[{"year":"2026","quality_controlled":"1","title":"Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems","date_created":"2026-04-02T04:19:09Z","publisher":"AIS","abstract":[{"lang":"eng","text":"Information Systems (IS) is rooted in systems theory. Systems theory offers powerful concepts to address challenges of growing system complexity and non-systemic design approaches in information systems. Despite its systemic origins, systems theory remains a peripheral topic in IS. The study addresses this gap by introducing a comprehensive framework of 52 systems-theoretical concepts to guide the design of complex IS artifacts. We synthesize scattered systems knowledge from diverse disciplines to provide a unified level of abstraction for complex information system design. We apply the framework to a use case of business reputation systems to show how the systems lens informs the design of a novel, complex information system. We make three key contributions to the literature. First, the framework provides a common ground for interdisciplinary research in information system design. Second, it offers a unified level of abstraction grounded in systems theory that serves as a coherent basis for artifact design. Third, it demonstrates the potential of systems theory as a foundational justificatory knowledge base. Furthermore, we provide guidance on applying the framework across multiple modes of reasoning, alongside further application guidelines. The study thus serves as a bridge between the body of systems knowledge and contextual design in IS."}],"publication":"Communication of the Association for Information Systems","language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"keyword":["Information Systems Research","Systems Theory","System Complexity","System Design","Design Science"],"external_id":{"unknown":["https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/"]},"jel":["D83","L14","D83","O33","C63","P"],"citation":{"chicago":"Ibrahimli, Ulvi, Simon Hemmrich, and Axel Winkelmann. “Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems.” <i>Communication of the Association for Information Systems</i>, 2026. <a href=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/\">https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/</a>.","ieee":"U. Ibrahimli, S. Hemmrich, and A. Winkelmann, “Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems,” <i>Communication of the Association for Information Systems</i>, 2026, doi: <a href=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/\">https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/</a>.","ama":"Ibrahimli U, Hemmrich S, Winkelmann A. Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems. <i>Communication of the Association for Information Systems</i>. Published online 2026. doi:<a href=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/\">https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/</a>","apa":"Ibrahimli, U., Hemmrich, S., &#38; Winkelmann, A. (2026). Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems. <i>Communication of the Association for Information Systems</i>. <a href=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/\">https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/</a>","short":"U. Ibrahimli, S. Hemmrich, A. Winkelmann, Communication of the Association for Information Systems (2026).","mla":"Ibrahimli, Ulvi, et al. “Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems.” <i>Communication of the Association for Information Systems</i>, AIS, 2026, doi:<a href=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/\">https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/</a>.","bibtex":"@article{Ibrahimli_Hemmrich_Winkelmann_2026, title={Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems}, DOI={<a href=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/\">https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/</a>}, journal={Communication of the Association for Information Systems}, publisher={AIS}, author={Ibrahimli, Ulvi and Hemmrich, Simon and Winkelmann, Axel}, year={2026} }"},"publication_identifier":{"unknown":["1529-3181"]},"publication_status":"published","doi":"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/","author":[{"first_name":"Ulvi","full_name":"Ibrahimli, Ulvi","last_name":"Ibrahimli"},{"first_name":"Simon","full_name":"Hemmrich, Simon","last_name":"Hemmrich"},{"first_name":"Axel","full_name":"Winkelmann, Axel","last_name":"Winkelmann"}],"date_updated":"2026-04-02T04:32:05Z","status":"public","type":"journal_article","extern":"1","alternative_title":["Design Your System"],"article_type":"review","department":[{"_id":"195"}],"user_id":"83557","_id":"65311"},{"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","date_created":"2026-04-21T13:13:02Z","title":"Service through communication—Conceptualizing service systems with Luhmann’s systems theory","quality_controlled":"1","issue":"1","year":"2026","keyword":["Service system","Service ecosystem","Systems theory","Service research"],"ddc":["380"],"language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"publication":"Electronic Markets","abstract":[{"lang":"eng","text":"Service research has evolved into an interdisciplinary research field that bridges diverse disciplines, including information systems (IS) and marketing. Nearly two decades ago, the