<p>This study in contemporary history describes the transformation of the public sphere in Sweden during the period 1969-1999, and analyses the role of information technology and politics in the process. The overall aim of the study is to explain how, and why, the public sphere in Jürgen Habermas sense has deteriorated during a period of rapid technological and political change, when increasing attention has been given to information technology as a new tool for improving democracy and empowering citizens.</p><p>Theoretical inspiration is drawn from two perspectives within the modern history of technology and sociology of technology; the LTS (Large Technical Systems) and STS (Science, Technology and Society) approaches, as well as from the regime theory concept within political science. This multidisciplinary framework provides the theoretical basis for the study, including terms as socio-technical systems, system builder, technification, interpretative flexibility, stabilization, closing and regime change. In addition, the analysis draws upon previous research in economic history, where focus often has been on the important role of institutions. The term path dependence is central in this tradition.</p><p>The starting point for the study is the process of a mutual legitimization between citizens and political actors that traditionally has taken place within the public sphere. In return for citizens support and trust, political actors have granted format rights to the public space. Two aspects of this interdependence are addressed: Freedom of speech and citizen’s access to public information, and their access to arenas where an exchange of political ideas and opinions is taking place. In the study, the former is a question of the legal system and the limits to freedom of speech in new medias such as the Internet, while the latter concerns citizen’s technical means and possibilities to connect to electronic networks.</p><p>Research interest is concentrated on the formal political system, focusing both actors and structural factors such as technological development, media convergence, ideological change and international integration in the transformation process. Four case studies of institutional changes during formative moments, within what is defined as the legal and the technical infrastructures, are conducted and represent the empirical base of the thesis. The case studies are centered on Swedish governmental commissions, on the government itself and on proceedings in the parliament, and concerns formation and transformation of computer law, as well as the deregulation and privatization of the technical infrastructure.</p><p>In the latter process Televerket (Swedish Telecom) has been an influential promoter of competition and institutional separation between tele- and data communications, representing a major regime change in favour of market relations in the technical infrastructure. In the area of computer law, the Swedish regime dominated by SCB (Statistics Sweden) was incorporated into a joint European data protection regime, resulting in limitations of freedom of speech on the Internet. These regime changes have also transformed the role of the state, constituting a “net watchers state”. </p><p>Another important finding is that promotion of democracy and improvement of access to the public sphere, never was on the agenda in the political transformation processes studied, although a parallel discourse on democracy and information technology existed throughout the period studied.</p>

<p>Enterprises of any size need to face different challenges which might be specific to their environment or their structure. Therefore, to overcome these barriers each company owner needs to take into consideration suitable ways through which the available and potential resources can be best use in dealing with the business context. Issues like, market breakthrough and acceptance, competition, economic environment, can prove to be critical for a small business which bases its activities on innovation type of services and products.</p><p>By studding the specific context of small businesses with an entrepreneurial and innovative character, we try to address in this thesis one of the particular ways through which these type of companies can face challenges within their environment: by involving different categories of external support in their projects and business activities. While the need for capital, information and co-operation is growing along with the small business development, we also have chosen to focus our attention on three types of support infrastructures: finance, information and network. Then, each of these support aspects is analysed in connection with project critical success factors in order to establish a certain relevance that external assistance can have on project success.</p><p>The case studies are based on five small companies within a Swedish incubator in the region of Västerbotten county. As for our study we consider governmental agencies, universities and Science Parks, as three representative support agents, we decided to take closely analyse one of them, and so we looked at the policies and environment of the incubator which hosts the five small companies. And so, Uminova Innovation and its incubator, which are part of Uminova Science Park, could be considered as the overall case study framework. Then, the outcomes of this thesis highlight the perceived influence of the three support infrastructures: finance, information and networks on the business projects, activities and processes. Although the particular business characteristics have their own impact when it comes to the types of support each studied company choose to approach, a general link has been noticed between a certain type of business activities or plans and the involved support.</p><p>As this study brings up particular matters which engage both small business and the business support agents, we believe that the outcomes of the analysis and the broad theoretical framework would be a suitable reference for practitioners of support policies as well as for small business owners. Therefore, the actions and policies of these actors can be further developed by taking in consideration the critical success factors which have a direct implication in enhancing a particular support that further can contribute to project success.</p>

