Qualitative Reesarch in Information Systems

An increasing interest is being shown, not least by IS researchers, in the socio-technical approach known as actor-network theory. The purpose of this paper is to assess the current and potential future contribution of the theory to IS research. A brief review of key concepts of the theory is given, some IS literature which uses the theory is described, and significant criticisms of the theory are examined in some detail. Finally, implications are drawn on the potential value of the theory for IS research in the future, with the broad conclusion being that it has much to offer in both theoretical and methodological terms. A. S. Lee et al. (eds.), Information Systems and Qualitative Research

Understanding how technical artefacts are created and used within organizations is a central aspect of the IS research discipline. The conduct of research in an organizational setting is thus a major issue for the IS community. A research framework for in-context IS research is presented and used to position purified and hybrid fonns of research method. From the framework, theoretical support for an action case research method is presented. The research framework is then used to describe and explain an IS research project from which a practice-based rationale for an action case method is argued. Characteristics of the action case method, a hybrid of interpretation and intervention, are described. Learning at three levels of analysis-concrete, general, and meta-is proposed as a way of re-A. S. Lee et al. (eds.

Research on the management of infonnation systems has rarely conducted in-depth investigations on the problematic role of time in the development and implementation of these systems. When the research has done this, it has interpreted time in an objective, linear sense. This paper calls attention to the existence of not only the objective nature, but also the subjective nature of time in the organizational change surrounding the implementation of new information systems. This paper draws its empirical material from an ongoing study of the implementation and use of distributed computing-based systems at a mid-sized university (MSU).

In this paper, we will argue that thought experiments can playa significant role in qualitative information systems research. We show the unique role that thought experiments can play in destroying existing belief systems within a community as well as how they can help creating new ones. Because thought experiments have to rely on existing data and concepts, they are particularly effective at providing the shift in perspective needed for a scientific revolution. In the paper, we analyze four thought experiments, relevant to information systems, to show how they are able to bring structure to a muddled discourse in a way that empirical, quantitative research cannot. We conclude with a discussion of the conditions necessary for effective thought experiments that will enable them to be convincing and challenging. In so doing, it is hoped that the result will be further clarity in the types of questions and answers that we should be exploring in the study of information systems. A. S. Lee et al. (eds.), Information Systems and Qualitative Research

A qualitative exploration of Colruyt, a Belgian company that evolved from a one-store enterprise into Belgium's third largest food retail chain comprising some 120 stores, is presented. The company is unique on several dimensions: its managerial structures and business processes, its use of information technology, and its views of company rights, duties, and obligations concerning customers, employees, creditors, and government. During this interview, Mr. COlruyt,l Chairman of Colruyt' s Supervisory Board, returns time and again to a single dominant idea: the use of information technology based communication to create new possibilities, organizational structures, and relationships among the firm and its employees, worker unions, customers, and suppliers. The qualitative exploration clarifies how societal, religious, historical, and linguistic beliefs unite to form a unique corporate environment. Because the contact time with the Chair of the Supervisory Board was limited to three hours, a qualitative approach was key to the success of an in-depth exploration of the company. Our analysis should be of interest to managers and academics who practice or study global business and business process reengineering.

Few studies have attempted to link e-mail use to power and politics. The purpose of this paper is to integrate issues of power and conflict into the research on e-mail. To frame the discussion, the paper starts from a review of the relevant writings on power and e-mail. The literature review is concluded with the assertion that contextual, temporal, and conflict management aspects should be incorporated into research on power in organizations. Following this assertion, one of the leading models on conflict management is introduced and used to analyze a case study. The case is presented as a play in three "acts." Each of the acts outlines a different set of conflict management strategies that were utilized by management and employees. The discussion synthesizes the analysis by demonstrating that a combined power and conflict management perspective can explain the playing of politics with e-mail.