This article focuses on core ideas behind an information centric approach concerning stability in databases. We investigate if and how data stability is obtained when an information centric approach is implemented in practice. The results of our two case studies reveal four tactics focusing on actions conducted in order to obtain and maintain stability in databases: (1) change avoidance, (2) anticipated generalization, (3) constructive standardization, and (4) expansion to new application areas. Based on our empirical findings, we argue that data stability is a result of social construction in organizations rather than just an effect of structured information systems planning. The contributions in this paper can be used to explain IS design effects in organizations and analyze organizational situations from a data stability perspective.

This paper questions the idea of data stability. We focus on core ideas behind an information centric strategy concerning stability in databases (created through enterprise-wide data modeling). We investigate if and how data stability is obtained when an information centric strategy is implemented in practice. We claim that, even though there are many research contributions about information centric strategies, there are still few papers focusing on problems concerning consequences of the strategies’ practical implementation. This is, however, an important issue since data integration is a key element of strategic management in, e.g., ERP-systems, data mining applications, and service-oriented architecture (SOA). It is, thus, most important not to neglect existing experiences, when developing the IT systems of tomorrow. The result of our two case studies reveal four tactics focusing on actions conducted to obtain and maintain stability in databases. The tactics are 1) change avoidance, 2) anticipated generalization, 3) constructive standardization, and 4) expansion to new application areas.

 The paper explores the notion of ‘organisational capability’. We argue that an organisation’s competitiveness does not only depend on knowledge; communication and technology are other important features. Thus, when developing the organisational capability it is not enough to only focus on knowledge and its management. We also need to encompass improvement of communication and artefact functionality. These parts of the capability – knowledge, communication, and technology – should not be handled separately but as mutually dependent, as expansion of one part often affect the other two.

This paper is about the knowledge transferring between IT-consultants. IT-consultants are involved in many complex and challenging situations. They need to manage organisational, semantic and technical issues. Managing this complexity requires a high and a variety of competences. Examples of competences needed are business development, project management, information system development methods and techniques. An IT-consultant often makes continuous movements between different assignments and clients. The competence developed is often individually based. Individually based knowledge is not sufficient since the IT-consultants have to carry organisational working procedures. Furthermore, the competence needed is not static; it is something that should evolve dynamically. In this paper we are proposing a collective competence development approach. The collective competence development approach consists of a process model and a conceptual model. The aim of both these models is to make individual based knowledge as subject to collective reflection.

Handlingsbarhet är ett perspektiv på IT-system lyfter fram vad som görs vid ITanvändning. Perspektivet innebär att handlingar som utförs av människor och ITsystem kommer i fokus. Handlingsbarhet definieras som: -Ett IT-systems förmåga att utföra handlingar, och att befrämja, möjliggöra och underlätta handlingar som utförs av IT-systemets användare både genom IT-systemet och baserat på information från IT-systemet i en verksamhetskontext.- I detta perspektiv ses IT-system som instrument för teknikmedierad verksamhetskommunikation. Rapporten förklarar utförligt perspektivet och begreppet handlingsbarhet. Bl.a förklaras skillnader mellan handlingsbarhet och användbarhet samt skillnader mellan handlingsbarhet och avbildningstänkande. Teoretiska grunder i form av socioinstrumentell pragmatism redogörs för. Olika modeller och principer för handlingsbarhet presenteras; bl.a en kommunikativ modell av användargränssnitt och den sk ElemantarInterAktionsLoopen. Tio principer för handlingsbarhet presenteras: tydlig handlingsrepertoar, tillgodosedda kommunikationsbehov, lättnavigerbart, handlingstransparent, tydlig feedback, tydligt och lättåtkomligt verksamhetsminne, personifierat, känd och begriplig verksamhetsvokabulär, intentionellt tydligt samt handlingsstödjande. Handlingsbarhet har operationaliserats i form av metoder för design av IT-system samt utvärdering av IT-system. Olika delar av designmetodik beskrivs: Modellering av processer, modellering av systemanvändning, modellering av IT-system. Utvärdering av IT-system beskrivs genom sex strategier som är uppbyggda utifrån ett antal generiska situationer: Målbaserad utvärdering, målfri utvärdering, kriteriebaserad utvärdering, samt IT-system som sådana vs IT-system i användning.

