This dissertation is devoted to a perspective from which IT-based information systems are conceived as information technological artefacts intended for business action and communication. The perspective has been made concrete through the concept of information systems actability, which is the main concept under scrutiny. The research contributions of the dissertation exist at various levels of abstration. First of all, the dissertation contributes to the understanding of information systems from a social action perspective. Based on identified weaknesses in contemporary conceptualizations of information systems, the concept of information systems actability is developed. This contribution consists of a reconciliation of various views on information system usage quality with its roots in a linguistic tradition including elements from organizational semiotics and the language/action perspective. At a more concrete level, this understanding, and the concept as such, have consequences for the development and evaluation of information systems. Such consequences have been the foundation for a proposed information systems design method, which thus constitutes a further contribution. Another contribution is the outlining of an information systems actability. As a further means of obtaining empirical experience of working with this concept, a descriptive analytic framework has been developed, which constitutes yet another contribution. These three operationalizations, the design method, the evaluation method and the analytic framework, have been developed and empirically grounded through a qualitative case study appproach involving four cases of information systems requirements specification, four evaluations of existing information systems, and two cases of description and characterization of information systems related phenomena from the perspective of actability. The latter two cases imply how further contributions at an even more concrete level, constituted by characterizations of Internet-based information systems and the local electronic marketplace, seen in the light of information systems actability.

Desde o surgimento do sistema Last Planner de controle da produção (LPS), no início dos anos 90, vários estudos apontaram a necessidade de compreender a teoria fundamental na qual o sistema é baseado. A Perspectiva da Linguagem‐Ação (LAP) é sugerida na literatura como adequada para compreender o gerenciamento dos compromissos no LPS. Entretanto, os estudos que comparam estas abordagens discutem a relação em um âmbito teórico. Neste sentido, há uma falta de estudos empíricos que tenham investigado as vantagens de compreender um sistema de planejamento segundo a LAP. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar os benefícios e limitações da utilização da Perspectiva da Linguagem‐ Ação para avaliar sistemas de planejamento e controle da produção, com ênfase nos níveis de médio e curto prazo. Foram realizados dois estudos de caso em empresas diferentes, ambas com um bom nível de maturidade na utilização do LPS, mas que apresentavam diferenças substanciais na forma de realizar o planejamento e controle da produção. Durante a condução dos estudos foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com engenheiros, auxiliares e encarregados; observação direta ao canteiro de obras; análise de documentos; e participação nas reuniões de planejamento de médio e curto prazo como fontes de evidência. Em cada um dos casos foi realizado um mapeamento das redes de compromissos relativas ao planejamento, bem como uma análise aprofundada sobre como são realizadas as reuniões, como os compromissos são gerenciados e quem efetivamente participa da tomada de decisão. Em ambos os estudos foi possível rastrear como os compromissos são iniciados. Este rastreamento levou a uma análise sobre a integridade dos ciclos nas redes de compromissos, e as consequências dessas falhas para o sistema de planejamento. Finalizadas as análises individuais foi feita uma análise cruzada dos casos estudados, em que foi possível perceber as diferenças das abordagens de cada empresa na condução do planejamento. As análises dos casos indicaram que existem alguns problemas presentes no sistema de planejamento que são melhor compreendidos através da análise das redes de compromissos. Além disso, as análises das reuniões apontaram algumas limitações no método proposto na literatura para avaliar as discussões entre duas pessoas que levam a execução de uma ação. Desta forma, este estudo elaborou um método que tornou possível analisar os acordos estabelecidos nas reuniões de planejamento, de maneira a contornar as limitações encontradas. / Since the Last Planner™ System (LPS) was devised in the early Nineties, several studies have pointed out the need to understand the underlying theory in which it is based on. The Language‐Action Perspective (LAP) has been suggested as a suitable approach to understand the management of commitments in the LPS. However, there is a lack of empirical studies that have investigated the utility of LAP as a theoretical approach for explaining the LPS. This study aims to investigate the benefits and the limitations of the Language‐Action Perspective for evaluating the effectiveness of planning and control systems, emphasizing medium and short term planning. Two case studies were carried out in different construction companies, both of them highly experienced on the use of LPS. Interviews with the people involved in planning meetings, direct observation of the construction sites, participation in planning meetings, and documents analysis were the main sources of evidence. In each company, the production planning and control system of one project was assessed, based on the mapping of the network of commitments regarding the medium and short term planning levels. Besides, an in‐depth analysis of planning meetings was made, describing how they were carried out, who effectively participated in decision‐making, and how the commitments were managed. In both studies, it was possible to track how the commitments were initiated, and in some cases to analyse the integrity of the workflow loops in the network of commitments, and the consequences of the failures for the planning and control system. A cross‐case analysis was carried out, in order to compare the managerial approaches of the two companies. The results pointed out some problems in the planning and control processes that can be better understood through the mapping of the network of commitments. Moreover, the study indicated some limitations of the method proposed in the literature for analysing people’s speech. For that reason, this study devised a method to perform a detailed analysis of planning meetings, in order to overcome those limitations.

