This book sets out to provide postgraduate researchers with guidance on selecting and applying sociotechnical theories to the study of information systems, including how they can be combined to complement each other. Until now it has been difficult to source advice on the application of these theories, and there has been no single book that combines multiple theories as this does.
Examining the impacts of technological developments and seeking to understand how humans interact with computers and systems is a dynamic field but can often confuse researchers with the overwhelming number of social theories that are utilised to derive insights. Instead, the author in this book breaks down some of the most popular theories used to underpin information system research, such as activity theory (AT), actor-network theory (ANT), contingency theory (CT), diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, structuration theory (ST), and the technology acceptance model (TAM). By doing so, this book serves to enable a simpler, faster selection of appropriate theories, and a more effective and productive application that leads to richer, more rigorous research outcomes.
Written for postgraduates, researchers, and academics in the fields of information technology and information systems, this book provides a valuable resource of sociotechnical research methodologies that will enable and enhance future studies.
1 Introduction; 2 Types and sources of qualitative data; 3 Qualitative data for information systems research; 4 Activity theory; 5 Actor-network theory; 6 Contingency theory; 7 Diffusion of innovation; 8 Structuration theory; 9 Technology acceptance model; 10 Selecting theories to underpin information systems research; 11 Activity theory and actor-network theory; 12 Structuration theory and actor-network theory
Biography
Tiko Iyamu holds a PhD in information systems from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, Iyamu is Research Professor at the Faculty of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town, South Africa. Previously, he was with the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa, and Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia. Iyamu served as a Professor Extraordinaire at the Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape, from 2006 to 2015. In 2014, he was a visiting professor at the Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Professor Iyamu’s areas of focus include enterprise architecture, health informatics, big data analytics, mobile computing, and the application of sociotechnical theories for information systems research. He has authored 5 books and over 140 peer-reviewed research articles in journals, conference proceedings, and book chapters.
