Defining information systems as work systems: implications for the IS field

Defining information systems as work systems: implications for the IS field

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Article ID: iaor20097281
Country: United Kingdom
Volume: 17
Issue: 5
Start Page Number: 448
End Page Number: 469
Publication Date: Oct 2008
Journal: European Journal of Information Systems
Authors:
Keywords: information systems
Abstract:

The lack of an agreed upon definition of information system (IS) is one of many obstacles troubling the academic IS discipline. After listing a number of definitions of IS, this paper defines IS as a special case of work system as defined in Alter (1999a). This definition has many desirable characteristics: it is easy to understand; differentiates IS from information technology (IT); covers totally manual, partially automated, and totally automated ISs; links to a life cycle model that generates many insights about development and implementation problems; provides a simple guideline that helps in interpreting common IS/IT jargon; and has other useful implications related to IS concepts, IS terminology, and the analysis and design of ISs. The paper presents the proposed IS definition and evaluates the definition in terms of simplicity, clarity, scope, systematic power, explanatory power, validity, reliability, and fruitfulness. An Appendix summarizes previously published concepts and two frameworks that flow from the proposed definition and are useful for appreciating many points in the evaluation section.

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