The purpose of this paper is to challenge some of the cornerstones of the grounded theory approach and propose an extended and alternative approach for data analysis and theory development, which the authors call multi-grounded theory (MGT). A multi-grounded theory is not only empirically grounded; it is also grounded in other ways. Three different grounding processes are acknowledged: theoretical, empirical, and internal grounding. The authors go beyond the pure inductivist approach in GT and add the explicit use of external theories. A working procedure of theory development in MGT is presented, which can be seen as an extension of the grounded theory approach.

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.

There are different interpretations of which core values eGovernment build on and promote. Some scholars see eGovernment as a direct follower to New Public Management (NPM), and as such supporting and promoting values and principles from the business sector. Others see eGovernment as a promoter of bureaucratic values supporting and promoting the values of traditional weberian ideal bureaucracy. The main issue in this paper is management strategy for public administration. Three examples of such management strategies are examined and compared: traditional bureaucracy, New Public Management and eGovernment. When investigating these strategies it is necessary to distinguish between strategy as idea and strategy in action. Core values of the management strategies are reconstructed and used as a lens through which a case study of eGovernment is analyzed. The implemented eGovernment-solution comprise values from both NPM and bureaucracy. Neither bureaucracy nor NPM alone supply the core values for eGovernment as a practical management strategy. The paper concludes with a dialectical structure where Bureaucracy is the thesis, NPM the anti-thesis and eGovernment the practical synthesis.

The objective of this paper is to suggest new business models and supporting arrangements for open source software in the public sector, specifically for municipalities. Methodologically, the study was carried out as a practical inquiry. Results from the initial diagnosis of longitudinal case studies 2005-2008 in a Swedish network of 80 collaborating municipalities, and a survey 2008 to all Swedish national and local authorities, indicated that Swedish municipalities do not use OSS to a large extent for several reasons, and that experience sharing and a supporting framework were requested. As a solution, a semi-open business model framework was suggested. This framework was developed and implemented in the form of action research. Evaluation of the implementation indicated two major conclusions presented in this paper. First, it that a semi-open source business model could strengthen the community, in so motto that the user-driven innovative solutions stay under control of the user organization. This prevents that the customer’s own development efforts in collaborative projects unintentionally are transferred to supplier companies, and need to be re-purchased in the form of packaged solutions, a phenomena that was observed in several previously studied cases. Second, it was concluded that the semi-open source business model can work only if both customer-side and supplier-side can take advantage. An open attitude to enhance fulfilment of the supplier’s drivers, such as commercialization opportunities, is needed from the customer side. Otherwise important knowledge contributions from suppliers may be limited.

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.

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.

In order to find the most appropriate fit between media to use and density of interaction in distance shopping, a thorough analysis of customer communication is needed. In this paper, the authors present two examples of such in-depth analysis (e-mail and telephone conversations). These analyses are based on a socio-pragmatic communication framework. The result uncovers deep complexities in the communication process between employees of distance selling companies and their customers. This complexity includes a number of different areas, such as the change of topicalisation of a conversation and context-dependence. The analysis of these customer conversations has also been translated into possible recommendations for customer communication.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

Today there exist a lot of public e-services. An unsolved quest still however is how to categorize such e-services. Stage-models are today dominating for pinpointing high-range characteristics of e-services. There relies however confusion in whether these stage models are prescriptions of desired e-services. A need for classifying middle-range categories of e-services as a support for guiding development and refinement of e-services as well as a support for citizens to select and find e-services. In this paper such classification of middle-range categories of e-services, based on foundational action-theoretic categories founded in the e-diamond model, is made. Based on a categorization of 335 public e-services in Sweden four classes of middle-range categories are identified; Government informative, Government performative, Citizen informative, and Citizen performative. Within each of these categories sub categories such as separate vs. compound, and individual vs. general is used for the purpose of make an even more fine-grained classification 

