Is Scandinavian Information System Development Becoming Passé?

Abstract

Abstract:This essay discusses possible intellectual contributions of the Scandinavian IS research traditions to the future of IS as a discipline. It suggests that the infological problems identified by Langefors still capture much of the essence of IS as a discipline of computing. The essay also revisits the infological equation, showing its continued relevance in the field. Finally, it discusses some trends in ISD.Key words: Organizational alignment, user requirement, knowledge, information, data INTRODUCTIONIn their historical review of the "Scandinavian approach" (or more strictly the Nordic approach) to information systems development (ISD), livari and Lyytinen (1998) did not attempt to define the "Scandinavian approach" but pointed out that it is a plurality of approaches rather than a monolithic unit. These approaches differ substantially in their explicit or implicit value orientation, distinctive constructs used to clarify the concepts of IS and ISD, and the focus on ISD in terms of process coverage, stakeholders and type of system. Despite these differences, we can regard them as 'Scandinavian' due to their geographical or genealogical origin and due to their orientation. The Scandinavian approaches as whole have the characterization of "grass root" approaches as compared with the North American MIS tradition. They have emphasized IS evolution, user partici- 340Juhani livari pation, alternative process models and the seeking of varying theoretical foundations for IS and ISD.More specifically, livari and Lyytinen (1998) analysed ten Scandinavian ISD approaches, Infological, Formal, Socio-Technical, Sociocybemetic, Trade Unionist, Language Action, Professional Work Practice, ObjectOriented, Activity Theory and the Structuration Theory, pointing out that the Scandinavian approaches as whole have made a substantial intellectual contribution to information systems as a discipline, whereas the practical contribution is more questionable.The purpose of this essay is not to update their analysis but to take a personal look at the fixture of the Scandinavian approaches in view of the likely evolution of IS as a discipHne. First, one may question whether there is space for distinctively Scandinavian approaches in the increasingly globalized world partly made possible by information technology. Among the Scandinavian approaches reviewed in livari and Lj^inen (1998), the Trade Unionist approach of the 1970's and 1980's is the best example of a distinctively Scandinavian contribution based on the strong trade unions characteristic of the Scandinavian societies (Spinuzzi, 2002). It seems, however, that distinctively Scandinavian approaches to ISD are fading out.Thus, instead of looking for distinctively Scandinavian approaches, this essay will attempt to assess possible intellectual contributions of the Scandinavian IS research traditions in the foreseeable fixture. It is structured in terms of three revisits. First, it revisits the infological problems (Langefors, 1977) and demonstrates their continued relevance, su...

Characterizing the evolving research on enterprise content management

“…In our framework, information refers to the idea embedded in or conveyed by data (Iivari, 2005). That idea may be a simple fact or a complex piece of thought (Iivari, 2005). Datum (data) is an arrangement of physical symbols according to some language to represent and communicate some idea (cf.…”