Abstract

Over some seven decades, a rather mundane transition that in its thoroughness and consequences has gone largely unacknowledged, has taken place, namely the revolution in modern information systems (IS) that guide organizations in their actions. Today, it is fair to say that IS have come to rule the world. They do this literally, by the rules they embody, which dictate how much of everyday life, as it relates to individuals and organizations and the transactions they engage in, takes place around the globe. In essence, IS have become important social and economic infrastructure. Seeking an understanding of how this has come about, I review historical developments in IS, focusing in particular on accounting systems, enterprise systems, retail automation, and electronic commerce. I argue that it is transactions and their facilitation that lie at the heart of IS and its development as a field of practice. I reflect on why this has gone mostly overlooked as such. I consider where we have now arrived with transaction facilitation as infrastructure and its importance in the light of current issues. I suggest how future studies might contribute to our learning more about where we should want to be with our transaction facilitation infrastructure.

摘要

在大约七十年的时间里，发生了相当平凡的过渡，其彻底性和后果在很大程度上尚未得到人们的认可，即现代信息系统（IS）的革命，该革命指导了组织的行动。今天，可以说，IS已经统治了世界。他们按照他们所体现的规则从字面上做到这一点，这些规则决定了与个人和组织以及他们从事的交易有关的日常生活在全球范围内发生。本质上，信息系统已经成为重要的社会和经济基础设施。为了了解这是如何发生的，我回顾了IS的历史发展，特别关注会计系统，企业系统，零售自动化和电子商务。我认为，交易及其便利是IS及其实践领域发展的核心。我回想一下为什么它几乎被这样忽略了。我考虑到当前问题，现在我们将交易便利作为基础设施及其重要性已经到了哪里。我建议未来的研究如何对我们进一步了解交易便利化基础设施的目的做出贡献。