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Over the past 20 years, the field of information systems has grown dramatically in theoretical diversity and global reach. This growth is reflected in the language that policy makers and organizational stakeholders use when they talk about their IT plans. As information technology penetrates further into organizational and global life, it becomes ever more important to articulate assumptions embedded in the discourse. This will help to clarify the complex and yet conceptually improvised or pasted-up worldview that becomes embodied in systems. The assumptions point to particular domains of discourse. The discourse sets up conventions and boundaries. It thus shapes what can or cannot legitimately be talked about, researched, addressed, or solved within the scope of IT. A number of practical and theoretical topics are discussed in detail, including: •Globalization, development, and space; •Mobilization of power; •ERP systems; •IS planning and projects; •Critical research and the study of discourse; •Public institutions; •Analytical frameworks. This book contains the selected proceedings of the Working Conference on Global and Organizational Discourse About Information Technology, sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and held in Barcelona, Spain in December 2002.

A number of relatively new technologies, such as Enterprise Resource Planning systems, the Internet and intranets, have entered the organizational landscape. These technologies have not only enabled a wide range of social and organizational transformations, but have also challenged much of the received wisdom that operates in academic and industrial discourses. This book attempts to capture some of these strands by discussing the social and organizational issues surrounding the implementation and use of these new technologies in organizational processes. Some of the contributions are critical and reflexive by nature, while others offer rich insights through the analysis of cases. The book represents a wide scope of traditions of thought, as well as research approaches, in addressing these emerging issues. A number of practical and theoretical topics are discussed in detail, including: Implementation of ERP; Electronic commerce; Intranet implementation; The management of standards; Issues of organizational analysis; Understanding BPR tools; Collaborative technologies; Knowledge work environments. This book contains the selected proceedings of the International Working Conference on New Information Technologies in Organizational Processes: Field Studies and Theoretical Reflections on the Future of Work, organized by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, in August 1999. This valuable new title will be essential reading for researchers working in information systems and management, technology, social and organization studies.

Qualitative research has become a legitimate approach within the information systems community, but researchers have traditionally drawn upon material from the social sciences given the absence of a single source relevant to them. Qualitative Research in Information Systems: A Reader represents just such a volume and is both timely and relevant. Information systems and qualitative research articles are now widely used for teaching on many upper level courses in information systems, and there is demand for a definitive collection of these readings as a basic reader and teaching text. This book expertly brings together the seminal works in the field, along with editorial introductions to assist the reader in understanding the essential principles of qualitative research. The book is organised according to the following thematic sections: · Part I: Overview of Qualitative Research · Part II: Philosophical Perspectives · Part III: Qualitative Research Methods · Part IV: Modes of Analyzing and Interpreting Qualitative Data Qualitative Research in Information Systems: A Reader should become the benchmark reference point for students and researchers in information systems, management science and others involved in information technology needing to learn about qualitative research.