Speaking things into existence: Ontological foundations of identity representation and management

2022 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 3

Authors: Eriksson, Owen; Ågerfalk, Pär J

Abstract: Conceptual models capture knowledge about domains of reality. Therefore, concept ... Expand

Abstract: Conceptual models capture knowledge about domains of reality. Therefore, conceptual models and their modelling constructs should be based on theories about the world—that is, they should be grounded in ontology. Identity is fundamental to ontology and conceptual modelling because it addresses the very existence of objects and conceptual systems in general. Classification involves grouping objects that share similarities and delineating them from objects that fall under other concepts (qualitative identity). However, among objects that fall under the same concept, we must also distinguish between individual objects (individual identity). In this paper, we analyze the ontological question of identity, focusing specifically on institutional identity, which is the identity of socially constructed institutional objects. An institutional entity is a language construct that is ‘spoken into existence’. We elaborate on how institutional identity changes how we understand conceptual modelling and the models produced. We show that different models result if we base modelling on a property-based conception of identity compared to an institutional one. We use the Bunge-Wand-Weber principles, which embrace a property-based view of identity, as an anchor to the existing literature to point out how this type of ontology sidesteps identity in general and institutional identity in particular. We contribute theoretically by providing the first in-depth ontological analysis of what the notion of institutional identity can bring to conceptual modelling. We also contribute a solid ontological grounding of identity management and the identity of things in digital infrastructures. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation information technology infrastructure identity management explicit knowledge

Methods: conceptual modelling design science Bunge Wand Weber ontology ontological modelling cross sectional research

Theories: action theory speech act theory

Established theory rejection

2022 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Hardin, Andrew; Schneider, Christoph; Davison, Robert M.

Abstract: The Information Systems Journal (ISJ) receives a large number of submissions th ... Expand

Abstract: The Information Systems Journal (ISJ) receives a large number of submissions that describe the direct or slightly modified application of well-established theoretical perspectives in new contexts. Regrettably, senior editors reject many of these submissions without sending them out for formal review. This editorial explains why this occurs and describes what might instead constitute a sufficient contribution in such cases.In 2020, ISJ rendered final decisions on 368 submissions. While ISJ deliberately refrains from setting a hard target for the number of acceptances to allow for the publication of good research, the number of available slots for publication is obviously limited.Equally important as journal capacity constraints is limited review team resources. Each paper sent out for review requires a senior editor, an associate editor and two or three reviewers. When using the conservative number of two reviewers per paper, 368 final decisions would have required at least 736 reviewers. Finding reviewers with the relevant expertise to review submissions is a painstaking process, as the most qualified reviewers are many times already reviewing other manuscripts for ISJ and/or other journals. Associate editors often need to approach many potential reviewers in order to secure two well-qualified reviewers.Beyond this, submissions receiving revise and resubmit decisions require significantly longer time commitments.ENDNOTE 1 There is always the chance that the model may not be predictive in the new context. In that case, it is possible that researchers will discover new insight into TAM's applicability. Whether this provides a significant theoretical contribution is another question. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation identity management usability user interface electronic finance

Methods: design science ontological modelling Bunge Wand Weber ontology conceptual modelling literature sample

Declarations of significance: Exploring the pragmatic nature of information models

2018 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Beynon‐Davies, Paul

Abstract: This paper considers the juncture experienced between information modelling in t ... Expand

Abstract: This paper considers the juncture experienced between information modelling in theory and information modelling in practice. It identifies the basis of this juncture in an unsatisfactory ontological basis for information modelling. Using both the early and more recent work of Searle, it establishes the need for information models to be framed in terms of communicative patterns significant within some delimited institutional domain. Such communicative patterns are visualised in terms of an innovative artefact known as a pattern comic. The propositional content of communicative acts within such patterns is then expressed as a set of binary relations, which can be transformed into various visualisations of an information model. Patterns of communicative action evident in the domain of medical emergency response are used throughout to illustrate this pragmatic approach to constructing information models. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation

