Understanding the dominance and advocacy of the design-oriented research approach in the business informatics community: a history-based examination

The objective of this article is to explain the dominance and advocacy of the design-oriented research approach in Wirtschaftsinformatik (Business Informatics or BI), one of the major Information Systems (IS) communities. To this end, we employed a research approach based on autobiographical material. Sixteen well-known BI scholars served as informants, and provided career autobiographies in which they document their perceptions and observations regarding the genesis and development of BI. The average age of this sample of contemporary witnesses is 70 years, signifying a rich body of experience. Based on an interpretive analysis of the data, we find that the design of IS is deeply rooted in BI's history, and our results also show that there have always been close relationships with practice. As a consequence, we conclude that the success of BI as an academic community is inseparably associated with systems design, implementation, and engineering. Against this background, we argue that it is unlikely that BI will weaken its design orientation in the future, although external forces signify a shift to a more behaviouristic research approach. In order to balance the internal strength of the community and the external forces, we suggest a ‘theory-driven design approach’ as a viable strategy for the future orientation of the community.

[1]  Wolfgang König,et al.  Zur Entwicklung der Forschungsmethoden und Theoriekerne der Wirtschaftsinformatik. Eine kombinierte Delphi- und AHP-Untersuchung , 1996 .

[2]  Timo Leimbach.  The SAP Story: Evolution of SAP within the German Software Industry , 2008, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.

[3]  Bernhard Hartmann,et al.  Betriebswirtschaftliche Grundlagen der automatisierten Datenverarbeitung , 1961 .

[4]  James L. McKenney,et al.  Developing an Historical Tradition in MIS Research , 1997, MIS Q..

[5]  Christian Schlögl,et al.  Die Wirtschaftsinformatik aus der Sicht ihres Hauptpublikationsorgans: Eine szientometrische Analyse der Zeitschrift Wirtschaftsinformatik/Angewandte Informatik , 2004 .

[6]  Peter Mertens,et al.  German perspectives on information systems (panel session): research topics, methodological challenges, and patterns of exchange with IS practice , 1997, ICIS '97.

[7]  John Diebold,et al.  Automation : the advent of the automatic factory , 1952 .

[8]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  Empirical Research in Information Systems: The Practice of Relevance , 1999, MIS Q..

[9]  Peter Mertens,et al.  STUDIENFÜHRER WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK 2009 | 2010 , 2009 .

[10]  Carolyn A. Barros.  Autobiography: Narrative of Transformation , 1997 .

[11]  Erwin Grochla.  Automation und Organisation , 1966 .

[12]  Les Gasser,et al.  A Design Theory for Systems That Support Emergent Knowledge Processes , 2002, MIS Q..

[13]  Salvatore T. March,et al.  Design and natural science research on information technology , 1995, Decis. Support Syst..

[14]  Deepak Khazanchi,et al.  Is information systems a science? an inquiry into the nature of the information systems discipline , 2000, DATB.

[15]  Thomas H. Davenport,et al.  Rigor vs. relevance revisited: response to Benbasat and Zmud , 1999 .

[16]  Geoff Walsham,et al.  The Emergence of Interpretivism in IS Research , 1995, Inf. Syst. Res..

[17]  Rudolf Wohlgenannt.  Was ist Wissenschaft , 1969 .

[18]  Ofer Arazy,et al.  A Theory-Driven Design Framework for Social Recommender Systems , 2010, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[19]  Y. Lacasse,et al.  From the authors , 2005, European Respiratory Journal.

[20]  M. Polanyi.  Personal Knowledge: Towards a post-critical philosophy , 1959 .

[21]  Michael S. Mahoney,et al.  The histories of computing(s) , 2005 .

[22]  Peter Mertens,et al.  Memorandum on design-oriented information systems research , 2011, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[23]  Lutz J. Heinrich.  Geschichte der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 2011 .

[24]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  The Identity Crisis Within the IS Discipline: Defining and Communicating the Discipline's Core Properties , 2003, MIS Q..

[25]  Rudy Hirschheim,et al.  Crisis in the IS Field? A Critical Reflection on the State of the Discipline , 2003, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[26]  Thomas Hess,et al.  Forschungsmethoden der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 2007, Wirtschaftsinf..

[27]  Kalle Lyytinen,et al.  Reach and Grasp , 2004, MIS Q..

[28]  Kalle Lyytinen,et al.  The Theoretical Core and Academic Legitimacy: A Response to Professor Weber , 2006, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[29]  William A. Wulf.  Are we scientists or engineers? , 1995, CSUR.

[30]  Robert Winter,et al.  What in Fact is Fundamental Research in Business and Information Systems Engineering? , 2009, Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng..

[31]  Alfred D. Chandler.  History and management practice and thought: an autobiography , 2009 .

[32]  René Riedl,et al.  Wirtschaftsinformatik : Einführung und Grundlegung , 2011 .

[33]  Henry C. Lucas,et al.  The information systems identity crisis , 2005 .

[34]  James W. Cortada,et al.  Patterns and Practices in How Information Technology Spread around the World , 2008, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.

[35]  Benigna Von Krusenstjern,et al.  Was sind Selbstzeugnisse? , 1994 .

