Four Paradigms

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Four Paradigms of Information Systems
Development
2
Epistemological Knowledge needed to design the
system
System Development
Ontological view of social technical world
3
Order
Functionalism System Expert
Social Relativism Facilitator
Objectivism
Subjectivism
Radical Structuralism Labor Partisan
Neohumanism Social Therapist
Conflict
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Two types of assumptions about knowledge and the
world (Burrell and Morgan, 1979)

• Functionalism (Objective-order)
• Explain how individuals interact to form an
  integrated whole.
• Social Relativism (Subjective-order)
• Believe that social roles and
  institutions exist as an expression of the
  meanings
• which men attach to their world
• Radical Structuralism (Objective-conflict)
• Focus on the structure and analysis of
  economic power relationships.
• Neohumanism (Objective-conflict)
• Focus on all forms of barriers to
  emancipation and seek ways to overcome them.

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Analyst Roles

• System Expert
• System developers take the objectives set
  by managers and turn them into a
• constructed products. Users operate the
  system to achieve the goals.
• Facilitator
• System developers are change agents who
  help users make sense of the new
• system and its environment. Users are
  organizational agents.
• Labor Partisan
• System developers choose between being an
  agent for management or labor.
• Owners are the beneficiaries of the system
  while labor are the victim of system
• rationalization.
• Social Therapist
• System developers attempt to draw together
  the various stakeholders namely
• customers, labor, and managers.

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Differences in Developed Systems

• Technology architecture - the way in which
  hardware and software are
• matched with the organizational structure.
• Kind of information flows - intended meaning of
  the information.
• Control of users - how the system contribute or
  reduce group power
• over another.
• Control of systems development - locus of
  influence over the
• development process.
• Access to information - who would have access to
  the information.
• Error handling - the arrangement for detecting
  errors.
• Training - whether it enhances the social
  position or mechanical skills.
• Raison detre - the existence of the information
  system.

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Purpose and Rationale
Different assumptions
Epistemological Knowledge needed to design the
system
Different developed system
Ontological view of social technical world
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Method, Design, Procedures

• Survey questions with rating scale.
• Epistemological (Objectivism - Subjectivism)
• Example Degree of user involvement in the
  system development.
• Who participate in the
  development process?
• Whose idea has the highest
  influence in the process?
• What are the methods in
  gathering information needed for the process?
• Ontological (Order - Conflict)
• Example Does the developers believe in
  compromising?
• Who should highly involve in
  the development process?
• What is the solution when there
  is conflict between stakeholders?

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Hypothesis
H0 There is no difference between the developed
system. H1 There is difference between the
developed system. Y f (X) Y Developed
System X Different set of assumptions. Subject
System developers Limitation The results can
not be applied generally.