Methods: data modeling ontological modelling qualitative interview Bunge Wand Weber ontology entity relationship modeling

Theories: speech act theory semiotic theory

Designing Semantic Technologies for Regulatory Change Management in the Financial Industry

2015 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Butler, Tom; Abi-Lahoud, Elie; Espinoza, Angelina

Abstract: The volume, velocity, variety and complexity of regulations are causing major in ... Expand

Abstract: The volume, velocity, variety and complexity of regulations are causing major information-related problems for the financial industry. The industry is increasingly looking to semantic technologies to help solve the many problems it faces—all of which are, in one way or another, data-, information- and knowledge-related. This design research (DR) study applies several semantic technologies to create an innovative regulatory compliance change management system prototype (RCMS). This ontologybased information system enables ground-breaking semantic tagging of lengthy and complex regulatory and legal texts, which are then loaded into a triple store for semantic querying and analysis. The findings of this DR study illustrate how practitioners can easily and efficiently identify and extract compliance obligations and prohibitions in regulatory and legal texts. This will enable them to meet the significant information-based regulatory compliance challenges they face. Initial reviews from practitioners across the financial industry highlight the relevance of our research. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation change management spreadsheet data management knowledge base

Methods: design science design artifact ontological modelling classification method Bunge Wand Weber ontology

Testing the Impact of Wand and Weber’s Decomposition Model on Process Model Understandability

2014 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Johannsen, Florian; Leist, Susanne; Braunnagel, Daniel

Abstract: Process modeling is becoming increasingly important for business process managem ... Expand

Abstract: Process modeling is becoming increasingly important for business process management initiatives. However, for being able to exploit the benefits associated with business process modeling the process models need to be understandable for its users. It has been shown in literature that the growing size of a process model has a negative effect on its understandability. Decomposition is a means for splitting large process models into smaller subprocess models to increase the understandability. However, it is still unclear what properties actually characterize a good decomposition, while generally accepted guidelines on decomposing process models are missing. We analyze Wand and Weber’s good decomposition model as an approach for creating decomposed process models that are easy to understand. The paper at hand investigates in how far the decomposition conditions influence the understandability of a process model. Using an experiment we show that the decomposition conditions actually do have a positive influence on model understandability. Collapse

Topics: problem solving knowledge representation business process re-engineering business process management

Methods: business process modeling experiment survey design science modeling language

BWW Ontology as a Lens on IS Design Theory: Extending the Design Science Research Roadmap

2013 | DESRIST | Citations: 3

Authors: Alturki, Ahmad; Gable, Guy G.; Bandara, Wasana

Abstract: The Design Science Research Roadmap (DSR-Roadmap) [1] aims to give detailed meth ... Expand

Abstract: The Design Science Research Roadmap (DSR-Roadmap) [1] aims to give detailed methodological guidance to novice researchers in Information Systems (IS) DSR. Focus group evaluation, one phase of the overall study, of the evolving DSR-Roadmap revealed that a key difficulty faced by both novice and expert researchers in DSR, is abstracting design theory from design. This paper explores the extension of the DSR-Roadmap by employing IS deep structure ontology (BWW [2-4]) as a lens on IS design to firstly yield generalisable design theory, specifically ‘IS Design Theory’ (ISDT) elements [5]. Consideration is next given to the value of BWW in the application of the design theory by practitioners. Results of mapping BWW constructs to ISDT elements suggest that the BWW is promising as a common language between design researchers and practitioners, facilitating both design theory and design implementation. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation systems development systems design

Methods: Bunge Wand Weber ontology design theory design science design artifact ontological modelling

Construct Redundancy In Process Modelling Grammars: Improving The Explanatory Power Of Ontological Analysis

2013 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 2

Authors: Fickinger, Tobias; Recker, Jan

Abstract: Conceptual modelling supports developers and users of information systems in are ... Expand

