Information, Organisation and Technology: Studies in Organisational Semiotics

Transcription

1 Information, Organisation and Technology: Studies in Organisational Semiotics

2 Information and Organisation Design Series series editors Richard M. Burton B12Srge Obel

3 Information, Organisation and Technology: Studies in Organisational Semiotics Peter B. Andersen Joseph Barjis Samuel Chong Rodney J. Clarke Jan L. G. Dietz Joaquim Filipe Henk W. M. Gazendam Michael Heng Barend P. van Heusden Rena Jorna Joop Kielema Kecheng Liu Michael May Mike Newman Bernadetle Sharp Ronald K. Stamper Editors Kecheng Liu, Rodney J. Clarke, Peter B0gh Andersen and Ronald K. Stamper Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Information, organisation, and technology : studies in organisational semiotics I editors, Kecheng Liu...[et al]. p. cm. -- (lnformation and organization design series ; 1) "Selected papers presented at the Second International Workshop on Organisational Semiotics, 12 to the 14th of October, 1999, Almelo, The Netherlands"--Pref. lncludes bibliographical references and index. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Knowledge management--congresses. 2. Organizational effectiveness--congresses. 3. Industrial management-odata processing--congresses. 4. Management information systems--congresses. 5. lnformation technology--management --Congresses. 6. Semiotics- Congresses. 1. Title. II. Series. HD '038-dc Copyright 2001 byspringer Science+Business Media New York OriginaIly published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2001 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover lst edition 2001 All rights reserved. No part of this publication rnay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Springer Science+Business Media., ILC. Printed on acid-free paper.

5 Contents Contributors Editors' Preface PART 1: ORGANISATIONS 1. Semiotics, Virtual Organisations and Information Systems Henk W. M. Gazendam 2. Unintended Uses of IS/IT Strategy Planning from an Organizational Semiotics Perspective Michael Heng and Mike Newman 3. Creating the Organisation through Performance Measurements Joop Kielema 4. Toward a Semiotic Theory of Cognitive Dynamics in Organisations Barend P. van Heusden and Rene Jorna PART II: INFORMATION SYSTEMS 5. Organisational Semiotics: Informatics without the computer? Ronald K. Stamper 6. A Semiotic Approach for Distinguishing Responsibilities in Agent-Based Systems Samuel Chong and Kecheng Liu 7. A Semiotic Approach to Organisational Role Modelling for Intelligent Agents Joaquim Filipe; Kecheng Liu and Bernadette Sharp 8. Combining the Demo Methodology with Semiotic Methods in Business Process Modeling Joseph Barjis; Jan L. G. Dietz and Kecheng Liu vii IX

6 Contents PART III: MULTIMEDIA 9. Towards a Systemic Semiotic Approach to Multimedia Interface Design Rodney J. Clarke 10. Instrument Semiotics Michael May and Peter B. Andersen 11. Tearing Up Interfaces Peter B. Andersen and Michael May Subject Index

7 Contributors ANDERSEN, PETER B0GH Center for Human Computer Interaction Department of Information and Media Science, University of Aarhus Abogade 34, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark BARJIS, JOSEPH Department of Information Systems, Delft University of Technology P.O. Box 356, 2600 AJ Delft, The Netherlands j. CHONG, SAMUEL School of Computing, Staffordshire University, Beaconside, Stafford ST18 ODG, United Kingdom CLARKE, RODNEY J. Department of Information Systems, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, North Wollongong, NSW Australia rodney DIETZ, JAN L. G. Faculty of Information Technology and Systems, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 356, 2600 AJ Delft, The Netherlands FILIPE, JOAQUIM Escola Superior de Tecnologia do Instituto Politecnico de Setubal, Rua Vale de Chaves, Estafanilha, 2910 Setubal, Portugal GAZENDAM, HENK W. M. Faculty of Management and Organisation, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands and HENG, MICHAEL Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands vu.nl

8 van HEUSDEN, BAREND P. Department of Comparative Literature and the Faculty of Management and Organisation, University of Groningen P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands b.p. JORNA, RENE Faculty of Management and Organisation University of Groningen P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands KIELEMA, JOOP Nijmegen Business School Thomas van Aquinostraat 1, Nijmegen, The Netherlands LIU, KECHENG School of Computing, Staffordshire University, Beaconside, Stafford ST18 ODG, United Kingdom MAY, MICHAEL Danish Maritime Institute (DMI), Hjortekrersvej 99 DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark NEWMAN, MIKE Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie, Vrije Universiteit De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands SHARP, BERNADETTE School of Computing, Staffordshire University, Beaconside, Stafford ST18 ODG, United Kingdom STAMPER, RONALD K. MEASUR Ltd, London, United Kingdom

