Dual Information Systems: Supporting Organizational Working and Learning by Making Organizational Memory Transparent

Abstract

The conceptual design of most computer-based information systems reflects a dualism of technology. During the development phase, part of the work-domain related knowledge is formalized and encoded in the software, making it difficult for users to reflect upon and use this knowledge. This design/use-dualism contributes to the deterioration of the interpretive flexibility of information systems. This paper outlines an information systems architecture called Dual Information Systems (DIS) that incorporates the concepts of an organizational memory information system (OMIS) in a broader framework. DIS help bridge the design/use dualism by providing organizations with a set of services that enable and reinforce both effective, institutionalized working and the questioning and (re)construction of computer-supported work routines. DIS have a four-layered conceptual structure: (1) people draw on the business layer to work and learn; (2) people use the breakdown layer to handle unexpected breakdowns; (3) self-organizing project teams use the project layer to create innovative work and IS (re)designs; and (4) the Knowledge Sharing Server acts as an OMIS by storing these redesigns and making them organizationally available to facilitate working and learning as well as subsequent redesign efforts. We outline the theoretical background, conceptual structure and generic services of DIS. We elaborate on the services and the conceptual design of the business and breakdown layers of DIS (bDIS). The services help people work effectively and develop competence needed to handle breakdowns and participate in the redesign project teams. The conceptual design extends the hyperknowledge framework of Chang et al. Finally, we demonstrate the conceptual design and services in a financial services organization with the help of the ReDIS prototype.

How do organizations remember? The influence of organizational structure on organizational memory

“…Hence their theory sees a value in standardizing previously informal procedures, while also keeping them flexible by improving or exchanging modules. Käkölä and Koota (1999) develop a standardized information systems architecture that aims at enabling and reinforcing both effective, institutionalized working and the questioning and (re)construction of computer-supported work routines and thus the improvement of OM. Droege et al (2000) state that organizations with standardized routines show good performance by efficiently using prior knowledge.…”

“…Specialization, as well as exchange and coordination, requires information when decomposing the aggregate of tasks, when assigning partial tasks to individual employees, when controlling task completion activities, and when consolidating individual task components or exchanging services. Consequently, a high degree of specialization should have a positive effect on the individual, transformation, and organizational memory, since specialization should help the individual to develop a deeper understanding of the task (Argot et al 2003;Postrel 2002;Schilling et al 2003) and prevent an information overload (Adler and Borys 1996;Käkölä and Koota 1999). Moreover, specialization requires the processes responsible for transforming all kinds of inputs to be well defined.…”