Dialectical hermeneutics: a theoretical framework for the implementation of information systems

Abstract. Despite the proliferation of information technology, the implementation of information systems remains problematic. Many systems fail to live up to expectations and some end up as disasters. Research on implementation has been conducted for the past two decades, but no theoretical framework for IS implementation has been widely accepted. This paper proposes dialectical hermeneutics as a theoretical framework for IS implementation research. Dialectical hermeneutics, as an integrative theoretical framework, combines both interpretive and critical elements, and addresses those social and organizational issues which are critical to the successful implementation of information systems. The case study research method was used to examine the implementation of systems in three organizations.     

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.     

Critical reflection in planning information systems: a contribution from critical systems thinking

This paper presents a methodological framework to support the process of information systems (IS) planning in organizations. It draws on the ideas of critical systems thinking (CST), a research perspective that encourages the analysis of stakeholders' understandings prior to the selection and implementation of planning methods. The framework emphasizes continuous identification of concerns from stakeholders, and facilitates critical reflection in the exploration of possibilities for improvement. Some of these possibilities might require the support of IS and communication technologies. To define the framework, two systems theories are used: boundary critique and autopoiesis. The first one enables critical reflection on values and assumptions about potential situations or marginalization. The second one fosters continuous dialogue, listening and mutual collaboration between participants. With these theories, the framework enables people to reflect on issues of inclusion, exclusion and marginalization, and to participate in the design of plans for improvement. Ultimately, the definition of this framework suggests the importance of critical reflection about ethics to improve the practice of IS planning.     

Implementing a methodology

Many good information systems methodologies are not used to full effectiveness by the organizations that acquire them. This is often due to inadequate planning of the implementation of the methodology and inadequate consideration of the opportunities for organizational change that the methodology creates. This paper discusses the implementation of a methodology as a special case of the management of change.     

Coordinating distributed organizational knowledge

As organizations move from hierarchical towards market-like structures, their distributed units also take a larger role in the design and evolution of organizational information systems. This requires strategies which support the cooperative creation, evaluation and evolution of global information flow structures among autonomous organizational units through local knowledge acquisition and maintenance. Three such strategies are presented: cooperative conceptual modeling, multi-simulation, and explicit process support. These strategies are formally embedded in a meta modeling framework and implemented with a repository-based architecture. They are intended for the analysis of business processes in networked organizations, and as a basis for designing and evolving their federated information systems.     

Information management and organizational processes: an approach through soft systems methodology

Abstract. This paper explores an approach to understanding information provision in organizations which is built around soft systems methodology (SSM). It also, from recent research in both industry and the National Health Service, derives a sense-making framework for work of this kind. A view of the fundamental nature of information systems is presented. This is compatible with SSM, and uses of SSM in information-focused studies are illustrated. These cover the rethinking of the Manufacturing Function in the Shell Group and a number of studies in the NHS concerned with the information implications of current changes. Out of this work, in order to make sense of disparate experiences, a framework is derived which captures three necessary domains (conceptual, organizational, technological) whose interaction defines an organization's response to its information provision.     

A Theory of Constraints approach to interorganizational systems implementation

Interorganizational systems (IOS) may provide substantial benefits, however many organizations are reluctant to implement them. This empirical research takes a novel approach and develops a model of IOS feasibility, which is based on the Theory of Constraints (TOC). It introduces the notion of maximal infeasibility, which is the highest among the values of five factors: economic infeasibility, organizational infeasibility, technological infeasibility, risks, and lack of financial resources. The highest value was selected because implementation is hindered even if only one of the feasibility requirements is not fulfilled. Data collected from 139 medium and large Israeli business organizations validated the model, and indicated that strategic motivation is the main driving force for an organization to initiate or to join an IOS, while the main barriers are organizational infeasibility issues such as lack of management support or uninterested potential partners. Adopting a TOC approach to IOS implementation may assist organizations to overcome these obstacles and increase the chance of a successful implementation. An earlier shorter version of this paper was presented at WEB 2006, a pre-ICIS workshop on e-business, in Milwaukee, WI.     

