Information Technology as Disciplinary Technology: Being Critical in Interpretive Research on Information Systems

1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Doolin

This paper argues that interpretive researchers need to consciously adopt a critical and reflective stance in relation to the role that the information technologies which they describe play in maintaining social orders and power relations in organizations. The concern of the paper is to highlight potential shortcomings in the treatment of technology in interpretive research on information systems, but also to present a specific approach to studying information technology and organization which may overcome these weaknesses. By utilizing a perspective drawn from the discursive and disciplinary work of Foucault and recent work on the sociology of technology, we can complement the thick description of interpretive research with the broader sweep of critical social theory.

Author(s):  
Fred Niederman

A socio-technical approach to information systems requires recognition of the inextricable link between information technologies and humans as designers and users. This essay explores five areas in which information technology and human computer designers/users interact within the context of global organizations. These five areas are: using information technology to support the human resource strategy of global organizations, using information technology to support the generation and distribution of organizational learning, using human resource management techniques and programs to support the work of information systems professionals, using human resource management techniques and programs to support the work of global “end-users” or knowledge workers, and, finally, national and regional policies to support technical and human resource infrastructures.


Author(s):  
Brian J. Reithel ◽  
Chi Hwang ◽  
Katherine Boswell

Information systems researchers continue to grapple with the development of frameworks to aid managers in the identification of opportunities for the strategic use of information technology. Many of the current frameworks have been proposed to guide the systems development process, but few have successfully dealt with the underlying business issues that drive the need to develop an information system in the first place. Because the difficulties that a particular business must cope with arise from the distinctive characteristics of the firm, its product and the particular niche in which the firm operates, this chapter presents a two-dimensional Competitive Force/Marketing Mix (CF/MM) framework that can be used to recognize opportunities for strategic information systems within the firm’s niche. The CF/MM framework is based on a combination of Porter’s view of strategy as a response to the unique mix of the five competitive forces faced by a firm, and the firm’s marketing strategy. By using the CF/MM framework, managers and researchers can identify opportunities to use emerging information technologies as part of front-line competitive strategy. After presentation of the CF/MM framework, the chapter presents a summary of the results of a CF/MM-based analysis of 150 articles related to the competitive use of information technology that have been published in both the popular press and scholarly press. Organizations that are successful in creatively focusing the use of the expanding array of modern information technologies on their particular business niche will increase their ability to survive in the dynamic business environment of the year 2000 and beyond. The CF/MM framework can also be used by IS managers to orchestrate the mix of applications held by a firm in order to maximize the strategic impact of IT investments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hameed Chughtai

I examine Albert Borgmann’s concept of device paradigm as a way to underscore the significance of human values in one’s engagement with digital work in an organizational setting. Device paradigm explains the pervasive patterns of everyday engagement with information technologies as devices that facilitate prosperity without burden and efforts and, in so doing, can downplay the human values in practices. Although prior research has highlighted the significance of focal things and practices, much remains to be learned about the role of human values in contemporary everyday engagement with digital technologies. Drawing on a critical ethnography of everyday practices at an information technology firm (approximately 300 employees), I apply the critical social theory of Borgmann to analyze how digital work is firmly anchored in human values, and how device paradigm can be used as a critical lens to examine the contemporary everyday engagement with information technology. The study reveals that digital devices can have focal aspects and everyday places can be seen as focal places. Focal things are firmly grounded in focal places, which facilitate the emergence of focal practices. Ethnographers are encouraged to explore values in the field (held by people) as well as values of the field (attached to the places).


Author(s):  
Pui Y. Chan ◽  
Xinping Shi

This chapter explores and evaluates the performance of supply chain management (SCM) (i.e., effectiveness and efficiency) in using global logistics information technologies (GIST) (i.e., information technology [IT] and information systems [IS]) in Hong Kong firms. This chapter is organized as follows. First, previous research on the role of functional information systems for supply chain management is discussed. Next, the characteristics of information systems utilized for supply chain management are identified, based on factor analysis of sample data from 71 Hong Kong firms. Third, a conceptual model and hypothesis relating to utilization of information systems, information technology, and SCM performance will be identified. Discussion and recommendations are explained, based on the results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (II) ◽  
pp. 76-83
Author(s):  
R. RUDYI ◽  
◽  
Iu KYSELOV ◽  
Ia. KOROBEINIKOVA ◽  
V. KYRYLIUK ◽  
...  

