Q methodology and the sociotechnical perspective

Muriel Frank, Vanessa Kohn () and Roland Holten
Additional contact information
Muriel Frank: Goethe University Frankfurt
Vanessa Kohn: Goethe University Frankfurt
Roland Holten: Goethe University Frankfurt

Information Systems and e-Business Management, 2024, vol. 22, issue 4, No 1, 599-631

Abstract: Abstract When studying information systems (IS) phenomena, scholars increasingly aim to take a socio-technical approach. This means that instead of focusing exclusively on the technical side, they also study them from a human perspective. An underrecognized yet powerful tool for examining the opinions and attitudes of individuals is the Q methodology because it makes subjective viewpoints on IS phenomena objectively measurable. Despite its benefits and wide application in other disciplines, the use of Q methodology in top IS journals is still rare. Based on a systematic literature review, this article explores the potential and fit of Q methodology within the sociotechnical systems framework. This analysis leads to two main insights. First, Q methodology enables the integration of the social and the technical component as well as instrumental and humanistic outcomes. Second, this qualiquantilogical technique enriches the understanding of IS phenomena by objectifying the approach to exploring subjective viewpoints. Thus, our work highlights the potential of the method for conducting IS research. And it also provides clear guidelines on how to use the method to uncover new patterns inherent in the data being studied.

Keywords: Q methodology; Systematic literature review; Sociotechnical perspective; STS framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10257-024-00679-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:infsem:v:22:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s10257-024-00679-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... ystems/journal/10257

DOI: 10.1007/s10257-024-00679-x

Access Statistics for this article

Information Systems and e-Business Management is currently edited by Jörg Becker and Michael J. Shaw

More articles in Information Systems and e-Business Management from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().