FLUID MANAGEMENT IN AN OPEN SOCIETY: ON ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS AND THEIR ABILITY TO RETAIN FLUIDS

摘要

The paper presents a description of the conditions that are generating business changes that are well beyond the limitations of traditional management principles and models. These conditions are in part brought about by a shift towards an open information society allowed by new technological systems associated with the potentials for internet creation, expansion and use. The most up-to-date and relevant information is no longer the private domain of an elite corner of society. Business organizations, as part of this societal transformation, are forced to respond to resulting change dynamics that were once thought to be unbelievable. We characterize this situation as "fluid," where traditional organizational forms and modes of management are simply incapable of accommodating or managing. To date they appear incapable of even seeing the dynamics. This presents us with some long-standing systems problems and will now need to be resolved.