Crafting theory to satisfy the requirements of systems science

Demetis, Dionysios S.; Lee, Allen S.

Abstract

Just as Lee, Briggs & Dennis (2014) showed that a rigorous conception of “explanation” leads to requirements for a positivist theory to satisfy, and just as Lee & Hovorka (2015) showed that a rigorous conception of “interpretation” leads to requirements for an interpretive theory to satisfy, we show that a rigorous conception of “systems” leads to certain requirements for a systems theory to satisfy. We apply basics of systems science in general, as well as basics of Luhmann’s (Luhmann, 1995; Moeller, 2006) systems perspective in particular. We illustrate these basics with empirical material from a case about the role of information technology in anti-money laundering. The example demonstrates that research in information systems, which has been informed by positivism, interpretivism, and design, can be additionally and beneficially informed by systems science – which, ironically, has been largely absent in information “systems” research.

Citation

Demetis, D. S., & Lee, A. S. (2016). Crafting theory to satisfy the requirements of systems science. Information and Organization, 26(4), 116-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2016.09.002

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 22, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Oct 13, 2016
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 16, 2018
• Journal: Information and organization
• Print ISSN: 1471-7727
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 116-126
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2016.09.002
• Keywords: Systems theory
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/443519
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471772716300392
• Additional Information: This is the accepted manuscript of an article published in Information and organization, 2016. The version of record is available at the DOI link in this record.
• Contract Date: Sep 26, 2016