| 31. |
- Howcroft, Debra, et al.
(author)
-
Towards dissolution of the IS research debate : From polarization to polarity
- 1998
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In: JIT. Journal of information technology (Print). - : SAGE Publications. - 0268-3962 .- 1466-4437. ; 13:4, s. 313-326
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The debate between 'hard' and 'soft' research approaches continues in the IS field, but with little prospect of resolution. The debate is typically characterized by tendentious arguments as advocates from each approach offer a somewhat one-sided condemnation of the counterpart from the inimical research tradition. This paper begins by relating two fictitious tales which serve to highlight the futility of research conducted at the extremity of each research approach. The dichotomies which characterize these rival factions are also summarized. The debate is then framed in terms of the polarization problem whereby IS researchers are divided geographically and paradigmatically into 'hard' and 'soft' camps. A variety of different strategies have been proposed for resolving the debate and these are discussed in detail. They are grouped into four categories, referred to as supremacism, isolationism, integration, and pluralism. Finally, the paper contends that the debate cannot be resolved, and offers the metaphor of magnetic polarity as a means of reflecting this. The paper concludes by arguing that it would be more appropriate to recast the debate at a macro level in order to accommodate different research agenda and recognize the strengths within each tradition.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Lassinantti, Josefin
(author)
-
Public Sector Open Data : Shaping an arena for innovation and value creation
- 2014
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This research initially sprung out of a natural curiosity for the emerging phenomenon of open data with its combination of democratic perspectives, since it is based on freedom of information legislation, and its potential for a multitude of citizen driven innovations. Research showed that while open data repeatedly was being envisioned for having immense potential of leading to a multitude of innovations and societal impacts, most of the attention still remained on challenges related to enable a broad realisation of open data, that is, putting more data on the web. At the same time, research and reports indicated that open data was a more complex matter than expected, and that the release of open data was guarded by myths saying that opening up of data equalled instant benefits from open data use, and that open data initiatives were emerging too slowly. In general, the understanding of how to address open data so that the envisioned innovative potential was enabled remained a pressing issue. Therefore this research set out to explore how the public sector open data phenomenon is being shaped to address societal opportunities and challenges, and thereby enabling both practical and theoretic contributions. The field of Social Shaping of Technology (SST) was chosen as main theoretic lens since it provided good models for approaching technology development and innovation in general, and also includes social and political dimensions without being limited by organisational borders or managerial dimensions. By engaging in a case study of two Swedish municipalities and their respective open data initiatives in combination with a study on European policies and reported open data use, a number of research papers has been written, of which four is included in this thesis.Findings reveal that the highly heterogeneous evolvement of open data can advantageously be seen as shaped into a metaphorical open arena for innovation and value creation, inspired by a SST concept called arenas for development. The arena concept enables us to bring together processes and entities that otherwise are dislocated, and to gain a holistic view of the shaping processes at stake for this yet immature ICT-phenomenon. Also, it allows us to address the evolvement of open data in a way that intertwines with social, political and technical aspects. Within the overall concept of an open arena for innovation and value creation, the research revealed two concepts for understanding how societal challenges and opportunities were addressed with the help of open data; multidirectional and multicentre evolvement, of which the latter is a contribution to SST theory. As a final reflection, this thesis provides some thoughts on future implications and possibilities of the democratic stance of open data.
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| 34. |
- Pouloudi, N., et al.
(author)
-
Professorial hegemony unveiled : Opportunities and challenges in building a career in IS
- 2008
-
In: ICIS 2008 Proceedings.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Information Systems (IS) academics who have recently achieved professorial status often confess that their promotion process has been long, sometimes painful, occasionally unfair, and almost invariably political. Also, it is clear that the perceptions about promotion criteria vary across schools, countries and continents. This situation is particularly worrying for 'mid career' academics, i.e., colleagues who are neither junior nor senior, but aspire to a professorial appointment. In response to this concern, this panel brings together professors from both sides of the Atlantic, who will expose this diversity in the practices, opportunities and pitfalls in the promotion process, reflecting on their own experience, but also shaping a debate on what makes a successful academic career in information systems. The panel is an opportunity for the IS community to reflect on current practices, defend or challenge them and discuss lessons that can be learned for the future.
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| 35. |
- Richardson, H.J., et al.
(author)
-
The contradictions of CRM : A critical lens on call centres
- 2006
-
In: Information and organization. - : Elsevier BV. - 1471-7727 .- 1873-7919. ; 16:2, s. 143-168
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper aims to explore the contradictions of CRM systems and their use in call centres and in doing so contribute to the literature on critical information systems research. By invoking a critical perspective our analysis shows significant contradictions between system objectives and outcomes in practice. With reference to the work of Pierre Bourdieu, a sociologist and critical social theorist, we highlight the powerful theoretical lens that his work can provide for information systems researchers. Using an empirical study which draws upon Bourdieu's key concepts of field, habitus, logic of practice and symbolic violence, we illustrate how these processes of contradiction operate at the local level in the context of the field.
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| 36. |
- Trauth, E.M., et al.
