Journal ArticleDOI
Making the Case for Critical Realism: Examining the Implementation of Automated Performance Management Systems
TLDR
It is described how critical realism can provide a useful "underlabourer" for research, by "clearing the ground a little... removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way of knowledge" Locke, 1894, p. 14.Abstract:
This article seeks to address the dearth of practical examples of research in the area by proposing that critical realism be adopted as the underlying research philosophy for enterprise systems evaluation. We address some of the implications of adopting such an approach by discussing the evaluation and implementation of a number of automated performance measurement systems APMS. Such systems are a recent evolution within the context of enterprise information systems. They collect operational data from integrated systems to generate values for key performance indicators, which are delivered directly to senior management. The creation and delivery of these data are fully automated, precluding manual intervention by middle or line management. Whilst these systems appear to be a logical progression in the exploitation of the available rich, real-time data, the statistics for APMS projects are disappointing. An understanding of the reasons is elusive and little researched. We describe how critical realism can provide a useful "underlabourer" for such research, by "clearing the ground a little... removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way of knowledge" Locke, 1894, p. 14. The implications of such an underlabouring role are investigated. Whilst the research is still underway, the article indicates how a critical realist foundation is assisting the research process.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Principles for conducting critical realist case study research in information systems
Donald E. Wynn,Clay K. Williams +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a set of methodological principles for conducting and evaluating critical realism-based explanatory case study research within the information systems field are proposed, which are derived directly from the ontological and epistemological assumptions of critical realism.
Journal ArticleDOI
How should technology-mediated organizational change be explained? a comparison of the contributions of critical realism and activity theory
TL;DR: An activity theoretic analysis of the implementation of large-scale disruptive information systems in a public sector setting is used to illustrate how activity theory makes a significant contribution to critical realism.
Journal ArticleDOI
Technology, Organization, and Structure---A Morphogenetic Approach
TL;DR: Gains are seen to accrue from Archer's morphogenetic approach: greater clarity about the material properties of technology, links to broader structural conditions arising from the conceptualization of the relationship between agency and structure, and the potential to explore the importance of reflexivity in contemporary organizations.
Journal ArticleDOI
Technological objects, social positions, and the transformational model of social activity
Philip Faulkner,Jochen Runde +1 more
TL;DR: The transformational model of social activity, in many ways the centerpiece of critical realism, has been widely used in areas of information systems research but little has been done so far to develop a systematic theory of the nature, position, and identity of technological objects within the context of the TMSA.
Proceedings Article
In search of mechanisms . conducting a critical realist data analysis
TL;DR: It is argued that the mechanism approach can improve empirical studies in the IS field, by providing ontological depth, creative thinking and more precise explanations.
References
More filters
Book
Case Study Research: Design and Methods
TL;DR: In this article, buku ini mencakup lebih dari 50 studi kasus, memberikan perhatian untuk analisis kuantitatif, membahas lebah lengkap penggunaan desain metode campuran penelitian, and termasuk wawasan metodologi baru.
Book
Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a survey of the focus group research, focusing on the following topics: planning the group study, developing a questioning route, participants in a focus group, moderating skills, and conducting interviews with young people.
Journal ArticleDOI
Information Systems Success: The Quest for the Dependent Variable
TL;DR: A large number of studies have been conducted during the last decade and a half attempting to identify those factors that contribute to information systems success, but the dependent variable in these studies-I/S success-has been an elusive one to define.
MonographDOI
Realist social theory : the morphogenetic approach
TL;DR: The Morphogenetic Cycle: the basis of the morphogenetic approach 7. Structural and cultural conditioning 8. The morphogenesis of agency 9. Social elaboration.