An “Impressionist” Ethnography of Risk in the Development of Corporate Information Infrastructure Daniel Osei-Joehene Information Systems and Innovation Group Department of Management London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE United Kingdom April 2007 Dissertation submitted in the fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the faculty of Economics at the University of London UMI Number: U237778 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U237778 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 In memory of my parents: M r Comfort Osei-Mensah (1942 - 1996) & Daniel Osei-Mensah (1940 - 2002) •' /K J \ J l $ m m im SA/ata tAat Aerenely ‘ ! ^ « V ^/aa reAt an AiyA ^aryiae yanr Aan eaaldn t Aay yaadAye (~3§u-l QfieatA waA a tyrant (0n tAe rieAt (and 3^ndyaa Aad written ^niymaA in my A and &Ae mare tAey try '^f>reAAyaa dawn ■^TJte mare 6eaati/a( raiaA yaur eratan '3tfrid naia yaa 3 ( £ r eaA a Aytritaal daae Cffiw-elljareaer .y^n aar eternal lave Ben Okri, 1995 i d ABSTRACT In recent years, a significant body of literature has emerged on the subject of information infrastructure (II) within the IS field. Nevertheless, issues of risk in the development of II have seldom been addressed. This dissertation addresses this important gap by drawing on recent contributions to sociological theories of risk to study the relationship between risk, culture and the occurrence of danger in the development of IT as corporate information infrastructure (CII). The thesis is established on findings from an ethnographic study of risk in the development of II with a multinational banking corporation. This thesis makes several key contributions to the field of IS, firstly to the understanding of risk in the development of II. Secondly, to theory development in IS risk research through the novel integration of sociological theories of risk into a theoretical model for the analysis of risk, culture, and danger in the development of ICT. A further contribution to IS research is achieved through the adoption of the impressionist autoethnographic approach, as a novel means of narrative construction within IS research. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Undertaking the PhD was always going to be a challenging journey. The most difficult challenge for me was the loss of my father and last remaining parent. This marked the beginning of a succession of personal difficulties, which at times proved too great for me to bear. It was the unremitting support of my supervisor, Professor Ian Angell that guided me through these and other obstacles. My debt can never be paid or my gratitude expressed. GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AD Active Directory BPR Business Process Reengineering BRC Business Recovery Centre CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Pic CII Corporate information infrastructure CSCW Computer Supported Co-operative Work ESD Engineered Safety Devices Financial Products (a trading group specialising in derivatives products in FP the World Markets Investment Banking Sector of CIBC) FP Tech The technology support group of Financial Products. GEM Global Enterprise Management (technology management group) GT Global Technology (CIBC WM technology support group) II information infrastructure MDS Market Data Services MS Microsoft Pic NAT Normal Accident Theory NOS Network Operating System NT MS Windows NT (New Technology) Desktop Network Operating System OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development RAM Random Access Memory SISP Strategic Information Systems Planning Systems Management Service (remote PC desktop computer management SMS and installation application). STR Sociological Theory of Risk Windows MS Desktop Operating System WM CIBC World Markets Y2k Year 2000 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES No. Type Description Page Fig. 2.1 Figure Characteristics of (information) infrastructures 54 Trends in IT strategy: the changing nature of desired Fig. 2.2 Diagram . 63 ° outcomes Fig. 3.1 Diagram Four cultural rationalities 69 p. - _ T ,. Summary Comparison of Complex and Linear Systems - 89 a e Adapted from Perrow( 1984). ir 'i 'i rp vi Tight and Loose Coupling Tendencies - Adapted from QO Fig. 3.3 Table perrow(i984) „ . Alternative Social Research Paradigms. Adapted from g Table Cuba and Lincoln, (2000) 124 Fig 4.2 Table Sample Table of Initial Data Analysis Approach 151 Fig 6.1 Diagram MS Exchange Management and Administration Console 246 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................................................................... I l l GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................................................ IV LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES .........................................................................................................................................................V CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Structure of D is se r t a t io n ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................................7 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................................7 2.2 Risk R esearch - A H istorical Re v ie w ................................................................................................................................8 2.2.1 Ancient Times & the Belief in Fate ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.2.2 Renaissance & the Emergence o f Probability ...................................................................................................... 9 2.2.3 Uncertainty and Economic Theory .......................................................................................................................12 2.2.4 Technoscientific Perspective .................................................................................................................................14 2.2.5 Sociological Concepts of Risk ...............................................................................................................................19 2.2.6 Key Findings from Risk Research Review .......................................................................................................... 25 2.3 IS Risk Re s e a r c h ........................................................................................................................................................................... 27 2.3.1 IS Software Risk .....................................................................................................................................................27 2.3.2 IS Management Risk ..............................................................................................................................................31 2.3.3 IS Security Risk ........................................................................ 34 2.3.4 IS Outsourcing Risk...............................................................................................................................................35 2.3.5 Alternative IS Risk Research ................................................................................................................................ 36 2.3.6 Key Findings from IS Risk Research ................................................................................................................... 37 2.4 T he concept of information infrastructure ............................................................................................................... 40 2.4.1 Classical/Traditional Notions of II...................................................................................................................... 41 2.4.2 Modern Concept o f II ............................................................................................................................................43 2.5 IS Corporate Info rm a tio n infrastructure (CII) Re s e a r c h ................................................................................... 49 2.5.1 Infrastructure in Strategic Information Systems Research................................................................................49