On the Use of Inquiring Systems in Information System Development Activities : Lessons from Philosophy , Theory , and Practice

The paper presents a framework to interpret information systems development (ISD) as composed of activities for the creation and exchange of knowledge. The framework is based on the five inquiring systems presented by Churchman (1971). The framework shows that the inquiring systems: rationalism, empiricism, idealism, dialectic, and pragmatism should be used by the participants in ISD projects in accordance with the development activity they face. Since the framework focuses on the knowledge created during the ISD activities rather than on the development process, the framework is robust enough to be adapted to different ISD methodologies. In the second part the article presents an ethnographic study of an ISD project. Through the analysis of the empirical material it is shown that the participants display a behavior very similar to the pure rational inquirer far from the plurality of approaches that the framework shows as possible and necessary. The implications for practice and theory are that improvement in ISD has not only to be sought in methodological amelioration but in a combination of methodologies that support multiple inquiring systems and a change in the mindset of the actors through adequate practices. Key-words: Information systems development, knowledge creation, inquiring systems. Systems Development and Inquiring Systems