Design principles for sensemaking support systems in environmental sustainability transformations

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of a design science research (DSR) study that develops design principles for information systems (IS) that support organisational sensemaking in environmental sustainability transformations. We identify initial design principles based on salient affordances required in organisational sensemaking and revise them through three rounds of developing, demonstrating and evaluating a prototypical implementation. Through our analysis, we learn how IS can support essential sensemaking practices in environmental sustainability transformations, including experiencing disruptive ambiguity through the provision of environmental data, noticing and bracketing, engaging in an open and inclusive communication and presuming potential alternative environmentally responsible actions. We make two key contributions: First, we provide a set of theory-inspired design principles for IS that support sensemaking in sustainability transformations, and revise them empirically using a DSR method. Second, we show how the concept of affordances can be used in DSR to investigate how IS can support organisational practices. While our findings are based on the investigation of the substantive context of environmental sustainability transformation, we suggest that they might be applicable in a broader set of contexts of organisational sensemaking and thus for a broader class of sensemaking support systems. What are appropriate design principles for IS for sensemaking (i.e., sensemaking support systems) in environmental sustainability transformations? To address this question, we conducted a design science research (DSR) study to develop a set of design principles that concern a class of information systems,

Transactions for trading used electric vehicle batteries: theoretical underpinning and information systems design principles

“…For facilitating the trade of used EVBs-which has not yet emerged beyond first prototype projects-the use of information systems is inevitable. Therefore, fourth and finally, we designed five design principles-justified statements or rules that guide or constrain design actions (Chandra et al 2015;Seidel et al 2018)-for developing information systems that enable or support trading used EVBs. The design principles address economic challenges that were identified in our conceptual analysis and are, therefore, firmly rooted in transaction cost theory, principal-agent theory, and the lemon-market problem as justificatory knowledge (Gregor and Hevner 2013).…”

“…To guide the design of appropriate information systems, we propose five design principles that resolve the six challenges identified in our conceptual analysis. In line with up-todate findings in design science research, each design principle includes a specification of its form and function, activities to be supported, and the boundary conditions (Chandra et al 2015;Seidel et al 2018). Moreover, while some of the presented design principles support both transactions (DP 1), others address challenges that occur in either T1 (DP 5) or T2 (DP 2-DP 4) (see Table 3).…”

“…Design science research (e.g., Gregor and Hevner 2013) reminds us that the design of information systems needs to be based on design knowledge that is justified with theory. One means to convey such design knowledge are design principles, i.e., justified statements or rules that guide or constrain design actions (e.g., Chandra et al 2015;Seidel et al 2018). Trading used EVBs will remain an unprofitable business as long as information systems that implement suitable design principles to foster information exchange among the involved stakeholders are missing.…”

Design science research genres: introduction to the special issue on exemplars and criteria for applicable design science research

“…They are genres that might be in DSR's future. In this editorial, Two papers in the special issue, "Design Principles for Sensemaking Support Systems in Environmental Sustainability Transformations (Seidel, Chandra, Székely, Gau, & Stieger, 2018)" and "An information system design theory for the comparative judgement of competences (Coenen et al, 2018)", each intend to go further towards presenting design theories than do the papers mentioned in the prior paragraph.…”

The Role of Information Systems in the Sustainable Development of Enterprises: A Systematic Literature Network Analysis

“…In the past, IS scholars explored a design science approach to assess different frameworks in the area of environment sustainability. This includes the role of information systems in stimulating energy-efficient behavior in private households, the quantification of location-based investment incentives in renewable energy support mechanisms, and the sensemaking support systems in environmental sustainability transformations [71][72][73]. As design science provides a problem-solving paradigm that helps define ideas, practices, and technological capabilities, the use of information systems can be efficiently integrated [74][75][76].…”