The aim of this research is to suggest a method for collective competence development among IT-consultants. IT-consultants are involved in many challenging situations. They need to manage different organisational,semantic and technical issues. Managing this complexity requires a variety of competences. Examples of competences needed are business development,project management and information system development. The competence developed is often individually based. Due to the competition between consultancy firms it is not sufficient with an individually based consult competence; rather the IT-consultants have to carry joint work procedures of the organisation. A consultancy firm possessing a high organisational competence is selling more than working hours; they are selling a reflected development approach. The competence of the IT-consultants is decisive concerning the outcome in the clients’ organisations. The reasons for suggesting a reflective and structured approach for collective competence development are: 1) many IT-consultants are exchange experiences only hastily and at random. This means an ad hoc development of joint competencies. 2) IT-consultants often collaborate with clients rather than withother IT-consultants. If the IT-consultant is the only representative from the IT-organisation the interaction with other consultants is limited. The character of the IT-consultants’ work situation means that there is a risk that the competencies resides only on an individual level and that they will not be properly transferred to the collective and organisational level. We have been inspired by theories such as: experiential learning, organisational learning,knowledge-in-action and storytelling. The method development has been based on empirical data from two IT-consultancy firms. The main message of the paper is to argue for the need of a structured collective competence development process and that it is not sufficient to rely on sporadic and occasional knowledge exchange.

 The aim of this paper is to contribute to the decision of how to perform evaluation depending on the evaluation context. Three general strategies of how to perform evaluation together with two general strategies of what to evaluate are identified. From the three "how-strategies" and the two "what-strategies" we derive a matrix consisting of six generic types of evalua-tion. Each one of the six types are categorised on a ideal typical level.

The paper discusses how theories from the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and the information system development fields can be combined in order to achieve more actable, and thus more usable, information systems. More specifically, one aim of this research is to create a reconciliation of the HCI perspectives of usability with the language action perspective into what we call actuability. The paper discusses advantages and limitations found in both the language action perspective and in prevalent HCI theories.

Interoperability in e-government has been recognized as a key factor in the quest of administrations at national, local and international level to achieve the provision of one-stop services to citizens and businesses. Interoperability in e-government should enable efficient information exchange between applications from different agencies with the help of IT-services. Interoperability in networked IT-service delivery is accomplished by e-infrastructures. However, knowledge of how to develop e-infrastructures in the public sector is still limited. In this paper we report a design science case study of the initial stage of the design of a public sector e-infrastructure in the social welfare sector, especially addressing the bootstrap problem, i.e. the initial problem of starting-up the development of an e-infrastructure. Six types of preconditions for the development of the e-infrastructure are examined and explained: legal, economical, organizational and the installed base of the as-is e-infrastructure consisting of technical, informational and contractual preconditions. From a design and action oriented perspective we claim that a basic understanding of the design context, within which the six types of preconditions have to be analyzed and understood, are essential for e-infrastructure development in an e-government context. The paper highlights the fundamental role of regulations as a precondition for the design, and the fundamental role of lawyers as designers of e-infrastructures in the public sector.

Information systems actability theory builds on a communicative action perspective on IS. Information systems are seen as instruments for technology mediated work communication. Human actors are communicating (i.e. sending and/or receiving messages) through an information system. Information systems actability emphasises pragmatic dimensions of information systems. The paper presents 19 actability criteria divided into three groups: 1) criteria concerning user-system interaction, 2) criteria concerning user-through-system-to-user communication, and 3) criteria concerning information system’s contribution to workpractice processes. These actability criteria should be possible to use in design and evaluation of information systems.

This paper investigates an approach to human-computer interaction - actability theory - that emphasises human-via-computer-to-human interaction. This social action approach to HCI is confronted with affordance theory by Gibson; an ecological theory of perception. The notion of affordance is compared and related to actability. Different IT usage situations described in actability theory are critically examined. A re-conceptualisation of these situations is made and this refined conceptualisation is used to classify different usage situations of a municipal case coordination system as a small empirical illustration and test. In the last part of the paper, the definition of an actable IT system is revised. The IT affordances of different IT usage situations are clarified.  

Interaction between Information technology and business process has initiated the development of Language action perspective (LAP). The general Idea is to get a business model of how people, through conversion, coordinate their work. Action Workflows and DEMO are general business modeling methods based on Language - action perspective (LAP), can be used for modeling coordination within one organization (intraorganizational coordination). Each phase of action workflow loop consists of communicative action workflow loop consists of communicative actions and not only information transfer. The passage of a business transaction continuously changes the business relation between the business parties, interactions create obligations, authorizations, fulfillment's of obligations and business interAction and Transaction (BAT) model helps to direct attention to these issues.