Desde o surgimento do sistema Last Planner de controle da produção (LPS), no início dos anos 90, vários estudos apontaram a necessidade de compreender a teoria fundamental na qual o sistema é baseado. A Perspectiva da Linguagem‐Ação (LAP) é sugerida na literatura como adequada para compreender o gerenciamento dos compromissos no LPS. Entretanto, os estudos que comparam estas abordagens discutem a relação em um âmbito teórico. Neste sentido, há uma falta de estudos empíricos que tenham investigado as vantagens de compreender um sistema de planejamento segundo a LAP. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar os benefícios e limitações da utilização da Perspectiva da Linguagem‐ Ação para avaliar sistemas de planejamento e controle da produção, com ênfase nos níveis de médio e curto prazo. Foram realizados dois estudos de caso em empresas diferentes, ambas com um bom nível de maturidade na utilização do LPS, mas que apresentavam diferenças substanciais na forma de realizar o planejamento e controle da produção. Durante a condução dos estudos foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com engenheiros, auxiliares e encarregados; observação direta ao canteiro de obras; análise de documentos; e participação nas reuniões de planejamento de médio e curto prazo como fontes de evidência. Em cada um dos casos foi realizado um mapeamento das redes de compromissos relativas ao planejamento, bem como uma análise aprofundada sobre como são realizadas as reuniões, como os compromissos são gerenciados e quem efetivamente participa da tomada de decisão. Em ambos os estudos foi possível rastrear como os compromissos são iniciados. Este rastreamento levou a uma análise sobre a integridade dos ciclos nas redes de compromissos, e as consequências dessas falhas para o sistema de planejamento. Finalizadas as análises individuais foi feita uma análise cruzada dos casos estudados, em que foi possível perceber as diferenças das abordagens de cada empresa na condução do planejamento. As análises dos casos indicaram que existem alguns problemas presentes no sistema de planejamento que são melhor compreendidos através da análise das redes de compromissos. Além disso, as análises das reuniões apontaram algumas limitações no método proposto na literatura para avaliar as discussões entre duas pessoas que levam a execução de uma ação. Desta forma, este estudo elaborou um método que tornou possível analisar os acordos estabelecidos nas reuniões de planejamento, de maneira a contornar as limitações encontradas. / Since the Last Planner™ System (LPS) was devised in the early Nineties, several studies have pointed out the need to understand the underlying theory in which it is based on. The Language‐Action Perspective (LAP) has been suggested as a suitable approach to understand the management of commitments in the LPS. However, there is a lack of empirical studies that have investigated the utility of LAP as a theoretical approach for explaining the LPS. This study aims to investigate the benefits and the limitations of the Language‐Action Perspective for evaluating the effectiveness of planning and control systems, emphasizing medium and short term planning. Two case studies were carried out in different construction companies, both of them highly experienced on the use of LPS. Interviews with the people involved in planning meetings, direct observation of the construction sites, participation in planning meetings, and documents analysis were the main sources of evidence. In each company, the production planning and control system of one project was assessed, based on the mapping of the network of commitments regarding the medium and short term planning levels. Besides, an in‐depth analysis of planning meetings was made, describing how they were carried out, who effectively participated in decision‐making, and how the commitments were managed. In both studies, it was possible to track how the commitments were initiated, and in some cases to analyse the integrity of the workflow loops in the network of commitments, and the consequences of the failures for the planning and control system. A cross‐case analysis was carried out, in order to compare the managerial approaches of the two companies. The results pointed out some problems in the planning and control processes that can be better understood through the mapping of the network of commitments. Moreover, the study indicated some limitations of the method proposed in the literature for analysing people’s speech. For that reason, this study devised a method to perform a detailed analysis of planning meetings, in order to overcome those limitations.

