Abstract
Within the Information Systems (IS) literature, an assumption underlying the development and implementation of IS is that the system should support the goals and purposes of the organisation into which it will be introduced. This paper questions the validity of this assumption in light of theoretical developments in the complex systems literature. From a complex systems perspective, the purposeful nature of social systems is brought into question, with the idea of intention giving way to the non-linear emergence of behavioural patterns. This paper will address the question: what are the implications for information system development of a non-intentional social world?
Recommended Citation
Kay, Robert and Goldspink, Chris, "Developing Information Systems in the Absence of Purpose: A complex and autopoietic view" (2004). ACIS 2004 Proceedings. 42.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/acis2004/42