Information Systems Deployment as an Activity System

Abstract

The use of Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) is penetrating a wider part of human life, broadening the scope of IS research accordingly. Nonetheless, extant IS research literature shows that it is the social and organizational contexts of IS design, implementation, and use which lead to the greatest problems. Thus, there is a need for a detailed knowledge about the context of IS, and the process whereby the IS influences, and is influenced by, the context. This chapter demonstrates the application of Developmental Work Research (DWR), which is an interventionist approach based on Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) for the study of work, organizations, and technology undergoing developmental transformation. The core of the approach consists of learning, development, and research as basic elements for both practitioners and researchers. It provides a dynamic framework for understanding and analyzing many areas of IS research and practice. The link between DWR and other research approaches used in IS research is also presented.