Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Introduction to Information Systems
Models and Methodologies
1.1 Introduction
As information technology (IT) permeates more and more aspects of human life,
information systems (IS) have grown to become an essential component of orga-
nizational management. Iivari and Hirschheim (
1996
)de
ne an information system
as a system providing users with information on speci
ed topics within an orga-
nizational context, with computers as its main support. Alter (
2008
), on the other
hand, de
nes an information system as a work system whose activities are centered
on the processing of information. IS ultimately provide the support for an organi-
zation
s networks of information creation, gathering, processing, or storing.
Today, a solid IS, one that is generally accepted by its users and proves to be
successful, can determine the success of a business, in a world where competition is
ever
'
fiercer. Accordingly with this phenomenon, researchers have grown more and
more interested in establishing IS development methodologies and models that can
be used across a wide range of contexts, with the purpose of
finding ordered,
systemic frameworks among the immense variety of techniques and methods that
can be found in practice. On the other hand, as IS become more complex, there is a
growing need for organizations to have a basis of logical constructs that can provide
them with the tools to easily de
ne, control, and integrate all the components of the
system (Zachman
1987
).
The great variety of existing models for IS development is rooted in the fact that
developers of a system will be guided by a number of influences related not only
with the object of their work (the goal of the system they are developing), but also
with the very nature of their organization, and how it affects expectations. As the
developer absorbs these in
uences, so does the system being built (Hirschheim and
Klein
1989
), leading to a large number of possible variables, which in turn com-
plicates bringing out a uni
ed view of the problem.
Research has not only focused on the creation and development of IS, but also
on what happens to the system beyond its implementation stage, particularly
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