Organizations in the Network Age

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.

David Boddy and Nicky Gunson