Shifting boundaries and new technologies: a case study in the UK banking sector.

This paper describes case study based research on the use of innovative computer-based decision support systems introduced into corporate lending processes in a major UK bank. It describes how the new technology was implicated in shifting boundaries: within the sector as a whole and in specific organizational de-layering; between local/global dimensions of the loans process; and in the status of expertise and personal/professional risk. The case study is connected to broader debates in IS and social transformation through an analysis that relates aspects of the empirical material to themes from social theories of reflexive modernization. Some implications and conclusions are drawn for both the banking sector and IS research.

Building a Better World: Frugal Hospital Information Systems in an Indian State

This paper draws on a case study of the development and use of hospital information systems in a particular state in India. The theoretical framework for the study conceptualises the systems as frugal IS and draws on theories of frugal innovation to analyse their innovative elements. The paper also asks in what way such systems claim to be making a better world, and this is theorized through the use of Amartya Sen’s capability approach. It is argued that the systems enable wider choices for their beneficiaries. Particular outcomes in the case study included strengthening processes to include the disadvantaged, empowering the patient, and making voices count. A key contribution of this paper is the two-part theorization linking innovation to enhanced capabilities, and this could be used to address the value-added of IS innovations in other resource-constrained contexts

STRUCTURATION THEORY AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Research on the social and organizational aspects of information systems often lacks an adequate theoretical and methodological basis. In this paper, we propose that structuration theory provides a broad conception of social action and human society which can be used as the basis for empiricallyorientated theory and research. A critique is given of some published work, which makes use of the theory, on the introduction of new technology and group decision support systems. A categorization of the use of structuration theory in IS research is proposed and new application areas are identified and discussed, including design and development, strategy formation, user resistance to implementation, and the informating aspects of information systems

Understanding IT and Social Transformation: Development and Illustration of a Conceptual Scheme

It is widely accepted that IT is a key factor in the major social transformations taking place in the late twentieth century, but the nature of this link is the subject of dispute, and remains poorly understood. Better theory is needed to increase our understanding in this area, and in this paper, we offer a contribution. Drawing from the work of the sociologist Anthony Giddens, a conceptual scheme is developed which links the globalizing tendencies of modern society to associated transformations at the level of the individual. IT is deeply implicated in these changes, and the role of IT in social transformation is illustrated in the paper using empirical work on the transforming potential of geographical information systems for forest management in India. We emphasize the importance of the links between IT and social transformation, and conclude with a discussion of the broader applicability and limitations of the conceptual scheme

The Three Faces of IT Value: Theory and Evidence

Thebusinessvalueofinformationtechnology(IT)hasbeendebatedfaranumberofyears. Someauthors have found iarge productivity improvements attributable to computers, and casual observation suggests that IT has generated some benefits for consumers. However, others continue to question whether computers have had any bottom line impact on business performance. In this paper, we argue that productivity, consumer value and business performance are actually separate questions and that the empirical results on IT value depend heavily on which question is being addressed and what data are being used. Applying methods based on economic theory, we are able to test the relevant hypotheses for each of the three questions, using recent firm-level data on IT spending by 367 large F i s . Our findings indicate that computers have led to higher productivity and created substantid value for consumers, but that these benefits have not resulted in measurable improvements in business perfomance. We conclude that while modeling techniques need to be improved, these results are consistent with economic theory, and thus there is no inherent contradiction between high productivity, high consumer value and low business performance

ICTs, Globalization, and Local Diversity

This paper is based on a panel discussion at the 2002 International Conference on Information Systems in Barcelona. Three panellists responded to a set of questions on the meaning of the term globalization to them, and the role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in globalization processes. The panellists also highlighted the importance of local diversity in understanding globalization and ICTs, drawing from their varied research in contexts such as western country financial markets, health systems in Guatemala, and e-commerce in Mexico. A further output of the panel, and this paper, is the identification of key research questions and theories for future IS research in this important area

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Towards ethical information systems: The contribution of discourse ethics

With globalization, environmental problems and significant failures in corporate governance, business ethics is perceived to be of increasing importance. This is particularly so for IS because of the huge social effects of new technologies. Yet there has been relatively little discussion of ethics in the IS literature and no clear consensus has emerged. This paper argues that Habermas’s discourse ethics can make a major, and practical, contribution. After outlining some major ethical theories and how they have been interpreted in business ethics and IS, the paper details the development of discourse ethics. Discourse ethics is different from other approaches to ethics as it is grounded in actual debates between those affected by decisions and proposals. Recognizing that the theory is rather abstract, the final section discusses how it can be pragmatized, with the help of existing soft and critical methodologies, to become a basis for business and IS ethics

Towards Ethical Information Systems: The Contribution of Discourse Ethics

Ethics is important in the Information Systems field as illustrated, for example, by the direct effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the work of IS professionals. There is a substantial literature on ethical issues surrounding computing and information technology in the contemporary world, but much of this work is not published nor widely cited in the mainstream IS literature. The purpose of this paper is to offer one contribution to an increased emphasis on ethics in the IS field. The distinctive contribution is a focus on Habermas’s discourse ethics. After outlining some traditional theories of ethics and morality, the literature on IS and ethics is reviewed, and then the paper details the development of discourse ethics. Discourse ethics is different from other approaches to ethics as it is grounded in actual debates between those affected by decisions and proposals. Recognizing that the theory could be considered rather abstract, the paper discusses the need to pragmatize discourse ethics for the IS field through, for example, the use of existing techniques such as soft systems methodology. In addition, the practical potential of the theory is illustrated through a discussion of its application to specific IS topic areas including Web 2.0, open source software, the digital divide and the UK biometric identity card scheme. The final section summarizes ways in which the paper could be used in IS research, teaching, and practic