Towards an Accountability Suggestion Map for Supporting Information Systems Management Based on Systems Thinking

Abstract

Understanding and analyzing relationships among information systems (IS) and different stakeholders can be challenging to decision-making in IS management. In this context, accountability becomes critical, since it comprises responsible actions as well as their results considering regulations and sanctions. To cope with such a requirement, systems thinking (ST) can be used for conducting analysis, synthesis, and inquiry into the system's parts and the whole. We argue that applying ST lens to IS management may improve accountability and then decision-making. Therefore, we propose the accountability suggestion map (ASM) as an approach to cover users’ feedbacks aiming to promote accountability in IS management. This paper (1) presents ASM as a structure for representing systemic behaviors over time and then accountability suggestions, and (2) reports the application of ASM in an organizational scenario in the education domain. It was chosen since it encompasses management challenges, e.g., different IS must interoperate, each one with its own objective and within organizational units. As such, we analyzed two diagrams addressing daily issues regarding the absence of teachers and school evasion rates, respectively. We claim that ASM contributes to describe the environment and provide a set of suggestions to mitigate daily issues.