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These differences provide inspiration for the work we present in this paper. We
start by proposing an alternative to Bunge's ontology.
3 An Ontology of the Artificial
An ontology of the artificial begins with the premise that although business enter-
prises “use concrete objects such as people, machines, and buildings to accomplish
their goals; they are concerned primarily with the meaning and purpose ascribed to
concrete and conceptual objects and with invented rules …” (March and Allen 2007).
As a result, it “accommodate[s] occurrences of conceptual events that form the basis
of social phenomena” (March and Allen 2007).
3.1 Fundamental Constructs
The constructs underlying the ontology of the artificial extend those suggested by
Wand and Weber (1990). Table 2 outlines these (March and Allen 2007).
Table 2.
Constructs in the Ontology
Construct
Elaboration
Objects:
Concrete
Exist physically
Objects:
Conceptual
Exist by human invention and social agreement (
new
)
Attributes:
Substantial
Ascribed to concrete objects to represent human understanding of natural
phenomena
Attributes:
Invented
Ascribed to concrete and conceptual objects to enable social discourse
(
new
). Can be used for individuation.
Types
(classes)
Object grouped into Types based on ascription of one or more common
attributes
Status (of an
Object)
Is the set of values of its attributes at a point in time; the history of an
object is the chronology of its status.
Events:
Concrete
Effect changes to substantial properties of concrete objects; follow
immutable, natural, discoverable laws.
Effect changes to invented attributes of concrete or conceptual objects, and
follow rules (designed by human agreement), which are mutable. (
new
)
Relationship Objects affected by the same event are in a relationship with the event and
hence, in relationship to each other through the event.
Decomposition Objects as well as Events may compose and decompose to form other
Objects or Events respectively.
March and Allen's (2007) proposal contains three new constructs. The
conceptual
objects
and
invented attributes
allow addition of new objects and attributes as EA
models are refined. The
conceptual events
allow negotiation of new modes of changes
to objects and attributes, including a change in the stakeholders. Together, they allow
possibilities for EA models. We use these to conceptualize operations on EA models.
Event:
Conceptual