[36]  Wolfgang König,et al.  Die zentralen Forschungsgegenstände der Wirtschaftsinformatik in den nächsten zehn Jahren , 1995, Wirtschaftsinf..

[37]  Omar El Sawy,et al.  Building an Information System Design Theory for Vigilant EIS , 1992, Inf. Syst. Res..

[38]  Peter Mertens,et al.  Lexikon der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 1987 .

[39]  S. Itzkoff,et al.  What Is History , 1962, History of Education Quarterly.

[40]  Rudy Hirschheim,et al.  A paradigmatic and methodological examination of information systems research from 1991 to 2001 , 2004, Inf. Syst. J..

[41]  Eldon C. Hall.  From the Farm to Pioneering with Digital Control Computers: An Autobiography , 2000, IEEE Ann. Hist. Comput..

[42]  Peter J. Denning,et al.  Is computer science science? , 2005, CACM.

[43]  Allen S. Lee.  Rigor and relevance in MIS research: beyond the approach of positivism alone , 1999 .

[44]  Peter Stahlknecht,et al.  Einfuhrung in Die Wirtschaftsinformatik , 1993 .

[45]  Klaus Krippendorff,et al.  Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology , 1980 .

[46]  Frank F. Land,et al.  The use of history in IS research: an opportunity missed? , 2010, J. Inf. Technol..

[47]  Steven P. Schnaars.  Thinking in Time: The uses of history for decision makers: Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest R. May, (The Free Press, New York, 1986) pp. 329, $19.95 , 1987 .

[48]  Herbert A. Simon,et al.  The Sciences of the Artificial , 1970 .

[49]  Peter Mertens,et al.  Fads and Trends in Business and Information Systems Engineering and Information Systems Research – A Comparative Literature Analysis , 2009, Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng..

[50]  Peter Mertens,et al.  Wirtschaftsinformatik — Von den Moden zum Trend , 1995 .

[51]  Lutz J. Heinrich,et al.  Erkenntnisobjekte der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 2006, HMD Prax. Wirtsch..

[52]  Ron Weber,et al.  Reach and Grasp in the Debate over the IS Core: An Empty Hand? , 2006, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[53]  Lutz J. Heinrich.  Zeittafel zur Entwicklung der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 1992 .

[54]  Lutz J. Heinrich.  Forschungsmethodik einer Integrationsdisziplin: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 2005 .

[55]  H. Simon,et al.  The sciences of the artificial (3rd ed.) , 1996 .

[56]  Shirley Gregor,et al.  The Anatomy of a Design Theory , 2007, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[57]  Ulrich Frank,et al.  Different Paths of Development of Two Information Systems Communities: A Comparative Study Based on Peer Interviews , 2008, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[58]  Corinna Schlombs.  Productivity machines: Transatlantic transfers of computing technology and culture in the Cold War , 2010 .

[59]  S. Liebowitz,et al.  Path Dependence, Lock-In, and History , 1995 .

[60]  John M. Carroll,et al.  Human-computer interaction: psychology as a science of design , 1997, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[61]  Detmar W. Straub,et al.  A response to the design-oriented information systems research memorandum , 2011, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[62]  Geoff Walsham,et al.  Doing interpretive research , 2006, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[63]  Peter Mertens,et al.  Panel 14 German Perspectives on Information Systems: Research Topics, Methodological Challenges, and Patterns of Exchange with IS Practice , 1997 .

[64]  Frank F. Land,et al.  The First Business Computer: A Case Study in User-Driven Innovation , 2000, IEEE Ann. Hist. Comput..

[65]  Elmar J. Sinz,et al.  Profil der Wirtschaftsinformatik , 2011 .

[66]  Peter Mertens.  Die zwischenbetriebliche Kooperation und Integration bei der automatisierten Datenverarbeitung , 1966 .

[67]  Allen Newell,et al.  Computer science as empirical inquiry: symbols and search , 1976, CACM.

[68]  Günter Müller,et al.  Business and Information Systems Engineering: A Complementary Approach to Information Systems - What We Can Learn from the Past and May Conclude from Present Reflection on the Future , 2012, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[69]  Ernest R. May,et al.  Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision-Makers , 1986 .

[70]  J. Mahoney.  Path dependence in historical sociology , 2000 .

[71]  W. Mcd.  An Autobiography , 1904, Nature.

[72]  Rudy Hirschheim,et al.  The structure of the IS discipline reconsidered: Implications and reflections from a community of practice perspective , 2008, Inf. Organ..

[73]  Robert O. Briggs,et al.  On theory-driven design and deployment of collaboration systems , 2006, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[74]  James W. Cortada,et al.  How Did Computing Go Global? The Need for an Answer and a Research Agenda , 2004, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.

[75]  Martin Campbell-Kelly.  Origin of computing. , 2009, Scientific American.

[76]  Fred Wilson.  The logic and methodology of science and pseudoscience , 2000 .

[77]  James L. McKenney,et al.  An Historical Method for MIS Research: Steps and Assumptions , 1997, MIS Q..

[78]  Peter Stahlknecht,et al.  Einführung in die Wirtschaftsinformatik (Springer-Lehrbuch) , 2006 .