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Abstract

This thesis critically examines the international information technology standardisation (IITS) process. The core substance of this process is projects that develop or revise one or a cluster of related published international standards. Projects span several years embracing construction of technical concepts; discussions; writing of draft standards and negotiations to establish international agreements on common solutions or requirements. An IIT standard, once published, is a binding technical specification on organisations and industries.

Complexity of the IITS process is the phenomenon of interest. The argument is that, without reconstruction, complexity impedes successful project development. An open layered component-based design (CBD) approach lays the foundations of the reconstruction of the IITS process. This approach ensures reduction in sources of complexity to then, create solution options that can leverage performance capabilities.

Prior theoretical and empirical research has excluded the IITS process. A theory- driven empirical research grounded in organization information processing theory (OIPT) therefore strengthens theoretical and methodological foundations to analytically challenge IITS process complexity. Five empirically examined projects yield a definition of the IITS process. Customised as a lens, OIPT provides an integrative study of the IITS process through four levels: environment, content, performance and reconstruction. OIPT criteria strengthen the theoretical explication of complexity, ambiguity, dynamism, variety and uncertainty. OIPT dimensions influence methodological assessment of solution options, reconstruction actions and design of an autonomous component-based project development setting.

This thesis presents four contributions to the information systems (IS) community. First, Standards Documentation Setting (SDS) is the test case demonstrating the development of draft standards within an integrated CBD framework. Second, a life cycle of the reconstructed IITS process illustrates performance expectations. Third, an integrative solution framework demonstrates the reconstructed IITS process. Fourth, the evaluated research methodology addresses issues of inconsistency and dichotomy raised in IS literatures.

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Departments:	School of Science & Technology > Computer Science School of Science & Technology > School of Science & Technology Doctoral Theses Doctoral Theses

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