[{"publication":"Communication of the Association for Information Systems","abstract":[{"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.","lang":"eng"}],"external_id":{"unknown":["https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/"]},"keyword":["Information Systems Research","Systems Theory","System Complexity","System Design","Design Science"],"language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"quality_controlled":"1","year":"2026","publisher":"AIS","date_created":"2026-04-02T04:19:09Z","title":"Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems","type":"journal_article","status":"public","_id":"65311","department":[{"_id":"195"}],"user_id":"83557","article_type":"review","extern":"1","alternative_title":["Design Your System"],"publication_identifier":{"unknown":["1529-3181"]},"publication_status":"published","jel":["D83","L14","D83","O33","C63","P"],"citation":{"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).","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} }","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>.","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>","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>.","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>."},"date_updated":"2026-04-02T04:32:05Z","author":[{"full_name":"Ibrahimli, Ulvi","last_name":"Ibrahimli","first_name":"Ulvi"},{"full_name":"Hemmrich, Simon","last_name":"Hemmrich","first_name":"Simon"},{"last_name":"Winkelmann","full_name":"Winkelmann, Axel","first_name":"Axel"}],"doi":"https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/"}]