Robert asks about information flows and how they might change within
an organisational structure change. Johanna asks, "Does the
information flow need to change?"
While it may be obvious that some specific information flows will
change, it is not at all obvious - as she says - that they would need
to change generally. On the other hand, given the focus on hierarchy
indicated as the past, it's likely that change will be appropriate.
I think that one of the hindrances we have when we think of
information flows is that we think of "flows between individuals".
But information doesn't necessarily flow between individuals. We
might gain much greater intelligence in the whole system if we think
of nodes in multiple communication networks and that these nodes be a
mixture of individuals, physical locations, electronic media, etc.
This frees information flows from individuals and, even better, from
the power relationships that traditionally build around individuals
controlling information. If information flows between storage media,
display media, processing media, etc where individuals facilitate the
flows then we can open up information to the organisation.
-- Michael McMaster Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk