Table Of ContentC
Hannakaisa Isoma¨ki
Samuli Pekkola
S
Editors
C
W
Reframing Humans
in Information Systems
Development
Reframing Humans in Information Systems
Development
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Series editor
Richard Harper, Socio-Digital Systems,
Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK
Series Associate Editors
Dan Diaper, DDD Systems, Bournemouth, UK
Colston Sanger, London South Bank University, UK
Series Editorial Board
Liam J. Bannon, University of Limerick, Ireland
Prasun Dewan, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
Jonathan Grudin, Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington, USA
Carl Gutwin, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Christine A. Halverson, Almaden Research Centre, San Jose, USA
Leysia Palen, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
David Randall, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Yvonne Rogers, Open University, UK
Kjeld Schmidt, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
Abigail Sellen, Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK
For other titles published in this series, go to
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Hannakaisa Isomäki Samuli Pekkola
●
Editors
Reframing Humans
in Information Systems
Development
Editors
Hannakaisa Isomäki Samuli Pekkola
University of Jyväskylä Tampere University of Technology
Department of Mathematical Information Department of Business Information
Technology Management and Logistics
Computer Science Teacher Education 33101 Tampere
Mattilanniemi 2 Finland
40014 Jyväskylä [email protected]
Finland
[email protected]
ISBN 978-1-84996-346-6 e-ISBN 978-1-84996-347-3
DOI 10.1007/978-1-84996-347-3
Springer London Dordrecht Heidelberg New York
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010936276
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Preface
This book aims to provide a thorough examination of the dimensions of end-users
in ISD. The need for a diverse and profound introduction of methods and approaches
regarding the users and information systems development was made evident by
both the minitrack “End-Users in Information Systems Development: Theories,
Applications and Implications” run by the editors in HICSS conferences in 2005
and 2006 and the Information Systems Journal special issue on “User – the great
unknown” with Juhani Iivari. It is also obvious that the detached tradition of
human-centred ISD creates problems in terms of accurate sources of information
when trying to understand the multifaceted nature of the area. At present, it is
important to aim for a solid view of human-centred ISD.
This book provides a comprehensive view to different human-centered ISD
methods and approaches and will benefit IS researchers, practitioners and students.
The representatives of the fields of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and
Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) are most likely to be interested
in our approach. For this reason, we do not offer only a theoretical handbook or a
collection of practical experiences, but both of them as well as some critical discus-
sions of utilization the methods in ISD and their implications with some intercon-
necting commentary viewpoints. As the title of the book: “Reframing Humans in
Information Systems” illustrates, we aim to provide a novel and accurate viewpoint
to the understanding of the user in ISD. Our aim is to reframe the phenomenon by
connecting scientific constructs produced within information systems science that
has recently provided a plethora of multidisciplinary user views without explicitly
defining clear constructs that serve the IS field in particular.
We have divided the book in three thematic areas that are interwoven in ISD.
First, human systems analysis focuses on understanding the user as human beings
instead of utilizing a task- or role-related view. Second, methodology section
studies ISD methods and how humans are involved there. Third, we include
articles that consider humans as the users of a certain system in the practices of
everyday life.
By presenting such variety of viewpoints, we hope to convince the reader of
acknowledging and perhaps even understanding the user holistically. This kind of
reframing of humans in ISD will be emphasized if and when more user-friendly
systems are designed and developed. Therefore, we dedicate this book to the users
v
vi Preface
of future information systems: Hopefully you personally will not have to suffer
from incompatible, illogical, unusable, impractical, irritating, stressful, time-
consuming, resource-demanding, unsafe, graceless or complicated systems that
support your objectives poorly. We have enough of those in current organizations.
Acknowledgements
Editing a book is not just a job for a person or two. First, we would like to thank
Springer London for this possibility and their help. Our thanks go to Natasha
Harding, Helen Desmond, Rebecca Mowat and Beverley Ford. Second, it has been
a pleasure to work with Juhani Iivari on earlier occasions. It has definitely been
interesting and educating to cooperate with you. Also big thanks to him and Netta
Iivari, and Liam Bannon for their commentary chapters. Fourth, thanks to the
reviewers (hopefully we didn’t forget anyone): Karen Baker, Liam Bannon, Jeanette
Blomberg, Francesca Costabile, Marikka Heikkilä, Jon Hindmarsh, Birgit Krogstie,
Rikard Lindgren, Sabine Matook, Preben Holst Mogensen, Bjørn Erik Munkvold,
Anja Mursu, Antti Pirhonen, Tero Päivärinta, Tarja Tiainen, Virpi Tuunainen, and
Susan Wyche. Finally, we would like to thank our families for endurance with
spouses always hands-on on a computer and minds in literary spheres.
Jyväskylä and Tampere, Finland, April 15 2010
Editors
vii
www
Contents
1 Introduction: Reframing Humans and Information Systems ............... 1
Hannakaisa Isomäki and Samuli Pekkola
Part I Human Systems Analysis
2 On the Emergence of Techno-Religious Spaces:
Implications for Design and End Users................................................... 17
Heba El-Sayed, Anita Greenhill, and Chris Westrup
3 Towards Lifeworld-Oriented Information
Systems Development ............................................................................... 31
Andrew Basden
4 Understanding the Business Client – Systems Developer
Relationship: A Power Perspective .......................................................... 55
Bruce Rowlands
5 A Semiotic Analysis of Interactions Between End
Users and Information Systems ............................................................... 75
Sheng-Cheng Huang and Randolph G. Bias
6 Information Systems Development as an Intellectual Process:
Designers’ Perceptions of Users ............................................................... 93
Hannakaisa Isomäki
Part II Methodology
7 Participatory Design in Information Systems Development ................. 115
Keld Bødker, Finn Kensing, and Jesper Simonsen
8 Reflecting, Tinkering, and Tailoring: Implications
for Theories of Information System Design ............................................ 135
Dirk Hovorka and Matt Germonprez
ix
