Four Paradigms of Information Systems Development Epistemological Knowledge

Four Paradigms of Information Systems Development

Epistemological Knowledge needed to design the system System Development Ontological view of social & technical world

Order Functionalism System Expert Social Relativism Facilitator Objectivism Subjectivism Radical Structuralism Labor Partisan Neohumanism Social Therapist Conflict

Two types of assumptions about knowledge and the world (Burrell and Morgan, 1979) • Functionalism (Objective-order) Explain how individuals interact to form an integrated whole. • Social Relativism (Subjective-order) Believe that social roles and institutions exist as an expression of the meanings which men attach to their world • Radical Structuralism (Objective-conflict) Focus on the structure and analysis of economic power relationships. • Neohumanism (Objective-conflict) Focus on all forms of barriers to emancipation and seek ways to overcome them.

Analyst Roles • System Expert System developers take the objectives set by managers and turn them into a constructed products. Users operate the system to achieve the goals. Facilitator System developers are change agents who help users make sense of the new system and its environment. Users are organizational agents. Labor Partisan System developers choose between being an agent for management or labor. Owners are the beneficiaries of the system while labor are the victim of system rationalization. Social Therapist System developers attempt to draw together the various stakeholders namely customers, labor, and managers.

Differences in Developed Systems • Technology architecture - the way in which hardware and software matched with the organizational structure. • Kind of information flows - intended meaning of the information. • Control of users - how the system contribute or reduce group power over another. • Control of systems development - locus of influence over the development process. Access to information - who would have access to the information. • Error handling - the arrangement for detecting errors. • Training - whether it enhances the social position or mechanical skills. • Raison d’etre - the existence of the information system.

Purpose and Rationale Different assumptions Epistemological Knowledge needed to design the system Ontological view of social & technical world Different developed system

Method, Design, Procedures Survey questions with rating scale. • Epistemological (Objectivism - Subjectivism) Example: Degree of user involvement in the system development. : Who participate in the development process? : Whose idea has the highest influence in the process? : What are the methods in gathering information needed for the process? • Ontological (Order - Conflict) Example: Does the developers believe in compromising? : Who should highly involve in the development process? : What is the solution when there is conflict between stakeholders?

Hypothesis H 0: There is no difference between the developed system. H 1: There is difference between the developed system. Y = f (X) Y = Developed System X = Different set of assumptions. Subject: System developers Limitation: The results can not be applied generally.