Information Systems Development Methodologies: A Review Through a Teleology Approach

The information systems analysis and design methodologies devised at the outbreak of the third industrial revolution shaped the systems analysis discipline and have trickled down to all systems, influencing most aspects of human development. To cope with the explosion of digital technology, these methodologies had to be developed rapidly, drawing from a wide range of theoretical backgrounds, based mainly on the "hard" scientific method and the "softer" systems approach. In the run-up to Industry 4.0, with multiple information systems emerging, reflection on systems’ design fundamentals is important. Intended to serve human activity and well-being, information systems are anthropocentric. Their success lies in their ability to serve human goals. Information systems analysis and design methodologies play a role in this by ensuring the best match between what is sought from systems and what they deliver in terms of the systems’ underlying final cause, or "telos". The paper investigates the teleological orientation of four founding systems analysis and design methodologies. Using the Wood-Harper and Fitzgerald taxonomy in order to identify the conceptual origins of the four methodologies under review, it categorizes and subsequently incorporates them into an extended taxonomy, assesses whether and how they are devised to cater to the incorporation of goals, and explains the inferred results based on the taxonomy. The paper posits that the founding information systems analysis and design methodologies do not have a marked teleological orientation and do not dispose of techniques for adequately incorporating systems’ goals. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2021-02-04-09 Full Text: PD

Unleashing Crowd Wisdom: Leveraging Cognitive Memory Structures to Increase Quality of User-Generated Content

In recent years, online information sharing platforms have opened new opportunities for people to share information and experiences with each other and with organizations that sponsor these platforms. Increasingly, data consumers, both at the organizational and at the individual level, hope to use these User-Generated Content (UGC) in their decision making. However, recent studies uncovered significant challenges associated with the interfaces used to collect high-quality UGC. While many aspects of the information quality (IQ) of UGC have been studied, the role of data structures in gathering UGC and the nature of shared content have yet to receive attention. UGC is created on online platforms with varying degrees of data structure, ranging from unstructured (e.g., open box fields) to highly structured formats (e.g., rigid and specific forms). Despite much research on UGC, we have little understanding of the appropriate degree of data structures in data collection and its impact on the quality of information. Moreover, we know that most of the produced UGC originates in the declarative memory of the contributors. Psychology literature shows that different types of memory are stored and managed differently, and that they are retrieved accordingly. Thus, we argue that the information collection interface for retrieving and collecting each type of memory should be aligned with the way that it was stored. Therefore, we posit that designing interfaces with sensitivity to human memory structures should result in improvements of the IQ of UGC. We conducted several experiments to examine differently-designed information collection interfaces for different types of information. We evaluated both data creators’ and data consumers’ perceived quality of information collection, at the individual level. The findings support our claims of the importance of these factors for information quality. This research demonstrates a connection between information system interface design and human memory, which eventually could result in changes to best practices in interface design. This could, in turn, lead to improved interaction between participants and organizations, including enhanced data creators’ self-expression, improved users’ attitudes toward UGC systems, and increased value-add from organizations’ use of UGC

Organisations and networks: theoretical considerations and a case study of networking across organisations.

This dissertation considers the rise of new and emergent organisational forms characterised as networks. The work presents an analysis of the underlying themes that motivate such developments by drawing upon modern models of organisation together with contemporary perspectives on information systems. A network is seen as interlinked work processes supported by communication technologies; work processes which, in particular, can transcend space and time and enable team based approaches. The characteristics that might distinguish the network are set out in terms of technology, the nature of the work process, and approaches to traditional organisational functions. Associations of individuals, institutions and groups of people and institutions; and societal considerations affecting inter-governmental and regional developments are also considered. An analysis of these characteristics is presented within a layered model and further developed by the use of tools and techniques drawn from social network analysis. A detailed case study is presented using this theoretical approach. The case examined is the Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT). This is an initiative of the Commonwealth aimed at bringing together expertise and organisations from around the world to coordinate their efforts in utilising information technology in pursuit of development goals. The focus of COMNET-IT's activities is on adding value to the work of a group of geographically dispersed experts through the utilisation of electronic networks. The study provides a detailed theoretical analysis of the network phenomenon. Using structuration theory and social network analysis, this research provides insights into processes of network formation and evolution, network structure and the behaviour of network participants. The processes of appropriation of technology are observed and analyzed, and this work is supported by detailed empirical research investigating electronic group meetings