitigating Risks

We present an empirically grounded and theoretically informed model for the assessment and mitigation of risks to effective knowledge sharing in agile development. The model is anchored in empirical insights from four agile projects across two software companies and in extant research on risk‐strategy analysis and knowledge sharing in software development. We develop the model as part of the long‐standing tradition of presenting risk management models dedicated to specific issues in software development and confirm its practical usefulness in one of the software companies studied. The model offers concepts and processes to assess a project's knowledge sharing risk profile and articulate an overall resolution strategy plan to mitigate the risks. The results highlight how different knowledge sharing risk management profiles can lead to different project performance outcomes. We conclude with a discussion of research opportunities that the results offer software development scholarship. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

基于低秩行为信息和多尺度卷积神经网络的人体行为识别方法

针对人体行为识别中传统行为信息获取方法需要繁琐步骤和各类假设的问题,结合卷积神经网络(CNN)在图像视频处理中的优越性能,提出了一种基于低秩行为信息(LAI)和多尺度卷积神经网络(MCNN)的人体行为识别方法.首先,对行为视频进行分段,并分别对每个视频段进行低秩学习以提取到相应的LAI,然后在时间轴上对这些LAI进行连...     

Enabling Software Process Improvement: An Investigation of the Importance of Organizational Issues

This doctoral study was initiated to explore the relative importance of organizational issues in software process improvement. It is based on a pilot case study, a multiple case study of twelve organizations, and a quantitative survey among 120 software organizations. The findings from the investigations suggest that the key to successful learning is a continuous and simultaneous dialectic interplay between the knowledge that the organization has established over time, and the knowing of the organization's members in their respective contexts. Also, the findings indicate that success depends critically on six organizational factors. Finally, the findings show that there are important differences between small and large software organizations, specifically in the ways in which they react to unstable and changing stimulus situations.