Multi‐modal investigation of a business process and information system redesign: a post‐implementation case study

Multi-modal systems thinking (MST) has emerged in recent years as an alternative scientific paradigm to the more established ones, founded on positivistic, hermeneutic and critical bases, respectively. Among others, MST offers a system researcher and practitioner the multi-modal theory as an analysis and design tool. An attempt to use this is presented in this article. More specifically, a situation where an implementation of a new business process, supported by a new computerized information system, has taken place causing some unpredicted and unwanted consequences is presented. This case is analysed with the help of multi-modal theory, leading to an identification of system design shortcomings. This exercise shows that the employed theory is a powerful tool for construction of multi-perspective models; it provides plausible intelligibility for why unexpected consequences emerged. Further, its use generated some heuristics for future systems modelling, analysis and design. The study also shows that the theory is ambiguous in its application; this in turn calls for its further development and operationalization. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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