service system concept was introduced as a foundational abstraction in service research, drawing on ideas from the service-dominant logic (S-D logic) of marketing. Despite its widespread adoption in service research, particularly in the IS discipline, the service system concept lacks a solid theoretical foundation. This has resulted in conceptual ambiguity and overlap with related constructs, such as service ecosystems. Moreover, it has largely remained a static analytical lens, insufficiently capturing dynamic service phenomena, including value co-creation and co-destruction, as well as the emergence of institutional arrangements. To address these limitations, we propose Luhmann’s systems theory (LST) as a robust framework for conceptualizing service systems as autopoietic (self-creating) systems, in which communication serves as the fundamental mechanism that drives value co-creation. We derive five theoretical propositions from this re-conceptualization that clarify conceptual ambiguity and allow researchers to explore dynamic service phenomena in greater depth. Given LST’s general approach, our conceptualization provides a theoretically grounded, interdisciplinary foundation for advancing service research."}],"file":[{"success":1,"relation":"main_file","content_type":"application/pdf","file_size":2793039,"file_id":"65477","file_name":"Service is Communication - EM Paper.pdf","access_level":"closed","date_updated":"2026-04-21T13:14:30Z","date_created":"2026-04-21T13:14:30Z","creator":"dabe"}],"date_updated":"2026-04-21T13:18:35Z","oa":"1","volume":36,"author":[{"first_name":"Daniel","full_name":"Beverungen, Daniel","last_name":"Beverungen"},{"full_name":"Poeppelbuss, Jens","last_name":"Poeppelbuss","first_name":"Jens"},{"first_name":"Simon","full_name":"Hemmrich, Simon","last_name":"Hemmrich"},{"last_name":"Iqbal","full_name":"Iqbal, Taskeen","first_name":"Taskeen"}],"doi":"10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w","main_file_link":[{"url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w.pdf","open_access":"1"}],"publication_identifier":{"issn":["1019-6781","1422-8890"]},"has_accepted_license":"1","publication_status":"published","intvolume":"        36","jel":["L80"],"citation":{"ieee":"D. Beverungen, J. Poeppelbuss, S. Hemmrich, and T. Iqbal, “Service through communication—Conceptualizing service systems with Luhmann’s systems theory,” <i>Electronic Markets</i>, vol. 36, no. 1, Art. no. 37, 2026, doi: <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w\">10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w</a>.","chicago":"Beverungen, Daniel, Jens Poeppelbuss, Simon Hemmrich, and Taskeen Iqbal. “Service through Communication—Conceptualizing Service Systems with Luhmann’s Systems Theory.” <i>Electronic Markets</i> 36, no. 1 (2026). <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w\">https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w</a>.","ama":"Beverungen D, Poeppelbuss J, Hemmrich S, Iqbal T. Service through communication—Conceptualizing service systems with Luhmann’s systems theory. <i>Electronic Markets</i>. 2026;36(1). doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w\">10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w</a>","apa":"Beverungen, D., Poeppelbuss, J., Hemmrich, S., &#38; Iqbal, T. (2026). Service through communication—Conceptualizing service systems with Luhmann’s systems theory. <i>Electronic Markets</i>, <i>36</i>(1), Article 37. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w\">https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w</a>","mla":"Beverungen, Daniel, et al. “Service through Communication—Conceptualizing Service Systems with Luhmann’s Systems Theory.” <i>Electronic Markets</i>, vol. 36, no. 1, 37, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2026, doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w\">10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w</a>.","bibtex":"@article{Beverungen_Poeppelbuss_Hemmrich_Iqbal_2026, title={Service through communication—Conceptualizing service systems with Luhmann’s systems theory}, volume={36}, DOI={<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w\">10.1007/s12525-026-00889-w</a>}, number={137}, journal={Electronic Markets}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Beverungen, Daniel and Poeppelbuss, Jens and Hemmrich, Simon and Iqbal, Taskeen}, year={2026} }","short":"D. Beverungen, J. Poeppelbuss, S. Hemmrich, T. Iqbal, Electronic Markets 36 (2026)."},"_id":"65476","project":[{"_id":"1250","name":"SHAPE : Gestaltung von Dienstleistungsentwicklungsprozessen und lnnovationspartnerschaften mit Unternehmen"}],"department":[{"_id":"195"},{"_id":"534"}],"user_id":"59677","article_number":"37","article_type":"original","file_date_updated":"2026-04-21T13:14:30Z","type":"journal_article","status":"public"},{"supervisor":[{"last_name":"Beverungen","full_name":"Beverungen, Daniel","first_name":"Daniel"},{"full_name":"Kundisch, Dennis","last_name":"Kundisch","first_name":"Dennis"}],"date_created":"2026-04-02T03:52:09Z","author":[{"first_name":"Simon","full_name":"Hemmrich, Simon","id":"83557","last_name":"Hemmrich"}],"publisher":"Universität Paderborn","date_updated":"2026-04-02T04:31:57Z","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414","title":"A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets","publication_status":"published","citation":{"apa":"Hemmrich, S. (2025). <i>A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets</i>. Universität Paderborn. