A Conceptual Model for User-System Collaboration: Enhancing Usability of Complex Information Systems

Abstract

Abstract:A variety of organizations around the world use complex information systems (e.g., enterprise resource planning and supply chain management systems). However, poor usability caused by system complexity continues to frustrate users and damage the reputation of these systems. In this study, we address usability issues with complex information systems from the human-computer collaboration perspective by modeling user-system interaction as a joint activity between the system and its users. We propose a conceptual model for user-system collaboration, elaborate on the components in the model and the relationships between the components, derive the required capabilities for collaborative information systems, and establish conceptual relationships between system collaborative behaviors and usability. We use empirical evidence gathered from a qualitative field study on ERP systems to illustrate the model and the possible impact of system collaborativeness (i.e., the presence or absence of collaborative capabilities) on usability. We do so to provide a strong conceptual foundation for modeling user-system collaboration and to encourage designers to employ the collaboration metaphor during system design and, thus, help them develop future complex information systems with better usability.

Symbiotic Co-Evolution in Collaborative Human-Machine Decision Making: Exploration of a Multi-Year Design Science Research Project in the Air Cargo Industry

“…Taking a STS perspective on HMC [58,61,67] in a complex decision-making context, we set out to explore the symbiotic relationship between human and technology. We found that there are three facets of symbiotic co-evolution: agents' evolution, activity evolution, and structural evolution (see Figure 2).…”

“…Adaptation and learning. As other authors have already mentioned [67], HMC is not a one-time event but a new way of using and perceiving machines. In the context of this new relationship, intensive cooperation leads to mutual learning and adaptation among collaborators.…”

“…Thus, collaborative problem solving is the mutual engagement of team members in a coordinated effort to solve a problem together. This definition is rooted in the collaboration research literature and is used in various papers [3,4,26,61,67].…”

“…Furthermore, we identified several shortcomings in the extant literature on CIS (second generation). First, prior studies on the design of collaborative information systems focus on developing system features that address cognitive alignment, interaction, and knowledge transfer between human and machine agents [e.g., 4,67]. These studies focus on systems that are not primarily designed for collaboration, for instance traditional enterprise resource planning systems.…”

“…Although the topic of human-machine symbiosis as the collaboration between human and technology has a long tradition [37,58,61,67], current research is Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences | 2019 URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10125/59467 ISBN: 978-0-9981331-2-6 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) missing a conceptualization of co-evolutionary aspects. Reviewing the literature in the field of HMC and symbiotic systems reveals that most research focuses on the design of systems that aim to perform an activity and achieve a defined goal.…”