Assessing Systems Integration: A Conceptual Framework and a Method

Assessing Systems Integration: A Conceptual Framework and a Method

0.00 Avg rating0 Votes
Article ID: iaor201524898
Volume: 32
Issue: 1
Start Page Number: 106
End Page Number: 123
Publication Date: Jan 2015
Journal: Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Authors: ,
Keywords: integration, sustainability, sustainable development
Abstract:

Systems integration is a strategy advocated in order to achieve sustainable development. However, in the literature, it is poorly conceptualized, and current research fails to address systems integration as a process of change. This paper proposes a conceptual framework and operationalization for assessing processes of systems integration. This includes a typology of systems integration inspired by organizational theory together with an empirical methodology for identifying types (or degrees) of systems integration. This paper also proposes a method for visualizing the integration process in order to uncover its dynamics. The typology as well as the visual mapping tool is applied to an empirical case. The analysis shows that six forms of integration exist. It also shows that systems integration is dynamic and highlights that systems integration sometimes requires systems that bridge others. This paper concludes by arguing that the presented methodology could be a good basis for analyzing the adaptive capacity of systems integration.

Reviews

Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published.