Enterprises of any size need to face different challenges which might be specific to their environment or their structure. Therefore, to overcome these barriers each company owner needs to take into consideration suitable ways through which the available and potential resources can be best use in dealing with the business context. Issues like, market breakthrough and acceptance, competition, economic environment, can prove to be critical for a small business which bases its activities on innovation type of services and products. By studding the specific context of small businesses with an entrepreneurial and innovative character, we try to address in this thesis one of the particular ways through which these type of companies can face challenges within their environment: by involving different categories of external support in their projects and business activities. While the need for capital, information and co-operation is growing along with the small business development, we also have chosen to focus our attention on three types of support infrastructures: finance, information and network. Then, each of these support aspects is analysed in connection with project critical success factors in order to establish a certain relevance that external assistance can have on project success. The case studies are based on five small companies within a Swedish incubator in the region of Västerbotten county. As for our study we consider governmental agencies, universities and Science Parks, as three representative support agents, we decided to take closely analyse one of them, and so we looked at the policies and environment of the incubator which hosts the five small companies. And so, Uminova Innovation and its incubator, which are part of Uminova Science Park, could be considered as the overall case study framework. Then, the outcomes of this thesis highlight the perceived influence of the three support infrastructures: finance, information and networks on the business projects, activities and processes. Although the particular business characteristics have their own impact when it comes to the types of support each studied company choose to approach, a general link has been noticed between a certain type of business activities or plans and the involved support. As this study brings up particular matters which engage both small business and the business support agents, we believe that the outcomes of the analysis and the broad theoretical framework would be a suitable reference for practitioners of support policies as well as for small business owners. Therefore, the actions and policies of these actors can be further developed by taking in consideration the critical success factors which have a direct implication in enhancing a particular support that further can contribute to project success.

O desenvolvimento de uma infra-estrutura de informação só é possível se ela for sustentada e legitimada por atores organizacionais e pelas pessoas que contribuem para o seu desenvolvimento ou dela se utilizam. O principal objetivo desta tese é contribuir para um maior entendimento do papel desempenhado pelo exercício do poder no processo de desenvolvimento de uma infra-estrutura de informação. Este estudo baseia-se em uma análise empírica de um sistema de informação, cujo desenvolvimento foi sustentado por atores poderosos e por agentes que se tornaram poderosos graças a uma ampliação no seu escopo e à sua utilização como fonte de poder ou vigilância, dando origem a uma infra-estrutura de informação. Uma infra-estrutura de informação difere dos sistemas de informação tradicionais por ser um recurso compartilhado por uma grande comunidade de usuários e organizações não estando sujeito ao controle de uma única unidade organizacional. O seu desenvolvimento é comandado por vários atores, com interesses diversos e sem uma coordenação central que exerça controle sobre todos os agentes, não podendo, portanto, ser projetada e gerenciada de acordo com os princípios utilizados para o projeto de sistemas de informação, ou seja, de forma isolada e estanque. Utiliza-se como fundamentação teórica para esta pesquisa, a teoria de Hanseth e Lyytinen (2005) que estuda a evolução e a expansão de infra-estruturas de informação, a qual não aborda o papel do poder no desenvolvimento de infra-estruturas, conforme reconhecem os próprios autores. Nesta tese usa-se o modelo dos circuitos de poder de Clegg (1989) para analisar os efeitos do exercício do poder para o desenvolvimento da infra-estrutura de informação. O sistema estudado é o SIAFEM ? Sistema Integrado de Administração Financeira para Estados e Municípios, que foi adotado para o controle orçamentário e financeiro do Governo do Estado de São Paulo, sendo posteriormente expandido e integrado a outros sistemas, transformando-se, desta forma, em uma infra-estrutura de informação. Para o desenvolvimento da infra-estrutura analisada foi preciso de-institucionalizar um sistema contábil utilizado anteriormente e institucionalizar um novo sistema. Este processo trouxe profundas mudanças organizacionais e culturais, cuja análise foi baseada na teoria do novo institucionalismo. / The development of an information infrastructure is possible only if it is sustained and legitimated by organizational actors and individuals that contribute to its development or use. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a better understanding of the role played by power as a design constraint in the process of development of an information infrastructure. This study is based on an empirical analysis of an information system that once implemented was enlarged due to new requirements and the role played by it as an empowering tool for some actors. Moreover, powerful actors that sustained its expansion make use of it as an apparatus of control and surveillance. An information infrastructure differs from traditional information systems by being a resource shared by a large community of users and organizations, and not being under the control of a single organizational unit. Several actors command its development, with diverse interests and without a central coordination over the agents. The building of these solutions is significantly different from those of the autonomous information systems built previously. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new understanding for the building of these solutions, i.e., systems that can be enlarged and become an information infrastructure. Hanseth and Lyytinen´s theory (2005), that studies the evolution and the expansion of information infrastructures, is used as a theoretical foundation for this research, supplemented by Clegg´s Circuits of Power framework (1989) which is used to study power as a design constraint for the development of the information infrastructure. The studied system is SIAFEM - Integrated System for State Financial Administration, a large governmental system adopted by the State of Sao Paulo for budget and financial control. Later on, it was enlarged and integrated with new systems, changing to an information infrastructure. For the development of the analysed infrastructure it was necessary to de-institutionalise an accounting system used previously and to institutionalise a new system. This process brought deep organizational and cultural changes, whose analysis was based on the Theory of New Institutionalism.

