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Emerging Systems Approaches in Information Technologies: Concepts, Theories, and Applications

Emerging Systems Approaches in Information Technologies: Concepts, Theories, and Applications
Author(s)/Editor(s): David Paradice (Florida State University, USA)
Copyright: ©2010
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-976-2
ISBN13: 9781605669762
ISBN10: 1605669768
EISBN13: 9781605669779

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Description

Through a systematic view of technologies, researchers are now finding it less complicated to examine, predict, and explain complex interactions between fields such as engineering and computer science.

Emerging Systems Approaches in Information Technologies: Concepts, Theories, and Applications presents innovative research findings utilizing the incorporation of the systems approach into fields such as systems engineering, computer science, and software engineering. Containing philosophical evaluations and issues related to complexity, this publication provides academicians, practitioners, and researchers with the first resource that fully emphasizes the integration of this approach.



Table of Contents

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Preface

TENTATIVE

Abstract

The papers published in the first volume of the International Journal of Information Technology and the Systems Approach (IJITSA) and a special issue of Information Resource Management Journal (IRMJ) reveals that most of the papers describing research that is grounded in a systems approach are theoretical and conceptual. The papers are typically grounded in a constructionist epistemology. This outcome is influenced somewhat by the need to publish area-specific position papers in a new journal to establish the types of research sought be the editorial review boards. However, the analysis also identifies the opportunity for objectivist, empirical work and shows that a wide range of possible research purposes may be explored with ample opportunity to make significant contributions.

Introduction

Organizations have been facing increasingly turbulent environments for over half of a century. Fifty years ago the post-world-war era ushered in the foundation of the modern business world as nations around the globe rebuilt their economies. Forty years ago organizations operated in a world of turbulent social change marked by the emergence of new consumer markets and a host of technological innovations. Thirty years ago the global economy as we now know it began to take shape with oil producing countries influencing the energy markets that allow organizations to operate. Twenty years ago the political super power landscape changed, small computing devices became common, and the seeds of a mobile, computing-based population were sown. Ten years ago global commerce moved boldly into a digital environment.

Today, we witness the global interconnectedness of the world’s manufacturing, banking, and commerce systems. Fluctuations in the price of the fuel required to bring goods to market impact the cost of goods. The prices of these goods impact the ability of consumers to purchase them. As spending slows, organizations adjust by cutting back on production or services, slowing the growth of the economy. Jobs become scarce and wages start to lag the cost of living. Consumers borrow more or purchase on credit to maintain a standard of living; organizations borrow to finance operations in anticipation of greater markets later. As debt increases, credit lines grow tighter. Eventually, defaults occur and a cascade of failures ripples through the system producing ever larger impacts. In today’s world, the system is truly global. Now more than ever, we realize that only through truly systemic thinking do we have any chance of managing the complexity of the world around us to any successful result, regardless of how we define success.

The systems approach is an approach that maintains a holistic view of a problem while supporting a focused investigation on one or several aspects of the problem. It is a robust approach; one that can support multi-disciplinary and / or inter-disciplinary methods. It is an integrative approach. Over the past year, Manuel Mora of Autonomous University of Aguascalientes (Mexico) has sought to provide outlets for research that was grounded in a systems approach. The International Journal of Information Systems and the Systems Approach (IJITSA) is an international, refereed journal supporting publication of papers that address the foundations, challenges, opportunities, problems, trends, and solutions encountered by both scholars and practitioners in the field of information systems as they are perceived from the perspective of the systems approach. IJITSA emphasizes a systemic worldview of managerial, organizational and engineering interaction, which is often reflected or implemented in modern complex information systems and information technologies. Articles published in IJITSA focus on information systems and often also include tenets of software engineering, systems engineering, complexity and philosophy. Applied and theoretical research papers are welcome.

Similarly, Professor Mora organized a special issue of Information Resources Management Journal (IRMJ) on the systems approach. The IRMJ is a refereed, international journal providing wide coverage of issues in information systems field. It is especially receptive of applied research. This book summarizes the work in these volumes to offer interested persons in both the research and practitioner areas access to the high-quality research in information systems and related disciplines that is grounded in a systems approach. IJITSA’s Goals and Mission

The International Journal of Information Technologies and Systems Approach (IJITSA) is a refereed, international journal on applied and theoretical research, aimed at providing coverage of the foundations, challenges, opportunities, problems, trends, and solutions encountered by both scholars and practitioners in the field of information systems when applying the systems approach to important issues. IJITSA was created to disseminate and to promote discussion of high quality research results on information systems. A long run goal of IJITSA is to facilitate the application of the systems approach to the systems field, thus obtaining a better understanding of the complexity inherent in the field. The current publication rate is two issues per year.

The articles published in IJITSA are organized into several subareas and a particular paper’s home area is determined by the paper’s primary orientation. These subareas are information systems, software engineering, systems engineering, complex systems, and philosophy of systems. However, IJITSA emphasizes a systemic worldview of modern complex information systems and information technologies. Therefore, the interaction of managerial, organizational and engineering facets that characterize complex situations is particularly emphasized in IJITSA.

A “systems approach” can have different meaning to different researchers, probably depending on their training and philosophy. The editors of IJITSA therefore focus on the rigor of submitted papers in applying a systems approach (broadly defined) to theoretical, empirical, modeling, engineering or behavioral studies in order to explore, describe, explain, predict, design, control, evaluate, interpret, intervene and/or develop organizational systems where information systems are the primary objects of study. A Framework for Analysis & Assessment

This book provides an opportunity to assess the start that has been made in publishing research in the systems approach area. To that end, each paper published in the first volume of IJITSA and the IRMJ special issue was categorized on several dimensions. The dimensions were defined in prospectus for the journal’s creation. They also appear in the descriptive information available online. Table 1 lists the papers.

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Reviews and Testimonials

This book provides an opportunity to assess the start that has been made in publishing research in the systems approach area.

– David Paradice, Florida State University, USA

Author's/Editor's Biography

David Paradice (Ed.)
David B. Paradice is a professor and chairman of the MIS Department at Florida State University. He received his Doctor of Philosophy in business administration (management information systems) from Texas Tech University. He has worked as a programmer analyst and consultant. Dr. Paradice has published numerous articles focusing on the use of computer-based systems in support of managerial problem formulation and on the influence of computer-based systems on ethical decision-making processes. His publications appear in the Journal of MIS, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Decision Sciences, Communications of the ACM, Decision Support Systems, Annals of Operations Research, Journal of Business Ethics, and other journals.

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