Why situational method engineering is useful to information systems development

Effective methods and methodologies for building information systems (IS) remain crucial to building successful IS. This paper investigates the use of situational method engineering for IS development (ISD) projects in a professional bureaucracy. This specialist organization methodology (SOM) is built starting with the philosophy of ISD moving through to flexible, amethodical implementation methods, a proposed instance of situational method engineering that is targeted towards professional bureaucracies. An in‐depth philosophical discussion of the ontological, epistemological, research methodological and ethical underpinnings of SOM are outlined, in addition to its limitations, to develop the building blocks of a methodology to implement within a professional bureaucracy organization ISD scenario. Amethodical ISD will be introduced as the appropriate way to implement this developed methodology to build a successful IS. The contribution of this paper is to detail how to develop a philosophically consistent methodology for a specific organizational environment (in this case, using the specific organizational example of a professional bureaucracy) that, when combined with developers and tools, can create a method to be applied to build an IS that has a greater possibility of successful organizational adoption than an IS built using a method devised using more common IS method engineering approaches.     

Convergence and divergence in information systems and knowledge based systems development methodologies: a case for integrated strategic planning

There is a need to integrate knowledge based systems (KBS) with information systems (IS) technical solutions, which implies that KBS and IS development methodologies should be less isolated from each other. KBS and IS development methodologies are generally examined in terms of their similarities and differences. There is divergence at the feasibility and analysis stages, convergence at the design and coding stages, divergence during testing, convergence at the implementation stage, and divergence during maintenance. There are more similarities than there are differences between IS and KBS methodologies, particularly during the strategic planning stage. It is argued that linking KBS strategic planning to the planning element of an IS methodology will go further towards ensuring that the whole of the business is considered, leading to better integrated IS/KBS solutions. Application selection activities of two well-known KBS methodologies are briefly analysed. We show that these activities, which precede the feasibility study, do not consider the strategic aspects of the use of KBS (and IS in general) in business organizations. It is argued that a KBS strategy should be formulated in relation to the IS strategy and the business strategy, therefore increasing the convergence between IS and KBS methodologies.     

A new framework for managing IT-enabled business change

Abstract. Although information systems and technology (IS/IT) investments have always caused varying degrees of business change, the main purpose of many of today's IS/IT implementations is to change the business and/or organization in some significant way. However, most organizations' approaches to managing IS/IT developments have changed little in the last 15–20 years and are heavily dependent on methodologies of IS/IT development and associated project management principles. The philosophy being adopted by many organizations today is that there are few IS/IT projects (some infrastructure investments only) that do not cause business changes and therefore they are really 'business projects involving IS/IT'. This exploratory research set out to devise a new framework for 'IT and change' management, which is more appropriate to today's realities than traditional approaches. The initial framework was derived from 'first principles', then adapted and further developed by applying and testing it in a range of real projects in organizations. This paper summarizes the results of that work.     

An integrated approach toward strategic information systems planning

Within the competitive global environment, information has become a key resource for increasing a corporation's competitiveness by changing the nature or conduct of business. Accordingly, corporations are now seeking a method for information systems planning to maximize their strategic effectiveness.Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) refers to the process of creating a portfolio for the implementation and use of IS to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of a corporation, so that it can achieve its objectives. An investigation of SISP, however, showed that only 24% of planned applications were actually developed (Int. J. Comput. Appl. Technol., 8 (1995), 61; MIS Quarterly, September (1988), 445). This figure clearly shows that enhancements are required for current SISP processes. In particular, this paper focuses on SISP methodologies, which provide support for overall SISP processes.The paper initially identifies four general SISP methodology problems: lack of support for Information Technology Architecture, under-emphasis on information technology opportunities, duration of SISP, and lack of support for business process reengineering. Next, it proposes an integrated SISP methodology which solves the above problems while retaining the advantageous qualities of current SISP methodologies. Finally, a case study is added to show how the methodology actually works in practice.     

Constructing a web information system development methodology

Abstract. This paper reports on the extension of the Multiview framework to web‐based information systems. The aims are firstly to investigate the appropriateness of Multiview – a pre‐Internet analysis and design methodology – to web‐based information systems and, secondly, to reflect on the nature and role of methodology, as distinct from method, in the information systems (IS) development process. A 2‐year e‐commerce development project in a small to medium enterprise is the setting for learning through action research. To distinguish the project from consultancy, a framework of ideas – Multiview – is declared and tested in the research process. The differences and similarities of pre‐Internet and Internet‐based projects are analysed and reported on. At a higher order of learning the project provided an opportunity to reflect on how methodologies are constructed in practice.     