Abstract In information systems (IS) research, there is increasing interest in understanding complex and large-scale efforts. This study examines the complexity involved in infrastructuring within a novel context: the educational network of a Finnish city. A unique aspect is this study’s focus on children’s participation in infrastructuring. It contributes to the existing body of literature by addressing the concepts of discourses in place, interaction order, and historical body, as drawn from nexus analysis. It offers these concepts as theoretical tools for understanding the complexity of infrastructuring, and furthers exploration of user participation in IS research through a careful analysis of actor participation in the infrastructuring venture in question. The findings of this study foreground a multitude of actors, both adults and children, as well as their various activities and the versatility of the involved objects of design. The central social actors include educational officials, schools (teachers, headmasters, and pupils), researchers, and local and global companies. Infrastructuring in this research includes planned activities concerning developed solutions, but also emergent activities for adapting planned solutions to local schools’ everyday practices, revealing the intimate intertwining of practices and technologies. In particular, the past temporal horizon and shared histories of the communities involved are highlighted in terms of the concept of the historical body. The analysis on the historical bodies of the actors foregrounded the local aspects that were appreciated, but also challenged in infrastructuring. The concept of interaction order was found to be useful for analyzing the heterogeneity, multivoicedness, tensions between local and global dimensions, and power aspects inherent in infrastructuring As a practical implication, the nexus analytic concepts of historical body and interaction order are suggested as means of better understanding local settings and the power relationships of various actors, and are also useful for practitioners preparing for infrastructuring. / Tiivistelmä Kiinnostus monimutkaisiin ja laaja-alaisiin hankkeisiin on lisääntynyt tietojenkäsittelytieteiden tutkimuksessa. Tämä tutkimus tarkastelee infrastrukturoitumiseen liittyvää monitahoisuutta uudessa yhteydessä, erään suomalaisen kaupungin kouluverkon kannalta. Uutena näkökulmana tässä tutkimuksessa on lasten osallistuminen infrastrukturoitumiseen. Teoreettisiksi työkaluiksi infrastrukturoitumisen monitahoisuuden ymmärtämiseksi tämä tutkimus tarjoaa neksusanalyyttisiä käsitteitä ’discourses in place’, ’interaction order’ ja ’historical body’. Tässä tutkimuksessa toteutettu analyysi erilaisten toimijoiden osallistumisesta kyseisen hankkeen infrastrukturoitumiseen edistää käyttäjien osallistumiseen liittyvää tietojenkäsittelytieteen tutkimusta. Uusina tuloksina tässä tutkimuksessa ovat toimijoiden - sekä aikuisten että lasten - moninaisuus, heidän erilaiset toimintatapansa sekä suunnittelukohteiden monipuolisuus. Keskeisiä toimijoita hankkeessa olivat opetustoimen virkamiehet, koulut (opettajat, rehtorit sekä oppilaat), tutkijat sekä paikalliset ja kansainväliset yritykset. Infrastrukturoituminen tässä hankkeessa sisälsi sekä suunniteltuja ratkaisuja että uusia soveltavia toimintoja, joilla ratkaisut sovitettiin paikallisiin, koulujen jokapäiväisiin käytänteisiin. Käytänteiden ja teknologioiden väistämätön kietoutuminen toisiinsa tuli siten myös esille tässä tutkimuksessa. Erityisesti mennyt ajallinen ulottuvuus sekä yhteisöjen jaettu historia korostuivat neksusanalyyttisen ‘historical body’ -käsitteen kautta. Toimijoiden aiempien kokemusten tarkastelu tämän käsitteen avulla toi tutkimuksessa esille myös ne paikalliset tekijät, joita infrastrukturoitumisessa arvostettiin, mutta toisaalta myös haastettiin. Neksusanalyyttinen ’interaction order’ -käsite osoittautui hyödylliseksi infrastrukturoitumiseen liittyvän monimuotoisuuden, osallistujien moninaisuuden, paikallisten ja globaalien ulottuvuuksien sekä valtasuhteiden tarkastelemiseksi. Käytännön toimijoille neksusanalyyttisten käsitteiden (’historical body’ ja ’interaction order’) soveltamista suositellaan paikallisten toimintapuitteiden ja eri toimijoiden valtasuhteiden ymmärtämiseen paremmin. Näiden käsitteiden käyttö on hyödyllistä myös käytännön toimijoille järjestettäessä infrastrukturoitumiseen osallistumista.