Chaos theory as a model for interpreting information systems in organizations

Abstract.  Chaos theory concerns the qualitative study of unstable aperiodic behaviour in deterministic non-linear dynamical systems. Concepts from chaos theory have recently been applied as a model for interpreting organizational change and understanding organizational behaviour. This paper applies these concepts to the study of information systems in organizations. Key concepts from chaos theory are identified and used to develop an interpretive framework. The importance of understanding the initial conditions when an information systems strategy is developed or an information system is implemented is highlighted. The idea of strange attractors, patterns of behaviours of information systems, organizations and actors, which are repeated is developed, and the effect of internal and external events and choices is considered. These chaos theory concepts are applied to a case study of information systems strategy implementation in the UK probation service. It is concluded that concepts from chaos theory offer valuable support in developing a coherent and meaningful story concerning interactions between information systems and their host organizations.     

支持中小企业动态联盟的企业资源计划体系

在讨论ERP系统与应用企业的匹配性、中小企业动态联盟的特点及其ERP系统特征的基础上，提出一个基于盟主企业和盟员企业两大层面的ERP结构体系，并阐述了中小企业动态联盟在所设计的ERP环境下协同工作的业务流程．     

A conceptual framework of information systems for organizational creativity support. lessons from empirical investigations

Based on a review of the subject literature, a conceptual framework of information systems for organizational creativity support is proposed. The most important elements in creating such a system are identified and described. Finally, the results of a survey conducted in twenty-five organizations are used to better understand the most important elements and factors determining the development of information systems for organizational creativity support.     

Successful strategic information systems planning

Abstract. Strategic information systems planning (SISP) is the process of ensuring alignment between business plans and objectives and information systems plans and objectives and/or the process of identifying information systems which will provide the organization with a competitive edge. This paper distinguishes SISP from both tactical and operational information systems planning, discusses the reasons for management concern with SISP, summarizes problems which may be encountered with the planning process and resultant plant implementation and then focuses on the issue of SISP success. Specifically, success is considered not only in terms of how it may be achieved but also in terms of how it can be defined (i.e. what constitutes SISP success) and how SISP success can be measured. Specific research questions addressing the measurement of SISP success are identified.     

A study of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system performance measurement using the quantitative balanced scorecard approach

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been used in integrating information and accelerating its distribution across functions and departments with the aim to increase organizations’ operational performance. Thus, it is worth measuring ERP system performance based on its impact to critical performance of an organization: this requires a systematic method that bridges ERP performance measurement and key organizational performance. The hierarchical balanced scorecard (HBSC) model with respect to multiple criteria decision-making is such a systematic approach to ERP performance measurement. An ERP evaluation framework that integrates the balanced scorecard dimensions, linguistic variables, and non-additive fuzzy integral provides an objective approach to measuring both the performance level of the ERP system and its contribution to the strategic objectives of high-tech firms. Taking Taiwan’s high-tech firms as an example, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of this integrated approach to measure the performance of ERP systems at the post-implementation stage under evaluators’ subjective, uncertainty, and vagueness judgments.     

Assessing and managing the benefits of enterprise systems: the business manager's perspective

This paper focuses on the benefits that organizations may achieve from their investment in enterprise systems (ES). It proposes an ES benefit framework for summarizing benefits in the years after ES implementation. Based on an analysis of the features of enterprise systems, on the literature on information technology (IT) value, on data from 233 enterprise systems vendor‐reported stories published on the Web and on interviews with managers of 34 organizations using ES, the framework provides a detailed list of benefits that have reportedly been acquired through ES implementation. This list of benefits is consolidated into five benefits dimensions: operational, managerial, strategic, IT infrastructure and organizational, and illustrated using perceived net benefit flow (PNBF) graphs. In a detailed example, the paper shows how the framework has been applied to the identification of benefits in a longitudinal case study of four organizations.     

Internet-based information systems use in organizations: an information studies perspective

Abstract. This case study investigates various ways in which different internet-based information systems (IS) are used by organizational participants. Borrowing theoretical insights on information behaviour accumulated over 50 years of information studies research, a conceptual framework is presented to help understand and assess the social and organizational impacts of internet-based IS. The framework describes the use of internet-based IS as a dynamic cycle of information needs–seeking–use activity situated in the context of a firm's information environment. Research questions pertain to the process of how individuals in organizations seek and use information from internet-based IS to satisfy information needs. In terms of information needs, this involves understanding the problem situations that lead participants to use internet-based IS, as well as the characteristics of those problems beyond subject matter. With respect to information seeking, this involves analysing how information from internet-based systems is displayed and formatted to signal their potential usefulness. In terms of information use, this involves how information obtained from internet-based systems is used in practice to resolve or redefine problems. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used. Data collection involves web tracking to identify significant episodes of internet-based IS activity, as well as one-on-one interviews to explore the context behind these episodes. Results suggest that it is possible and valuable to identify scenarios of internet-based IS use dominant in an organizational work setting. Doing so can help to identify ways to improve the situated use of internet-based IS that ameliorate the information needs–seeking–use cycle in firms.     