Understanding the Philosophical Underpinnings of Software Engineering Research in Information Systems

The Information Systems (IS) discipline, and related research, focuses on the development, understanding, and use of technology to meet business needs. Technology, in particular software, is the basis for IS research, making software engineering a critical component of research in the IS domain. While the importance of software development is well accepted, what constitutes high quality software engineering research is not well defined. Perhaps this is because some software development clearly is not research and it is hard to distinguish between pure application development, and systems development that pushes the boundaries of knowledge. Sir Karl Popper argued that the scientific quality of research is not based on its empirical method, but on the nature of the questions asked. Our research suggests that software engineering can meet Popper's criteria for scientific research.Drawing on well-established research philosophies, we propose a software engineering research methodology (SERM) and discuss the utility of this methodology for contributing to and expanding the IS body of knowledge. We also describe the considerations that need to be addressed by SERM to enhance acceptability of software engineering research in IS. Our suggestions are corroborated with a review of current IS software engineering research reported in leading IS journals.     

Output-driven information system planning: a case study

Information system (IS) plans can vary in length and detail. One must, therefore, be able to tailor the existing planning methodologies to produce the desirable outputs. This article proposes a framework of demand-centric adaptive IS planning process and applies it to a case study that demonstrates how to adapt the methodology to produce an IS plan for a small commercial bank. Following the output-driven adaptive approach, the project was completed on time with expected quality. The project document provides the bank’s management with guidelines for allocating their information resources to meet the current and future needs of business.     

Formalized systems development methodologies: a critical perspective

Systems development issues occupy a position of central importance in the information systems field and much has been prescribed in the quest for successful systems development. However, given the well-documented 'software crisis', success is far from guaranteed for systems development projects. Many researchers see the solution to the software crisis in terms of increased control and the more widespread adoption of rigorous and formalized system development methodologies. This paper presents some arguments and pressures which support the use of methodologies and some evidence of the literature bias which favours methodologies is provided. However the problems associated with the use of methodologies have not perhaps received as much attention in previous research. This paper identifies a number of arguments and pressures which question the value of methodologies, and reports the results of a field study which investigated the role of methodologies in practice. The critical perspective adopted throughout shows that, contrary to the predominant view in literature, the assumption that increased adoption of methodologies addresses the problems inherent in systems development is by no means proven.     

Understanding the successful adoption and use of IS/IT in SMEs: an explanation from Portuguese manufacturing industries

Abstract. The objectives of the research were to identify factors enabling or inhibiting the adoption and use of information systems and technology (IS/IT) in Portuguese manufacturing small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and understand how these factors interrelate in determining relative success in the adoption and use of IS/IT. This research elicited factors from previous quantitative and qualitative research, which had been shown to influence IS/IT adoption in SMEs in other contexts. A strategic change framework was used to structure the factors and ensure that comprehensive evidence about their nature and effects could be obtained in the empirical research. Further factors were identified by initial fieldwork, before carrying out 12 in‐depth case studies, across a range of situations – different industries, different levels of adoption and a range of degrees of success in IS/IT use. The pattern that emerged from the analysis of the data shows that certain factor combinations and relationships appear to determine the relative degrees of IS/IT success across the firms. This pattern can also be explained by interpreting the roles and relationships of the key actors involved in the process of IS/IT adoption and use. Top management perspectives and attitudes towards IS/IT adoption and use play an important role in the development of internal IS/IT competencies and provide an important contribution to the development of a context that enables IS/IT success.     

An empirical investigation into the adoption of systems development methodologies

A postal survey was conducted to determine the following: the extent to which systems development methodologies are used in practice; the rating of their contribution to the development process; and the future trend in methodology adoption, whether the trend is toward increased usage or not. Among the main findings of the study were that 60 percent of the respondents were not using methodologies. Also, only six percent of respondents reported following a methodology rigorously. Finally, the forecast is not positive for methodology advocates: 79 percent of those not using a methodology indicated that they did not intend to adopt one.     

Effects of Adoption and Assimilation of Enterprise Systems on Business Performance: A Senior Executive’s Perspective

Drawing from the institutional theory and resource-based view, we investigated the effects of a firm’s activities and levels of enterprise systems adoption and the effectiveness of the enterprise systems in supporting the firm (enterprise systems assimilation) on business performance. Empirical results suggest that institutional forces and IS resources significantly influence the enterprise systems adoption, which indirectly impacts the enterprise systems assimilation. Further, the enterprise systems adoption significantly influences business performance, and the enterprise systems assimilation mediates the effect of the enterprise systems adoption on business performance.     

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.     

Developing Intrinsically Motivated Information Systems—A Critical Systems Approach

This paper deals with the problematic of development methodologies for organisational information systems and especially with their application to business systems. Historically, information systems development methodologies tend to fail, because either they take the organisational purposefulness for granted, or they do not analyse it thoroughly. This paper's position is that the analysis, and the definition or redefinition of the systemic purpose are regarded as the utmost expression of the system's purposefulness. This is to be achieved by ensuring the participation of all the stakeholders who affect, or are affected by, a particular business system's operations. The nature of participation, defined as a process of the stakeholders' perceptual exchanges, is deemed to be problematic in itself, due to the influence exerted upon it by organisational power, coercion and false consciousness. The paper highlights the philosophical reasons for the failures of information systems development methodologies, and provides a conceptual solution to this problematic as well as a strategy for the development of intrinsically motivated organisational information systems. The intrinsically motivated information systems methodology outlined here (BSPA) is intended to yield organisational information systems that demonstrably improve co-ordination of organisational activities, by enabling the development and maintenance of a single/multifaceted view of purpose throughout organisations.     

