STUDYING THE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTIONS OF A NEW COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED INFORMATION SYSTEM USING THE STIN STRATEGY

Open Access
- Author:
- Reinert, Michael Earle
- Graduate Program:
- Information Sciences and Technology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- December 05, 2008
- Committee Members:
- David J Hall, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
David J Hall, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Dr Steven B Sawyer, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Andrea H Tapia, Committee Member
Dan Thomas Stearns, Committee Member - Keywords:
- social informatics
Information system design
landscape contracting
STIN - Abstract:
- Through this dissertation I contribute a more detailed understanding of the central social and technical design conceptions for developing an information system, in this case belonging to a company referred to here as Staying Green. Specifically, findings show that the current design conceptualizations for Staying Green’s information system are based on a combination of commonly held, explicit, views of technology and implicitly held assumptions about people and information. By developing an alternative view of technology and different assumptions about people and information - building on concepts from social informatics researchers and theories - new design conceptions emerge. These new design conceptions expand the definition of an information system and its relationship to Staying Green, their services, and their licensees. This dissertation focuses on the dual nature of Socio-Technical Interaction Network (STIN) as both a conceptual frame and research approach. With this focus I both draw from then contribute to STIN development in three ways. First, I articulate that STIN focuses attention to social change rather than simply a technical change with social consequences. Second, I argue that STIN should focus on the values associated with information. Third, the STIN approach is developed here using a macro-micro design to situate the case study into a larger industry before addressing design conceptions.