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Defining Information Systems as Work Systems: Implications for the IS Field
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The lack of an agreed upon definition of information system is one of many obstacles
troubling the academic information systems discipline. After listing a number of
definitions of IS, this paper defines information system as a special case of work system
as defined in Alter (1999a). This definition has many desirable characteristics: It is easy
to understand; differentiates IS from IT; covers totally manual, partially automated, and
totally automated information systems; links to a life cycle model that generates many
insights about development and implementation problems; provides a simple guideline
that helps in interpreting common IS/IT jargon; and has other useful implications related
to IS concepts, IS terminology, and the analysis and design of information systems. The
paper presents the proposed IS definition and evaluates the definition in terms of
simplicity, clarity, scope, systematic power, explanatory power, validity, reliability, and
fruitfulness. An Appendix summarizes previously published concepts and two
frameworks that flow from the proposed definition and are useful for appreciating many
points in the evaluation section
Steven Alter - Personal Name
NONE
Defining Information Systems as Work Systems: Implications for the IS Field
Information Technology
English
European Journal of Information Systems,
2008
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