Browse Theses

In the field of information systems development, there are two contradicting development approaches: (1) one claiming positive effects of information systems development (ISD) methods (“methodical”), and (2) the other criticizing the limiting and freezing effects of ISD methods (“anti-methodical”). This research posits that both methodical and anti-methodical elements may coexist in ISD activities and environments. The struggle between the methodical `thesis' and the anti methodical `anti-thesis' implies a possible `synthesis' of the two extreme positions into an “amethodical” ISD approach. In amethodical ISD, developers harmoniously respond to emergent properties of the environment by combining both methodical and anti-methodical components.

This research further suggests that this progression of synthesis between the methodical and anti-methodical can be captured by scrutinizing the cognitive structures of information systems developers. To explore the cognitive structures of information systems developers, the repertory grid technique is adapted from cognitive psychology for exploratory research.

The results of this experimental study indicate that systems developers experience several cycles of loosening and tightening of thinking—a cycle of `cognitive intensity'—as they become mature practitioners. It also suggests that the debate between the methodical versus anti-methodical approaches may be describing the initial portion of systems developer's cognitive growth model.

This finding implies that methods training should be designed in such a way that developers are exposed to diverse perspectives of systems development process itself. Further, this cycle of loosening and tightening may also be borne out in the way more experienced developers approach systems development. That is, with increasing experience and exposure to different methods and kinds of development problems, they are less bound to the formal rules and constructs of IS developments methods and approach ISD amethodically. For the practice of IS development, the research results indicate ISD career development programs should feature a combination of formal instruction, and hands-on practice and apprenticeships where novices are mentored by experienced developers. Such an apprenticeship should afford apprentice developers the chance to experience a variety of formal methods and their corresponding anti-methods, so that beginning developers can mature onto the amethodical state as soon as possible.