Edoardo Jacucci, University of Oslo, edoardo@ifi.uio.no
Ole Hanseth, University of Oslo, oleha@ifi.uio.no
Kalle Lyytinen, Case Western Reserve University, kalle@po.cwru.edu
Marc Berg, University of Rotterdam, NL
Leiser Silva, University of Houston, USA
Eileen Trauth, Pennsylvania State University, USA
Jannis Kallinikos, London School of Economics, UK
Kevin Crowston, Syracuse University, USA
Knut Rolland, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Jonny Holmström, University of Umeå, Sweden
The complexity related to organizational dynamics has recently gained increased research attention. In 1999 Organization Science (Vol. 10 No. 3) featured a special issue on how to model and understand the complex dynamics in organizations. In the Information Systems field (including Software Engineering and IT project management) the growing complexity of IT projects has been recognized both in industry and academia. The complexity of IT projects is escalating due to increased and more intense interdependencies between individuals, organizations, and technology. This growing complexity must be addressed during system development efforts. Yet, the IS field lacks a clear understanding and appreciation of the sources, nature, and types of complexity as well as a formulation of appropriate ways to analyze, conceptualize, measure, plan for, mitigate, control or decrease the increased complexity.
System theory, cybernetics, and complexity science have been suggested as lenses through which to conceptualize and model complex systems. Yet, their application to the study of the organizational uses of IT is limited and incomplete. In the field of social sciences there is a growing interest in complexity as a means to understand globalization and its necessary intertwining of social-technical networks. In these studies, however, the analysis of the role of IT in affecting complexity is limited or virtually non-existent. Finally, evolutionary economics has contributed widely to the study of complex systems by developing important insights through concepts of path dependency and the impact of chance events. Yet this filed is also lacking an analysis of the role of IS in evolutionary processes.
The purpose of this special issue is to fill the gap between the existing increased level of complexity in systems development and our current poor theorizing of it. The special issue seeks to solicit original research on the study of the complexity and complex and path dependent interactions between social and technical actors in IT projects. In line with the philosophy of the Journal, the special issue will have an organizational focus and aims at emphasizing hermeneutic, critical, ethnographic and language-focused perspectives on IT and complexity.
Contributions may address both aspects of modeling, measuring, and managing of complexity, or the development of perspectives to interpret, conceptualize, and analyze complex phenomena. We encourage both novel theoretical work as well as empirically grounded studies that can offer innovative and rigorously executed investigations of IT related complexity.
The two main areas of contributions are:
Models that describe complex dynamics of IT projects and system evolution
Measures and indicators of project and system complexity
Alternative levels of analysis where the complexity can be conceptualized, identified and measured (e.g. from work practices level to strategic management and policy level)
Industry sectors, application areas, or work domains where complexity of systems and their evolution is salient (e.g. health care, supply-chains, design cooperation)
Phenomenological interpretation of project and system complexity
Development of strategies, tactics, policies
Governance principles of complex systems involving IT and people
Complexity and risk management
High level requirements and complex domains
Reflection on limitations of
traditional approaches
The above list is not intended to be restrictive and researchers are encouraged to submit original manuscripts for the special issue that relate to one or more of the above issues.
The submitted papers must be less than
8000 words and all submissions should be in Word format and submitted via the
webbased review management systems www.itandpeople.org
. Manuscripts must follow the IT & People guidelines for submission.
Further details regarding the format of the submission can be found on the IT
& People web page www.itandpeople.org
All reviews are double blind.
|
1 May 2005 |
Submission Deadline |
|
1 August 2005 |
Notification of Acceptance |
|
1 November 2005 |
Final submission |
|
Early 2006 |
Special Issue is Published |