Strategies for Conversation and Systems Analysis in Requirements Gathering: A Qualitative View of Analyst-Client Communication

This paper describes how strategies for conversation and systems analysis may operate in requirements gathering. The emergence of these concepts, whilst using grounded theory techniques to analyse a case study of analyst-client interaction is discussed. The topics of conversation in the case study are analysed and grouped into themes and examined with reference to strategies for conversation and systems analysis. Methodological issues that occur when undertaking qualitative analysis of discourse are also discussed. Finally, some implications for systems analysis practice are outlined

Building A Substantive Theory Of Emotions From An Iois Project

The object of this grounded theory study was a three year long, public sector inter-organizational information system (IOIS) project which spanned four user organizations, two suppliers, one national organization, a research organization and a Government Ministry. The data were elicited by means of narrative stories, observations of project meetings, diaries, project memoranda and emails sent by project members to each other during these years. Glaserian grounded theory method was used as the technique for theory building. Three core categories were identified: governance, power and emotions. The study offers two key contributions: first, it builds a substantive theory of Emotions of Control in an IOIS project, presented in the form of propositions. The theory offers an approach to understanding the meaning of emotions in project work and the consequences of emotions in collaboration. Second, we offer a window into the theory building process using Glaserian grounded theory. We argue that the findings of this study have some implications of value to researchers studying emotional issues in IOIS projects or information system (IS) projects in general, because the role of emotions in project work can be pivotal in determining project success

Design Preferences of U.S. and Chinese Virtual Communities: An Exploratory Study

This paper explores the design preferences of virtual communities in two cultural groups – the U.S. and China. The design preferences studied are web design, tools used and types of virtual communities preferred. Content analysis was employed to study twenty of the most popular Chinese and U.S. virtual communities. The study found that there are differences in the preference for the type of virtual communities and the tool used by Chinese and U.S. communities. The findings challenge aspects of website design across these cultural groups thought to be dissimilar based on prior research. Implications for research and practice are also discussed

Same but Different: Understanding Women\u27s Experience of ICT in the UAE

Information Communications Technologies (ICTs) have become a potent global force in transforming social, economic, and political life. Given the centrality and importance of ICTs, men and women need to have equal opportunities to access, use, and master them. In particular, it could be asked whether women in Islamic societies within the GCC region have equal access to these new technologies. What are some of the promising new social, economic and political opportunities for Islamic women in the ICT sector, or does ICT access and use by those women replicate patterns of segregation seen elsewhere in their societies? What are the barriers that women, especially those in the Islamic world, have to overcome to actively participate in the promise of these technologies? We use grounded theory as our preliminary research methodology to analyse interviews with women who work in the ICT sector in the UAE. We discuss five major themes from the research: Westernization, IT as Modernity, Education, Government Initiatives, and Gender Perspective, and introduce a preliminary framework of the area. We conclude by discussing some inherent contradictions of women\u27s ICT use in a society that wishes to modernize, rather than Westernize, and how this is played out in our study

Towards unfolding CRM implementation challenges in Pakistan: A case study

This interpretive grounded theory study describes and analyses major power issues in a Scandinavian inter-organisational IS project which spanned four organisations, two suppliers, one national organisation and a research organisation. The paper explores different dimensions of power that emerged during the project – sources of power, power as resistance, reasons for the power struggle, and power as exercised, We conclude that, while power issues in ISD projects are by no means a new phenomenon, these power issues were exacerbated in this IOIS project due to the project governance structures necessary to coordinate several organisation

Information technology and the first-line manager\u27s dilemma: Lessons from an ethnographic study

This interpretive grounded theory study describes and analyses major power issues in a Scandinavian inter-organisational IS project which spanned four organisations, two suppliers, one national organisation and a research organisation. The paper explores different dimensions of power that emerged during the project – sources of power, power as resistance, reasons for the power struggle, and power as exercised, We conclude that, while power issues in ISD projects are by no means a new phenomenon, these power issues were exacerbated in this IOIS project due to the project governance structures necessary to coordinate several organisations.

E-Waste Policy in Developing Countries: The Context of Nigeria

The use of ICTs in developing countries has grown significantly since the start of the 21st century (ITU 2012), driven on by encouraging evidence and literature that associates ICTs with various aspects of economic and social development (UNCTAD 2011). However, ICT equipment, which is supposed to help developing countries improve education and stimulate economic growth may undermine the sustainability of ICT use, and have negative impact on human health, and the environment, if not addressed. The environmental concerns regarding e-waste stem from the hazardous elements and compounds that can be found in everyday e-waste. These compounds are known to have adverse impacts on the health of the environment and all living beings. Most developing countries, including Nigeria, have neither a well-established system of disposal of e-waste nor a legislation dealing specifically with e-waste and a lax enforcement of existing laws dealing with general waste management. (Nnrom and Osibanjo, 2008) The aim of this paper is to discuss a theoretical framework which will be used as a ‘sensitizing device’ for a qualitative study of the issues and challenges associated with waste policy formulation and implementation process in Edo state, Nigeria.(Myers, 1977)

Social Media in the Context of Development: A Case Study of Dutch NGOs

This paper presents views of six Dutch development NGOs on possibilities and threats of social media for their work. A systematic analysis of the literature and the systematic analysis of the interviews yield an interesting theoretical framework in which social media characteristics are cross-referenced with NGO organisational characteristics. The resulting preliminary framework of emerging themes suggests that potential disadvantages associated with social media use may impede the organisational use. Fur-thermore it is suggested that potential organisational uses of social media may motivate use and adaptation of the social media use to a development context. It is also suggested that disadvantages attributed to social media may influence the use or non-use of social media for particular developmental activities

Social Media and Development: Understanding NGO practices and perceptions

The goal of this study is to identify the perspectives that development NGOs attribute to organisational social media, and furthermore elaborate on an appropriate categorisation of these perspectives for social media use by development NGOs. How social media is used in the area of development, where the use goes far beyond the private sector purpose of publicity and converting a sale, is a key issue for NGOs. Fourteen development NGOs from the Netherlands that are actively using social media were selected for this study. Interviews were conducted to collect data from the decision makers and practitioners in these organisations. The grounded theory method combined with a multiple case study was applied for data analysis. The resulting preliminary framework presents us with four emerging perspectives, namely Technological, Individual, Collective and Contextual perspectives attributed to organisational social media use. We theorise that there are relationships between these four perspectives. This paper suggests that the understanding of (organisational) social media use among development NGOs can be better understood by identifying these perspectives and their inter-relationships. The implications of these findings for the literature on affordances and organisational social media use in the context of development and NGOs are discussed