Paradigmatic Influences on Information Systems Development Methodologies: Evolution and Conceptual Advances^*

Publisher Summary

This chapter focuses on the emergence of alternative information systems development (ISD) methodologies, placing them in their historical context, and noting where and why they differ from each other. In so doing, it highlights that the history of ISD methodologies appears to be driven more by fashionable movements than by theoretical insights. The chapter divides the history of ISD systems into seven generations based on the emergence of technological approach used in the development, such as formal life cycle approaches, structured approaches, prototyping and evolutionary approaches, socio-technical and participative approaches, sense-making and problem-formulation approaches, trade-union led approaches and emancipatory approaches. The field of IS was created in response to the business opportunities and risks that the advent of computers created for users and corporate executives. In order to cope with the complexities of ISD, practitioners looked to science and its offspring, engineering for inspiration. Early methodologies were adaptations of engineering and scientific management approaches that emphasized preplanned and well-defined procedures. The chapter illustrated how methodologies could evolve in the future by adopting alternative paradigmatic influences. Methodologies have been influenced primarily by functionalism, but more recently, the inspiration has come from alternative paradigms. Also methodologies can be improved by systematically importing fundamental concerns and principles inspired by different paradigms. Some of the recent methodologies incorporate principles from more than one paradigm. Research on methodologies could substantially benefit by systematically adopting maxims and principles from more than one paradigm.