ENHANCING THE COMPUTATIONAL CAPABILITIES OF ORGANIZATIONS

摘要

The biological information-processing infrastructure of organizations manifests itself essentially through the accomplishments of human intelligence. It allows organizations to achieve complex goals even in the face of uncertain, sometimes turbulent environments. Human intelligence has even created computing machines that augment its own computational capabilities. On the basis of these machines, information technology (IT) provides a means of extending not only the computational capabilities of individuals, but those of organizations as systems as well. The function-support framework for the development of information systems uses principles and strategies of information processing that are vital to the achievement of this goal and provides tools and methods for their application. But what is the biological information-processing infrastructure of organizations and how can IT be directed to extend its computational capabilities in an effective manner? In this paper we describe and illustrate how the application of these principles facilitates the development of information systems that effectively enhance the computational capabilities of organizations. In the context of two different types of applications we show how, on the basis of these principles, IT can be used in organizations in a manner that effectively enhances their biological information-processing infrastructure.