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414\">https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414</a>","bibtex":"@book{Hemmrich_2025, place={Paderborn}, title={A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets}, DOI={<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414\">https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414</a>}, publisher={Universität Paderborn}, author={Hemmrich, Simon}, year={2025} }","short":"S. Hemmrich, A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets, Universität Paderborn, Paderborn, 2025.","mla":"Hemmrich, Simon. <i>A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets</i>. Universität Paderborn, 2025, doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414\">https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414</a>.","ieee":"S. Hemmrich, <i>A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets</i>. Paderborn: Universität Paderborn, 2025.","chicago":"Hemmrich, Simon. <i>A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets</i>. Paderborn: Universität Paderborn, 2025. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414\">https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414</a>.","ama":"Hemmrich S. <i>A Design Theory for Blockchain-Based Reputation Systems : Trust and Coordination in B2B Markets</i>. Universität Paderborn; 2025. doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414\">https://doi.org/10.17619/UNIPB/1-2414</a>"},"jel":["D8"],"page":"347","year":"2025","place":"Paderborn","user_id":"83557","department":[{"_id":"195"}],"_id":"65309","language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"keyword":["Reputation Systems","Rating systems","monetary ratings","incentive mechanism","systems theory","Market coordination","advanced review system"],"type":"dissertation","status":"public"},{"publication":"Sociologica","type":"journal_article","abstract":[{"lang":"eng","text":"Dealing with opaque algorithms, the frequent overlap between transparency and explainability produces seemingly unsolvable dilemmas, as the much-discussed trade-off between model performance and model transparency. Referring to Niklas Luhmann's notion of communication, the paper argues that explainability does not necessarily require transparency and proposes an alternative approach. Explanations as communicative processes do not imply any disclosure of thoughts or neural processes, but only reformulations that provide the partners with additional elements and enable them to understand (from their perspective) what has been done and why. Recent computational approaches aiming at post-hoc explainability reproduce what happens in communication, producing explanations of the working of algorithms that can be different from the processes of the algorithms."}],"status":"public","_id":"51368","project":[{"name":"TRR 318 - B01: TRR 318 - Ein dialogbasierter Ansatz zur Erklärung von Modellen des maschinellen Lernens (Teilprojekt B01)","_id":"121","grant_number":"438445824"}],"department":[{"_id":"660"}],"user_id":"54779","keyword":["Explainable AI","Transparency","Explanation","Communication","Sociological systems theory"],"language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"issue":"3","year":"2023","page":"17-27","intvolume":"        16","citation":{"apa":"Esposito, E. (2023). Does Explainability Require Transparency? <i>Sociologica</i>, <i>16</i>(3), 17–27. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804\">https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804</a>","mla":"Esposito, Elena. “Does Explainability Require Transparency?” <i>Sociologica</i>, vol. 16, no. 3, 2023, pp. 17–27, doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804\">10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804</a>.","short":"E. Esposito, Sociologica 16 (2023) 17–27.","bibtex":"@article{Esposito_2023, title={Does Explainability Require Transparency?}, volume={16}, DOI={<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804\">10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804</a>}, number={3}, journal={Sociologica}, author={Esposito, Elena }, year={2023}, pages={17–27} }","chicago":"Esposito, Elena . “Does Explainability Require Transparency?” <i>Sociologica</i> 16, no. 3 (2023): 17–27. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804\">https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804</a>.","ieee":"E. Esposito, “Does Explainability Require Transparency?,” <i>Sociologica</i>, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 17–27, 2023, doi: <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804\">10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804</a>.","ama":"Esposito E. Does Explainability Require Transparency? <i>Sociologica</i>. 2023;16(3):17-27. doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804\">10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804</a>"},"date_updated":"2024-02-26T08:46:26Z","volume":16,"date_created":"2024-02-18T10:16:43Z","author":[{"first_name":"Elena ","full_name":"Esposito, Elena ","last_name":"Esposito"}],"title":"Does Explainability Require Transparency?","doi":"10.6092/ISSN.1971-8853/15804"}]