1 / 41

IMS5024 Information Systems Modelling

IMS5024 Information Systems Modelling. Human Activity modelling. Content. Soft Systems Methodology. Why consider human behaviour?. Started with participation History of participation - refer back to Hirschheim et al. Early ISD payed lip service to participation

olympe
Download Presentation

IMS5024 Information Systems Modelling

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. IMS5024 Information Systems Modelling Human Activity modelling

  2. Content • Soft Systems Methodology

  3. Why consider human behaviour? • Started with participation • History of participation - refer back to Hirschheim et al. • Early ISD payed lip service to participation • System technically viable – but fails because?

  4. History of ISD methodologies

  5. History of ISD methodologies(2)

  6. History of ISD methodologies(3)

  7. Answers to these problems: • More than interviews • HCI • End user computing • JAD and JRP • Prototyping

  8. Three levels of participation: • Consultative – lowest level • Representative – design group, equal say • Consensus- involve all user department staff, user driven

  9. Human Activity modelling view of ISD: Human-oriented Conventional after Fig 7.1 Avison & Fitzgerald

  10. Soft Systems Methodology • (always abbreviated to SSM) • came from the failure of systems engineering to solve management problems • applies systems thinking to messy problems • not a development methodology

  11. rationale for SSM • humans attribute meaning to what they experience and observe • we form intentions and take action based on the meanings we derive • new experiences can change the meaning we attribute • this is called learning

  12. application of SSM • people take purposeful action • using Information Systems as tools • if analysts understand their intentions we can build better tools • SSM brings rigour to the process of understanding

  13. the basic shapeof SSM Checkland and Scholes (1990) p29

  14. the process of doing SSM • a situation is interpreted by some as being a problem which they want to fix • the situation is a product of history • it has a cultural dimension and a logic-based dimension • the one informs the other so that agreed action is both culturally feasible and systemically desirable

  15. activities in an SSM study • identify and engage the problem situation • express the problem situation • define “systems” which might be relevant • model the relevant systems • compare them with the real world and discuss • identify changes agreed to be feasible and desirable • take action to change the situation

  16. the cultural enquiry • understand the situation • record your understanding diagrammatically • analyse the intervention • identify the roles being played • place the roles in their social context • try to identify the political dimension in the problem situation

  17. understanding the situation • Rich Picture Diagram • interested parties • alliances • feuds • values • constraints • perceptions • documents the people-related issues

  18. Rich Picture Diagrams • you don’t have to be an artist! • it would take too many words to express • shows complexity better than linear prose • for the use of the analyst alone; not a communication tool • refer: Lewis, Avison & Wood-Harper, Avison & Fitzgerald

  19. Rich PictureDiagram Checkland and Scholes (1990) p47

  20. RPD examples • Checkland and Scholes (1990) figures 2.13, 2.14 pp46-47 • Avison and Fitzgerald (1995) figure 4.2 p112 • Lewis P.J in EJIS 1,5 pp351-360

  21. Analysis One • analysis of the intervention itself • who is the client? • who is the would-be problem solver? • who is the problem owner?

  22. Analysis Two • roles • norms • values • the interaction of these three determines the social fabric of the situation

  23. Analysis Two Checkland and Scholes (1990) p49

  24. Analysis Three • who has power in the situation? • how is it manifest? • who can you believe? • you can’t ask straight questions • what do you do when they wont tell you? • can the politics ruin the whole exercise?

  25. Content • Rich pictures • Root definitions • Conceptual models • SSM • Others (Multiview, Ethics) • Place in ISD • Evaluation of Human Activity modelling

  26. Reading for next week Checkland and Scholes. 1999. Chapter 2, pp 44-58 Lewis, P. 1992. European Journal of Information Systems 1, 5, pp351-360 Davies, L. 1988. Journal of Applied Systems Analysis 15, 1, pp31-36

  27. human activity systems • like natural systems and designed systems, they are useful descriptors • different from the actions which people undertake in life • a conceptual rather than a descriptive model • but, a conceptual model from somebody’s point of view

  28. Relevant Systems a system to… ….perfectly perform some function • each person involved will have a point of view on what is the perfect performance

  29. selecting relevant systems • no system is inherently relevant to a given problem situation • Primary Task system • Issue-based systems • metaphors can help conceptualise systems

  30. Relevant system • a system (in the philosophical sense) that is helpful for understanding a real-world situation • scope / boundary • defined purpose • input - transformation - output • consistent / dependable • it is a human activity system

  31. naming relevant systems • a Root Definition (the name) expresses the essence of a particular relevant system • It is a transformation from input to output • “A system to do X by means of Y in order to achieve Z” • best done by considering the elements of the CATWOE mnemonic

  32. CATWOE mnemonic C ustomers A ctors T ransformation W eltanschauung O wners E nvironment The Core issues

  33. Relevant system / Root Definition • There may be many for any one real world situation • One primary task Root Definition • Many issue-based task Root Definitions

  34. conceptual models • the minimum set of activities necessary to undertake the transformation • based on logical contingency • may be hierarchically decomposed • represented as process bubbles linked by contingency arrows • includes monitoring and control

  35. conceptual model structure Must do this before the last activity 2 Do this activity first 1 Take control action Then you can do this activity 3 Only do this after the other activities 4 Monitor 1 - 4 Define performance criteria

  36. what use is the model? • it is an ideal type relevant to the problem • it is neither valid nor invalid, only defensible or indefensible in terms of the problem • Used to start a discussion about the model and its relevance to the problem • Does this model suggest some action for improvement of the problem situation?

  37. achieving results • several methods of testing the models • search for agreement not compromise • the whole problem wont be “solved” • make the agreed changes • reflect on their outcome • do the whole process over again until agreement to finish

  38. comparison matrix from Checkland & Scholes (1990) p43

  39. Advantages/ Benefits of Human Activity modelling • Include different perspectives on a problem situation • Compare reality with the conceptual model • Participation of affected people essential • Change is a central element of the process • Others??

  40. Disadvantages of Human Activity modelling • Only useable in soft problems • Can take a long time to reach consensus • Some managers see this as silly • Not well used • Others??

  41. References Checkland and Scholes (1990) Soft Systems Methodology in Action. John Wiley & Sons Avison and Fitzgerald (2003) Information Systems Development. 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill Stowell (1995) Information Systems Provision. McGraw-Hill.

More Related