Making Sense of IS with the Cynefin Framework

This paper examines aspects of the field of Information Systems (IS) concerned with its diversity and with the rapid changes within the discipline that have been incurred by the continued evolution of the IS artefact. This examination is done in order to establish the suitability of the Cynefin framework, developed for knowledge management, as a suitable tool for sense-making in IS. A description and assessment of the Cynefin framework is provided with its varied applications in both organisational practice and research. The paper then applies the framework to make sense of some historical trends and contemporary issues of IS emphasising their diversity and changing nature. We conclude with speculation on how this approach may help guide future sense-making in IS research

What\u27s new in online news?

This paper examines aspects of the field of Information Systems (IS) concerned with its diversity and with the rapid changes within the discipline that have been incurred by the continued evolution of the IS artefact. This examination is done in order to establish the suitability of the Cynefin framework, developed for knowledge management, as a suitable tool for sense-making in IS. A description and assessment of the Cynefin framework is provided with its varied applications in both organisational practice and research. The paper then applies the framework to make sense of some historical trends and contemporary issues of IS emphasising their diversity and changing nature. We conclude with speculation on how this approach may help guide future sense-making in IS research

The Cynefin Framework: A Retrospective Application to University Library Leadership COVID-19 Responses

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how university library leadership retrospectively applied the Cynefin framework to COVID-19 responses. Developed using the principles of complexity theory, the Cynefin framework is a sense-making framework that assists those who use it with decision making in ordered and un-ordered situations. The framework comprises five domains: (a) clear, (b) complicated, (c) complex, (d) chaotic, and (e) aware and confused. Because problems are ever-evolving, the cyclical nature of the Cynefin framework allows for and encourages transitions between domains. Through reflection on their experiences during the pandemic, library leaders can utilize the framework’s tenets to make future decisions

A strategic approach to making sense of the “wicked” problem of ERM

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an approach to viewing the “wicked” problem of electronic records management (ERM), using the Cynefin framework, a sense-making tool. It re-conceptualises the ERM challenge by understanding the nature of the people issues. This supports decision making about the most appropriate tactics to adopt to effect positive change. Design/methodology/approach – Cynefin was used to synthesise qualitative data from an empirical research project that investigated strategies and tactics for improving ERM. Findings – ERM may be thought of as a dynamic, complex challenge but, viewed through the Cynefin framework, many issues are not complex; they are simple or complicated and can be addressed using best or good practice. The truly complex issues need a different approach, described as emergent practice. Cynefin provides a different lens through which to view, make sense of and re-perceive the ERM challenge and offers a strategic approach to accelerating change. Research limitations/implications – Since Cynefin has been applied to one data set, the findings are transferrable not generalisable. They, and/or the approach, can be used to further test the propositions. Practical implications – The resultant ERM framework provides a practical example for information and records managers to exploit or use as a starting point to explore the situation in particular organisational contexts. It could also be used in other practical, teaching and/or research-related records contexts. Originality/value – This paper provides a new strategic approach to addressing the wicked problem of ERM, which is applicable for any organisational context

Frameworks for Strategic Leadership

I suggest two frameworks that may improve understanding of strategic thinking, strategic decision making, and strategic leadership. The first I call the Epistemology Framework. The second which was described and continues to be promoted by David Snowdon and colleagues is the Cynefin Framework

BPM Adoption at Bilfinger

Big size corporate companies that opt for Business ProcessManagement (BPM) adoption invest a lot in BPM initiatives with theprimary focus on the identification and standardization of best practicesin the different phases of the BPM lifecycle. The business processes de-signed are usually seen as the standard way of executing the processesand tend not be adapted to specific customers' need or changing condi-tions. Furthermore, the acceptance of a paradigm shift by the end usersis an added challenge. This case introduces a success story on BPMadoption in complex environments where different organizational unitswith different needs are involved. The projects executed in different unitsrespond to specific customers’ requirements, which affects the set of pro-cesses to be designed and executed within them. We developed a novelapproach inspired by the Cynefin framework and used it to define processarchitectures and the respective business process models for a subset ofthe units. To ensure the applicability and acceptance of the new paradigmwe followed a number of well-known methodologies and practices (e.g.SCRUM and gamification). As a result, we managed to move from thetraditional function orientation to BPM orientation taking into consid-eration the flexibility needs, and we received very positive feedback fromour end users

Accelerating positive change in electronic records management: an empirical toolkit of solutions

The AC+erm project aims to investigate and critically explore issues and practical strategies for accelerating positive change in electronic records management. The project’s focus is on designing an organisational-centred architecture from three perspectives: people, process and technology. This paper introduces the project, describes the methodology (a systematic literature review, e-Delphi studies and colloquia) and presents solutions for improving ERM developed from the people and process e-Delphi responses. ERM is particularly challenging and the solutions offered by the Delphi participants are numerous, and range in scale and complexity. The only firm conclusion that one can draw is that the majority of the solutions are people-focussed ones. The Cynefin framework is introduced as one approach for providing a conceptual overview to our findings on ERM. The sample solutions presented in this paper provide a toolkit of ‘probes’ and ‘interventions’ for practical application in organisations

Changing the way we learn: towards agile learning and co-operation

This paper addresses the need for learning and competence development in industrial organizations. The people that enter professional organizations today are part of a gamer generation that have some or much experience with on-line games. Therefore they are more open to e-learning and in general more open to access anything on-line. At the same time industrial organizations experience a pressure on their ability to train employees faster due to the increase in complexity. We argue that games are not yet mature enough to support this training challenge as stand alone efforts. But games can support the training and competence development in a synchronized setup with other means