Information System Development: A Categorical Analysis of User Participation Approaches

User participation is generally considered an important aspect of information systems development and a leading factor in systems success. However, results from earlier studies are inconsistent as to the significance of user involvement to system success, and suggest that perhaps new avenues need to be explored [6,12,15]. In this study, we extend the line of inquiry on user participation by extending the descriptive model of Cavaye [6] and including ideas from the complementary but separate social process model of Newman and Robey [21]. The result is a user participation approach (UPA) framework encompassing four worldviews that emerge from the four paradigms proposed by Hirschheim and Klein [10]. Thus, the UPA framework uses meta- theoretical assumptions to describe and explain the user participation process from a new angle. This framework can be adapted and customized to fit the needs of specific organizations and thereby facilitate more successful systems development.