Prietula, Michael J.

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Association for Information SystemsAIS Electronic Library (AISeL)ICIS 1989 Proceedings International Conference on Information Systems(ICIS)1989PANEL 11 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ANDORGANIZATION THEORYMichael J. PrietulaCarnegie Mellon UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis1989This material is brought to you by the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). It has been acceptedfor inclusion in ICIS 1989 Proceedings by an authorized administrator of AIS Electronic Library (AISeL). For more information, please contactelibrary@aisnet.org.Recommended CitationPrietula, Michael J., "PANEL 11 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATION THEORY" (1989). ICIS 1989Proceedings. 18.http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis1989/18PANEL 11ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATION THEORYPanel Chair: Michael J. Prietula, Carnegie Mellon UniversityPanelists: Richard M. Burton, Duke UniversityPeng Si Ow, IBMRichard Walton, Harvard Business SchoolThomas W. Malone, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyFor an organization to function, countless decisions must be made at all levels of the firm. Over time, organizationsadapt to internal and external environmental demands and constraints in a manner which yields structures that (should)ireduce the complexity of such decision making tasks. What the "appropriate" structures might be and how they mightget that way have been, and are continually being, researched and debated as the economic benefits of new technologiesoften depend on the implementation of a new organizational form. In any event, these structures are comprised of avariety of formal and informal components which are sometimes quite difficult to articulate or explicate andmodifications to such structures can lead to unanticipated and possibly undesirable results. The issues addressed byorganizational theories are quite relevant to information systems. As our capacity and effort turn to assisting decisionmakers with information technology, it is essential that we understand and appreciate the interaction between thesystems we build and the organizational structures in which we embed them.Relevant interesting and innovative results are emerging from artificial intelligence (AI) research. These results have (atleast) two major implications for information systems and organizational theory. First, as organizations begin to developand rely upon AI-related technologies, the notion of configuring collections of problem-solving agents, both human andmechanical, offers a powerful form of solution for important classes of problems. The implications of AI technology, itsinfluence and its implementation are important arenas for research. Second, AI concepts afford an innovative approachfor developing and researching theories of organizational behavior and design, much as they have revolutionizedpsychology. By suggesting how a computer could be programmed to reproduce these complex behaviors, AI andcognitive science have furthered our understanding of the underlying processes and given us precise languages fordiscussing and investigating human behavior and organizational phenomena. This application of ideas from Al tostudies of human social systems is an example of the newly viable research paradigm of modeling.It is likely that this type of research will profoundly affect the practice of IS development. An understanding of howindividuals work together provides a principled approach to estimating the specific effects of new information systems onusers and may suggest new applications, for example, in the area of computer-supported cooperative work.Furthermore, by systematically exploring the space of possible structures, we may be able to discover new kinds oforganizations -- organizations in which humans and computers work in as yet unimagined ways. Of course, the analogybetween cognitive psychology and organizational theory is not perfect. Our view is that even simplified models ofsymbolic processing architectures capable of general intelligence will provide insights of the nature we describe. Someof these views may be controversial, but we believe that this panel will lay a most interesting foundation for discussionand research. Among the key issues for discussion are the following:1. What are the parallels between development of organizational theory, cognitive psychology, and artificialintelligence?2. What do we know about potential interactions between information systems and the organization? Should weaddress AI technologies in different ways?3. How will AI technologies influence organizational design, structure, and research?4. Can we have a fruitful search for general principles that apply more generally; for example, in economics to marketsand relations between firms; in computer science, to computer systems; in organization behavior, to human groups;and in cognitive psychology, to "societies of the mind"?Kevin Crowston, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, assisted Michael Prietula in the organization of this panel.399

PANEL 11 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATION THEORY

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PANEL 11 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATION THEORY

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