Torbjörn Nordström, Informatik: Informaction Systems Stewardship - Advancing utilisation of IT in organisations

This seminar is intended to explore Torbjörn Nordström's thesis manuscript. The exploration will be structured as a thesis defence where opponents have been assigned to provide comments and questions about the thesis work.

This thesis address the issue of how to sustain and further develop relations between IT-artefacts and activities they are intended to support in order to effectively support changed or new organisational activities. Due to some perceived shortcomings in the presently dominating design paradigm within the discipline concerning this issue, the thesis work mainly consists in developing a framework for studying that question.

As major points in that framework I see development of the concept of informaction system, an object of study comprising the organisational agents and IT-artefacts co-producing actions. Informaction systems describe the relations between IT-artefacts and enterprises at a micro level. A second major point, that is implied by the first, is the focus on relations, that IT-artefacts is not thought of and studied as technical parts implemented in organisational machines, but as parts in a relationship that becomes established when IT-artefacts are used and utilised. A third major point is that this way of viewing IT-artefacts in organisations is beyond the realm of design. Hence I have suggested informaction systems stewardship as a suitable name for activities directed to sustaining and further developing informaction systems. A fourth major point then is that informaction systems stewardship is outlined in a care-mood, which I argue to be distinctly different than a deign-mood. A fifth major point is that informaction systems stewardship offers a platform from which different approaches within the present discussion in informatics with bearing on my second research question can be analysed and explained. A sixth major point is that information concerning the processes forming the relations is of crucial importance for informaction systems stewardship. Such processes comprise occasions when views on how IT-artefacts are, or should, or could be used and utilised within the enterprise are reflected upon, exchanged, adjusted or changed. I have named those processes constructive conversations. A seventh major point is the recognition of two factors influencing constructive conversations in enterprises. One factor is conversation killing, which denote activities somehow inhibiting exchange, adjustment and changes of ideas of use and utilisation of IT-artefacts. The other factor is conversation pushing, that is activities somehow encouraging what conversation killing inhibits.

The thesis ends by using the framework to theorise about fundamental problems in informaction systems stewardship, with references to a case study.

Välkommna!
John Cumberbatch