Dissertation deals with the problem of information policy and its development. Information policy and e-Government is defined. The emphasis is put mainly on the history and development of information policy in The United States and Europe, represented by the European Union, Germany and France, from which the current EU policy draws. In conclusion, a comparison is made, to confront American and European attitude along with several cases about the conditions of information policy in the Czech Republic. Keywords information policy, e-government, public administration, information infrastructure, legislative, Europe, USA

Informationsinfrastrukturer (II) är ett ständigt evolverande system som binder samman flera olika informationssystem till en fungerande helhet. Vi har undersökt SSBTEK som är en II som binder samman olika myndigheters informationssystem. I det här arbetet har vi fördjupat oss i hur testning av II går till, vilka faktorer som är avgörande för en omfattande II-testning. Vi har genomfört en fallstudie för att närmare undersöka en II och intervjuat dess designer och testare. Det vi har kommit fram till är att testmiljötillhandahållning från designerns sida kan spela den centrala rollen i II-testningen eftersom det kan öka förståelsen av komplexa data och möjliggör testning parallellt med vidareutvecklingen av II. Andra faktorer som är viktiga är kommunikation mellan designern och testaren och testdatakvalitet. / Information Infrastructure (II) is a constantly evolving system that connects several different information systems. We have examined SSBTEK which is an II that connects different state authority information systems. In this research we have studied the process of testing in II and which factors are crucial for a comprehensive II testing. We have conducted a case study to investigate II and interviewed its designers and testers. Our findings indicate that test environment availability is playing a crucial role in II testing because it can increase the understanding of complex data and enables testing parallel with the development of the II. Other important factors that are important in II testing are test data quality and communication between designers and testers.

Diversos fatores levam ao crescimento do número de cooperações entre empresas. Dentre estes podem ser destacados: o rápido desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias de informação e a tendência das empresas concentrarem-se em suas competências essenciais, procurando tornarem-se ágeis para sobreviverem no competitivo mercado atual. Neste cenário, Empresas Virtuais (EVs) constituem uma apropriada alternativa e vantagem competitiva para Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PMEs). EVs podem ser formadas dentro de Organizações Virtuais (OVs), que são redes de potenciais parceiros (empresas). Entretanto, através de uma utilização sistemática de modernas tecnologias de informação, as EVs se tornam mais viáveis economicamente, devido a uma significativa redução nos custos de transação. Diante desta alternativa, propõe-se um ambiente cooperativo suportado por computador que possibilite e otimize a participação de PMEs em OVs. Como ambiente entende-se aqui as soluções técnicas de suporte computacional (ou infra-estrutura de informação), que devem apoiar a participação de PMEs nos processos de trabalho cooperativo do ambiente distribuído de uma OV. As questões humanas e organizacionais que as PMEs devem atender para participarem em OVs são, também, abordadas por este trabalho, não constituindo, porém, o foco principal da pesquisa. Por fim, apresenta-se um cenário de exemplificação do ambiente proposto. / Many factors bring the increase in the number of co-operations among enterprises. Among them, it can be addressed: the quick development of new information technologies and the enterprises tendency to concentrate on their core competencies, aiming to became agile to survive in the competitive actual market. In this context, Virtual Enterprises (VE) are an appropriate alternative and competitive advantage to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). VEs can be formed inside Virtual Organisations (VOs), which are networks of potential partners (enterprises). However, VEs become more feasible by means of a systematic use of modern information technologies, due to a significant reduction on transaction costs. Considering this alternative a co-operative environment supported by computer is proposed, in order to enable and optimise the participation of SMEs in VOs. Here, environment is understood as technical solutions of computer support (or information infra-structure), which must sustain the participation of SMEs in the co-operative work processes of the distributed environment of a VO. The human and organisational aspects which the SMEs should meet to participate in VOs, are also approached by this project, nevertheless, they are not the main focus of the research. In the end, an exemplification scenario of the proposed environment is presented.