Determinants of the Relative Advantage of a Structured SDM During the Adoption Stage of Implementation

This research investigates a new theoretical model for examining the relationships between user perceptions during innovation adoption. We have taken several innovation-related variables and constructed a framework for assessing the ability of a technology to improve worker performance. Prior research has not addressed the appropriate relationship between innovation adoption-related variables as applied to information systems development methodologies (SDM). This study attempts to use innovation-related variables created by Moore and Benbasat (Information Systems Research 2(3) (1991) 192–222) and Davis (MIS Quarterly 13(3) (1989) 319–340) to propose a framework useful by project managers in designing innovations that will successfully support the efforts of technology users. A framework is proposed, tested, and modified in the context of using an SDM to govern large systems development operation. Forty-seven users within a military software development organization were surveyed about their perceptions of a recently implemented structured SDM. A proposed model of innovation adoption perceptions was tested using correlation and partial least squares regression. Findings suggest a model for predicting the perceived relative advantage of SDMs in the adoption stage of their implementation which is useful in designing techniques in the IS development organizational function.     

A framework for systems analysis for decision support systems

Comprehensive and elaborate systems analysis techniques have been developed in the past of routine and operational information systems. Developing support systems for organizational decision-making requires new tools and methodologies. We present a new framework for data collection and decision analysis which is useful for developing decision support systems. This task analysis methodology encompasses (1) event analysis, (2) participant analysis, and (3) decision content analysis. With a proper coding manual, it provides a framework for collecting relevant and detailed information required for decision support design and implementation. Further research is suggested for application and evaluation of the methodology in real-life DSS environments.     

Organizational information systems competences in small and medium-sized enterprises

We used resource-based theory and evidence from empirical studies to evolve a framework of IS competences in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The framework significantly improved our understanding of internal IS expertise in SMEs. We used relevant IS competence and SME literature, as well as empirical data from SME case studies. Our set of twenty two IS competences were organized around six macro competences. Each competence refers to a specific ability at the organizational rather than the individual level and they cover a broad range of activities, such as those associated with recognising business opportunities, IS planning, accessing IS knowledge, defining requirements, software and hardware sourcing, applications development, and managing relationships with IS suppliers. The framework was tested against prior literature, including studies of IS adoption, IS success, and entrepreneurial competence. Each competence was fully explained and discussed using evidence from the case studies. The framework creates a comprehensive set of IS competences that can be used in both SME practice and research.     

The wisdom nexus: Guiding information systems research,practice, and education

“Wisdom” has been at the heart of practical, philosophical, and spiritual disciplines since antiquity and is now increasingly receiving organizational as well as academic attention in scholarly areas that include psychology and organizational studies among others. However, practical wisdom has not received adequate focus in the information systems (IS) discipline. In this commentary, we make the case for a systemic focus on the role of wisdom in IS research, teaching, and practice. We introduce underlying theoretical concepts of wisdom; review relevant key research linking wisdom and IS; propose a framework to link wisdom with IS research, practice, and education; and discuss the implications of the framework and illustrate how it can be used to generate research opportunities for IS. We conclude that wisdom, whose goal is the common good, can provide a foundation to discover, view, understand, and resolve myriad issues that lie at the nexus of wisdom and information technologies.     

Stakeholders, soft systems and technology: separation and mediation in the analysis of information system requirements

This paper describes the application of stakeholder analysis and soft systems thinking for an investigation of information system requirements. It is argued that it is appropriate to approach IS development as an exercise in managing complexity (soft systems) and pluralism (stakeholder analysis). A framework for investigating IS requirements is proposed that contrasts the current situation with the future situation and the real world with conceptual thinking about the real world. These aspects are viewed as outcomes of the process of IS requirements analysis, for which the metaphor of mediation is adopted in preference to presenting requirements analysis as a binary distinction between social construction and objectivity. The IS requirements analysis framework is applied in action research and the findings and learning that arose are presented.     

Linking Business Processes and Information Systems Provision in a Dynamic Environment

This paper discusses decision and communication processes which link strategic activity in a business with information systems development activity. We develop a model which illustrates these processes as observed in one company (AXA Sun Life, Bristol HQ), but we suggest there may be generalizable features. We use Role Activity Diagrams as our diagramming method.In most organizations it is impractical to achieve a fully articulated business model and IS architecture. Organizations do try to make development (or acquisition) of information systems which will serve business needs as orderly as they can, in circumstances which are inherently complex and unstable. We suggest that the degree of regularity which is achieved in IS development within the business context comes not so much from following one overarching plan, as from a continuous process of adjustment, in which local short-term plans are weighed against current understanding of the business's key interests. What is needed to aid this process is a general framework of communication and decision making within which plans can be reviewed and modified in the light of changing circumstances. This paper presents an attempt to reveal and represent such a framework.