Individual emergence in contextual analysis

Within the tradition of Hermeneutic Dialectics (hd), this paper offers an approach that can further an analysis of a fit between information and organizational systems. Drawn upon Information Systems Development (isd) projects a relationship between theory and practice is aided through a multi-disciplinary approach to sense making activity. A contemporary version of contextual analysis is used to understand the way individuals construct, adapt and create meaning from their environment. It offers a way to improve the systems analysis process. This type of enquiry into contextual dependencies of knowledge creation can help direct a development of systems that intend to serve specific organizational actors and their needs. Combining methods outside of a traditional polar divide,sense making research undertaken within a systems thinking arena can enrich understanding by complementing qualitative and/or quantitative analysis with reflective depth. Drawing together interdisciplinary strands through a critical systems thinking approach offers new levels of professionalism for management, practitioners and researchers in the 21st Century.