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contrast two views, a transformative and a coordinative view, on business process management (BPM) in order to propose an integrated view. Design/methodology/approach: The investigation has been made with the purpose of developing a synthesis of these two views working as thesis and antithesis. The core of such dialectic approach is to create a synthesis that transcends contradictions of the thesis and antithesis. Pros and cons in the two perspectives have been identified and an integrated process view has been proposed, as well as operationalised into modelling methods. The integrated process view comprises a number of definitions of different process types (business process, assignment process, transformation process and provision process). Findings: The paper derives characteristics of the transformative as well as the coordinative view. These are used as the basis for pinpointing important characteristics of an integrative view. These characteristics put forward coordination in relation to transformation as well as assignment processes in relation to other types of processes (such as transformation processes and provision processes) Practical implications - The proposed integrated view has practical implications in the work of modelling, analysing and designing business processes. Originality/value: The value of the paper is that it presents a complementary view on business processes derived from two existing views. In the paper, coordination aspects are seen as superior to transformation. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

One major reason for doing evaluations of information systems is to take actions based on the results of the evaluation. In order to make better use of interpretive evaluation processes in practice we need to understand what kinds of results such evaluations produce and the way that the results are used to be transformed into change and betterment in the organisation. We have developed, applied and studied a methodology in support for doing interpretive evaluation. In the paper we report the case of a performed action research study that has comprised an IS evaluation. Through this action research we have transformed the theoretical principles of the interpretive approach into a useful evaluation methodology in practice. The main emphasis in this study is on the results and the uses of the evaluation process. We make a brief theoretical overview of interpretive principles for IS evaluation and of the research on evaluation use, from the field of evaluation theory, and represent a framework for analysing influences from evaluation efforts. We use this framework to analyse and identify the results and uses of the performed evaluation in order to shed light on what kinds of results that interpretive evaluation may offer. We experienced the influence framework useful for locating and understanding the variety of results from interpretive evaluation processes. We conclude with a model depicting results and uses from interpretive IS evaluation processes. The main point we elaborate on in this paper is how evaluations influence the actions taken in the organisation in order to establish betterment. How people in the organisation use evaluation in order to establish betterment and change. Further we bounce back the insights on evaluation results and uses into the discussion on how to design interpretive evaluation processes and how to design evaluation methodology in support for those processes.

The search for efficient business models for open source software is a hot topic both for software vendors and for customers and users of software. In this paper we investigate possibilities for a network of municipalities in Sweden, Sambruk, to use an open source business model for their procurement of software solutions. More specifically, the procurement of public e-services has been followed in seven case studies, of which one was studied in-depth and is accounted for in detail in this paper. The results are that municipalities- investments in e-services are important both concerning function and long-term cost of ownership. Open source software, OSS, can be an alternative, but in the studied procurement cases it appeared not to be a realistic choice in practise. This paper investigates why, and the conclusions are presented as general results. The authors also suggest an alternative business model referred to as Sambruk Community Licence, ie a semi-open source software business model for local governments. 

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.

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.

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.

ePrescribing in Sweden covers over 65% of all prescriptions. ePrescribing is a highly regulated process with a high demand on availability and security in a complex communication situation with many systems and actors involved. It is an interaction between two markets, healthcare and pharmacy. The purpose of this work is to con-tribute to the development of models to analyse e-services. Three models are used to analyse ePrescribing: the Generic Exchange Model, the Generic Regulation Model and a socio-pragmatic communication framework. The conclusion of this application is that the models contributed to new essential insights and helped to focus on es-sential communication aspects. The analysis contributes to a better understanding of ePrescribing in a general, to be useful both for those who are working with developing ePrescription, taking into account the different legisla-tion and history of prescribing in their countries, and for policy makers who may want to turn the process of ePrescribing into a new direction.

This paper investigates what pragmatism can mean to information systems research. It makes a division into three types of pragmatism: Functional, referential and methodological pragmatism. These three kinds of pragmatisms are explained through their different knowledge - action relations. Functional pragmatism is described as -knowledge for action-. Referential pragmatism is described as -knowledge about action-. Methodological pragmatism is described as -knowledge through action-. The paper identifies briefly how different trends in information systems research are related to these three kinds of pragmatism; as e.g. method development, design research, use of action theories, action research.

