Critical theory makes a substantial contribution to understanding communication by conceptualizing the nature of information as relational, i.e. a property that is not solely of a message. 'Knowing' is an active, constructive process (Hosking and Morley, 1991). More (1999) highlighted the general absence of a clear conception of communication in studies of knowledge management. Choo's (1998) sophisticated model of knowledge management is a stark example of thisthat author did not nd it appropriate (necessary?) to index the term 'communicate'. Indeed, a communication concept is implicit in most work in this eld and it is this conception that is a root problem.The adoption of critical theory provides a means of viewing again the notion of knowledge management in terms of the ethics of human communication and allows the questioning of the centrality of rational decision making as the basis of managing. The provision of information systems/information technology (IS/IT) as a neutral support mechanism is premised on a positivistic 'scienti c' rationality, thereby reducing communication to no more than the distribution of information. The epistemological and ontological commitments of those who claim to know (the needs of management) are characterized as alternative ways of knowing. A post-positivist way of knowing in IS research and practice is outlined as a way of producing richer accounts and understandings. The adoption of a critical communications theory brings forth recognition of the inherently political nature of communication and highlights that what is at stake in IS/IT research and practice is the production of information and knowledge and not merely pro cient information distribution.This conceptual and methodological review produces the conclusion that a multi-method approach is more capable of producing a rich picture of 'knowledge management' as a facet of a responsive and responsible management system. The implications of the proposed critical-interpretive-positive way of knowing for addressing managerial concerns of cost, complexity and con ict are highlighted. Managing knowledgeWhen is the social role of an IS debated among the various stakeholders who will have their particular relationships privileged or punished? If the IS is taken to be a representative (of an 'of cial' reality) or tool This paper re ects on the managerialistic orthodoxy of knowledge management in order to show that a critical communications theory is required for addressing real political and ethical shortcomings. This produces an alternative methodological perspective through an intentional synthesis of established methodological views. The paper's allies in this critical quest include Jürgen Habermas, Werner Ulrich, Stanley Deetz, Geoffrey Vickers, Peter Checkland and their mentors. Information systems and knowledge systems architects and engineers and their manager clients conveniently ignore fundamental issues, including politics, power, knowledge and communication. Yet, today the more substantive issues are not technical bu...

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.

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The aim of this article was to provide evidence pertaining to cloud computing (CC) adoption in education, namely higher education institutions (HEIs) or Universities. A systematic literature review (SLR) of empirical studies exploring the current CC adoption levels in HEIs and the benefits and challenges for using CC in HEIs was performed. A total of 20 papers were included in the SLR. It was discovered that a number of universities have a keen interest in using CC in their institution, and the evidence indicates a high level of successful CC adoption in the HEIs reviewed in the SLR. In conclusion, the SLR identified a clear literature gap in this research area: there exists limited empirical studies focusing on CC utilisation in HEIs.

Purpose -To provide a view of Rob Kling's contribution to socio-technical studies of work. Design/methodology/approach -The five "big ideas" discussed are signature themes in Kling's own work in the informatics domain, and of his intellectual legacy. Findings -This paper conveys something of Kling's presence in social informatics (SI) thinking by focusing on a number of "big" ideas -"multiple points of view", "social choices", "the production lattice" (and its corollary, the problematization of the user), "socio-technical interaction networks", and "institutional truth regimes". Research limitations/implications -A growing research community has demonstrated the power of SI techniques. It is essential that this body of work is sustained and developed, demonstrating how to undertake investigation and observation, that is not driven by instrumentalism but is informed by and leads to "technological realism". Practical implications -The SI corpus, exposing the dangers of naïve instrumentalism as an approach to information systems design and management, can guide practitioners on how to unpack the history of what is in view. This may be a specific technology, a social formation, or a sociotechnical circumstance. Practitioners may draw on the concepts presented, not as a prescriptive toolkit, but rather as a sensitizing frame to assist those who wish to re-vision the workplace. Originality/value -Central to the successful utilisation of computers in work, we argue, is the continuing development of a portfolio of interpretive concepts (such as STINs, regimes of truth, production lattices) that can consolidate Rob Kling's "big" ideas that are the core of this paper.