Desde o surgimento do sistema Last Planner de controle da produção (LPS), no início dos anos 90, vários estudos apontaram a necessidade de compreender a teoria fundamental na qual o sistema é baseado. A Perspectiva da Linguagem‐Ação (LAP) é sugerida na literatura como adequada para compreender o gerenciamento dos compromissos no LPS. Entretanto, os estudos que comparam estas abordagens discutem a relação em um âmbito teórico. Neste sentido, há uma falta de estudos empíricos que tenham investigado as vantagens de compreender um sistema de planejamento segundo a LAP. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar os benefícios e limitações da utilização da Perspectiva da Linguagem‐ Ação para avaliar sistemas de planejamento e controle da produção, com ênfase nos níveis de médio e curto prazo. Foram realizados dois estudos de caso em empresas diferentes, ambas com um bom nível de maturidade na utilização do LPS, mas que apresentavam diferenças substanciais na forma de realizar o planejamento e controle da produção. Durante a condução dos estudos foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com engenheiros, auxiliares e encarregados; observação direta ao canteiro de obras; análise de documentos; e participação nas reuniões de planejamento de médio e curto prazo como fontes de evidência. Em cada um dos casos foi realizado um mapeamento das redes de compromissos relativas ao planejamento, bem como uma análise aprofundada sobre como são realizadas as reuniões, como os compromissos são gerenciados e quem efetivamente participa da tomada de decisão. Em ambos os estudos foi possível rastrear como os compromissos são iniciados. Este rastreamento levou a uma análise sobre a integridade dos ciclos nas redes de compromissos, e as consequências dessas falhas para o sistema de planejamento. Finalizadas as análises individuais foi feita uma análise cruzada dos casos estudados, em que foi possível perceber as diferenças das abordagens de cada empresa na condução do planejamento. As análises dos casos indicaram que existem alguns problemas presentes no sistema de planejamento que são melhor compreendidos através da análise das redes de compromissos. Além disso, as análises das reuniões apontaram algumas limitações no método proposto na literatura para avaliar as discussões entre duas pessoas que levam a execução de uma ação. Desta forma, este estudo elaborou um método que tornou possível analisar os acordos estabelecidos nas reuniões de planejamento, de maneira a contornar as limitações encontradas. / Since the Last Planner™ System (LPS) was devised in the early Nineties, several studies have pointed out the need to understand the underlying theory in which it is based on. The Language‐Action Perspective (LAP) has been suggested as a suitable approach to understand the management of commitments in the LPS. However, there is a lack of empirical studies that have investigated the utility of LAP as a theoretical approach for explaining the LPS. This study aims to investigate the benefits and the limitations of the Language‐Action Perspective for evaluating the effectiveness of planning and control systems, emphasizing medium and short term planning. Two case studies were carried out in different construction companies, both of them highly experienced on the use of LPS. Interviews with the people involved in planning meetings, direct observation of the construction sites, participation in planning meetings, and documents analysis were the main sources of evidence. In each company, the production planning and control system of one project was assessed, based on the mapping of the network of commitments regarding the medium and short term planning levels. Besides, an in‐depth analysis of planning meetings was made, describing how they were carried out, who effectively participated in decision‐making, and how the commitments were managed. In both studies, it was possible to track how the commitments were initiated, and in some cases to analyse the integrity of the workflow loops in the network of commitments, and the consequences of the failures for the planning and control system. A cross‐case analysis was carried out, in order to compare the managerial approaches of the two companies. The results pointed out some problems in the planning and control processes that can be better understood through the mapping of the network of commitments. Moreover, the study indicated some limitations of the method proposed in the literature for analysing people’s speech. For that reason, this study devised a method to perform a detailed analysis of planning meetings, in order to overcome those limitations.

