Julien Malaurent

Is Theory King?: Questioning the Theory Fetish in Information Systems

This paper suggests that there is too much emphasis on the requirement for theory use and theory building in qualitative research published in our leading journals. We discuss six concerns that we have that relate to this high status of theory in such papers. We argue for what we refer to as ‘theory light’ papers where theory plays no significant part in the paper and the contribution lies elsewhere, for example, new arguments, facts, patterns or relationships. Some examples of theory light papers (and research) are provided from other disciplines and one exemplar information systems paper is studied in depth. We see these papers as equally worthy as those which demonstrate the applicability and predictive qualities of theory use as well as the potential of theory building. We propose a list of 10 questions that authors and reviewers might ask themselves when writing or reviewing such theory light papers. The more demanding role of the reader is also discussed along with the requirement for editorial teams to adapt. We suggest that the requirement for a contribution to theory would be replaced with the requirement that any journal paper has a high potential for stimulating research that will impact on information systems theory and/or practice.

From an apparent failure to a success story

This article follows on from a case study discussed in Avison and Malaurent (2007) which described a largely unsuccessful implementation of a French multinational corporations enterprise resource planning (ERP) project in its Chinese subsidiaries. Many features imposed by the ERP template did not fit in the Chinese context. This present article describes what happened next. Rather than resist the system totally by not using it, the Chinese users worked around the misfits by inventing their own solutions known as workarounds. These enabled the ERP system as a whole to be workable in China but caused problems at company headquarters as some transparency was lost and the information provided was seen as potentially misleading. A project team was set up to examine each of these workarounds and decide whether they should be formalized or prevented. The result was a system accepted by users and management alike. Reflections on the case include a discussion on management attitude change, the positive and negative aspects of workarounds, the importance of good communications and the role of the researcher.

Theories in Business and Information Systems Engineering

Even though the idea of science enjoys an impressive reputation, there seems to be no precise conception of science. On the one hand, there is no unified definition of the extension of activities subsumed under the notion of science. According to the narrow conception that is common in Anglo-Saxon countries, science is restricted to those disciplines that investigate nature and aim at explanation and prediction of natural phenomena. A wider conception that can be found in various European countries includes social sciences, the humanities and engineering. On the other hand and related to the first aspect, there is still no general consensus on the specific characteristics of scientific discoveries and scientific knowledge.

Information systems action research: Debunking myths and overcoming barriers

Abstract The relevance of action research as a research method in the information systems (IS) discipline is not disputed. Nevertheless, the extent to which action research is published in good journals is infrequent enough to indicate a serious problem. In this article, we explore the reasons underlying this situation and make recommendations aiming to increase both the practice and the publication of action research. To identify both the barriers to undertaking action research and potential ways of overcoming those barriers, we survey 218 authors of 120 articles demonstrating empirical action research published in 12 of our good journals during the period 1982–2016. We received 70 usable responses. We also surveyed 52 editors of selected IS journals and received 25 usable responses. Our findings are revealing as they indicate both genuine barriers associated with action research and some apparent barriers that are in reality misperceptions or myths. In reflecting on these, we emphasize the special qualities of action research. We also reflect on the critical role that action research plays in the IS field as a whole and its potential for further contributions to research and practice, given the strong and close connections with organizational problem contexts that action research requires. Finally, we make a number of recommendations that are designed to increase the incidence of action research in the IS discipline

Reflexivity: A third essential ‘R’ to enhance interpretive field studies

Abstract In this paper, we argue that reflexivity should be as essential a component of interpretive studies as the much vaunted rigour and relevance. We propose a classification of three forms of reflexivity for interpretive studies: self-reflexivity, domain reflexivity and collaborative reflexivity. We use a case study of a project from a French public organization supporting organic farming to illustrate reflexivity in action, highlighting its positive contribution. We suggest quality criteria to enhance reflexive studies and show how these can be incorporated into the well-known Klein and Myers’ principles for interpretive field studies in information systems.

A narrative approach to publishing information systems research: inspiration from the French New Novel tradition

In this paper, we suggest an alternative way of producing Information Systems (IS) case studies in which researchers act as narrators of stories following the spirit and techniques of the French New Novel (FNN). As such, authors attempt to represent the richness of a problem situation. The readers’ role is more demanding compared to traditional case studies, as they have to play detectives to discover meaning from the narrative. Hence, readers need to expose different interpretations from the text rather than accept a complete story by the author or an author-provided set of alternative interpretations. Following a discussion of the FNN, we present an extract of a narrative that follows this approach. It concerns use of technology in team meetings in a research project on the potential impact of climate change on organic farming in France. Based on this example, we discuss the techniques used in its construction, ways in which the text might be interpreted, and how it may become part of publishing qualitative case study research within IS.

Is Theory King?: A Rejoinder

In this rejoinder we discuss six commentaries to our earlier debates and perspectives paper ‘Is theory king?: questioning the theory fetish in information systems’. We argue again for theory light rather than theory free papers, we discuss the potential scope of theories in information systems, we reflect on our terminology and exemplar paper, and we discuss the relevance of our arguments on quantitative research before looking at potential further opportunities to debate this important issue for information systems.

Special Issue: Action Research in Information Systems

DAVID AVISON (avison@essec.edu; corresponding author) is Distinguished Professor at ESSEC Business School, Cergy-Pontoise, France. Along with his authorship of research papers, he is the coauthor or coeditor of several textbooks. He was founding coeditor of Information Systems Journal. He is a past president of the Association for Information Systems and a program cochair of the International Conference on Information Systems. He was also chair of the IFIP 8.2 group on the impact of information systems/information technology on organizations, and was awarded the IFIP Silver Core and is Fellow of the AIS.

Positivist Information Systems Action Research: Methodological Issues

Abstract We discuss the cyclical nature of action research (AR) in information systems (IS) and contrast it with other research approaches commonly used in IS. Often those who conduct AR investigations build on their professional expertise to provide a valuable service to a client organization while at the same time furthering knowledge in their academic fields. AR is usually conducted using an interpretive research approach, but many doctoral IS students, as well as junior and senior IS researchers, are likely to be expected to conduct research in a predominantly positivist fashion, even as they are determined to conduct an AR study that builds on their professional expertise. We argue that these IS researchers can successfully employ AR in their investigations as long as they are aware of the methodological obstacles that they may face, and have the means to overcome them. The following key obstacles are discussed: low statistical power, common-method bias, and multilevel influences. We also discuss two important advantages of employing AR in positivist IS investigations, from a positivist perspective: AR’s support for the identification of omitted variables and J-curve relationships. The study’s contribution is expected to enhance our knowledge of AR and foster its practice.

Traduction d’un outil de contrôle de gestion dans le secteur public - Le cas du BSC dans l’armée de terre française

Cet article etudie le cas de la traduction du Balanced Scorecard (BSC) dans l’armee de terre francaise sous le prisme de la theorie de l’acteur reseau. Cette etude montre que cette traduction a ete chaotique, et a necessite de nombreux retours aux phases initiales de problematisation et d’enrolement. Elle a ete facilitee des lors que l’outil, au-dela de ses fonctions premieres, est devenu un vehicule de l’identite de l’organisation. Par ailleurs, cette traduction n’est pas le resultat des actions d’un seul homme, mais celui d’un processus intrinsequement social reposant sur la collaboration et l’affrontement de differents acteurs humains et non humains.