 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 development and launching of new public e-services over the web to citizens implies a need for models as guidance. Besides feature models of public e-services, there is also a need for contextual models describing government - citizen interaction. In this paper we take one step towards a generic interaction model for studying government - citizen interaction. e base this work on an existing model for conceptualising business interaction; the BAT model (Business Action Theory). This model has been transformed and generalized to a generic exchange model (GEM). We have pursued a critical analysis of the BAT model and identified several conceptual concerns as a basis for transformation to GEM. The GEM model is intended to be used, as a kind of practical theory, for inquiries (design, evaluation) both in public and business settings. The paper also includes applications of the developed GEM model in one eGovernment setting and a discussion of experiences from this empirical study.  

 In the information systems field there exist several theories for guiding the evaluation and design of information systems. These theories need to transparent and harmonious. In this chapter business action theory (BAT) as a domain ontology for business interaction and business processes is clarified by elaborating on socio-instrumental pragmatism (SIP) as a base ontology. SIP is an eclectic theory synthesizing several pragmatic theories from reference disciplines outside the IS area. One purpose of SIP is to enable seamless theorizing in the IS area. In this chapter we put forward the foundations of BAT and SIP which is then followed by grounding BAT in SIP. This grounding means that there will be an ontological clarification of BAT by specifying the social action and interaction character of business interaction.

Sambruk är en intresseorganisation för kommuner. Syftet är att bedriva gemensam verksamhetsutveckling och sambruk av elektroniska tjänster, som förväntas ge effektivisering i form av ökad produktivitet med bibehållen eller högre kvalitet för medborgare. Ambitionen är att sänka kommunernas kostnader för utveckling och drift av e-tjänster samt att minska ledtiderna för utveckling och införande av tjänsterna. En möjlighet att uppnå dessa mål är att öka användningen av öppen programvara inom Sambruk. Erfarenheterna från genomförda och pågående upphandlingar visar dock på betydande svårigheter att etablera öppen programvara som ett reellt alternativ för Sambruk och dess medlemskommuner. Utifrån dessa erfarenheter har ett förslag till -semi-öppen- programvara utarbetats. Detta förslag har formulerats av forskare som deltar i och studerar Sambruks arbete med verksamhetsutveckling och e-tjänsteinförande. Förslaget är inspirerat av principer bakom öppen programvara, men utformat för att kunna fungera inom sammanslutningen Sambruk. Förslag till licensform kallas här för Sambruk Community License (SCL). Arbetsformer och affärsmodeller som understödjer denna typ av licensform beskrivs i rapporten. Jämförelser görs mellan öppen programvara, semi-öppen programvara (SCL) och proprietär (sluten) programvara.

One major reason for doing evaluations of information systems is to take actions based on the results of the evaluation. In order to make better use of interpretative evaluation processes in practice we need to understand what kinds of results such evaluations produces and the -mechanisms- that produces these results. We have developed, applied and studied an interpretative method for IS evaluation. In the paper we report the case of a performed action research study that has comprised an IS evaluation. Through this action research we have transformed the theoretical principles of the interpretative approach into a useful evaluation methodology in practice. The main emphasis in this study is on the results and the intended uses. We make a brief theoretical overview of interpretative principles for IS evaluation and of the research on evaluation use from the field of evaluation theory and represent a framework for analysing influences from evaluation efforts. We use this framework to analyse and identify the results and uses of the performed evaluation in order to shed light on what kinds of results that interpretative evaluation may offer. We experienced the influence framework useful for locating and understanding the variety of results from interpretative evaluation processes. We conclude with a model depicting results and uses from interpretive IS evaluation.

