Information Use in Solving a Well-Structured IS Problem: The Roles of IS and Application Domain Knowledge

While the application domain is acknowledged to play a significant role in IS problem solving, little attention has been devoted to formal analyses of what role it plays, why and how it makes a difference, and in what circumstances. The theory of dual-task problem solving, which formalizes and generalizes the role of both the IS and application domains in IS problem solving, responds to these issues. The theory, which is based on the theory of cognitive fit, can be used to identify supportive, neutral, and conflicting interactions between the two types of knowledge, depending on problem structure. We used this theory to determine how IS and application domain knowledge support the solution of schema-based problem-solving tasks. Although such tasks are well-structured and therefore can be solved using IS domain knowledge alone, they are not fully structured. They require knowledge transformation, which is aided by application domain knowledge. Further, in well-structured tasks, IS and application domain knowledge play independent roles, with no interaction between the two. Analysis of verbal protocol data from the perspective of information use showed that problem solution is aided by both better IS knowledge and better application knowledge.