Abstract: Conceptual modelling supports developers and users of information systems in areas of documentation, analysis or system redesign. The ongoing interest in the modelling of business processes has led to a variety of different grammars, raising the question of the quality of these grammars for modelling. An established way of evaluating the quality of a modelling grammar is by means of an ontological analysis, which can determine the extent to which grammars contain construct deficit, overload, excess or redundancy. While several studies have shown the relevance of most of these criteria, predictions about construct redundancy have yielded inconsistent results in the past, with some studies suggesting that redundancy may even be beneficial for modelling in practice. In this paper we seek to contribute to clarifying the concept of construct redundancy by introducing a revision to the ontological analysis method. Based on the concept of inheritance we propose an approach that distinguishes between specialized and distinct construct redundancy. We demonstrate the potential explanatory power of the revised method by reviewing and clarifying previous results found in the literature. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation usability

Methods: ontological modelling business process modeling business process model and notation modeling language design science

Theories: general systems theory theory of ontological clarity

Wand and Weber’s Decomposition Model in the Context of Business Process Modeling

2012 | Business & Information Systems Engineering | Citations: 0

Authors: Johannsen, Florian; Leist, Susanne

Abstract: So far there are no generally accepted criteria for assessing the quality of a ... Expand

Abstract: So far there are no generally accepted criteria for assessing the quality of a decomposed business process model. This is surprising, since the benefits of decomposing process models are well-known in literature. The paper at hand analyzes in how far the decomposition model of Wand and Weber can be used in the context of business process modeling. The decomposition conditions are interpreted for process models while it becomes obvious that they should not be used in an isolated way for judging the quality of a decomposition. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation

Methods: business process modeling design science ontological modelling data modeling Bunge Wand Weber ontology

ONTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF VALUE MODELS

2011 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Buder, Johannes; Felden, Carsten

Abstract: The current lack of consistency between business processes and their underlying ... Expand

Abstract: The current lack of consistency between business processes and their underlying business models lead to a lack of understanding about business process contribution to the value chain. In order to enhance understanding of business models and their impacts to business processes, consistency of value model representations is one important aspect. Examining representations - i.e. e³value, Resource Event Agent model, and the Business Object Model -concerns both grammar and method. Therefore, the paper presents in a first step an ontologic grammar evaluation of value models, which bases on the Bunge Wand Weber Representation Model. By examining conceptual representations using e³value, UML class diagram and ER modelling in context of value models, their impact to business processes is analysed evaluating the expressiveness in terms of ontologic coverage and overlap. Impact refers to the ability to transform the concepts of value models to the process level. The paper’s contribution is not the overall evaluation, but the proof of appropriateness of value modelling grammars to their potential of an enhanced user understanding. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation business model business process management business process improvement

Methods: design science unified modeling language ontological modelling modeling language Bunge Wand Weber ontology

Theories: semiotic theory

Requirement Analysis for Enterprise Information Systems - Developing an Ontological Meta-Model for Zackman Framework

2009 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Zhuozhi; Pooley, Rob

Abstract: An enterprise information system distinguishes itself from other types of softwa ... Expand

Abstract: An enterprise information system distinguishes itself from other types of software as it is developed to facilitate the operation of an organization hence its requirement reflects its strategies, plans, organizations, processes, marketing etc. We believe that the requirements in the form of domain knowledge acquired in the early stage of system development can be organized and modeled in an Enterprise Architecture. Zachman Framework is one of the most widely used Enterprise Architectures. However, in the original version of the Zachman Framework, there is neither a rigorous meta-model nor a well-defined sequence in which to instantiate the cells, which prevents it from being used practically during the requirement engineering phase of an enterprise information system project. To improve such a situation we develop a conceptual meta-model for the Zachman Framework by adapting and integrating the Bunge-Wand-Weber ontology and the Enterprise Ontology. Based on this meta-model, various requirement acquisition processes can be formulated by specifying a sequence to traverse the meta-model graph and instantiate its nodes and edges. In this paper we present such a process, suitable for an enterprise system development project of a particular situation. Collapse

Topics: knowledge representation Zachman framework requirements elicitation enterprise information system enterprise architecture

Methods: ontological modelling metamodel design science Bunge Wand Weber ontology conceptual modelling