Adaptability and the integration of computer-based information processing into the dynamics of organizations

Abstract

The structure of a system influences its adaptability. An important result of adaptability theory is that subsystem independence increases adaptability [Conrad, M., 1983. Adaptability. Plenum Press, New York]. Adaptability is essential in systems that face an uncertain environment such as biological systems and organizations. Modern organizations are the product of human design. And so it is their structure and the effect that it has on their adaptability. In this paper we explore the potential effects of computer-based information processing on the adaptability of organizations. The integration of computer-based processes into the dynamics of the functions they support and the effect it has on subsystem independence are especially relevant to our analysis.