To classify is human. Whether intentionally or not, we classify the world around us, though not all classification has the same level of impact. Throughout history and well into modern day, classification of people, from the apartheid regime in South Africa to gender classification of trans people, has had significant and sometimes devastating impact on individuals. This bachelor thesis examines the views of developers and recruiters regarding automatic classification of CVs within recruitment, and how these differ. Nine interviews with twelve informants – three developers and nine recruiters – form the empirical base of the thesis. A thematical analysis is applied and the results are presented in relation to the everyday consequences in Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star’s (1999) theoretical perspective. Three main topics are discerned as common themes in the interviews: time saving, precision, and reliability. The differing focus on each theme in the respective professions is further discussed. The width of the study does not allow for a generalised view of the opinions of each profession but provides an interesting starting point for further studies within the field.

This study in contemporary history describes the transformation of the public sphere in Sweden during the period 1969-1999, and analyses the role of information technology and politics in the process. The overall aim of the study is to explain how, and why, the public sphere in Jürgen Habermas sense has deteriorated during a period of rapid technological and political change, when increasing attention has been given to information technology as a new tool for improving democracy and empowering citizens. Theoretical inspiration is drawn from two perspectives within the modern history of technology and sociology of technology; the LTS (Large Technical Systems) and STS (Science, Technology and Society) approaches, as well as from the regime theory concept within political science. This multidisciplinary framework provides the theoretical basis for the study, including terms as socio-technical systems, system builder, technification, interpretative flexibility, stabilization, closing and regime change. In addition, the analysis draws upon previous research in economic history, where focus often has been on the important role of institutions. The term path dependence is central in this tradition. The starting point for the study is the process of a mutual legitimization between citizens and political actors that traditionally has taken place within the public sphere. In return for citizens support and trust, political actors have granted format rights to the public space. Two aspects of this interdependence are addressed: Freedom of speech and citizen’s access to public information, and their access to arenas where an exchange of political ideas and opinions is taking place. In the study, the former is a question of the legal system and the limits to freedom of speech in new medias such as the Internet, while the latter concerns citizen’s technical means and possibilities to connect to electronic networks. Research interest is concentrated on the formal political system, focusing both actors and structural factors such as technological development, media convergence, ideological change and international integration in the transformation process. Four case studies of institutional changes during formative moments, within what is defined as the legal and the technical infrastructures, are conducted and represent the empirical base of the thesis. The case studies are centered on Swedish governmental commissions, on the government itself and on proceedings in the parliament, and concerns formation and transformation of computer law, as well as the deregulation and privatization of the technical infrastructure. In the latter process Televerket (Swedish Telecom) has been an influential promoter of competition and institutional separation between tele- and data communications, representing a major regime change in favour of market relations in the technical infrastructure. In the area of computer law, the Swedish regime dominated by SCB (Statistics Sweden) was incorporated into a joint European data protection regime, resulting in limitations of freedom of speech on the Internet. These regime changes have also transformed the role of the state, constituting a “net watchers state”. Another important finding is that promotion of democracy and improvement of access to the public sphere, never was on the agenda in the political transformation processes studied, although a parallel discourse on democracy and information technology existed throughout the period studied.