An enhanced communication model

The concept of information is often taken for more or less granted in research about information systems. This paper introduces a model starting with Shannon and Weaver data transmission model and ends with knowledge transfer between individual persons. The model is in fact an enhanced communication model giving a framework for discussing problems in the communication process. A specific feature of the model is the aim for providing design guidelines in designing the communication process. The article ends with identifying a need for develop the model further to incorporate also communication within and between organisations of different kinds.El término "información" no se valora a menudo en la investigación de sistemas de información. Este artículo introduce un modelo que comienza con el modelo de transmisión de información de Shannon, un matemático e ingeniero electrónico, y Weaver, un científico, y termina con la transferencia de conocimientos entre individuos. De hecho, el modelo es uno de comunicación mejorado, que proporciona un marco para debatir problemas en el proceso de comunicación. Un modelo de comunicación es el objetivo para aportar pautas de diseño en el diseño del proceso de comunicación. El artículo concluye con la identificación de una necesidad de desarrollar más allá el modelo, para incorporar también la comunicación dentro y entre los diferentes tipos de organizaciones

Becoming Professor. With Almost no Publications

I consider my career as rather exceptional. I think I am the only living person in Sweden who achieved a professor chair with only one international journal publication; a publication I use as an example of a totally incomprehensible text! The following is the story of how I achieved this. I first describe two important issues that have governed my decisions in the career: Being interpretivist in a dominating positivist research paradigm and my decision not to publish. This is important for understanding my interpretation of what was happening. Then I describe the four universities where I have worked, first by providing the story, then describing how the discipline developed at that place and finally some reflections on the research we conducted. I summarize by giving an historic overview of informatics as I perceive it after 44 years of teaching and finally I reflect upon my career according to my goals

Den stora tankestriden inom informatik : en idéhistoriskanalys

The domain of informatics, was initially development of computer-based information systems based on mathematical/logical perspective. In mid-1970s, some doctoral students stated that use of these systems should also be studied. Hence work content, work environment and power relations at the workplace should be studied. This cannot be done solely with mathematical/logical methods. Based on Ludwik Fleck's concepts of thought style and thought-collective, Kuhn's paradigm theory and Berger & Luckmann's knowledge sociology, some events taking place during the decade 1975-85 are analyzed and the concept of though tstruggle is introduced. My problem statement is: 1. How can the conceptual idea within the informatics in Sweden during the period 1970-1985 be understood? 2. Why did this happen just then? 3. How does it fit into the other changes in society? The result is a description of the thought struggle, what triggered it and what it led to, and where the events have been placed within dimensions of time, positivism and philosophy

Against users

Ever since the 50’s users has played a great role in the research aboutinformation systems. However, users have mainly been considered as operators of the information system or as managers receiving the output. In this article I argue that users are not operators but clerks performing their job. In the same way as I’m a driver and not a car user when I drive my car, the clerk is performing the work, not using an information system. Knowing how to use the information system the clerk produces useful inform ation without paying any specific attention to the artifact. This perspective put certain demands on the designer of the artifacts, in fact (s)he should be a meta-designer, providing the clerks with useful tools for designing their own workflow

Investigation of scientific background for the IRIS community : evaluation of method

In IRIS business meeting 2015 it was decided that we should undertake a description of 40 years of trends, topics, theories and methods used by the IRIS community. In this paper a method for doing such an investigation is described and the problem of the paper is to find ways of improving it. This is done in a pilot investigation, which is evaluated. The conclusion is that at least one more test need to be done.

Imparting social values through eLearning platform : A social learning approach

In this paper, we have identified a gap with regard to imparting social values in an eLearning platform that was designed for orienting immigrants entering Sweden (newcomers). We identified that an existing eLearning platform is more oriented towards creating awareness rather than imparting transformative learning. Therefore, we propose a conceptual framework suggesting how to bring in the social values in eLearning platform,by subsequently applying social learning approach to promulgate transformative learning in which the learner also internalize the values in their attitude and behavior. The proposed framework makes a theoretical contribution by combining the notion of value, value content, value systems and social learning approach in the eLearning platform. The contribution also has practical implications in terms of providing transformative learning to newcomers. We argue that the contents on social values through the eLearning platform should be transformative, and not only informative. We suggest to integrate social values in the eLearning platform; make the learning transformative, and impart those values through social learning approaches such as triple-loop learning, connecting various communities of practices and to make the platform more interactive and engagin

How Habermas' Philosophy can Inspire the Design of Information Systems : The Case of Designing an Open Learning Platform for Social Integration

The notions of immigration and social integration have increasingly become central themes in public discourse,particularly in the European Union. Besides opportunities, this phenomenon also poses challenges to the host nations of promoting social integration of immigrants. Continuing an earlier Design Science Research project that developed an open learning platform for Civic Orientation in Sweden, this paper attempts to extend this platform using Jürgen Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action as an inspiration. We aim at designing a more inclusive open learning platform for social integration that supports instrumental, strategic, normatively-regulated, dramaturgical, and communicative action. We expect to further the relevance of philosophy in IS research by not only making sense of phenomena through philosophical lens, butalso attaining inspirations from philosophy in designing sociotechnical information systems