An Eclectic Framework for Understanding New Organizational Forms

Today?s research into new organisational forms is characterised by a number of divergent approaches. Due to the lack of a common framework most of the available theoretical and empirical work cannot be compared and can therefore hardly contribute to a general understanding of the phenomenon. Before more research is conducted it therefore seems important to develop and empirically assess a theoretical framework that can guide further research. This paper presents ITENOF - an eclectic framework for investigating IT-enabled new organisational forms. It argues that exchange theory/resource dependence and transaction cost theory are theoretical approaches that can, used under the political economy umbrella, provide rich explanations in regard to the formation and existance of new IT-enabled organisational forms. Embedded in the political economy approach the two theories can contribute to an in-depth understanding of the phenomenom as they cover power aspects as well as efficiency aspects in new organisational forms. The paper concludes with some suggestions for further research.     «

Today?s research into new organisational forms is characterised by a number of divergent approaches. Due to the lack of a common framework most of the available theoretical and empirical work cannot be compared and can therefore hardly contribute to a general understanding of the phenomenon. Before more research is conducted it therefore seems important to develop and empirically assess a theoretical framework that can guide further research. This paper presents ITENOF - an eclectic framework fo...     »