{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,28]],"date-time":"2024-04-28T06:10:17Z","timestamp":1714284617869},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2012,8,10]],"date-time":"2012-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1344556800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,8,10]]},"abstract":"Purpose<\/jats:title>The purpose of this paper is to explore a particular philosophical underpinning for Information Systems (IS) research \u2013 critical systemic thinking (CST). Drawing upon previous work, the authors highlight the principal features of CST within the tradition of critical research and attempt to relate it to trends in the Italian school of IS research in recent years, as exemplified by the work of Claudio Ciborra but also evident in work by, e.g. Resca, Jacucci and D'Atri.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>This is a conceptual paper which explores CST, characterised by a focus on individual uniqueness, and socially\u2010constructed, individual worldviews as generators of human knowing.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Findings<\/jats:title>The paper draws on work by Heinz Klein in which he elaborated three constitutive stages in critical research: interpretive, genealogical and constructive. The authors introduce a fourth, reflective stage and discuss five categories of critical research, reflecting different perspectives on emancipation, culminating in emergent expressionism, associated with Ciborra and the Italian school more generally.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>This paper discusses approaches to CST and how they might have practical implications in IS development. The distinction between approaches founded in logical empiricism and those founded in hermeneutic dialectics are considered and the development of critical and systems strands are discussed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Practical implications<\/jats:title>The paper addresses CST as an approach to development of information systems. Such approaches enable users to explore their individually unique understandings and create a constructive dialogue with one another, which emancipates and empowers users to own and control their own development processes and hence build more productive and usable systems.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Social implications<\/jats:title>A focus on research which is oriented towards emancipation in the tradition of critical social theory.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Originality\/value<\/jats:title>The paper draws on extensive theoretical research carried out by the authors over a period of more than ten years in CST and synthesises the practical implications.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/14779961211261058","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,8,4]],"date-time":"2012-08-04T11:10:15Z","timestamp":1344078615000},"page":"144-155","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Critical systemic thinking as a foundation for information systems research practice"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Peter M.","family":"Bednar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Christine","family":"Welch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b2","unstructured":"Banzato, A., Barbini, F., D'Atri, A., D'Atri, E. and Za, S. (2009), \u201cSocial networks and information systems to handle emergency and reconstruction in natural disasters: the L'Aquila earthquake case study\u201d, Proceedings of ALPIS Seminar 2010, Working Papers on Information Systems, available at: http:\/\/sprouts.aisnet.org\/10\u20105 (accessed 1 October 2011)."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b3","unstructured":"Bateson, G. (1972), Steps to an Ecology of Mind, Ballantine, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b4","unstructured":"Bateson, G. (1980), Mind and Nature, Hampton Press, Cresskill, NJ."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bednar, P. (2000), \u201cContextual integration of individual and organizational learning perspectives as part of IS analysis\u201d, Informing Science \u2013 Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 145\u201056.","DOI":"10.28945\/590"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b6","unstructured":"Bednar, P. (2007), \u201cIndividual emergence in contextual analysis\u201d, in de Zeeuw, G., Vahl, M. and Mennuti, E. (Eds), Problems of Individual Emergence, Systemica Special Issue, 14 (1\u20106)."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b7","unstructured":"Bednar, P. and Welch, C. (2007), \u201cConquering complex and changing systems through recognition of individual uniqueness\u201d, paper presented at 6th European Conference on Research Methods in Management, Universidada Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, 9\u201010 July, Academic Conferences International, Reading, MA."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b8","unstructured":"Bednar, P. and Welch, C. (2008a), \u201cBeyond the usual suspects: critically informed research\u201d, Proceedings of 7th European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies, London, UK, 19\u201020 June, pp. 73\u201080."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b9","unstructured":"Bednar, P. and Welch, C. (2008b), \u201cCritical systemic thinking as a philosophy for \u2018design\u2019 practice\u201d, Proceedings of the ALPIS'08, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, 8\u201013 February, 4th ed., pp. 67\u201072."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boehm, B. (1986), \u201cA spiral model of software development and enhancement\u201d, ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes, ACM, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 14\u201024.","DOI":"10.1145\/12944.12948"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b11","unstructured":"Bourdieu, P. (1984), Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, Routledge, London."