(author)
-
Critical empirical research in IS : An example of gender and the IT workforce
- 2006
-
In: Information Technology and People. - : Emerald. - 0959-3845 .- 1758-5813. ; 19:3, s. 272-292
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose - This article aims to add to the growing number of critical empirical studies and to reflect on the process of conducting this type of research, thereby addressing the lack of exemplars for those engaged with critical empirical information systems research. Design/methodology/approach - Applies the critical lens to a multi-year examination of variation in the career narratives of women in the American IT labor force. While an interpretive epistemology was initially chosen for this research project, over time, analysis of interview data took on an increasingly critical orientation. This, in turn, influenced subsequent fieldwork to become critical in nature. Findings - One theoretical contribution is highlighting the role of power dynamics in understanding what sits beneath the surface of observations about these women's experiences in the IT workforce. The second theoretical contribution is helping to shift the focus away from predominantly essentialist theories that dichotomize men and women and toward a recognition of the diversity among women in the IT field. Research limitations/implications - Future research should include additional critical empirical studies of women in the IT field in other countries. Practical implications - This research project can serve as a useful example for other critical IS researchers about to embark on empirical fieldwork. Originality/value - This paper provides a concrete illustration of the way in which empirical research is altered as the epistemological lens shifts from interpretivist to critical.
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| 37. |
- Trauth, E.M., et al.
(author)
-
Social inclusion and the information systems field : Why now?
- 2006
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In: Social Inclusion: Societal and Organizational Implications for Information Systems. - New York : Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology/Springer Verlag. - 9780387345871 ; , s. 3-12
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This conference, with its theme of social inclusion, builds upon the debates that have taken place within the IFIP 8.2 community over the past several years. As information and communications technology, and the information systems based upon them, become ever more pervasive, the human impacts - both positive and negative - and the associated societal disparities will continue to arise. It is our hope that the topics discussed at this conference will be considered mainstream in the future
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| 38. |
- Wagner, Erica, et al.
(author)
-
Special Issue Part II: Understanding the contextual influences on enterprise system design, implementation, use and evaluation
- 2005
-
In: Journal of strategic information systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0963-8687 .- 1873-1198. ; 14:2, s. 91-95
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ways in which enterprise systems (ES) influence and are influenced by the context of adoption, including influences at the individual, group, organizational and societal levels were investigated. Context aware analysis of the influences on the design, implementation, use and evaluation of an ES were also presented. A two dimensions framework was presented for addressing the organizational issues associated with an ES implementation. A qualitative mode of enquiry was adopted to enable discussion of a number of research issues, where the issues were explored and illustrated in the context of a central accounting department of a large multinational firm.
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| 39. |
- Wilson, M., et al.
(author)
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Power, politics and persuasion in IS evaluation : A focus on 'relevant social groups'
- 2005
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In: Journal of strategic information systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0963-8687 .- 1873-1198. ; 14:1, s. 17-43
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The focus of this paper is with the activities associated with evaluations and their role in attaining (or not) stabilisation of the artefact. We aim to achieve two broad objectives: first, to examine some particular political and social aspects of evaluation processes in organisations; and secondly, to show the potential contribution of employing the notion of 'relevant social groups', a concept adopted from the social shaping of technology approach. By using a case study illustration we examine formal evaluations as a mechanism to effect and justify decisions already taken elsewhere and as important resources for supporters of the system to enroll new users and consolidate existing support. The study shows that if enrolment is achieved then the technology will head towards stabilisation and thus 'success'; conversely, an inability to enroll will likely lead to a de-stabilising process, and thus 'failure'. Hence, there is a dialectical process of persuasion by the supporters on the one hand, and a response from the would-be users on the other. Finally, conclusions are drawn as we highlight the contribution of 'relevant social groups' to our understanding of the process of IS evaluation.
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| 40. |
- Wilson, M., et al.
(author)
-
Re-conceptualising failure : Social shaping meets IS research
- 2002
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In: European Journal of Information Systems. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0960-085X .- 1476-9344. ; 11:4, s. 236-250
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this paper is to illustrate the interplay of the social studies of technology (SST) approach with IS research to further our conceptualisation of failure. It is intended that this cross-fertilisation of disciplinary backgrounds will produce a critique of traditional conceptions of information technology and help to further our understanding of the IS development, implementation and use process. We begin by providing a commentary on the IS failure literature, highlighting the variety of descriptions and noting the lack of consensus regarding how success/failure is constituted. We then go on to delineate the contribution of the SST approach to enlightening our study of failure, since it has as its core concern an understanding of the dynamics of the society technology relationship. This approach is applied to a case study where the intention is to demonstrate the moving line between success and failure among different groups as well as over different periods of time. The study shows how the success/failure factors can be equally applied to construct an account as and when required, depending upon how legitimacy is ascribed to different 'voices'. The SST themes are then revisited to enable a deconstruction of the stages that were undertaken before failure was finally declared. Finally, conclusions are drawn on the contribution of SST for aiding our understanding of how failures occur within their social and organisational context
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