Greening Business Information Systems

Abstract: Efficient and effective environmental information processing is a key element for the improvement of an organization‘s environmental performance. Business Information Systems (BIS) are recognized as a tool for the facilitation of collecting, storing, processing and communicating any kind of information. However, there are other benefits that BIS can provide for a company. These benefits are related to the effective use of information, such as support of informed decision-making, increase of overall environmental awareness in an organization and, as a consequence, behavioral change. Therefore, the purpose of study is related to the extension of BIS‘ functionalities through the integration of the environmental information flow. The efficient and effective integration of environmental information flow is pursued by means of application of the multi-disciplinary approach where organizational and cybernetic science and environmental management are combined. Beer‘s Viable System Model and Organizational Information Processing Theory are the main theories used for the assessment of studied information systems and information technology solutions in the purchasing process. The studied IT solutions are deployed in the areas of supplier evaluation, logistics and business traveling. The Environmental Information System Evaluation Framework (EISEF) is the principal outcome of the research work. The research implications are two-fold. The scientific implication is based on the application of the aforementioned theories for the environmental information processing by means of Business Information Systems. According to the results of literature review, a similar approach has not been used before in this field. The practical implications are EISEF itself and recommendations for its use that are also the principal outcomes of research.