Syftet med den här avhandlingen är att utveckla en begreppslig och teoretiserande förståelse för villkor och möjligheter i överviktiga personers handlingsliv. Med utgångspunkt i intervjuer med femton feta svenskar har slutpunkten för studien kommit att bli en artikulering av processer och subprocesser inom viktordningen. Viktordningen är ett system som ordnar alla horisontellt, som underviktiga, normalviktiga eller överviktiga. Den ordnar oss även vertikalt, genom att över - och underordna oss beroende på vilken viktkategori vi tillhör. Det innebär att vissa gynnas medan andra missgynnas. Att feta är en grupp som i den västerländska kulturen tenderar att både underordnas, förtryckas och missgynnas har humanistiskt och samhällsvetenskapligt orienterad fetmaforskning visat. Den forskningen, såväl som fetas redogörelser för sina liv, vittnar också om det viktordnande systemet. Genom att teoretisera kring viktordningen vill jag öka förståelsen för hur underordandet, förtrycket och missgynnande av feta är möjligt. Viktordningen är således inte i sig ett system för underordning av feta. De som dominerar är själva i vissa avseenden dominerade. Underordandet är snarare en effekt sprungna ur det viktordnande systemet. Viktordningen inkluderar mer än det som uppmärksammas i den här studien. Den teoretiserande framställningen behandlar fyra processer samt viktiga subprocesser och element i viktordningen: viktordnandets betingelser, viktiggörande, inordnande viktgörande och oviktiggörande. Viktordnande betingelser behandlar de kulturella och sociala förutsättningar som möjliggör viktordningens existens. Dessa betingelser gör att vikten blir viktig mer allmänt och för alla. I de övriga processerna är det fetas position och roll i viktordningen som är i fokus. Viktiggörande, belyser olika sätt varigenom feta människor kan kommer att uppleva och uppfatta sin övervikt som något negativt viktigt i sina liv. Inordnande viktgörande behandlar de sociala och kulturella medel som är ämnade att göra den feta smal (-are). Dessa tenderar också att göra vikten negativt viktig för feta. De tre första processerna behandlar syftets första del, det vill säga fetas villkor. Syftets andra del, möjligheterna, lyfts fram i den fjärde och sista processen, oviktiggöranden. Oviktiggörande kan enkelt beskrivas som viktiggörandets motkrafter, och refererar till hur feta kan göra sin övervikt mindre viktig. / The purpose of this thesis is to develop a conceptual and theorizing understanding of circumstances and possibilities in fat people’s lives. Starting in interviews with fifteen fat Swedes, this research finally ended up as an articulation of processes and sub-processes within the weight order. The weight order is a system that orders all of us horizontally as underweight, normal weight or overweight. It also orders us vertically as super- or subordered depending on which weight category we belong to. This means that some are favoured while others are unfairly treated. The fact that fat people in Western cultures tend to be sub-ordered, oppressed and unfairly treated because of their body sizes and weights has already been shown in previous research, and this study does not treat that issue to any great extent. Instead it focuses on the ordering system that is evident in fat people’s statements and in previous research about fatness and overweight within the humanities and social sciences. By theorizing around weight order I wish to broaden the understanding of how subordination, oppression and unfair treatment of fat people are possible. The weight order is not a system for subordination of fat people. Those who dominate are also in some sense dominated. Subordination is rather an effect driven by the weight-ordered system. The weight order is a more inclusive conception than has been presented in this study. The theoretical treaties examine four processes, sub-processes and elements within the weight order. These include weight-ordering conditions, weightification, subsuming weightdoing, and downplaying weightification. Weight-ordering conditions deal with cultural and social circumstances that make the weight order possible. These conditions are processes that no one can fully escape. In the other processes it is only fat people’s positions and roles within the weight order that is in focus. Weightification consists of the processes that make body weight important in people’s lives. In this work weightification highlights different forms that make fat people experience and understand their overweight as negatively important in their lives. Subsuming weight-doings deals with social and cultural means that are intended to make fat people thin (-er). These also tend to make the  body weight negative for fat people. The three first processes treat the first part of the aim, fat people’s conditions. The second part of the aim, possibilities, is dealt with in the fourth and last process, downplaying weightification. Downplaying weightification can simply be described as including the opposite forces to weightification, and deals with how fat people can make their overweight less important.