Afterword

In his contribution to this book, Kenneth Liberman furnishes a series of concepts and hypotheses for the interpretation of concrete social phenomena. He also puts forward a number of suggestions concerning the strategy that may underlie research that seeks to support social and organizational practices in the solution of real and concrete problems. The afterword proceeds in three directions in analysing the concepts, hypotheses, and research strategy put forward by Liberman. The first direction of analysis draws attention to the way in which the concepts proposed by Liberman make it possible to recast the idea and the use of formal representations in a manner consistent with an approach to the study and design of information systems based on emotionally situated understanding. The second direction of analysis concentrates on ‘action research’ in social and organizational systems – namely that form of empirical research which seeks to combine theory and practice, research and action for change – and it investigates the consequences of the orientation of such research to the cognitive strategy proposed by Liberman. Finally, the third direction of analysis highlights the changes that have taken place in the practices of producing information systems for organizations. It argues that, although these changes do not challenge the validity of Liberman’s phenomenological theory with respect to the interpretation of software production practices, they nevertheless require its integration when such practices are viewed as contemporary and post-local social phenomena.