Abstract
The research described in this chapter investigates the role of improvisation and politics in information systems development (ISD) practice. It takes its starting point in a case study in which a large Danish software vendor is handed over an IT system from a large international software corporation. As part of an ISD project the system in question was to be ported to a new technical platform as well as documented for further development. We provide a rich description of the socio-technical interplay that takes place during the project by following human and non-human actors, and by analyzing the impact this interplay has on improvised decisions and actions in the project. Using Actor Network Theory (ANT) and a theory of improvised action, we map out translations that contribute to the development of unstable actor-networks and in many cases take part in triggering improvised actions. As it turns out, several of the improvised actions lead to further improvisations, which—once again—affect and shape the socio-technical interplay in the case study. Our work confirms that ISD projects face a lot of its challenges because they are driven by political motivation against better judgment. It verifies and extends prior research on the opportunistic and improvised nature of ISD and also sheds some light on the—problematic—role of external consultants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aanestad, M. (2003) The Camera as an Actor: Design-in-use of Telemedicine Infrastructure in Surgery. Computer Supported Cooperative Work 12, 1–20.
Andersen, N. E., Kensing, F., Lassen, M., Lundin, J., Mathiassen, L., Munk-Madsen, A., and Sørgaard, P. (1986) Professional Systems Development, Experience, Ideas and Action (in Danish). Teknisk Forlag, Copenhagen.
Abrahall, R., Cecez-Kecmanovic, D., and Kautz, K. (2006) Understanding Strategic ISD Projects in Practice—An ANT Account of Success and Failure. Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Information Systems Developments, Methods & Tools—Theory & Practice, Budapest, Hungary.
Bansler, J. and Havn, E. (2003) Improvisation in Action: Making Sense of IS Development in Organizations.Proceedings of the International Workshop on Action in Language, Organisations and Information Systems (ALOIS 2003), pp. 51–63.
Bansler, J. and Havn, E. (2004) Improvisation in information systems development. Information Systems Research: Relevant Theory and Informed Practice, Proceedings of IFIP TC8/WG8.2 20th Year Retrospective, Manchester, July 15–27, 2004, Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, pp. 631–646.
Callon, M. (1986) Some Elements of a Sociology of Translation: Domestication of the Scallops and the Fisherman of St. Brieuc Bay. In: Law , J. (Ed.) Power, Action and Belief: A New Sociology of Knowledge? Routledge, London.
Callon, M. (1991) Techno-economic Network and Irreversibility. In: Law, J. (Ed.), A Sociology of Monsters. Essays on Power, Technology and Domination. Routlegde, London, pp. 132–164.
Ciborra, C. (1999) Notes on improvisation and time in organizations. Accounting, Management & Information Technologies 9, 77–94.
Cockburn, A. (2002). Agile Software Development. Addison Wesley/Pearson Education, New York.
Dittrich, Y. and Lindeberg, O. (2003) How use-oriented development can take place. Information and Software Technology 46, 603–617.
Fincham, R. (2002) Narratives of success and failure in systems development. British Journal of Management 13, 1–14.
Hansen, M. T., Nohria, N., and Tierney, T. (1999) What is your strategy for managing knowledge. Harvard Business Review March–April, 106–116.
Highsmith, J. (2000). Adaptive Software Development: A Collaborative Approach to Managing Complex Systems. Dorset House, New York.
Jensen, T. (2003) Actor Network Theory—A Sociology of common knowledge, cargo vessels and scallops (in Danish).Papers in Organization, No 48, Online:http://ep.lib.cbs.dk/paper/ISBN/x656378343..
Kautz, K. (2004) The Enactment of Methodology—The Case of Developing a MultiMedia Information System.Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems, Washington, DC, USA, December 12–15.
Latour, B. (1987). Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers through Society. Cambridge, Harvard University Press.
Latour, B. (1991). Technology is Society Made Durable. In: Law, J. (Ed.), A Sociology of Monsters. Essays on Power, Technology and Domination. Routlegde, London, pp 103–131.
Latour, B. (2005)Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford University Press.
Law, J. (1988) The Anatomy of Socio-Technical Struggle: The Design of the TSR2. In: Elliot, B. (Ed.),Technology and Social Processes, Edinburgh University Press.
Law, J. (1992) Notes on the Theory of the Actor-Network: Ordering, Strategy and Heterogeneity. Systems Practice 5 (4), 379–393.
Madsen, S., Kautz, K., and Vidgen R. (2006) A framework for understanding how a unique and local IS development method emerges in practice. European Journal of Information Systems 15 (2), 225–238.
Markus, M.L. (1983). Power, politics, and MIS implementation. CACM 26 (6), 430–444.
McMaster, T., Vidgen, R. T., and Wastell, D. G. (1997) Technology Transfer—Diffusion or Translation, In: T. McMaster, E. Mumford, E. B. Swanson, B. Warboys, and D. Wastell (Eds.), Facilitating Technology Transfer Through Partnership: Learning from Practice and Research. Chapman and Hall, London, pp. 64–75.
Mitev, N.N. (1996) More than a failure? The computerized reservation systems at French Railways. Information Technology and People 9 (4), 8–19.
Nachmanovitch, S. (1990) Free play-improvisation in life and art. Putnam, New York.
Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. (1995) The knowledge creating company. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Quattrone, P., and Hopper, T. (2006) What is IT? SAP, accounting, and the visibility in a multinational organization. Information and Organization 16, 212–250.
Walsham, G. (1997). Actor-network theory and IS research: current status and future prospects,Proceedings of the IFIP TC8 WG 8.2 International Conference on Information Systems and Qualitative Research, pp. 466–480.
Truex, D., Baskerville, R., and Travis, J. (2000) Amethodical Systems Development: The Deferred Meaning of Systems Development Methods. Accounting, Management & Information Technologies 10, 53–79.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kautz, K., Jørgensen, HK., Pedersen, C., Sinnet, M., Rab, S. (2009). The Role of Improvisation and Politics in ISD Practice. In: Wojtkowski, W., Wojtkowski, G., Lang, M., Conboy, K., Barry, C. (eds) Information Systems Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68772-8_33
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-68772-8_33
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-30403-8
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-68772-8
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)