1. ¹Methodology Exploration Laboratory, Department of Informatics (ESI), Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
2. ²Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
3. ³Department of Computer Science and Informatics (IDI), Dalarna University, Borlänge, Sweden

Correspondence: Pär J. Ågerfalk, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. Tel: +353 61 213573; Fax: +353 61 202734; E-mail: par.agerfalk@ul.ie

^†An earlier version of this paper was published as: ÅGERFALK PJ and ERIKSSON O (2002) Pragmatization of conceptual modelling. In Information Systems and the Future of the Digital Economy, Proceedings of the Xth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2002), 6–8 June 2002, Gdansk, Poland, Vol 1, (Wrycza S, Ed.), pp 416–428.

Received 6 November 2002; Revised 29 July 2003; Re-revised 1 December 2003; Accepted 4 December 2003.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show how speech act theory can be used in systems development as a theoretical foundation for conceptual modelling. With the traditional notion of the conceptual model as an image of reality, the predominant modelling problem is to analyse how the external reality should be mapped into, and represented in, the system in a 'true' way. In contrast to this, we maintain that the main modelling problem should be to analyse the communication acts performed by use of the system within its business context. This implies an integration of traditional conceptual modelling with action-oriented business modelling based on speech act theory. With such an approach, it is possible to reconcile traditional conceptual modelling and the pragmatic aspects of language and computer use. It is argued that such reconciliation is essential to arrive at systems that provide relevant information to users and in which users can trace responsibilities for information, actions and commitments made.