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Malhotra, Yogesh. (1993). Role of Information Technology in Managing Organizational Change and Organizational Interdependence [WWW document]. URL http://www.brint.com/papers/change/

"The rate and magnitude of change are rapidly outpacing the complex of theories -- economic, social, and philosophical - - on which public and private decisions are based. To the extent that we continue to view the world from the perspective of an earlier, vanishing age, we will continue to misunderstand the developments surrounding the transition to an information society, be unable to realize the full economic and social potential of this revolutionary technology, and risk making some very serious mistakes as reality and the theories we use to interpret it continue to diverge." - Cordell (1987)

This paper sets forth the application of open systems theory for generating propositions regarding the management of organizational change and organizational interdependence by application of IT. The commonly preferred approaches - goal theory, population ecology, systems resource theory and transaction costs theory - are inadequate in providing a "wholistic" perspective of the organizational issues. The article argues that the survival and growth of organizations in an increasingly turbulent environment would depend upon effective utilization of information technology for aligning the organizational structure with environmental preferences and for creating symbiotic interorganizational structures.

We have modified our environment so radically that we must modify ourselves in order to exist in this new environment. -- Norbert Wiener

Keywords: strategy, management, change, hyperturbulence, information technology, information systems, IS, organizational environment, organizations, open systems, systems theory, adaptability, organization structure, organizational learning, intelligence, scanning, organic, mechanistic, adhocracy, control, communications, core competencies, competence, interdependence, alliances, coordination, organizational change.

Please click on the following links to access the specific sections.

[1. INTRODUCTION]

[ 2. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, IT AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE]

[ 3. OPEN SYSTEMS THEORY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE]

[ 4. IT-ORGANIZATIONAL INTERDEPENDENCE & OPEN SYSTEMS THEORY]

[ 5. LIMITATIONS & CONCLUSIONS]

[ SUMMARY]

[REFERENCES]