Introducing IN364
Sundeep Sahay
Course Aims
• Context sensitive approaches to systems
development
• Organization complexity and use
• Organization of systems development in the
context of complexity
• A real life systems development project in a
complex context
What is Context?
• The situation within which systems
development takes place
• Something which is pre-given but is
continuously shaped by human agency
• Cultural, political, social, economic context
• Problems of context insensitive approaches
• Balancing ”standard” versus ”local” needs
What makes complexity?
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Processes of rapid and continuous change
Multi-level effects
Unintended consequences, side-effects
Multiple actors with varying interests
Reflexive processes
New forms of organizations and organizing
New kinds of technologies
System Development Approaches
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Scandinavian tradition
An alternative to structured approaches
Research methods
Prototyping
Spiral modelling
Organization Complexity
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Theorizing about complexity
Structuration theory
Transaction cost theory
Actor network theory
Large scale systems
Horizontol systems
Systems design within the
context of complexity
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Need for participation – participatory design
Systems development in virtual settings
Systems development in global settings
Systems development in ”third-world”
contexts
• Using new multi-media and collaborative
tools
Real Life Context
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Why is it a complex context
Distributed teams- new organizational form
Time, space and cultural differences
Using new technologies
Communication challenges
Short time frame in which to deliver
How is the effort evaluated