A hermeneutic analysis of the Denver international baggage handling system

This paper attempts to demonstrate the principles of hermeneutics in an effort to understand factors affecting Information Systems (IS) projects. As hermeneutics provides a systematic method of interpreting text from multiple information sources, thus, Information Systems being prima facie defined and documented as text documents, are eminently suited for this mode of investigation. In this paper, we illustrate hermeneutics by analysing a sample case study document describing a well known project of Denver International Airport (DIA) Automated Baggage Handling System, which was extensively reported in IS and management press and studied by Montealegre and his colleagues (Montealegre, Nelson, Knoop, &amp; Applegate, 1999, p553-554). As a result of the hermeneutic approach to the analysis of this document, a new &quot;flexibility&quot; factor has been discovered to play an important, yet unreported, role in the DIA system demise. In the DIA case, the observed flexibility factor influenced the quality of the interaction between the actors, the prevailing environment and the information systems.<br /

The birth of information systems

This paper traces the history of the development of information systems degrees in one of the largest Australian universities. A synthesis of documents and transcripts of interviews with the participants shows that information systems grew from an amalgam of existing business courses. The shape of the degrees was initially forged by politics and personality, with a stable and robust curriculum in place after a number of years. This historical narrative shows that university curriculum reflected the significant impact of information technologies in business

Information systems degrees in Australia: the genesis

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A Brief History of the Pick Environment in Australia

Mainstream Information Technology professionals have misunderstood the Pick environment for many years. The Pick environment has been conceived, designed and built with business solutions as its key driver. At its heyday there were over 3,000 business applications available across a very wide range of hardware platforms supporting from 1 to thousands of real time users. The tentative economic recovery of the 90s and the Y2K fears created cautious and conservative corporate decision-making. During those tumultuous years there were startling leaps in information and communications technology rewarding those who invested in the future and in themselves. The Pick community at the time were fragmented and somewhat narrow-minded in their view of the future and were unable to collectively invest in developing new technologies. Corporate executive peer group pressure to adopt &#039;vanilla&#039; relational technologies and the desire for homogeneity is creating even more pressure on the Pick community

Investigating Business and IT Alignment

This study seeks to create a fresh understanding of the issues surrounding the relationship between business and its IT function, so that they could both work in an effective and profitable manner - this working relationship is called &#039;alignment&#039;

Electrochemical behaviour of neutral red

The electrochemical studies of the dye molecule, Neutral Red (NR) as!'iurne importance in view of its redox characteristics. The oxidised and reduced forms of NR, depending UpOIl the solution pH, undergo different protonation reactions. The electrochemical behaviour of NR (3-arnino-7-dimethylarnino-2-methyl phenazine) has been studied voltarnrnetrically on a glassy carbon electrode at different pR conditions. The investigations indicate that the electroreduction of NR follows a single stage 2e-transfer. Based on the voltammetric data, the diffusion coefficient of NR and the heterogeneous rate constant for its reduction reaction have heen estimated. The results or the above investigations are presented and discussed in this communication which also includes absorption spectral data or NR in the visible image