Information systems fitness and risk in IS development: Insights and implications from chaos and complex systems theories

Information Systems Development often takes place within a complex and uncertain socio-technical environment. The use of methodologies is considered an appropriate way of reducing risks of failures of the ISD projects, allowing for managing of the complexity of the process and product of ISD. Traditional functionalist methodologies, however, are not adequately equipped for dealing with non-linear interactions endemic to such complex social systems as IS. This paper examines IS development from the perspective of the complex systems behavior and chaos theory. It offers insights and implications for augmenting traditional approaches to ISD that could lead to better strategies for managing complexities in the ISD process and the behavior of an IS.

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