Collaboration technology for organization design

The significance, bases, and means for developing multiuser computer-based environments for supporting organization design are discussed. Organization design: is defined in terms of organization work, structure, and process; is an ongoing, evolutionary phenomenon; and can and should be an inclusive, distributed, multiparticipant effort. The requirements for computer-based technology that supports this working perspective and an overview of a prototype technology that addresses these requirements is presented. The prototype technology consists of two interacting components: Deva, an interactive, multiuser graphical editor for managing process descriptions, and GPOD, an associated group process for using Deva for organization design. It is concluded that such technologies will enable organizations to become self-organizing systems, thereby allowing them to more effectively compete and survive in today´s rapidly changing environment