1. |
- Bergvall-Kåreborn, Birgitta, et al.
(author)
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Disregarding history : Contemporary IS contexts and participatory design
- 2014
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 34:1, s. 1319-1332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- User participation has long been seen as a core topic of study within the IS field, yet its relevance to contemporary development environments and contexts has recently been brought into question. The aim of this article is to investigate the extent to which this rich history and experience is used to inform contemporary practices. We provide a survey that evaluates the degree to which PD (participatory design) is currently represented in the IS literature, the results of which reveal a low representation. Based on these findings, a number of propositions are offered. © 2014 by the Association for Information Systems.
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2. |
- Bergvall-Kåreborn, Birgitta, et al.
(author)
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Mobile applications development on Apple and Google platforms
- 2011
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 29:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The uptake of Internet-enabled multifunctional mobile devices is an emerging area within software development. This article examines the under-researched area of mobile application developers and considers some of the current challenges facing this sector within the IT workforce. We frame our study within the wider context of the evolution of the industry in order to illustrate how the emerging business model of mobile application development shapes the everyday practices of systems developers, specifically those working on iPhone and Android platforms. Drawing on qualitative research carried out in Sweden, the UK, and the U.S., we analyze developers’ experiences in order to illustrate how they respond and adapt to the turbulent environment of the IT sector.
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3. |
- Henningsson, S, et al.
(author)
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Resource dependencies in socio-technical information systems design research
- 2010
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 27:42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An Information Systems (IS) design research project is in many aspects fundamentally different from that of traditional behaviorist research. IS design research projects with the ambition to provide socio-technical solutions to real world problems require the contribution of external stakeholders to the development, testing, and implementation of the design contribution. This article analyzes socio-technical IS design research from a resource dependency perspective. Our objective is to identify and describe critical resources that need to be secured for completion of the research. We investigate three socio-technical IS design research projects. The first project is a small-scale project on design of eLearning courses, the second is a medium-scale industry-driven project on IS integration in corporate mergers and acquisitions, and the third is a large collaborative research project with the ambition to redesign European customs using IT. The most prominent resources are human (knowledge and skills) and organizational (reputation and trust). The main strategy to deal with dependencies is incorporation of resource controllers, which create reciprocal and sequential dependencies internally. Our study shows the importance of extending the existing view of IS design research, when applied to socio-technical research, with an “initiation phase” and an “impact phase,” which are especially important in large-scale design research projects.
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4. |
- Holmström, Jonny, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Dropping Your Tools : Exploring When and How Theories Can Serve as Blinders in IS Research
- 2011
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 28:1, s. 282-294
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The debate between protagonists of different theoretical approaches continues in the IS field, with little prospect of resolution. The debate is typically characterized by tendentious arguments as advocates of each approach offer a one-sided condemnation of other approaches. Debate on the qualities of theoretical explanations of technological change is hampered by the shadow of supremacist strategies that is cast over the debate, illustrating the manner in which IS researchers are polarized into opposing camps, each viewing the other as inferior. Ironically further polarization is occurring in the ways that various groups of IS scholars are simultaneously calling for order, disciplin and clearer notions of the ―core of the discipline‖ while other scholars call for greater research diversity. In order to overcome this polarization we advocate a strategy recommended by Weick [1996]: Drop your tools—hold your concepts lightly and update them frequently. Three reasons for dropping our theoretical tools are put forward—the focus on improving practice, the focus on building cumulative tradition in the mother discipline, and the focus on building cumulative tradition in one‘s own discipline—suggesting researchers must consider the ―fit‖ between problem domain, theory and the relationship of the chosen theory to the method of inquiry.
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5. |
- Merschbrock, Christoph, et al.
(author)
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A research review on building information modelling in construction - an area ripe for IS research
- 2012
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 31, s. 206-229
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article presents a review of the research on Building Information Modeling (BIM) in construction, with the aim of identifying areas in this domain where IS research can contribute. The concept of BIM comprises an infrastructure of IT tools supporting collaborative and integrated design, assembly, and operation of buildings. This integrated construction approach, with all stakeholders editing or retrieving information from commonly shared models, requires major changes to well-established processes, organizational roles, contractual practices, and collaborative arrangements in the construction industry. Through a review of 264 research articles on BIM, we found that this research spans a wide area of technological and organizational topics, of which many have a clear resonance to focal areas in IS research. Our analysis shows that IS, to some extent, serves as a reference discipline and that theories used in IS research are also informing contemporary BIM research. The following areas in need of further IS research were identified: studies on the relationship between BIM’s functional affordance and human agency, adoption and use of BIM for inter-organizational collaboration, the influence of organizational culture on BIM practices, the capabilities of BIM for transforming industry practice, and identifying the business value of BIM. Considering that a well-established knowledge base in IS research can be drawn upon for studying these issues, combined with the exciting potential of BIM for transforming a major industry such as building construction, we conclude that BIM is an area ripe for IS research.
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6. |
- Persson, Anders, et al.
(author)
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Government Value Paradigms : Bureaucracy, New Public Management and eGovernment
- 2010
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are different interpretations of which core values eGovernment build on and promote. Some scholars see eGovernment as a direct follower to New Public Management (NPM), and as such supporting and promoting values and principles from the business sector. Others see eGovernment as a promoter of bureaucratic values supporting and promoting the values of traditional weberian ideal bureaucracy. The main issue in this paper is management strategy for public administration. Three examples of such management strategies are examined and compared: traditional bureaucracy, New Public Management and eGovernment. When investigating these strategies it is necessary to distinguish between strategy as idea and strategy in action. Core values of the management strategies are reconstructed and used as a lens through which a case study of eGovernment is analyzed. The implemented eGovernment-solution comprise values from both NPM and bureaucracy. Neither bureaucracy nor NPM alone supply the core values for eGovernment as a practical management strategy. The paper concludes with a dialectical structure where Bureaucracy is the thesis, NPM the anti-thesis and eGovernment the practical synthesis.
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7. |
- Sabo, Oystein, et al.
(author)
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Nepal Wireless Networking Project : Building infrastructure in the mountains from ground up
- 2014
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In: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. - 1529-3181. ; 34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Teaching cases can be instrumental in developing skills of critical analysis, problem solving and strategic thinking in students, especially in specific contexts such as Information Systems (IS). While cases are widely used in the curricula of graduate and undergraduate programs in developed countries, there is a lack of teaching cases set in developing countries, particularly in the area of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). In this paper, we address this gap by telling the story of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (NWNP) and its effort to connect villages in remote areas of Nepal to the outside world. Despite lack of access to proper equipment, lack of technical competence and the difficult terrain in the Himalayan mountains, Mahabir Pun, the initiator of NWNP, succeeded in bringing Internet access to these villages, contributing to improvements in education, health services and income generating activities. The case describes the development of NWNP from inception until today, the stakeholders involved, services provided, current challenges and ideas for future improvements. Furthermore the case illustrates the importance of the champion, the process of committing important stakeholders, the importance of contextual understanding, and the challenges while scaling up from pilot projects to wider implementations in the context of developing countries.
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