Issues and Trends in Technology and Human Interaction consists of research in the areas of e-commerce through law and culture, intellectual capital in knowledge management, and the philosophy of technology, among other topics. This book also investigates the interaction of technology and humans from a variety of viewpoints, and presents technology assessment of software/hardware development, interaction and conversion between technologies and their impact on society, and phenomenology of e-government

In what way is a public e-service a service to citizens? This question has driven a practical inquiry into a planned e-service application for municipal child care. A requirements specification for an e-service application was investigated. The e-service application was found to lack proper information about child care supply options, and rules and regulations concerning the child care. Important changes of social relations between municipality and parents were not communicated. The citizen was mainly seen as an information supplier and not as someone to serve. Results from this practical inquiry have been abstracted into an evolving practical theory. This practical theory consists of a definition of public e-services and abstracted patterns of e-service actions. The practical inquiry has been informed by practical theories all founded in socioinstrumental pragmatism. As basis for the study, a special elaboration of the concepts of practical inquiry and practical theory has been made in the paper.

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.

The issue of the paper is how to characterize public e-services mediated through the web. One common kind of characterization is made through stage models (e-ladders). Such models are frequently used for pol-icy-planning, evaluation and bench-marking of public e-services. E-ladder models have been criticized and as an alternative the e-diamond model has been formulated, which consists of twelve categories in three polarities (in-formative vs performative; general vs individualized; separate vs coordi-nated). The differences between e-ladder and e-diamond models are de-scribed in the paper. Empirical investigations of some public e-services based on the e-diamond model are pursued. A theoretical analysis of the e-diamond model based on the language-action perspective is performed. This follows the view that public e-services are seen as government – citizen communication. The empirical and theoretical investigations give further support to the e-diamond model.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of 6 international workshops held in conjunction with the 4th International Conference on Business Process Management, BPM 2006, in Vienna, Austria in September 2006. The 40 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 94 overall submissions to six international workshops

There is rapid growth in the development and launching of new public e-services to citizens. In doing this, government agencies base their work on national and international programs for e-government development. Many such programs include a stage model for public e-services. Many such models comprise stages of 1) information, 2) interaction, 3) transaction and 4) interaction. The wide spread use of such stage models (e-ladders) give rise to several questions. Are the categories of a stage model well chosen? Do e-services evolve through such a series of stages? Is there a real advancement between the different stages? Should one always strive for higher stages? Are higher stages inherently better than lower stages? Is a stage model a proper yardstick for evaluation and benchmarking? The paper pursues a critical examination of such stage models (called e-ladder). A conceptual analysis of stage models is performed based on a socio-pragmatic foundation. Empirical examples are given that show weaknesses in the assumptions and conceptualisations of stage models. An alternative model -the e-diamond - is presented consisting of three polarities (informative vs performative; standardized vs individualized; separate vs coordinated).

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.

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.

There are many attempts to explain success and failure in information systems. Many of these refer to a purported sociotechnical gap. In this article we develop an alternative approach that does not impose such a strong dichotomy, but regards social and technical rather as dimensions along which to study workpractices. The developed theory involves not only the -social- and -technical- constructs, but also other generic ones, namely -instrumental,- -semiotic,- and -pragmatic.- We call this theory socio-instrumental pragmatism. To illustrate the theoretical concepts introduced, we use an example brought from an extensive action research study including the development of an information system in eldercare, developed through a participatory design approach. 

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.

Information technology has since the turn of the millennia been one of the core issues in the reform of public administration in government agencies. Aiding this development has in some countries and in the research community been discussed through the development of stage models describing the evolution of services in stages. This is the case in Sweden where the Swedish agency for administrative development has been using a model to describe, evaluate and promote the emerging services. This paper pivots on the discussion about the conceptual foundation for models such as the Swedish model and other models. The discussion is conceptually founded in information systems actability theory and IS usage situations. This paper addresses the issue of stage models and the concept of stages itself. The models discussed lack in the categorization of the described stages; borders between stages are undistinguishable and unclear. A refined model that addresses the discovered issues is presented in the paper.