Dramatic advances in technology, evolving organizational structures and increasing user influence are impacting the types of information systems (IS) being developed. These are not recognized adequately by existing taxonomies which tend to be incomplete, unclear, simplistic, unwieldy, inflexible or some combination of these. Fourteen models from the literature are described and discussed in light of today's myriad systems. A user-oriented two-dimensional taxonomy utilizing user type (institution or individual) and type of system support provided to the user (data, communication, information, or decision) is developed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlterS. (1977). A taxonomy of decision support systems. Sloan Management Review, 19(1), (Fall), 39–56.
2.
AntenucciJ.C., BrownK., CroswellP.L., and KevanyM.J. (1991). Geographic Information Systems: A Guide to the Technology (Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York).
3.
AnthonyR. (1965). Planning and Control Systems: A Framework for Analysis (Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University).
4.
ChurchillN.C., KempsterJ.H., and UretskyM. (1969). Computer Based Information Systems for Management: A Survey (National Association of Accountants, New York).
5.
CookeD.F. (1992). Spatial decision support systems: not just another GIS. GEO Information Systems, 2(5), 46–9.
6.
DavisG.B., and OlsonM.H. (1985). Management Information Systems: Conceptual Foundations, Structure, and Development (McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York).
7.
DicksonG.W. (1977). Management information-decision systems, in MIS A Managerial Perspective, DockV.T., LuchsingerV.P., and CornetteW.R. (eds) (Science Research Associates, Chicago, IL), pp. 80–8.
8.
Ein-DorP., and SegevE. (1993). A classification of information systems: analysis and interpretation. Information Systems Research, 4(2), (June), 166–204.
9.
GorryG.A., and Scott MortonM.S. (1971). A framework for management information systems. Sloan Management Review, 13, 55–70.
10.
GrimshawD. (1992). Towards a taxonomy of information systems: or does anyone need a TAXI?Journal of Information Technology, 7, 30–6.
11.
HeadR. (1967). Management information systems: a critical appraisal. Datamation, (May), 22–8.
12.
KennevanW.J. (1970). MIS universe. Data Management, (September), 63.
13.
LeavittH.J., and WhislerT.L. (1958). Management in the 1980s. Harvard Business Review, (November-December), 41–8.
14.
MartinJ. (1982). Applications Development Without Programmers (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).
15.
McLeodR. (1990). Management Information Systems: A Study of Computer-based Information Systems, 4th edn (MacMillan Publishing Company, New York).
NolanR. (1984). Managing the advanced stages of computer technology: key research issues, in The Information Systems Research Challenge, McFarlanF.W. (ed) (Harvard Business School Press, Boston), pp. 195–214.
18.
RahoL.E., and BelohlavJ.A. (1982). Discriminating characteristics of EDP, MIS and DSS information interface. Data Management, (December), 18–20.
19.
ReynoldsG.W. (1988). Information Systems for Managers (West Publishing Company, New York).
20.
RockartJ.F., and TreacyM.E. (1982). The CEO goes on-line. Harvard Business Review, (January-February), 82–8.
21.
RockartJ.F., and FlanneryL.S. (1983). The management of end user computing. Communications of the ACM, 26(1), 776–84.
22.
Scott MortonM.S. (1985). The state of the art of research, in The Information Systems Research Challenge, McFarlanF.W., (ed) (Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA) 13–41.
23.
SennJ. (1989). Analysis and Design of Information Systems, 2nd edn (Mcgraw-Hill Publishing Company, New York).
24.
SilverG.A., and SilverM.L. (1989). Systems Analysis and Design (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA).
25.
SimonH. (1965). The Shape of Automation for Men and Management (Harper & Rowe, New York).
26.
SpragueR.H. (1980). A framework for the development of decision support systems. MIS Quarterly, (December), 1–26.
27.
SpragueR.H., and CarlsonE.D. (1982). Building Effective Decision Support Systems (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).
28.
StallingsW. (1988). Data and Computer Communications (Collier Macmillan Publishing, London.
29.
StairR.M. (1992). Principles of Information Systems: A Managerial Approach (Boyd & Fraser, Boston, MA).
30.
StraussP. (1993). The struggle for global networks. Datamation, (September), 26–8.
31.
SynottW.R., and GruberW.H. (1981). Information Resource Management (John Wiley & Sons, New York).
32.
WhittenJ.L., BentleyL.D., and BarlowV.M.Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 2nd edn (Irwin).
33.
WisemanC. (1988). Strategic Information Systems, (Irwin, Boston, MA).