Action research and design research are two prominent research approaches in information systems. These two research approach have been claimed to be similar according to several conducted comparisons. There are, however, other claims that they are decisively dissimilar. Some scholars have proposed integrations of these two research approaches, which however show great diversity. These diversities in views of similarities, differences and integration possibilities are the main impetus for this work. This conceptual inquiry takes a new angle in comparing and integrating action research and design research. It uses a third position, the research approach of practice research as a yardstick and integration instrument. Action research and design research are studied and compared using practice research. This comparison has been driven further to a proposed integration within the conceptualisation of practice research. An integrated model of action research and design research is presented and given the label practice research through intervention and design (PR-ID).

The paper addresses the problems of scientific conceptualisation in order to avoid diffuse abstractedness. It proposes the use of an ontology consisting of the following categories: 1) humans, 2) human inner worlds which consist of 2a) intrasubjective parts and 2b) intersubjective parts (shared knowledge and social institutions), 3) human actions, 4) symbolic objects (signs), 5) artefacts (artificially made material objects) and 6) natural environment. This approach also includes a reflective way of using language. Words and corresponding language games are investigated in order to clarify the scientific concepts.

This paper addresses the important paradigmatic issue of how to conceive the science of information systems (IS). It investigates especially the relations between IS science and its empirical fields (development and usage of information systems). One possible view of IS science is reviewed; an artefact science view. With inspiration from and critique of this view another view is articulated: Information systems as a science of the practical. Elements of this IS science view are outlined. This is made through exploring the practice concept. The character of IS practices as complex, multi-facetted phenomena are described. Ten paradigmatic principles for a practice oriented IS science are proposed. Central in the practice view of IS science is its ability to contribute to improvements of IS practices. This is especially clarified through formulating knowledge interests for an IS science of the practical.  

The paper examines one of the corner-stones of the language/action (LAP) approaches: communication loop modelling. This kind of modelling is used in approaches like Action Workflow and DEMO and it includes the modelling of two fundamental roles; customer and performer. The paper extends earlier critical analysis of two-role models. It introduces the principle of multi-responsiveness, meaning that one organisational action can be a response to several different communication acts. The difference between a present triggering initiative and trans-situational background initiatives are described. The paper uses a reference case, the pizza shop case, well-known in the LAP community through earlier use in many papers.

 The paper examines one of the corner-stones of the language/action (LAP) approaches: communication loop modelling. This kind of modelling is used in approaches like Action Workflow and DEMO and it includes the modelling of two fundamental roles; customer and performer. The paper extends earlier critical analysis of two-role models. It introduces the principle of multi-responsiveness, meaning that one organisational action can be a response to several different communication acts. The difference between a present triggering initiative and trans-situational background initiatives are described. The paper uses a reference case, the pizza shop case, well-known in the LAP community through earlier use in many papers 

Communication modelling approaches within the Language Action Perspective (LAP) are based on two important theoretical cornerstones: 1) considering language use as action and 2) organisation of communication in accordance with pre-defined patterns. The basis for the first cornerstone can be found in speech act theory, but the basis for other must be searched for elsewhere. The paper investigates the origin for many LAP approaches, the Conversation-for-action schema of Winograd & Flores. It tries to detect an influence from the sociological approach of conversational analysis. Could conversational analysis be a basis for the study of communicative patterns within LAP? A discussion is pursued concerning differences between and possibilities to combine speech act theory and conversational analysis within LAP. This discussion, which is supported by the use of a simple example of business interaction, concludes with a contestation - in a spirit of conversational analysis - of a too heavy use of pre-defined patterns incommunication modelling.

This paper investigates if design research in e-government should be conducted in some special way compared with standard models for design research. It reviews literature in e-government and design research in order to generate an answer to this research question. The result is affirmative that the policy character of e-government should have consequences for the way that e-government design research is conducted. A tentative e-government design research model, consisting of different activities is formulated. This model consists of the activities: theorizing, policy analysis, workpractice analysis, co-design and co-evaluation of IT artefact and workpractice. One important result from this paper is the formulation of the concept of the policy-ingrained artefact as an important empirical result from e-government design research.

