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Dissertation Information for Elizabeth J. Davidson

NAME:
- Elizabeth J. Davidson

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Management Information Systems

SCHOOL:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) (1996)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Framing information systems requirements: An investigation of social cognitive processes in information systems delivery

Abstract: "In this dissertation, information technology (IT) requirements definition processes are examined through the theoretical lens of social cognitive theory and structuration theory. An in-depth, longitudinal field study of two IT development projects at one research site was undertaken to investigate the influence of frames on the interpretations, actions and interactions of key information systems development (ISD) participants during requirements definition activities and on the proposed design of the information technology artifact. Analytic categories were developed to examine technological frames and to identify similarities and differences in frames. Findings suggested that incongruence in the frames of two stakeholder groups (team members, system constituents), particularly aspects of frames related to user support, IT usage, and information legitimacy, contributed to difficulties in IT development, adoption, and use. An unexpected finding was that frame congruence could also be dysfunctional when problematic assumptions and expectations about requirements were not surfaced or examined.

The extent and mechanisms for frame change through ISD participants' interactions in requirements activities was also considered. Despite numerous episodes of negotiations around requirements, there was little frame change apparent. Analysis of findings suggested several contributing factors. System constituents had little effective participation in requirements definition activities, thus their frames carried little weight in negotiations around requirements. Commonly used requirements artifacts (data models, work plans, systems and project documents) did not facilitate frame sharing between technical developers and users. A variety of sensemaking devices were identified, such as organizational stories, scenarios for IT use, and metaphors. However, these devices, used tacitly in face-to-face interactions, were not included in requirements artifacts.

Social cognitive theory, structuration theory, and empirical data were used to develop and elaborate the framing model. This model depicts IT requirements definition processes in terms of episodes in which participants' technological frames, changes in the discourse, changes in the organization context, and underlying structurational processes influence ISD participants' negotiations. Empirical data from two projects were used to illustrate the model. These findings suggested that dominant technological frames, those assumptions, expectations and knowledge that most strongly influenced ISD participants' decisions at a point in time, changed and evolved, thus influencing requirements and ISD outcomes."

MPACT Scores for Elizabeth J. Davidson

A = 0
C = 4
A+C = 4
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2009-06-08 19:22:50

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Students under Elizabeth J. Davidson

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- Rita Michele Vick - University of Hawaii (2003)
- Soussan D. Djamasbi - University of Hawaii (2004)
- Mei-Ling Luo - University of Hawaii (2005)
- Paolo Maurin - University of Hawaii (2008)