A Systems Theory of Organizational Information

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-37
Author(s):  
Tuan Nguyen Manh
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Structure Function ◽  
Systems Theory ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
States Of Mind ◽  
Relational Perspective ◽  
Organizational Information ◽  
Process Context

Standing on both the Peircean pragmatism semiotics and the Churchmanian systems thinking, this chapter is an empirically grounded conceptualization of the phenomena of organizational information in terms of the nature and the formulation process of information in organizations. By the author's systemic conception, organizational information would be a unity that comprises six nonexclusive aspects: structure, function, process, context, time, and epistemology. From the relational perspective, organizational information would manifest itself as a dynamically triadic process that comprises three states of mind (i.e., surprise, doubt, and belief) and three human activities (i.e., experience, abduction, and inquiry). The author's system of organizational information introduces a foundational framework for both information and organization domains, which offers that information and organization constitute each other. The author also posits that the model of organizational information would imply an information paradigm for and hence a theory native to the information systems and knowledge management field.

A Systems Theory of Organizational Information

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan Manh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Field Data ◽  
States Of Mind ◽  
Common Information ◽  
Systems Model ◽  
Relational Perspective ◽  
Organizational Information ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Process Context ◽  
Emergent Theory

Standing on both the Peircean pragmatism semiotics and the Churchmanian systems thinking, this paper is an empirically grounded conceptualization of the phenomena of organizational information in terms of the nature and the formulation process of information in organizations. Four organizational cases in consulting industries were conducted for field data to firmly ground the resultant emergent theory. Two research findings were gained: organizational information as system, and organizational information formulation as habit production. By the author's systems based conception, organizational information would present itself as a unity that comprises nonexclusive six aspects: structure, function, process, context, time and epistemology. From the relational perspective, organizational information would better manifest itself as a dynamically triadic process in the form of the Peircean semiosis that comprises three states of mind (i.e. surprise, doubt, and belief) and three relations, or human activities (i.e. experience, abduction, and inquiry). Further, the findings also suggest paradigmatic distinction among three common information categories (i.e. data, knowledge, information), where ‘data' was found to be monadic, ‘knowledge' dyadic, and ‘information' triadic. The author's grounded systems model of organizational information introduces a sketch of a semiotics based framework for both information and organization domains, which offers that information and organization constitute each other. The author also posits that the grounded systems model of organizational information would imply an information paradigm for, and hence, a theory native to the information systems (IS) and knowledge management (KM) field.

Information-As-System in Information Systems

2010 ◽  
pp. 99-118
Author(s):  
Tuan M. Nguyen ◽  
Huy V. Vo
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Structure Function ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Holistic Thinking ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Nature Of Information

This article investigates the complex nature of information in information systems (IS). Based on the systems thinking framework, this study argues that information in IS is a system in its own right. A conceptual model of information-as-system is built on the systems thinking perspective adopted from Gharajedaghi’s holistic thinking rooted from Ackoff systems approach, which is developed through Peirce’s semiotics with the validity support of Metcalfe and Powell’s perspective of information perception, Mingers and Brocklesby’s schema of situational actions, Toulmin’s theory of argumentation and Ulrich’s theory of systems boundary. The proposed model of information-as-systems is described in terms of triads–on the structure, function, and process, all interdependent–in a context of information-as-system in IS.

Systems Thinking and Knowledge Management for E-Banking

2010 ◽  
pp. 190-228
Author(s):  
Mahmood Shah ◽  
Steve Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
Management Perspective

As has been shown to be the case with information systems, it can be argued that the perception of knowledge seen as either a purely technical or purely social phenomenon is insufficient. This argument will be developed within this chapter, the aim being to answer the question: ‘what kind of system is an e-banking system, when seen from a knowledge management perspective?’

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