The purpose of research. The current state of the tourism industry is characterized by growing demand for tourism services by using GIS technologies and increasing attraction for tourism. Specialists in this field are increasingly using geographic information technology to solve various problems of tourism. This article represents studies and possibilities of comprehensive information technology use in the field of tourism, such as, using of the avalanche pass for a tourist attraction. The information obtained from GIS technologies may have been used not only for travel agencies, but also to be useful for forestry workers but also (because it is an avalanche), should be taken by correspondent rescue services in the winter. Therefore, these studies currently remain relevant for scientific and practical issues. The goal of the work. Show how GIS technology performs the functions of spatial analysis and specific user tasks, such as, data processing, mapping, visualization of tourist routes and areas, etc. Thus, the most common usage of geographic information technologies for the formation of databases and filling mapping atributes about the tourist object and infrastructure of the tourist destination. Improving the informativeness is achieved by visualizing the various characteristics of the object, that is showing the avalanche area, avalanche path and power, which led to the destruction of the forest, and futher on. Method. A tourist route passing through the village of Chernyk, Nadvirna district, Ivano-Frankivsk region, north of Mount Polensky (Polenskaya) was used for this study. The research in this article is based on the use of the extremely destructive snow avalanche that came down from Polensky Mountain in the Ukrainian Carpathians on March 24, 2006 and led to destruction in a large part of the forest in the Gorgany Nature Reserve. Geoinformation modeling methods were used on the territory of the avalanche slope from Polensky Mountain. Results. A digital terrain model of the study area was created. Geotourism route was developed within Gorgan, also some additional studies were performed related to detailed mapping and surface modeling in terms of route safety. Experimental studies were performed based on materials (DEM) provided by the Research Institute, Geodesy and Cartography , also the SURFAR software package was used. On its way, the avalanche destroys not only a large amount of forest (lumber), but also young trees. By cutting and capturing the soil and forest, the avalanche carries all this material (vegetation, top soil, rocks, debris)to the foot of the mountain and changing the terrain as well. According to our estimates, the forest losses caused by this avalanche were as follows: about 2,500 trees were destroyed, or 1,575 cubic meters of lamber. Different models were created for Mount Polenska, which are shown in the relevant figures. The obtained visual images that will be interesting for tourists and enhance the attractiveness of the object. Scientific novelty and practical value. The performed researches doesn’t have only descriptive nature, but also can be applied for the rescue service to protect of tourists on the route. The development of modern transport information systems and the creation of tourist maps and guides are another goals of this research. The creation and accurate mapping of tourist routes with the use of digital electronic maps is especially important, as the existing cartographic material is very inaccurate and the information is outdated. The use of geographic information technologies in tourism will also expand to solve specific engineering problems related to tourism. In addition, the images shown can serve as a warning of possible dangers. Conclusions. Thus, the use of geological objects in the tourism industry is promising, specially for mountainous and upland areas, which are very attractive for tourism. Because the formation of geotourism routes on the basis of correspondent and trusted geological data, and also involves a detailed study of geolocations, the route of the group, taking into account the safety aspects of travel. These tasks are efficiently implemented with the help of geographic information systems and technologies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Hambili Paulo Sanjuluca ◽  
Ricardo Cruz-Correia ◽  
Anabela Antunes Almeida

