Australian Computer Society: ACS Digital Library
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Information Systems Foundations - Karl Popper's third world
Get PDFThe various information professions have matured separately over the years, developing different bodies of theory and practice to meet their evolving purposes and needs. A problem arises however, when different information professions address the same knowledge domain and there is no explicit correspondence between the conceptual structures embedded independently in each. In this situation, a knowledge worker involved in the domain is faced with a range of possibly incompatible structures presented in different forms by a range of information professions. This is a common problem that is being exacerbated by the explosion in information production and the widening access to information distribution technology, notably the World Wide Web. Information Systems now need to combine the best of what the information professions in a domain have to offer the domain’s knowledge workers. This paper examines the problem by exploring one of the foundations of the information disciplines - Karl Popper’s 3 Worlds theory, applying it to a case study and suggesting that the Information Systems discipline alone has a sufficiently broad agenda to integrate the various Informatics themes needed to support today’s knowledge workers
Guidelines for Conducting Positivist Case Study Research in Information Systems
Get PDFThe case study research approach is widely used in a number of different ways within the information systems community. This paper focuses on positivist, deductive case study research in information systems. It provides clear definitions of important concepts in positivist case study research and illustrates these with an example research study. A critical analysis of the conduct and outcomes of two recently published positivist case studies is reported. One is a multiple case study that validated concepts in a framework for viewpoint development in requirements definition. The other is a single case study that examined the role of social enablers in enterprise resource planning systems implementation. A number of guidelines for successfully undertaking positivist case study research are identified including developing a clear understanding of key concepts and assumptions within the positivist paradigm; providing clear and unambiguous definitions of the units and interactions when using any theory; carefully defining the boundary of the theory used in the case study; using hypotheses rather than propositions in the empirical testing of theory; using fuzzy or probabilistic propositions in recognising that reality can never be perfectly known; selecting case studies carefully, particularly single case studies; and recognising that generalisation from positivist, single case studies is inherently different from generalisation from single experiments. When properly undertaken, positivist, deductive case study research is a valuable research approach for information systems researchers, particularly when used within pluralist research programs that use a number of different research approaches from different paradigms
Small Firm Internet Adoption: a market oriented approach
Get PDFFundamental to the development of new customer value offerings via web-based commerce is a small firm’s ability to strategically acquire and exploit knowledge. The focus of this paper is the empirical testing of a normative web-based commerce adoption model developed from a review of the extant literature related to electronic marketing, the Internet and the diffusion of new innovations. A preliminary test of the model’s theoretical contentions lent support to its overall focus, but found that the firm’s existing learning capabilities were diminished during the adoption of web-based commerce. Consequently, sub-optimal adoption outcomes were associated with insufficient knowledge development
Using Soft Systems Methodology to Address Supply Chain Management Problems
Get PDFThis paper reports an investigation of if, and how, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) might.be used to facilitate better management of industry supply chains. In two workshops involving supply chain managers from the Textile Clothing and Footwear (TCF) industry and industry facilitators, ways in which SSM techniques might supplement existing Supply Chain Management (SCM) workshop approaches have been explored. Specifically, the placement of SSM techniques within a workshop setting, reactions to the techniques, perceived reasons for using SSM, together with strengths and difficulties encountered, have been examined
Organisational Forms and Knowledge Types: a cognitive mulit-actor approach
No full textIn this article knowledge types are combined with organizational forms. Knowledge is something individual actors have. This paves the way for a semio-cognitive approach to actors. Organizations in which primary and organizational (secondary) processes are performed are viewed as multi-actor systems. Organizational processes consist of tasks, such as planning, control and administration. These tasks are performed by individuals with knowledge. With regard to knowledge not only content, but also type can be discerned. Three knowledge types are distinguished: tacit, coded and theoretical knowledge. In developing a conceptual framework for the cognitive analysis of knowledge management, I will illustrate and explain that the dominance of tacit, coded or theoretical knowledge matches well-known organizational forms with labels such as machine bureaucracy, simple structure, professional bureaucracy and market. Therefore, knowledge management is about the management of knowledge types and of representations of cognitive actors executing tasks in organizations
Systems of the Information Society
Get PDFAn inclusive information society needs an infrastructure built upon systems which are in harmony with citizens. This paper discusses some of the contextual issues which need to be addressed to realise this goal. There is a need to strive continually to develop adaptive systems which satisfy the dynamic needs of people. The project management of such development activities must be sensitive to the wider social issues. The development activity must adopt a sociotechnical perspective. It must never be forgotten how vulnerable individuals and society are from insecure and inappropriate information systems. It must be recognised that the social systems that are dependant on information systems to survive can be very unpredictable in terms of the benefits gained and costs incurred by both individuals and society at large
Have SMEs Benefited from E-Commerce?
Get PDFRecently there has been a surge in research projects on how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) use E-Commerce/E-Business for business purposes. These include a mixture of academic, industry and government studies. The outcomes have presented a mixed message. While there are anecdotal success stories, SMEs found their E-Commerce/E-Business endeavours successful to a point but face difficulties in achieving many speculations portrayed by the media and visionaries. In this paper, I try to address the issue based on published works in the domain of E-Commerce/E-Business adoption among SMEs. The answer may lie in a more refined research strategy and consolidation of research outcomes. Lessons from EDI adoption might be useful to formulate impetus to further adoption
Information and Communications Technology in Asia Pacific Countries: implications for small and medium enterprises in Malaysia
Get PDFInformation communications and technology (ICT) is transforming the environment in which SMEs operate and changing the paradigms of value creation, customer satisfaction and business effectiveness. This paper attempts to explore global and Asia Pacific ICT usage and the major factors influencing SMEs. It focuses particularly on Malaysia where the development of ICT usage amongst SMEs is one of the main policy items in the agenda of the Malaysian government. It describes a survey of SMEs in north and eastern peninsula Malaysia 1999-2000
The Meaning of Tacit Knowledge
Get PDFTacit knowledge definitions tend to be extremely varied. Some argue that tacit knowledge is precisely that. Others feel that only time and effort prevent all tacit knowledge from eventually becoming articulated. For the purposes of our research “tacit knowledge”, in practice at least, encompasses a medium ground, being comprised of articulable and inarticulable subsets. Along the lines of Weber (1997), we have formalised a meaning for this “tacit knowledge” and for comparison have completed a content analysis of the literature to determine what other researchers understand “tacit knowledge” to mean
Systems Thinking About Purpose
Get PDFThis paper argues that in the context of human activity systems, the concept of purpose is critically important and that giving purpose a central role in the development and management of human activity systems can lead to more flexible, effective and autonomous systems. The systems thinking literature is reviewed in order to consolidate and assess current thinking about purpose. The importance of intrinsic purpose is highlighted. Implications for practice in terms of information systems design are illustrated by contrasting two different approaches to the design of knowledge management systems. An analysis of corporations as purposeful systems highlights some of the benefits of a purposeful systems approach. Directions for future research with a focus on purpose are suggested