Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss a framework for governance of information infrastructures. While most research in IT governance suggests top-down governance frameworks, we argue that a more viable approach is to explore a broader set of more indirect measures of control.
One excellent area in which to study this is IT in health, because the high political expectations to health information systems exert an immense pressure on the health sector and the IT solution vendors. Our case evidence is a project called the “Blue Fox”.
Building on Lessig’s four modalities of regulation, we suggest an alternative set of governance principles for information infrastructures. Our conclusion is: in certain contexts it is possible to extend national information infrastructures by a regulatory approach, a deliberate combination of legal, technical, social and economic measures, which reinforce each other. We argue that this approach also may lead to simpler projects.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aanestad, M., Hanseth, O.: Growing Networks: Detours, Stunts and Spillovers. In: Fifth International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems. St. Raphael, France (2002)
Black, J.: Proceduralising Regulation: Part I. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 20(4), 597–614 (2000)
Black, J.: Proceduralising Regulation: Part Ii. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 21(1), 33–58 (2001)
Bowker, G.C., Star, S.L.: Sorting things out. Classification and its consequences. MIT Press, Cambridge (1999)
Braa, J., Hanseth, O., Mohammed, W., Heywood, A., Shaw, V.: Developing Health Information Systems in Developing Countries. The Flexible Standards Strategy. MIS Quarterly 31(2), 381–402 (2007)
Brown, C.V.: Examining the Emergence of Hybrid IS Governance Solutions: Evidence from a Single Case Site. Information Systems Research 8(1), 69–94 (1997)
Bygstad, B.: Information Infrastructure as Organization. A Critical Realist View. In: International Conference of Information Systems (ICIS), Paris, AIS (2008)
Ciborra, C., Braa, K., Cordella, A., Dahlbom, B., Failla, A., Hanseth, O., Hepsø, V., Ljungberg, J., Monteiro, E., Simon, K.: From Control to Drift. The Dynamics of Corporate Information Infrastructures. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2000)
Contini, F., Lanzara, F.G.: ICT and Innovation in the Public Sector – European Studies in the Making of e-government. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke (2009)
Dutton, W.H., Palfrey, J.G., Peltu, M.: Deciphering the Codes of Internet Governance: Understanding the Hard Issues at Stake. OII Forum Discussion Paper No. 8. SSRN (2007), http://ssrn.com/abstract=1325234
Edwards, P.N., Jackson, S.J., Bowker, G.C., Knobel, C.P.: Understanding Infrastructure: Dynamics, Tensions, and Design. In: Report of a Workshop on History & Theory of Infrastructure: Lessons for New Scientific Cyberinfrastructures, pp. 1–50 (2007)
Egyedi, T.M.: Standards Enhance System Flexibility? Mapping Compatibility Strategies Onto Flexibility Objectives. In: EASST 2002 Conference. University of York, UK (2002)
Ellingsen, G., Monteiro, E.: The organizing vision of integrated health information systems. Health Informatics Journal 14(3), 223–236 (2008)
Hanseth, O.: The Economics of Standards. In: Ciborra, et al. (eds.) pp. 56–70 (2000)
Hanseth, O.: Gateways - just as important as standards. How the Internet won the “religious war” about standards in Scandinavia. Knowledge, Technology and Policy 14(3), 71–89 (2001)
Hanseth, O.: Complexity and Risk. In: Hanseth, O., Ciborra, C. (eds.) Risk, Complexity and ICT, pp. 75–93. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham (2007)
Hanseth, O., Monteiro, E.: Inscribing Behaviour in Information Infrastructure Standards. Accounting, Management and Information Systems 7(4), 183–211 (1997)
Hanseth, O., Monteiro, E., Hatling, M.: Developing information infrastructure: The tension between standardization and flexibility. Science, Technology and Human Values 21(4), 407–426 (1996)
Hanseth, O., Aanestad, M.: Design as Bootstrapping. On the Evolution of ICT Networks in Health care. Methods of Information in Medicine 42, 385–391 (2003)
Hanseth, O., Lyytinen, K.: Design Theory for Dynamic Complexity in Information Infrastructures: The Case of building Internet. Journal of Information Technology (2010)
Hitt, M.A., Beamish, P.W., Jackson, S.E., Mathieu, J.E.: Building Theoretical and Empirical Bridges Across Levels: Multilevel Research in Management. Academy of Management Journal 50(6), 1385–1399 (2007)
ISO: ISO/IEC 38500:2008 Corporate governance of information technology (2008)
Kallinikos, J.: The Consequences of Information. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham (2006)
Lessig, L.: Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace. Basic Books, New York (1999)
Lessig, L.: The Law of the Horse: What Cyberlaw Might Teach. Harvard Law Review 113, 501–546 (2001)
Lyytinen, K., Fomin, V.: Achieving high momentum in the evolution of wireless infrastructures: the battle over the 1G solutions. Telecommunications Policy 26(3-4), 149–170 (2002)
Rasmussen, T.: Techno-Politics, Internet Governance and Some Challenges Facing the Internet. OII Working Paper No. 15. SSRN (2007), http://ssrn.com/abstract=1326428
Sambamurthy, V., Zmud, R.W.: Arrangements for Information Technology Governance: A Theory of Multiple contingencies. MIS Quarterly 23(2), 261–290 (1999)
Sauer, C., Willcocks, L.P.: Unreasonable expectations – NHS IT, Greek choruses and the games institutions play around mega-programmes. Journal of Information Technology 22, 195–201 (2007)
Shapiro, C., Varian, H.R.: Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy. Harvard Business School Press, Boston (1999)
Star, S.L., Ruhleder, K.: Steps Toward an Ecology of Infrastructure: Design and Access for Large Information Spaces. Information Systems Research 7(1), 111–134 (1996)
Statens_Legemiddelverk: Revisjon av blåreseptordningen. Forslag til ny blåreseptforskrift og endringer i legemiddelforskriften m.v., Høringsnotat (2006)
Statskonsult: Informasjon og kontroll i blåreseptordningen. Oslo, Statskonsult (2004)
Sun, V., Aanestad, M., Skorve, E., Miscione, G.: Information infrastructure governance and windows of opportunity. In: Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems, Verona, Italy (2009)
Weill, P., Ross, J.W.: IT Governance. Harvard Business School Press, Boston (2004)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bygstad, B., Hanseth, O. (2010). IT Governance through Regulatory Modalities. Health Care Information Infrastructure and the “Blue Fox” Project. In: Kautz, K., Nielsen, P.A. (eds) Scandinavian Information Systems Research. SCIS 2010. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 60. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14874-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14874-3_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-14873-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-14874-3
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)