Information Systems Definition

The authors present a contingency theory of information systems definition prior to implementation of that system. This information system must be considered from five points of view - those of the organization's human activities, the information, socio-technical, human-computer and technical. Techniques for each of the stages are demonstrated, and a simple framework for considering and coordinating these five views is explained as a story using a live case study of a distance learning unit at a polytechnic. Although the study is simple and the explanations are geared to the user, the principles are important to the computer professional because the framework is specifically designed to assist the systems analyst in reconciling the different views of the information system, thus satisfying the user.