Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Evolution of an IS development effort An ANT interpretation

Evolution of an IS development effort An ANT interpretation Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to stand back from the debate of success and failure and develop an interpretive account based on narratives of major actors to enable project managers with a rich understanding of a complex organisation. Design/methodology/approach – Actor network theory (ANT) was the method that was applied to both frame and sum narratives that were gathered from the six subjects along with anecdotal evidence and confidential documents used for this research. Findings – Success is based on the perception of both actors as well as the principal audience of the Commonwealth Games (CWG). Second information systems (IS) success is uniquely associated to an event like the CWG. Research limitations/implications – Most of the data used for the research was after the conclusion of the games. Therefore usefulness of interpretation may have a time dimension. Probably if the subjects had included spectators and other project managers during the games, the quality of conclusions could have been further enriched. Practical implications – Project managers of future events may be able to internalise the role of co‐ordination and agreement that is necessary among different actors to achieve success. Originality/value – Originality of present paper stems from its “unusual” identification of success – as it has attempted to outline distinctions between certainty of success and anything contrary to success. Project managers, organisers and researchers of IS projects are likely to find value in the paper in being able to appreciate the evolutionary nature of IS success. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Systems and Information Technology Emerald Publishing

Evolution of an IS development effort An ANT interpretation

Download PDF
18 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/evolution-of-an-is-development-effort-an-ant-interpretation-KPKtUqrrIk
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1328-7265
DOI
10.1108/13287260910955110
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to stand back from the debate of success and failure and develop an interpretive account based on narratives of major actors to enable project managers with a rich understanding of a complex organisation. Design/methodology/approach – Actor network theory (ANT) was the method that was applied to both frame and sum narratives that were gathered from the six subjects along with anecdotal evidence and confidential documents used for this research. Findings – Success is based on the perception of both actors as well as the principal audience of the Commonwealth Games (CWG). Second information systems (IS) success is uniquely associated to an event like the CWG. Research limitations/implications – Most of the data used for the research was after the conclusion of the games. Therefore usefulness of interpretation may have a time dimension. Probably if the subjects had included spectators and other project managers during the games, the quality of conclusions could have been further enriched. Practical implications – Project managers of future events may be able to internalise the role of co‐ordination and agreement that is necessary among different actors to achieve success. Originality/value – Originality of present paper stems from its “unusual” identification of success – as it has attempted to outline distinctions between certainty of success and anything contrary to success. Project managers, organisers and researchers of IS projects are likely to find value in the paper in being able to appreciate the evolutionary nature of IS success.

Journal

Journal of Systems and Information Technology – Emerald Publishing

Published: May 1, 2009

Keywords: Information systems; Narratives; Project management; Operations management

References

  • Manchester Commonwealth Games – Post Games Report, Volume 1
    Allen, C.
  • Information Systems and Global Diversity
    Avgerou, C.
  • The 3‐D model of information systems success: the search for the dependent variable continues
    Ballantine, J.; Bonner, M.; Levy, M.; Martin, A.; Munro, I.; Powell, P.L.
  • Can Britain stage the Olympics?
    BBC News
  • Shaping Technology/Building Society: Studies in Sociotechnical Change
  • Caborn quick to pour cold water on 2012 Olympic Games bid
    Caborn, R.
  • Five small secrets to systems success
    Coe, L.R.
  • Chronology of the Commonwealth Games
    Commonwealth Games Council for England
  • Information systems success: the quest for the dependent variable
    Delone, W.H.; McLean, E.F.
  • The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: a ten year update
    Delone, W.H.; McLean, E.F.
  • Information Systems: Achieving Success by Avoiding Failure
    Fortune, J.; Peters, G.
  • Conflicting perceptions of success in an information systems project
    Fowler, A.; Walsh, M.
  • Information Systems Success Measurement
    Garrity, E.; Sanders, L.
  • Commonwealth Games in Computing
    Glick, B.
  • End of Games repays faith in hosts
  • An interpretive approach to the measurement of information systems success: from concept to practical application
    Kanellis, P.; Lycett, M.; Paul, R.J.
  • A taxonomy of antecedents of information systems success: variable analysis studies
    Larsen, K.R.T.
  • Where are the missing masses? The Sociology of a few Mundane Artifacts
    Latour, B.
  • On recalling ANT
    Latour, B.
  • An Interpretation of the organisational context of geographic information system use in British local government
    Mitra, A.
  • Constructing IS success: revisiting actor networks in post implementation perspectives of enacting technological effectiveness within Commonwealth Games, Manchester 2002
    Mitra, A.; Campoy, L.
  • Assessing the validity of IS success models: An empirical test and theoretical analysis
    Rai, A.; Lang, S.S.; Welker, R.B.
  • Factors affecting the success and failure of an information system for product quality
    Robey, D.; Zeller, R.
  • Why Information Systems Fail: A Case Study Approach
    Sauer, C.
  • A respecification and extension of the DeLone and McLean model of IS success
    Seddon, P.B.
  • Dimensions of information systems success
    Seddon, P.B.; Staples, S.; Patnayakuni, R.; Bowtell, M.
  • Power, technologies and the phenomenology of conventions: on being allergic to onions
    Star, S.L.
  • Making a World of Difference: IT in a Global Context
    Walsham, G.
  • Factors affecting information systems' success
    Whyte, G.; Bytheway, A.
  • Understanding user perceptions of information systems success
    Whyte, G.; Bytheway, A.; Edwards, C.
  • Information systems success factors in small business
    Yap, C.S.; Soh, C.P.P.; Raman, K.S.