INFORMATION SYSTEMS SPECIFICATION AS RULE RECONSTRUCTION

Abstract: l - - -- - - --. Information system development does not always lead to improved organizational effectiveness. Different negative effects on deve- lopment process and resulting information systems have been record- ed. Many of these effects seem to depend on assumptions regarding knowledge acquisition during systems development, i e on the epis- temological perspective taken. We identify and analyse a dominating epistemological perspective (in MIS-theory and practice) , which is based on an "observational scheme". An alternative is proposed, an "interpretative" perspective, which involves a rational reconstruc- tion of rules for social action. This perspective is further de- scribed through methodological illustrations of change analysis and information analysis. The heavy interdependence between rule reconstruction and user participation is noticed. Paper presented at The IFIP 8.2 Conference "Beyond Productivity: Informa- tion Systems for Organizational Effectiveness, Minneapolis, August 22-24, 1983.