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Information Systems Flexibility in Organizations: Conceptual Models and Research Issues

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The Flexible Enterprise

Part of the book series: Flexible Systems Management ((FLEXSYS))

Abstract

In order to be effective and efficient, an information system (IS) needs to be flexible, that is, it must be capable of accommodating business and technological changes. Though the importance of flexibility in information systems is acknowledged by many studies, the different components of IS flexibility are not yet well understood. This chapter addresses the different components for building flexibility in information systems. Based on a review of the literature, four conceptual models are presented and the different components of the models are discussed. The models will serve as a basis to (i) assess the capability of an IS to respond to business and technological changes, (ii) identify and measure the different dimensions of IS flexibility, and (iii) develop managerial guidelines on how to manage flexibility in an information system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. St. Francis Xavier University, Schwartz School of Business and IS, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada

    Ramaraj Palanisamy

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  1. Ramaraj Palanisamy
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Correspondence to Ramaraj Palanisamy .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India

    Sushil

  2. BI&A Progr, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

    Edward A. Stohr (Professor and Director) (Professor and Director)

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Palanisamy, R. (2014). Information Systems Flexibility in Organizations: Conceptual Models and Research Issues. In: Sushil, Stohr, E.A. (eds) The Flexible Enterprise. Flexible Systems Management. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1560-8_16

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