Realizing Emancipatory Principles in Information Systems Development: The Case for ETHICS.

Author List: Hirschhe, Rudy; Kleinim, Heinz K.;

MIS Quarterly, 1994, Volume 18, Issue 1, Page 83-109.

Information systems development methodologies have been the subject of much attention over the years. A substantial body of research has focused on the need to develop methodologies that support viewing information systems as social constructs, and information systems development (ISD) as a social process. But if development is a social process, what principles/ideals should inform it? Recent research has called for "emancipatory" ideals to be included. This debate can be expanded to explore not only what emancipatory principles might be applied in information systems development, but also how. Existing ISD methodologies only partially embrace emancipatory principles. One of these, "Ethics," seems the most likely candidate to be extended or "reformulated" to achieve emancipatory ideals more comprehensively. Organizations using this reformulated version of "Ethics" should make some progress advancing emancipation while at the same time confronting limited resources and the presence of power and authority. The approach undertaken here is generic; researchers can similarly apply these reformulation techniques to other methodologies based on other paradigms.

Keywords: critical social theory; emancipation; information systems development; methodology reformulation; Neohumanism; participation; socio-technical design

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#294	0.332	development systems methodology methodologies information framework approach approaches paper analysis use presented applied assumptions based proposed described examines basis proposes
#21	0.146	research information systems science field discipline researchers principles practice core methods area reference relevance conclude set focus propose perspective inquiry
#26	0.145	business large organizations using work changing rapidly make today's available designed need increasingly recent manage years activity important allow achieve
#122	0.092	attention utilization existing codification model received does limitations theories receiving literature paying causes additional building examine examination focusing technological initial
#234	0.065	social networks influence presence interactions network media networking diffusion implications individuals people results exchange paper sites evidence self-disclosure important examine
#163	0.053	critical realism theory case study context affordances activity causal key identifies evolutionary history generative paper events lead mechanisms evolution change