9 Editors' Preface This book is the product of a new academic community concerned with applying various theories, methods and techniques in semiotics to the study of organisations. These efforts gained an institutional form in 1995, at the First International Symposium and Workshop on Organisational Semiotics, held at the University of Twente, The Netherlands, 10 th _15 th February The program committee comprised Ronald Stamper (Chair), who then held the position of Professor of Information Management, at the University of Twente, Duda Nauta, then Professor of Automation and Meaning at the University at Twente, and Rodney 1. Clarke, Department of Business Systems, University of Wollongong, Australia. Marc Hafkamp, of the Faculty of Technology and Management, University of Twente together with Ronald Stamper comprised the organising committee for this event. Following the 1995 symposium and workshop, the research community of Organisational Semiotics was formed. This community has committed itself, amongst other topics, to inquiring into the use of information in organisational contexts. The broad issues that concern this community are philosophical, social and technical, using semiotic concepts and methods from an organisational perspective. Most of the researchers in the community adopt the working definition of Organisational Semiotics, proposed at the first workshop; though as any other discipline, concepts, theories and definitions develop and change over time. Organisational Semiotics is seen by its theorists and practitioners as a discipline that concerned with the interrelationships between individuals and groups, and between humans and technology, functioning in organisations and society. Organisational Semiotics opens up the prospect for theory building and the

10 development of new methods and techniques to gain insights into organised behaviour and enacted social practices, in the presence and absence of various technologies. The broad issues that concern researchers in this field are philosophical, social and technical- studied using existing and newly developed semiotic theories and methods. Organisational Semiotics shares common interests with many other approaches to information and organisations, such as "Computer Semiotics", "Computational Semiotics", "Organisational Engineering" and "Language Action Perspective". These interests are reflected in the chapters in this book. The common vision shared by these approaches is to treat organisations and related information systems and technologies within a unified semiotic framework, with particular reference to the huge range of issues that elude many traditional disciplines. A strong motivation behind this research community is the recognition that computer science does not concern itself with the human issues. For example, the social study of the impact of information technology does not address the fine details of how information functions within and between organisations. The analysis and design of information systems develops methods for solving the practical problems preceding software engineering but offers no rigorous, theoretical foundation for them. Those disciplines are not appropriate for addressing many of the problems caused by the rapid growth of global communications with its effects on business, government, the economy and politics. A semiotic perspective can accommodate the individual and the social, the human and the technical, intra- and inter-organisational interactions, at a level of detail that is required in the study, modelling, design and engineering of new and alternative organisational and technical systems. This book and others that will follow in the Studies in Organisational Semiotics mini-series, attempt to fill a void in the existing literature while providing a platform for the work currently being conducted within this community. This book consists of selected papers presented at the Second International Workshop on Organisational Semiotics, 12th to the 14th October 1999, Almelo, The Netherlands. The program committee for this conference included Kecheng Liu (Chair), University of Staffordshire, United Kingdom; Peter BliSgh Andersen, University of Aarhus, Denmark; Rodney J. Clarke, University of Wollongong, Australia; Jan Dietz, University of Delft, The Netherlands; Marc Hafkamp, University of Twente, The Netherlands; Joaquim Filipe, Escola Superior de Tecnologia, Portugal; Anastasia Pagnoni Holt, University di Milano, Italy; Robert A Stegwee, University of Twente, The Netherlands, and Yasser Ades, University of Greenwich, UK. The Workshop Secretary was Samuel Chong, University of Staffordshire, United

11 Kingdom, ably supported by the orgamsmg committee that consisted of Katrien Hendriks, Omar Ghalloudi and Michael larmohamed all from University of Twente, The Netherlands. The editors gratefully acknowledge the on-going support of Marc Hafkamp and Prof. Robert Stegwee and the University of Twente, The Netherlands in supporting these events. A considerable part of the ongoing growth and continued viability of this community is due to the process by which papers are reviewed and refereed. Each chapter has gone through a substantial revision taking into account the constructive criticism of workshop participants and comments from the discussants assigned to each paper. Special thanks are extended to those members of the Programme Committee who, along with the editors of this volume, were selected as discussants assigned to offer detailed critical comments and assistance with chapter revisions. They include Owen Eriksson, Dalarna University, Sweden; Michael Heng, Free University, The Netherlands; loop Kielema from Nijmegen Business School, The Netherlands; Mikael Lind, University of BonIs, Sweden and Robert A. Stegwee, University of Twente, The Netherlands. Sincere thanks are also due to Samuel Chong and Lily Sun, both from University of Staffordshire, for their assistance in the production of the material, such as generating indices, checking and polishing the final manuscripts. This book reflects the recent development of Organisational Semiotics, and related methods and techniques available. Many of the chapters describe and illustrate with examples how semiotic methods and techniques can be applied to organisational analysis and information systems development. The primary aim of this book is to disseminate these theories and methods to a wider audience of educators, researchers and practitioners. This book is organised into three parts. The first part contains papers with the common theme of Organisations. The second part contains papers under the theme of Information Systems. The third part contains papers under the theme of Multimedia. Kecheng Liu, Rodney 1. Clarke, Peter Bj1jgh Anderson, Ronald K. Stamper