Design research (DR) is an emergent research approach within information systems. There exist demands to clarify the meta-scientific foundations for this approach. Different responses to these demands are made. There exist attempts to position DR within interpretivism and critical realism. Some scholars have suggested pragmatism as an appropriate paradigm base for design research. This paper has taken pragmatism as a candidate paradigm and it has investigated and elaborated the epistemological foundations for DR. Different epistemic types of DR are identified using a pragmatist perspective. Design research is also related to four aspects/types of pragmatism: Local functional pragmatism (as the design of a useful artefact), general functional pragmatism (as creating design theories and methods aimed for general practice), referential pragmatism (focusing artefact affordances and actions) and methodological pragmatism (knowledge development through making).

This paper contributes to the clarification of a design science epistemology. Itpresents different epistemic types related to three stages of the design science process:1) Evaluative and explanatory background knowledge (pre-design knowledge), 2) prospective knowledge with design hypotheses (in-design knowledge) and 3) prescriptive knowledge with design principles (post-design knowledge). The epistemological inquiry adoptsa pragmatist approach and is pursued through a review of design science literature andinformed by an empirical design case on digital support for social welfare allowances.The clarified design science epistemology shows a diversified epistemological landscapewith several epistemic types: evaluative, critical, appreciative, normative, explanatory,prospective, prescriptive, categorial and attributive knowledge. Ways to express theseepistemic types have been proposed in principal clauses. Ways of grounding have beenclarified for each epistemic type. Proposals are given on how to utilize the design science epistemology in relation to design science process models and publication schemas.

Action research (AR) has gained more acceptance as an approach to qualitative research in information systems (IS). The complexities of organisational and technical change makes this approach a suitable one in IS research. There are, however, still some controversies and confusions about the relation between "action" and "research". The many types of AR and similar approaches (not labelled as AR) that have emerged demand further conceptual clarification of AR. A conceptual inquiry of AR, presented in the paper, has led to the identification of several unresolved issues concerning intervention research like AR. An alternative research approach is presented: practice research. This research approach is well founded in pragmatism and it is founded on the two premises: 1) to contribute to general practice through abstract and useful knowledge and 2) to study the empirical field as interconnected practices. Several important concepts of practice research are described as: local practice contribution vs. general practice contribution; theorizing vs. situational inquiry; abstract vs. situational knowledge. These notions and their pragmatist foundations can help to sharpen AR as a qualitative research approach. Practice research is defined as a broader notion encompassing AR and other research approaches as e.g. design research and evaluation research. Two case examples of practice research are briefly presented and compared: one AR-based study in the social welfare sector and one evaluation study of a taxation e-service.

This paper investigates the notion of an ensemble artefact. This concept is proposed by Sein et al (2011) in their description of the Action Design Research method. This concept is based on the ensemble view of IT artefacts, which is described by Orlikowski & Iacono (2001) together with four other views. The conceptual journey from ensemble view to ensemble artefact is found problematic and is the impetus for a conceptual inquiry conducted in this paper. The conceptual investigation is supported by the use of a case illustration of an IT artefact in the social welfare sector. The different views from Orlikowski & Iacono are analysed and com-pared. The suggested conceptualisation of IT artefacts based on the ensemble view, made by Orlikowski & Iacono, is also analysed. Based on these analyses an alternative view is articu-lated: A communication tool view of IT artefacts. This view is compared with the ensemble view, especially in a design research context. The notion of ensemble artefact is contested, as is the suggested use of it as a main conceptual basis in design research.

This paper presents a simple model for e-government research consisting of three notions: policy, design and effects. This model should be seen as programmatic statement for e-government research. Central in the model is design process and designed products of egov artefacts. Design is in the egov context considered to be a process of policy implementation. The policy background of egov systems are thus seen as pivotal to study. The use of egov systems by different types of users will lead to different kinds of effects. There might be positive and negative effects and the effects might be intended or un-intended. The model is grounded in earlier and on-going research in e-government. The model is also operationalised in different research themes, which can be interpreted as a research agenda. The model is also related to current discourses in information systems concerning the need to focus the IT artefact, practice theorizing and design research.

Purpose - This paper presents a new theoretical model (the Generic Regulation Model - GRM) which is aimed for e-government development. There is a need for such a generic model in order to describe and analyse the regulation that occurs in the interaction between governmental agencies and citizens.

Design/methodology/approach - This new model has evolved through an action research project/practical inquiry in e-government. The project area was personal assistance to disabled persons. The practical inquiry has comprised generation and application of the GRM model (as a kind of empirical grounding) and also some initial theoretical grounding.

