Deep structure or emergence theory: contrasting theoretical foundations for information systems development

The linguistic conceptual distinction between deep and surface structures offers an interesting metaphor for developing new theories of information systems. However, the deep structure notion is both richer and more strongly contested in the linguistic field than can be communicated in published articles about new theories of information systems. This article explores the deep structure notion more fully, how faithful information system (IS)-related articles adhere to the original concept and the implication of alternative linguistic theories for the IS field.