Theory and practice in synergy – cooperation between TD Trusted Decisions and the Institute for Information Systems – Information Engineering at the JKU Linz
“How much theory can practice tolerate, how much practice does theory need?” is the question that was and remains a lifelong theme for university professor Friedrich Roithmayr until his retirement in the fall of 2015. The consistent examination of this topic created the fertile ground on which the cooperation between TD Trusted Decisions GmbH and the Institute for Business Informatics – Information Engineering at the Johannes Kepler University Linz began, continues to grow and flourish. Are theory and practice a cooperative construct that creates synergies and acts symbiotically, or rather a duality characterized by areas of tension?
It is undoubtedly a philosophical question that does not allow for a generalized answer. But – and this brings us closer to the motivation behind the cooperation – it is a question that calls for discourse. A discourse that has significantly shaped and guided the cooperation projects since the first strategy workshop of TD Trusted Decisions GmbH.
The aim of the cooperation was identified as answering the question of how IT in all its forms and in its strategic orientation can best support companies in their decision-making situations and their framework conditions. There are still many areas of development here, even and especially in larger companies, so that the subject area is highly relevant. However, a scientifically sound answer also requires methodological rigor. Since summer 2015, the institute has been working on several research projects which, in their entirety, are intended to contribute to gaining knowledge in this field. Explorative, qualitative studies create the basis for broader quantitative studies, concepts and prototypes are built and evaluated and models are derived. Information Systems students from Linz also consistently contribute to these research projects with their specialist knowledge, creativity, consistency, perseverance and impartiality. They often open up new perspectives and differentiated views on processes and methods established in theory and practice. Against the background of the discourse mentioned in the introduction, two perspectives are consistently derived from the results: On the one hand, the perspective of practice, which opens up the possibility for the Institute to empirically scrutinize theories, models or methods developed and established in science, to evaluate them and, if necessary, to expand or adapt them. Activities that are substantial for the real, formal and engineering scientific demands of business informatics. On the other hand, the scientific perspective, which enables practitioners to learn about, analyze and apply the latest theories, models and methods and to further develop them in interaction with customers in operational applications. Activities to which TD Trusted Decisions GmbH is strategically committed and which make a substantial contribution to excellence and a unique position for customers. The findings of the perspectives are incorporated into a cyclical discussion process that forms the basis for new research projects.
The mutual commitment to a synergetic research process, the commitment of TD Trusted Decisions GmbH to methodological development and the scientific foundation of practice, as well as the commitment of the Institute to the relevance of scientific work and the publication of results are at the heart of the official cooperation agreement currently being drawn up between the new Institute Director, University Professor Stefan Koch, and the management of TD Trusted Decisions GmbH.
David Rückel & Prof. Stefan Koch