Findings - In the e-government project there was a need to conceptualize the relations between different governmental agencies and clients. As a response to this need a generic model and a corresponding situational model were developed. The generic model consists of three layers: 1) legislation as general regulation, 2) application of legislation for issuing decisions (= individual rules), i.e. specific regulation, 3) application of general and individual rules in regulated practices. The paper also gives an epistemological account of the evolution of the new GRM model. GRM is considered to be a practical theory and it has evolved through a design-oriented practical inquiry.

Originality/value – The paper presents this new Generic Regulation Model. The GRM model should be adequate to apply in many e-government situations, since there are often regulation issues at stake. The GRM model should be used in the design and evaluation of e-government applications.

Information systems actability is a theoretical and methodological approach to technology-based information systems in organizations. Its emphasis is on communication and its basic view is that information systems are instruments for technology-mediated work communication. It received its original theoretical inspiration from speech act theory and the language action perspective. Information systems actability has been further developed and it has obtained theoretical inspiration from many other traditions and theories. This article presents a coherent analysis and view of information systems actability and traces its different theoretical roots. Besides the language action perspective and speech act theory, information systems actability gets its current theoretical backing from theories and knowledge traditions like pragmatic philosophy, classical semiotics, social action theories, affordance theory, semiotic HCI engineering, conversation analysis, discourse theory, and activity theory. The article contributes with a synthesizing analysis of different information systems actability publications and reconstructs the theory and presents it in a condensed form in fourteen propositions.

This paper explores the contrast between 1) the rhetoric and visions in Swedish national e-government policy and 2) practical problems in real e-government development. In this respect it particularly explores the possibilities and obstacles for an innovative e-government development in relation to the highly regulated environment of public administration. The paper uses a case study on e-government development (allowances for personal assistance to disabled persons) for analysis and illustration. Different kinds of regulations are investigated (general administrative regulations, domain-specific regulations, e-government policies) and their roles as barriers and enablers are identified. The value balancing between different sets of regulations is seen as a key issue with regards to how to establish an e-government with a high degree of process innovation. The paper advocates for a value balancing process characterized as a systemic approach with identifying and prioritizing basic values. Value balancing is investigated through a socio-pragmatic framework on institutions and interpreted as a kind of meta-institutional activity.

Samtidigt som många hävdar att vi går mot ett ökat tjänstesamhälle, så har vi aldrig tidigare i historien varit så översköljda av ting, tekniska prylar och andra materiella artefakter (Castells, 1996). Det finns en till synes paradox i samhällsutvecklingen; en ökad tjänstefiering och en ökad tingifiering. Detta bidrag kan placeras mitt i denna ”paradox”; om hur tjänster formas, styrs och produceras avseende informationstekniska artefakter. Moderna organisationer är för sin verksamhet ofta helt beroende av olika IT-system. Det är helt enkelt så att många verksamhetskritiska uppgifter genomförs idag i och genom IT-system. Det blir därmed viktigt att dessa system är väl fungerande; både tekniskt och funktionellt. IT-system behöver successivt anpassas till nya förutsättningar i verksamheten. För detta krävs IT-relaterade tjänster av olika slag. Det kan handla om leverans/utbyte av tekniska komponenter, driftssupport, användarhandledning, felkorrigeringar i system, mindre ändringar, tillägg av nya funktioner, införande av nya programvaror eller nya releaser eller andra liknande insatser för att vidmakthålla och vidareutveckla verksamhetens samlade IT-portfölj.

Action research is now a well established research approach within information systems. Action research is defined as having dual purposes; contributing to changes in a local practice and to the scientific body of knowledge. It is often seen as way to ensure practical relevance in the research. However, in the definitions of action research nothing is explicitly said about the need to develop general knowledge of practical relevance and usefulness. As an alternative and a complement to action research, another research approach is elaborated: practical inquiry. This approach relies on pragmatic philosophy. Practical inquiry shares many similarities with action research, but there are some important differences. The purpose of a practical inquiry is, through empirical study on practical matters in local practices, to contribute to general practical knowledge. This practical knowledge will be part of the scientific body of knowledge and it aims to be useful for practical affairs. In many situations, practical inquiry will also include intervention, of varying degrees, into the studied local practices. The general practical knowledge is often formulated as practical theories. Purposes and constituents of practical theories are described. An illustration of a combined practical inquiry and action research study is described in the paper.