Abstract Background COVID19 pandemic has shown the importance of data to manage health crises. Therefore, countries that were more mature regarding using Information Systems (IS) were better prepared to respond to their population needs. Unfortunately, in Angola, such Health Information Systems (HIS) maturity is very low, so new Health Information Technology (HIT) projects must change this scenario. Objective Describe the impact of COVID19 on a new health information technology project called "ObsCare Lubango" to collect essential data on deliveries and births at the Maternity Hospital in Lubango-Angola. Methods Retrieve data from the notes, communication events of the project management. Also, the collected data regarding obstetrics (pregnancies and childbirth) was from Jan 2019 to Apr 2021 (14 months before COVID19 and 14 months after the beginning of COVID19). The data analyzed were collected from the utilization audit trail that stores the sessions and clicks in the application logs. These logs are then presented in aggregated and anonymized form in a web interface. Results The start of COVID19 in Maternity halted the evolution of the health information project implementation. At the beginning of 2020, the usage of ObsCare Lubango was growing steadily (5.9%, 7.5%, 9.4% in the first three months), but rapidly dropped to 0% in the following months after the first of COVID arrived in late March. Conclusion COVID19 had a significant impact on the evolution of ObsCare Lubango and heavily impacted the quality of the data collected in the paper. COVID19 will probably increase the digital divide in health care between nations.


Author(s):  
Rodrigo Franklin Frogeri ◽  
Daniel Jardim Pardini ◽  
Ana Maria Pereira Cardoso ◽  
Pedro dos Santos Portugal Júnior ◽  
Fabrício Pelloso Piurcosky ◽  
...  

The concept of information technology governance (ITG) was developed with foundations in organizational studies on corporate governance, but with a central element (information technology/information systems) in the field of information systems (IS). The ITG concept has become broad and ambiguous with inaccurate assessments leading researchers to adopt a nominal view of the theme. The ITG has a weak theoretical and ontological basis and its concept in the literature is not clear. Thus, the authors established as a research aim to analyze and discuss the composition of the ITG concept in an interdisciplinary perspective. The literature of governance, corporate governance, and IS were used as the basis for the analysis of the formation of the ITG concept. ITG studies were consulted and 79 textual corpora were analyzed in light of the techniques of content and lexical analysis. The analyses allowed rethinking the concept of ITG by considering that the theme must include both governance mechanisms and have a central element that represents the Information Technologies or Information Systems.


Systems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Goede ◽  
Taylorlien

As educators, we want to guide our students so that they develop to the best of their ability and are emancipated. As researchers in education, we often use action research. We use proven theories to guide our intervention to emancipate our students. Or do we? Recently, prominent information systems journals have published few papers in the field of information systems education. We demonstrate that the guidelines for action research from a critical social research perspective in information systems are not evident in action research studies in information systems education. The emancipative goals of pure critical social research and reliance on critical social theory to guide our intervention are lacking in these educational studies. Our aim is to provide alignment between educational action research in information systems and information systems research conducted from a critical social theory perspective. Our methodology is to explicitly propose phases of action research from a critical social research perspective, grounded both in information systems and education literature. Then, we demonstrate the value of this approach in a study on the improvement of a data warehousing module. We conclude that by using proven theories and reflecting on the presuppositions in a problem environment, the researcher is able to guide the development of students and the community.


Author(s):  
Dmytro Konotop

Creation of complex technical objects (CTO, such as science-intensive engineering objects, which are characterized by the number of elements and connections equal to 106 and more) – a process containing long subprocesses, complex objects, models, and based on available standards and information technology (IT). It is known from practice that CTO models are created with the help of information systems - components of CALS and PLM-solutions. This process have the following shortcomings: models at different stages of creation of CTO are not completely interconnected; CTO modeling takes place using different components of IT CALS and PLM-solutions, which creates constant difficulties in data conversion and leads to partial or complete loss of model data; there is no automated communication with other CTO models. A generalized model of complex technical objects is proposed, which based on using the theoretical-multiple approach allows to establish an information connection between the models of the process of creating complex technical objects. The information system of creation of the generalized model of difficult technical objects that allowed automating process of processing and construction of models is developed; to supplement the technology of parallel PLM design and components of information technologies CALS and PLM-solutions for the task of creating models of complex technical objects.


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