The follow-up to the acclaimed Organizations in the Computer Age this book, originally published in 1996, reveals that since computers had become increasingly linked in networks which span the world, information could be transmitted instantaneously to all parts of the organization. It describes the experiences of six organizations and draws lessons which apply very widely. The issues raised include: the impact on employment levels and organizational structure; the effects of network technology and organization structure and control; the extent of management choice; the role of change agents. This book shows that the introduction of computer networks raises new challenges concerning how the process of change is managed. The lessons from these cases could be widely applied in other organizations undertaking similar large-scale investments in new technology at the time.

The Age of the Network offers leaders, managers, and teams a new, practical view of how to think about their companies and reinvent them without losing the value and knowledge that's embedded in their current organization. The Age of the Network delivers a rich array of advice and insights for starting the vital process of creating a networked enterprise. Lipnack and Stamps show managers how to focus on five essential team net (networks of teams) principles which include establishing a clear purpose and creating communication links. Next, they offer a guided tour describing how organizations can turn these principles into practice and evaluate their real potential for creating a networked organization.

Pivot your organization toward a more scalable and profitable business model. Digital networks are changing all the rules of business. New, scalable, digitally networked business models, like those of Amazon, Google, Uber, and Airbnb, are affecting growth, scale, and profit potential for companies in every industry. But this seismic shift isn’t unique to digital start-ups and tech superstars. Digital transformation is affecting every business sector, and as investor capital, top talent, and customers shift toward network-centric organizations, the performance gap between early and late adopters is widening. So the question isn’t whether your organization needs to change, but when and how much. The Network Imperative is a call to action for managers and executives to embrace network-based business models. The benefits are indisputable: companies that leverage digital platforms to co-create and share value with networks of employees, customers, and suppliers are fast outpacing the market. These companies, or network orchestrators, grow faster, scale with lower marginal cost, and generate the highest revenue multipliers. Supported by research that covers fifteen hundred companies, authors Barry Libert, Megan Beck, and Jerry Wind guide leaders and investors through the ten principles that all organizations can use to grow and profit regardless of their industry. They also share a five-step process for pivoting an organization toward a more scalable and profitable business model. The Network Imperative, brimming with compelling case studies and actionable advice, provides managers with what they really need: new tools and frameworks to generate unprecedented value in a rapidly changing age.

This book brings together seminal articles by leading scholars of technological and organizational systems, exploring the impact of 'modularity'. Modularity refers to an ability to take apart and put together differenct products and networks, or to 'mix and match' components in order to meet different user specifications. This is of key importance today where new systems such as the World Wide Web and many areas of the computer industry depend on it. The volume pulls together and defines an exciting new area of inquiry: into how our 'modular age' is reshaping the business eco-system. Includes contributions from leading scholars of technology and organization Modularity refers to an ability to take apart and put together different products and systems, or to 'mix and match' components in order to meet different user specifications. Consolidates and defines an area of inquiry that is becoming increasingly important with the development of web-based and 'network' industries. Sensitizes readers to the complexity of issues surrounding new modular products and systems created by e-business Encourages readers to make connections among different levels and disciplines. Initiates a debate around issues of modularity. Includes a commentary co-authored by the late Nobel Laureate Herbert A. Simon to whom the book is dedicated.

This book brings together seminal articles by leading scholars of technological and organizational systems, exploring the impact of 'modularity'. Modularity refers to an ability to take apart and put together differenct products and networks, or to 'mix and match' components in order to meet different user specifications. This is of key importance today where new systems such as the World Wide Web and many areas of the computer industry depend on it. The volume pulls together and defines an exciting new area of inquiry: into how our 'modular age' is reshaping the business eco-system. Includes contributions from leading scholars of technology and organization Modularity refers to an ability to take apart and put together different products and systems, or to 'mix and match' components in order to meet different user specifications. Consolidates and defines an area of inquiry that is becoming increasingly important with the development of web-based and 'network' industries. Sensitizes readers to the complexity of issues surrounding new modular products and systems created by e-business Encourages readers to make connections among different levels and disciplines. Initiates a debate around issues of modularity. Includes a commentary co-authored by the late Nobel Laureate Herbert A. Simon to whom the book is dedicated.

This textbook provides an accessible theoretical analysis of the organizational impact of information technologies. It seeks to examine and comment upon the myriad ways in which actors, organizations, and environments are represented through these technologies. Contemporary threats to organizational form and stability are considered alongside the potential that information technologies offer to both exacerbate and overcome them. It examines, amongst others, issues surrounding the material and symbolic aspects of information systems; risk and prediction; systems implementation and systems success; knowledge management practices; accountability and other management practices; computerized modelling; and the virtual organization. To this end it deploys a number of different theoretical lenses including: · systems theory · social constructivism · labour process theory · post-structuralism · actor network theory These offer complementary and contrasting insights into the computerization of managerial work. In order to ensure that the book is both relevant and approachable to students from a range of backgrounds these theories are applied to real examples of the development and implementation of information systems. This combination fosters practical knowledge that is theoretically informed. The book thus aims to bridge the gap between the abstractions of current theories of organization and the grounded material that forms the bulk of Information Systems literature. It thus offers a novel way into the ongoing debates surrounding technological change and the perennial problems of managerial control. It has been designed to support theoretically informed Information and Technology courses at the advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and will also be of interest to academics in the fields of Management, Information Technology, Sociological, and Cultural studies.

Previous studies have looked at the contribution of information technology and network theory to the art of warfare as understood in the broader sense. This book, however, focuses on an area particularly important in understanding the significance of the information revolution; its impact on strategic theory. The purpose of the book is to critically analyze the contributions and challenges that the spread of information technologies can bring to categories of classic strategic theory. In the first two chapters, the author establishes the context of the book, coming back to the epistemology of revolution in military affairs and its terminology. The third chapter examines the political bases of strategic action and operational strategy, before the next two chapters focus on historical construction of the process of getting to know your opponents and the way in which we consider information collection. Chapter 6 returns to the process of “informationalization” in the doctrine of armed forces, especially in Western countries, and methods of conducting network-centric warfare. The final chapter looks at the attempts of Western countries to adapt to the emergence of techno-guerrillas and new forms of hybrid warfare, and the resulting socio-strategic outcomes.