Exploring the evaluation framework of strategic information systems using repertory grid technique: a cognitive perspective from chief information officers

This study aims at developing an evaluation framework of strategic information systems (SIS) and evaluating the SIS planning and implementation by using a cognitive approach called the repertory grid technique. The findings are based on in-depth interviews with chief information officers (CIOs) involved with SIS developments in their organisations. This exploratory study builds on a cognitive methodology and enables us to develop the evaluation framework of SIS within the CIO's mind. In a practical viewpoint, we evaluated the effectiveness of the essential activities in the SIS planning and implementation. Results showed that activities on analysing industry and environment, analysing information system weakness and strength, formulating SIS strategy, identifying SIS initiatives, prioritising and allocating resources for SIS, documenting SIS, and liaising with top management team are well performed.     

Evolving information systems: meeting the ever-changing environment

Abstract. To meet the demands of organizations and their ever-changing environment, information systems are required which are able to evolve to the same extent as organizations do. Such a system has to support changes in all time-and application-dependent aspects. In this paper, requirements and a conceptual framework for evolving information systems are presented. This framework includes an architecture for such systems and a revision of the traditional notion of update. Based on this evolutionary notion of update (recording, correction and forgetting) a state transition-oriented model on three levels of abstraction (event level, recording level, correction level) is introduced. Examples are provided to illustrate the conceptual framework for evolving information systems.     

Modeling and analysis of teams of interacting decisionmakers with bounded rationality

A methodology for analyzing and evaluating alternative organizational structures is presented. An information theoretic framework is used in which each team member is described by a two-stage model consisting of situation assessment and response selection stages as well as interconnections with the rest of the organization. The information processing and decisionmaking load of each team member and the measure of organizational performance are depicted in the performance-workload space as implicit functions of the decision strategies of each individual member. The approach to evaluating organizational structures using the methodology for analysis analysis of an organization consisting of two decisionmakers with bounded rationality.     

The critical success factors for ERP implementation: an organizational fit perspective

Since early 1990s, many firms around the world have shifted their information technology (IT) strategy from developing information systems in-house to purchasing application software such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. IT managers responsible for managing their organization’s ERP implementation view their ERP systems as their organizations’ most strategic computing platform. However, despite such strategic importance, ERP projects report an unusually high failure rate, sometimes jeopardizing the core operations of the implementing organization. This study explores the root of such high failure rate from an “organizational fit of ERP” perspective. Based on the relevant literature, we define the concept of organizational fit of ERP and examine its impact on ERP implementation, together with ERP implementation contingencies. The results from our field survey of 34 organizations show that ERP implementation success significantly depends on the organizational fit of ERP and certain implementation contingencies.     

An intelligent agent-based architecture for strategic information system applications

Strategic information systems (SIS) focus on the use of information system (IS) and information technology (IT) in the strategic management process in business organizations. The emphasis is on the strategic view of IS and IT and their impact on organizational strategy. Increased competition and advances in information technologies push for considerable structural changes in SIS. Agents, as autonomous entities which either work on their own or cooperate with others, and agent architectures have enormous potentials to be applied in such critical systems. In this article, first we investigate the very fundamental concepts of strategic information systems and intelligent agent technology. Then, the discussion continues on the specification of the characteristics and implementation issues of a typical SIS. Afterwards, we make use of these concepts and integrate them into a state-of-the-art, intelligent architecture for strategic information systems, called intelligent agent-based SIS. This is a comprehensive framework for a SIS in IT era which may be put into practice by a team of professionals in the near future. The graphical representation of this model is intended to help the reader understand the concept much better. After explaining the suggested model in full details, we introduce some support agents and specify their corresponding roles in an intelligent agent-based SIS architecture. Discussions and concluding remarks regarding the proposed system are provided at the end of the paper.