Representation Theory

Acronym

RT

Alternate name(s)

The Representation Model (RM) proposed by this theory is also sometimes referred to as the “theory of ontological clarity,” “theory of ontological expressiveness,” or the “Bunge-Wand-Weber model”.

Main dependent construct(s)/factor(s)

The ability of an information system/script to provide a faithful representation of the focal real-world phenomena

Main independent construct(s)/factor(s)

Deep structure of an Information System

Concise description of theory

Representation theory is one of the theories based on the idea that information systems produce representations of real-world phenomena. Wand and Weber (1988, 1990, 1993, 1995) developed a theory of information systems as representational artefacts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They asserted that the fundamental purpose of information systems is to provide representations of individuals or groups’ perceptions of real-world events phenomena and contended that if information systems give faithful (i.e., accurate and full) representations, users will deem them more valuable. Thus, perceiving a need open the “black box” of the information systems artifact, Wand and Weber sought to build “a foundation for a theory of information systems structure and design”, culminating in the development of the representation theory, which aims to model the desirable properties of information systems at a deep level.

RT is a Type-IV theory, according to Gregor (2006), as it ‘explains and predicts’. It explains, for instance, why the existence or absence of particular qualities in information system grammars or scripts improves or hinders a script’s capacity to provide and maintain a true representation. It also predicts whether the existence or absence of specific qualities in grammars or scripts would improve or degrade the representation’s faithfulness. Burton-Jones et al. (2017) also perceive RT as a Type-V theory - one that guides design and action since it advises designers what features a script must have in order for an information system to provide a useful representation.

To understand how user perceptions of meaning could be embodied in an information system, Wand and Weber characterised an information system as comprising of three structures.

• Deep structure - consists of those information system characteristics that reflect stakeholder perceptions of the meaning of the focal real-world events (for example, data objects and business rules incorporated in programme code).
• Surface structure comprises those characteristics of the information system that allow users to interact with the deep structure (such as the query interface and report generator).
• Physical structure consists of those aspects of the information system that implement the other two structures (for example, servers, personal computers, and networks).

The deep structure of an information system is the primary emphasis of RT. The other two structures are thought to be means for users to interact with the deep structure. The primary concern of RT is hence the extent to which an information system’s deep structure delivers and sustains a faithful representation of the focal real-world occurrences. If the information system is to stay useful while the phenomena change (i.e., events occur), it must maintain an up-to-date, faithful representation.

In order to understand how the deep structure of an information system may provide and maintain a faithful representation of the focused real-world phenomena and convey meaning about them, Wand and Weber proposed three models, which each focus on distinct but related aspects of the information system’s deep structure. These are the representation model (RM), state-tracking model (STM) and the good decomposition model (GDM).

Diagram/schematic of theory

Impact of Representational Faithfulness on the Usefulness of an Information System

Source: Recker, Jan & Indulska, Marta & Green, Peter & Burton-Jones, Andrew & Weber, Ron. (2019). Information Systems as Representations: A Review of the Theory and Evidence. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 20. 735-786. 10.17705/1jais.00550.

Three Structures of an Information Systems as per Representation Theory

Source: Recker, Jan & Indulska, Marta & Green, Peter & Burton-Jones, Andrew & Weber, Ron. (2019). Information Systems as Representations: A Review of the Theory and Evidence. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 20. 735-786. 10.17705/1jais.00550.

Representation, State Tracking and Good-Decomposition Models as per Representation Theory

Source: Burton-Jones, A., Recker, J., Indulska, M., Green, P., & Weber, R. (2017). Assessing representation theory with a framework for pursuing success and failure. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 41(4), 1307-1333. doi:10.25300/MISQ/2017/41.4.13

Originating author(s)

Y. Wand and R. Weber

Seminal articles

Wand, Y., and Weber, R. 1990. “An Ontological Model of an Information System,” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (16:11), pp. 1282-1292.

Wand, Y., and Weber, R. 1993. “On the Ontological Expressiveness of Information Systems Analysis and Design Grammars,” Journal of Information Systems (3:4), pp. 217-237.

Wand, Y., and Weber, R. 1995. “On the Deep Structure of Information Systems,” Information Systems Journal (5:3), pp. 203-223.

Wand Y,Weber R (1988) An ontological analysis of some fundamental information systems concepts. DeGross JI, Olson MH, ed. Proc. 9th Internat. Conf. Inform. Systems, Minneapolis, 213–225.

Weber, R. Ontological Foundations of Information Systems, Coopers & Lybrand, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1997.

Originating area

Information Systems

Level of analysis

System

Links from this theory to other theories

N/A

IS articles that use the theory

Burton-Jones, A., & Grange, C. (2013). From use to effective use: A representation theory perspective. Information Systems Research, 24(3), 632-658. doi:10.1287/isre.1120.0444

Burton-Jones, A., Recker, J., Indulska, M., Green, P., & Weber, R. (2017). Assessing representation theory with a framework for pursuing success and failure. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems, 41(4), 1307-1333. doi:10.25300/MISQ/2017/41.4.13

Joia, L. A., & Correia, J. C. P. (2018). CIO competencies from the IT professional perspective: Insights from brazil. Journal of Global Information Management, 26(2), 74-103. doi:10.4018/JGIM.2018040104

Paradis, F. (1995). Using linguistic and discourse structures to derive topics. Paper presented at the International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management, Proceedings, 44-49. doi:10.1145/221270.221322

Pozzebon, M., Cunha, M. A., & Coelho, T. R. (2016). Making sense to decreasing citizen eParticipation through a social representation lens. Information and Organization, 26(3), 84-99. doi:10.1016/j.infoandorg.2016.07.002

Recker, Jan & Indulska, Marta & Green, Peter & Burton-Jones, Andrew & Weber, Ron. (2019). Information Systems as Representations: A Review of the Theory and Evidence. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 20. 735-786. 10.17705/1jais.00550.

Weber, R. (2020). Taking the ontological and materialist turns: Agential realism, representation theory, and accounting information systems. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 39 doi:10.1016/j.accinf.2020.100485

Weerasinghe, K., Pauleen, D., Scahill, S., & Taskin, N. (2018). Development of a theoretical framework to investigate alignment of big data in healthcare through a social representation lens. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 22 doi:10.3127/ajis.v22i0.1617

Contributor(s)

Rishika Jain, Doctoral Student at Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, India

Date last updated

3 September, 2020

Please feel free to make modifications to this site. In order to do so, you must register.