Trevor Wood-Harper

The finding of thorns: user participation in enterprise system implementation

This paper presents a study of a major, multinational program of Enterprise Systems (ES) implementation. The case study subject is a hi-tech manufacturer. The study focuses on the issue of user participation. The investigation inquires into the fact that the implementation method espoused user participation even though the outcome of the project was already known. (Regardless of user input, the ES would be deployed). The paper reports that user participation was deployed to serve the interests of the project manager in reporting local circumstances as the implementation project moved across different sites. The framework for this inquiry was Multiview2, the latest generation of the Multiview information systems (IS) method. The structure of Multiview2 was used as a diagnostic device in order to inquire into the characteristics of the ES method used at the case study sites.

Re-engineering construction: a new management research agenda

Construction management as an academic discipline appears to be developing in an evolutionary way based on developments in practice which appear to be largely unaffected by mainstream management theories. There appears to be little two-way flow in construction management thought between theory and practice. There is an increasing range of customer-oriented theories emerging within the management discipline which is finding increasing acceptance and application within other management domains both from a theoretical and practical standpoint. Their application within construction appears to be delayed. This short note argues generally for a wider adoption of innovative, emerging management theories to construction. It specifically attempts to do this through an assessment and analysis of the implications of emerging principles of business process analysis based on information technology. Such an analysis results in an argument being made for the re-engineering of construction processes. Business process re-...

Systems development as a research act

In this paper we argue that for systems developers who intervene in organizationally dependent phases of information systems development, such as requirements determination, then the engagement with social actors may be considered to be an interpretive research act. The argument is illustrated by action case studies in which one of the authors intervened in two situations with an explicit sociological perspective and analysis methods more usually associated with qualitative social science research. We argue that this places an onus on systems developers to be both explicit in their assumptions and critically reflective in their thinking.

Deconstruction contexts in interpreting methodology

This paper considers how a methodologys theory and practice shapes contexts for interpretation. With these two terms as starting points, we also address a paradoxical situation: any description of interpreting contexts is bound to leave something out. To address this, we propose deconstruction as a double strategy for critically interpreting contexts in each situation. This relies on terms of existing oppositions in conceptual frameworks but seeks to displace the limitations they impose on how we conduct inquiry. Since meaning is context-bound but contexts are boundless, we argue that inquiry should be conducted through critical perspectives, and we describe this in terms of a systems analysts expertise in conceptual triangulation: the defining of an unknown point in relation to two known extremes.

Methodology as metaphor: the practical basis for multiview methodology (a reply to M.C. Jackson)

Abstract. Multiview Methodology (MVM) combines a range of hard and soft approaches to developing information systems. We explain the practical basis for MVMs combination. This centres on the gap between theory and practice. This arises because methodology in use is metaphorical since its meaning is both (a) a practitioners experience and (b) a property of a methodology. In practice, the meaning of a methodology is therefore not necessarily restricted to an espoused theory. Multiple perspectives make this explicit and help to create new interpretations.

An Empirical Model of the Information Systems Development Process: A Case Study of an Automotive Manufacturer

This paper challenges the often-perceived view that the systems development process is almost exclusively technical and predominantly rational. This prevalent position is often coupled with a view of information systems methodology as providing common standards of practice and documentation. Whilst the authors are aware of other challenges to this prevailing paradigm this paper investigates the information systems development process from the viewpoints of those directly involved. The authors used Grounded Theory procedures to elicit a local empirical model of the information systems development process to discover what happens in practice.

Knowledge for software maintenance

Studies have shown that maintenance is up to 80% of the life-cycle effort of developing and maintaining a business information technology (IT) system. There are several factors which significantly affect maintenance work. This paper concentrates on one of these factors which is the knowledge staff require for effective and efficient systems maintenance. The knowledge required is split into two categories. Firstly, there is the knowledge of the business environment within which an IT system operates. Secondly, there is the knowledge of the technical IT system, particularly the details of the software structure. It is argued that both categories of knowledge are equally important and difficult to acquire. Examples of techniques for improving this knowledge are discussed. The article is partly based on case-study research into the actual practice of systems development and maintenance in 31 UK IT departments.

Interpreting methodology under erasure: Between Theory and Practice

Our concern is how to work with a tradition that we also critique. Therefore, concepts such as theory and practice are considered under erasure insofar as they are necessary yet inadequate. We argue that the gap between theory and practice is a special case of a more extensive gap between description and experience. As such, a methodologys meaning is both a constitutive property of methodology and a practitioners experience. This suggests that applying a methodology is a hermeneutic process involving interpretation. By focusing on self-reflection, a methodology can help us to address more critically the gap between description and experience. An implication of this analysis is that methodology in use works as metaphor. We relate this to two traditions of metaphor, and we consider implications in terms of critical theory and creative practice. We conclude by proposing three areas for further research: action research and deconstruction, metaphors and ethics, and computerised tools to help critical self-reflection.

Bringing the Social and Organisational Issues into Information Systems Development: The Story of Multiview

Multiview is a framework to support the information systems development process. It was formulated originally in 1985, but has been developed and changed since that time. It was originally defined to take into account the human and organisational aspects of information systems development, as the alternative methodologies of the time-and most since that time-took a very technology-oriented approach. Furthermore, it is a contingency approach, and again this compares with the alternative bureaucratic and prescriptive methodologies. In this chapter, we describe the history of Multiview, and we reflect on the experiences of using it in action in many organisations.

A Qualitative Approach to Organisational Goal Setting for Information Systems Development

The rational approach to information systems development has been recommended by many However, this approach ignores problems associated with individuals and the organisational context, as it sees them as irrelevant and this can cause problems with the users’ perception of the relevance of the system. The systems approach is seen as an appropriate way to address these issues. Furthermore, the rational approach assumes that the organisation will set clear and appropriate goals with which to monitor the quality of the software produced. Organisations appear to find this quite difficult to perform. One response to address this has been Basili’s Goal / Question / Metric approach. This is defined in a way which requires quantitative measurements to be taken through appropriate metrics. If a systems approach is used, the concerns addressed are likely to be qualitative or interpretative in nature. This paper shows that by adapting the definition of a good (quantitative) metric appropriately by loosening the criteria slightly, qualitative metrics can be approved. Subsequently, Basili’s Goal / Question / Metric approach can be adapted by using this revised approach to metrics, to support information systems development within a systems approach. A theoretical example is developed in the context of a case study based on a large organisation in the financial sector.