Supplementing the Build Activity in Design Science Research with Soft Systems Methodology: A Technique of Creating Frameworks for Guiding Interventions Against Unstructured Problems

Abstract

Several efforts have been undertaken to define generic guidelines that address specific gaps in the ‘build’ activity of Design Science Research (DSR) artifacts, i.e., constructs, models, methods and frameworks, and instantiations. Unfortunately, explicit guidance is still lacking on how to coherently operationalize such guidelines when building a DSR artifact, particularly a framework. In addition, there is no an elaborate procedure or logical thinking pattern that can be followed when building a DSR artifact, particularly a framework for solving an unstructured problem. Consequently, structural compositions of some artifacts insufficiently subscribe to several general design guidelines, which often hinders the artifacts from fulfilling their intended purposes. To address this gap, Soft Systems Methodology can be leveraged during the design cycle of a DSR initiative, to elaborate the ‘build’ activity and simultaneously support the coherent operationalization of existing general design guidelines. This is demonstrated herein by presenting a Technique of Building Frameworks for guiding Interventions against unstructured problems (TBUFI). From 2011 to 2023, TBUFI has undergone 11 evaluation iterations, which involved: (a) using it to support the building of frameworks for guiding digital interventions in ten research studies; and (b) engaging information systems specialists in a group walkthrough meeting to deliberate its structural composition. Evaluation iterations since 2011 (including feedback from information systems specialists) confirm TBUFI’s ability to successfully guide the design of frameworks that can direct interventions against complex and unstructured problems, by making their ‘build’ activity more elaborate, coherent, and aligned with existing general design guidelines. Thus, TBUFI can be perceived as a supplement for the ‘build’ activity in DSR.