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b12","unstructured":"Cattani, C. and Jacucci, G. (2006), \u201cFrom software development service provider \u2013 helas, a captive resource! \u2013 to one's own products and brand\u201d, Proceedings of Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems, Venice, Italy."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Checkland, P. (1999), Systems Thinking, Systems Practice: A 30\u2010Year Retrospective, Wiley, Chicester.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780198775331.003.0004"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b14","unstructured":"Churchman, C.W. (1971), The Design of Inquiring Systems: Basic Concepts of Systems and Organisation, Basic Books, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ciborra, C. (2000), From Control to Drift: The Dynamics of Corporate Information Infrastructures, Oxford University Press, Oxford.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780198297345.001.0001"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b16","unstructured":"Ciborra, C. (2002), The Labyrinths of Information, Oxford University Press, Oxford."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ciborra, C. (2004), \u201cEncountering information systems as a phenomenon\u201d, in Avgerou, C., Ciborra, C. and Land, F. (Eds), The Social Study of Information and Communication Technology, Chapter 1, Oxford University Press, Oxford.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780199253562.003.0002"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b18","unstructured":"Foucault, M. (1975), Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b19","unstructured":"Habermas, J. (1984), The Theory of Communicative Action, Beacon Press, Boston, MA."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Held, D. (1980), Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkheimer to Habermas, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.","DOI":"10.1525\/9780520341272"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b21","unstructured":"Honneth, A. (1991), The Critique of Power: Reflective Stages in a Critical Social Theory, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA (translated by K. Baynes)."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b22","unstructured":"Jacucci, G. (2007), \u201cSocial practice design, pathos, improvisation, mood and bricolage: the mediterranean way to make place for IT?\u201d, Proceedings of Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems, Venice, Italy."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b23","unstructured":"Klein, H.K. (2007), Fourth Leverhulme Lecture, Salford Business School, Salford, 12 January."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b24","unstructured":"Lyytinen, K. and Klein, H. (1985), \u201cCritical social theory of Jurgen Habermas (CST) as a basis for the theory of information systems\u201d, in Mumford, E., Hirschheim, R., Fitzgerald, G. and Wood\u2010Harper, A.T. (Eds), Research Methods in Information Systems, North\u2010Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 219\u201036."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b25","unstructured":"Mumford, E. (1983), Designing Human Systems for New Technology: The ETHICS Method, Manchester Business School, Manchester."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b26","unstructured":"Ngwenyama, O.K. (1991), \u201cThe critical social theory approach to information systems: problems and challenges\u201d, in Nissen, H.\u2010E., Klein, H.K. and Hirschheim, R.A. (Eds), Information Systems Research: Contemporary Approaches and Emergent Traditions, NorthHolland, Amsterdam, pp. 267\u201080."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b27","unstructured":"Radnitzky, G. (1970), Contemporary Schools of Metascience, Akademiforlaget, Gothenburg."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Resca, A. and D'Atri, A. (2008), \u201cRe\u2010configuring the fashion business: the \u2018Yooox\u2019 virtual boutique case study\u201d, in D'Atri, A., De Marco, M. and Casolino, N. (Eds), Interdisciplinary Aspects of Information Systems Studies: The Italian Chapter of the AIS, Springer, Berlin, pp. 155\u201061.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-7908-2010-2_20"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sandberg, J. and Targama, A. (2007), Managing Understanding in Organizations, Sage, London.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781446212530"},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b30","unstructured":"Weick, K. (1995), Sense\u2010making in Organizations, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b31","unstructured":"Whitaker, R. (2007), \u201cApplying phenomenology and hermeneutics in IS design: a report on field experiences\u201d, Double Helix Relationships in IS: A Monograph of Informing Science: Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, Vol. 10, pp. 63\u201096 (Nissen, H.E., Bednar, P.M. Welch, C. (eds))."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_b32","unstructured":"Wood\u2010Harper, A.T., Antill, L. and Avison, D. (1985), Information Systems Definition: The Multiview Approach, Blackwell, Oxford."},{"key":"key2022012519484285800_frd1","unstructured":"Avison, D. and Fitzgerald, G. (2006), Information Systems Development, 4th ed., McGraw\u2010Hill, New York, NY."}],"container-title":["Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/14779961211261058","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/14779961211261058\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/14779961211261058\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,28]],"date-time":"2024-04-28T05:40:52Z","timestamp":1714282852000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/14779961211261058\/full\/html"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Antonio","family":"Marturano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,8,10]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,8,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/14779961211261058"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/14779961211261058","relation":{},"ISSN":["1477-996X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1477-996X","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,8,10]]}}}