Information systems actability theory builds on a communicative action perspective on IS. Information systems are seen as instruments for technology mediated work communication. Human actors are communicating (i.e. sending and/or receiving messages) through an information system. Information systems actability emphasises pragmatic dimensions of information systems. The paper presents 18 actability criteria divided into three groups: 1) criteria concerning user-system interaction, 2) criteria concerning user-through-system-to-user communication, and 3) criteria concerning information system’s contribution to workpractice processes. These actability criteria should be possible to use in design and evaluation of information systems.

Qualitative research is often associated with interpretivism, but alternatives do exist. Besides critical research and sometimes positivism, qualitative research in information systems can be performed following a paradigm of pragmatism. This paradigm is associated with action, intervention and constructive knowledge. This paper has picked out interpretivism and pragmatism as two possible and important research paradigms for qualitative research in information systems. It clarifies each paradigm in an ideal-typical fashion and then conducts a comparison revealing commonalities and differences. It is stated that a qualitative researcher must either adopt an interpretive stance aiming towards an understanding that is appreciated for being interesting; or a pragmatist stance aiming for constructive knowledge that is appreciated for being useful in action. The possibilities of combining pragmatism and interpretivism in qualitative research in information systems are analysed. A research case (conducted through action research (AR) and design research (DR)) that combines interpretivism and pragmatism is used as an illustration. It is stated in the paper that pragmatism has influenced IS research to a fairly large extent, albeit in a rather implicit way. The paradigmatic foundations are seldom known and explicated. This paper contributes to a further clarification of pragmatism as an explicit research paradigm for qualitative research in information systems. Pragmatism is considered an appropriate paradigm for AR and DR.

A need for pragmatic conceptualisation and theorizing in the information systems field is acknowledged. Instead of -importing- completed action theories from reference disciplines an alternative approach is preferred. In order to arrive at seamless theorizing in IS, a theoretical synthesis of different action aspects is developed well adapted to the IS field. The theoretical roots and some essentials of this adapted theoretical synthesis - socio-instrumental pragmatism - are described in the paper.

A socio-instrumental service modelling approach is presented through a tax declaration case study. Three different service alternatives have been investigated (two paper form alternatives and one e-service). These service alternatives have been studied through service interaction modelling, contextual service definitions and service pattern analysis. Service effects have been identified at both service parties; the service provider (the Tax Agency) and the service clients (companies). These service effects were dependent on affordances of services and service pre-conditions. These affordances can be of both social and technical-instrumental character. This study has contributed with service modelling methods and a new socio-instrumental conceptualisation of services. Important new notions are: reciprocal service effect, interdependence of services and service pre-conditions, unintended service affordances, reciprocal facilitation through service interaction. These concepts lead to the new concept of co-service.

Design research (DR) has matured as an important research approach within information systems. It can be seen as a response to the quest of more focus on the IT artefact. Besides the IT artefact, there are other important artefacts to build and study in DR. There are models and prototypes which are produced during information systems development. This paper has investigated the empirics of design research, especially activities and outcomes. Based on a conceptual inquiry of design research literature and two cases of design research, a conceptual clarification of design research empirics has been established. Two cases of public e-service design form the empirical bases for this conceptual development. The empirics of design research (i.e. a design practice) is distinguished from the theorizing part of DR. Empirical data of DR to be used for theorizing consist of produced artefacts, embedded data collection for design and theory-required data collection. Three types of evaluation in DR are distinguished: Embedded evaluation in design activities, explicit formative evaluation with data from use settings and theory-required evaluation in order to assure theoretical validity of results.

This paper presents a new theoretical model (the Generic Regulation Model - GRM) which is aimed for e-government development. This model has evolved through an action research project in e-government. The project has worked in the area of personal assistance to disabled persons. In this project there was a need to conceptualize the relations between different governmental agencies and the clients. As a response to this need a generic model and a situational model were developed. The new generic model (GRM) is theoretically based on another theoretic model (the Generic Exchange Model - GEM). GRM does not replace the GEM model. It is partially a specialisation of the GEM model and it is intended to be used in regulation contexts. A claim is that the GRM model is adequate in many e-government situations, since there is often some regulation issue at stake. The paper also gives an epistemological account of the evolution of the new GRM model. GRM is considered to be a practical theory and it has evolved through a practical inquiry (the action research project on personal assistance). The practical inquiry has included application of the GRM model (as a kind of empirical grounding) and also some initial theoretical grounding.