How information systems came to rule the world: Reflections on the information systems field |
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| Authors: | E Burton Swanson |
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| Institution: | 1. Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USAburt.swanson@anderson.ucla.edu |
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| Abstract: | AbstractOver some seven decades, a rather mundane transition that in its thoroughness and consequences has gone largely unacknowledged, has taken place, namely the revolution in modern information systems (IS) that guide organizations in their actions. Today, it is fair to say that IS have come to rule the world. They do this literally, by the rules they embody, which dictate how much of everyday life, as it relates to individuals and organizations and the transactions they engage in, takes place around the globe. In essence, IS have become important social and economic infrastructure. Seeking an understanding of how this has come about, I review historical developments in IS, focusing in particular on accounting systems, enterprise systems, retail automation, and electronic commerce. I argue that it is transactions and their facilitation that lie at the heart of IS and its development as a field of practice. I reflect on why this has gone mostly overlooked as such. I consider where we have now arrived with transaction facilitation as infrastructure and its importance in the light of current issues. I suggest how future studies might contribute to our learning more about where we should want to be with our transaction facilitation infrastructure. |
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| Keywords: | accounting systems electronic commerce enterprise systems information systems history retail automation transaction facilitation social and economic infrastructure |
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