Contextuality and Information Systems: how the interplay between paradigms can help

Through this paper, we theorize on the meanings and roles of context in the study of information systems. The literatures of information systems and information science both explicitly conceptualize information systems (and there are multiple overlapping definitions). These literatures also grapple with the situated and generalizable natures of an information system. Given these shared interests and common concerns, this paper is used as a vehicle to explore the roles of context and suggests how multi-paradigmatic research ??? another shared feature of both information science and information systems scholarship ??? provides a means to carry forward more fruitful studies of information systems. We discuss the processes of reconstructed logic and logic-in-use in terms of studying information systems. We argue that what goes on in the practice of researchers, or the logic-in-practice, is typified by what we are calling the contextuality problem. In response, we envision a reconstructed logic, which is an idealization of academic practices regarding context. The logic-in-use of the field is then further explained based on two different views on context. The paper concludes by proposing a model for improving the logic-in-use for the study of information systems

A model for the measurement and presentation of participation awareness in online groupware systems

The need to support effective group work in online environments has become a prominent issue in both education and enterprise. Universities continue to adopt constructivist-based learning strategies which see learners engage in group work to build knowledge, coupled with an increase in online and distance learners. In enterprise, where group or team based work is commonplace, the prevalence of the Internet has seen the emergence of teams that collaborate wholly or partially online. In response to this emergent need, groupware, software used to support online group work, has become widely used in both education and enterprise. Although based upon sound pedagogical principles, the use of groupware does not always meet expectations or compare favourably to face-to-face collaboration. The literature has identified the issue of awareness, defined by Dourish and Bellotti (1992, p. 107) as “an understanding of the activities of others, which provides a context for your own activity”, as a core factor in the effectiveness of groupware. Numerous awareness mechanisms have been developed and implemented into groupware applications, aiming to replace the information that is implicit in face-to-face collaboration, but largely absent in online environments. This study defined and modelled a new form of awareness named ‘participation awareness’, which aggregates and processes activity in a groupware environment in order to present a persistent display of group member participation. A field study was conducted, wherein university students utilised a groupware application named GroupShare to support group work required in their studies. GroupShare contained an implementation of a participation awareness mechanism, and participating students completed pre and post-usage questionnaires primarily concerning group work and the participation awareness mechanism. Further survey and observational techniques were also utilised to gather data. Two iterations of the field study were conducted, each running for one semester. Analysis of the data found that the participation awareness mechanism was well received, eliciting largely positive responses from a range of participant demographics, group dynamics and group work scenarios. Participant feedback was utilised to define and refine the constituents of participation awareness and create a generic model for its implementation as an awareness mechanism. The model outlines the steps and considerations required to capture and process activity within a groupware environment, and establishes three complimentary methods of presenting participation awareness. The author feels that the research was successful in creating and justifying a model of participation awareness which can be implemented in groupware environments and utilised in further research

A Historical Observation of the Intellectual and Institutional Structures of the Field

In this paper, we examine the evolution of the institutional and intellectual structures of the IS field. We argue that, though the field’s institutional structures—academic programs, journals, conferences, and professional associations—have developed admirably, the state of the field’s intellectual structure is less clear. We employ a co-citation lens to analyze the development and evolution of subfields across three periods. We rely on Culnan’s (1987) second co-citation study as a point of departure for our analysis. We then extend her work through two additional studies that individually assess the state of subfield development at distinct periods during the field’s history. Over the three periods, we note that the field has experienced change in subfield diversity and cohesion. Culnan’s study exhibits low levels of cohesion and diversity among topics. Our first study shows continued isolation but growth in subfield diversity. This period is indicative of a fragmented adhocracy. Our second study suggests increasing levels of integration despite only a slight reduction in subfield diversity. While we largely only describe the field’s evolution, any assessment of whether this evolution represents a positive or negative trajectory for the field will be subject to interpretation and debate

Making Sense of the History of Information Systems Research 1975-1999: A View of Highly Cited Papers

In this paper, I analyze the history of IS research through the lens of 409 highly cited papers (i.e., papers with at least 100 Reuters Thompson Web of Science citations) pub­lished between 1975 and 1999. I focus on 1) what these highly cited papers are, 2) what they study, 3) who their authors are, and 4) where they were published

An organizational framework for the use of web-based tools in ""Virtual"" project teams

The project management of virtual teams differs from that of traditional ones. Traditional project risks like complexity, the uncertainty of factors influencing the project, and the high interdependency of project tasks must be managed alongside changed temporal, geographic, and cultural dimensions. Numerous researchers have investigated the factors influencing the success of virtual teams, but little research has been done to understand how to align technology with team and project tasks. When investigating virtual team technology, mediation should be considered as a central theme, while new web-based project management tools are likely to affect project management processes, particularly for virtual teams. This thesis investigates how virtual project teams should select and use Internet/web-based tools to improve the team's performance and the satisfaction of its members. In the last three years I have observed, questioned, and interviewed 28 project teams with 167 team members in Germany and South Africa. The sampling and analyses of these teams were approached using grounded theory and aimed at developing a resultant theory. The major theoretical contribution of my research is a holistic framework relating the effects on virtual project teams of Internet/web-based tools. The goal of my research was to develop a theory to explain the selection and use of web-based tools by virtual teams operating in different contexts, and to explain and illustrate the consequences of the use of different tool combinations. My results contribute to practice by providing a number of guidelines for management of virtual teams as well as knowledge required by companies wishing to launch projects with virtual teams. Differing performances of teams can in many cases be attributed to such conditions as: limited Internet availability and bandwidth; lack of training for certain tools; the wrong selection and use of tools that are either not integrated/do not support adequate sharing among team members/do not help to manage the tasks and promote transparency about progress made. Definite areas emerged where tool selection and use, or lack of use of appropriate tools, affected performance. My theory also emphasises that besides the project and team context the personal preferences and distance from work of each member are important when selecting and using web-based tools in a distributed work setting. While communication is the heart of project teams, sharing is the soul of project teams that are virtual and use web-based tools. Task awareness is a key influencing the team members' satisfaction