Information systems development and multicriteria decision making / systems thinking

Abstract

Multicriteria Decision Making and Systems Thinking both claim to be useful when dealing with complex, messy managerial problems. They have evolved in a different way in the past 20 years and only recently there have been some attempts to to explore what one of those fields can contribute to the other. Information Systems development has been traditionally linked to "hard" systems thinking though in the past 10 years there have been considerable research attempts to apply softer approaches like Soft Systems Methodology, Strategica Assumptions Surfacing and Testing and Critical Systems Thinking to IS development. The latter is based on the principles of Critical Social Theory and the emancipatory ideas of Habermas. The paper presents an overview of the similarities and differences between MCDM and Systems Thinking and their relevance to Information Systems development. It provides also an overview of current research in the area, including the authors' own results. The conclusion emphases on the need for complementarist approaches combining the positive features of MCDM and Systems Thinking applied to IS development.