xoEPC - Jan Mendling

8 1. Introduction
Environment
People
• Roles
• Capabilites
• Characteristics
Organizations
• Strategies
• Stucture & Culture
• Processes
Technology
• Infrastructure
• Applications
• Communications
Architecture
• Development
Capabilities
Information
Relevance Systems Research Rigor
Business
Needs
Application in the
Appropriate Environment
Develop/Build
• Theories
• Artifacts
Assess Refine
Justify/Evaluate
• Analytical
• Case Study
• Experimental
• Field Study
• Simulation
Applicable
Knowledge
Additions to the
Knowledge Base
Knowledge Base
Foundations
• Theories
• Frameworks
• Instruments
• Constructs
• Models
• Methods
• Instantiations
Methodologies
• Data Analysis
Techniques
• Formalisms
• Measures
• Validation Criteria
Figure 1.1: Information Systems Research Framework as defined by Hevner et al.
[HMPR04, p.80]
Figure 1.1). Due to the involvement of people and organizations, such knowledge can
be acquired following two different research paradigms: behavioral science and design
science. Both build on a creative activity of developing theories or building artifacts,
respectively, and an analytical activity of justification or evaluation, respectively (see
Figure 1.1).
The environment of information systems research includes those entities that define
the problem space, i.e. people, organizations, and technology. It defines the background
against which business needs emerge. These business needs are influenced by the roles,
capabilities, and characteristics of people, and shaped in consideration of an organiza-
tion’s strategy, structure, culture, and business processes. Moreover, business needs re-
flect current and prospective technology such as infrastructure, applications, communi-
cations architecture, and development capabilities. The researcher aligns her problem
perception to these factors in order to establish relevance.