Information Alignment and Task Coordination in Organizations: An 'Information Clutch' Metaphor

Authors:
Barrett S. Caldwell;Ralph C. Palmer, III;Haydee M. Cuevas
Affiliations:
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA;Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA;SA Technologies, Orlando, FL, USA
Venue:
Information Systems Management
Year:
2008

Citing 10
Cited 0

Information technology and organisational change

Information technology and organisational change
Human and computer roles in supervisory control and telerobotics: musings about function, language and hierarchy

Tasks, errors, and mental models
Telerobotics, automation, and human supervisory control

Telerobotics, automation, and human supervisory control
Issues and concerns about computer-supported meetings: the facilitator's perspective

MIS Quarterly
Voice Loops as Coordination Aids in Space ShuttleMission Control

Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Shift Changes, Updates, and the On-Call Architecture in Space Shuttle Mission Control

Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: Introduction to Distributed Applications

Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: Introduction to Distributed Applications
Groups Interacting with Technology: Ideas, Evidence, Issues and an Agenda

Groups Interacting with Technology: Ideas, Evidence, Issues and an Agenda
Effects of Adaptive Behaviors and Shared Mental Models on Control Crew Performance

Management Science
A Software Framework for Matchmaking Based on Semantic Web Technology

International Journal of Electronic Commerce

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

Despite their rising popularity, distributed teams face a number of collaboration challenges that may potentially hinder their ability to productively coordinate their resources, activities, and information, often in dynamic and uncertain task environments. In this paper, we focus principally on the criticality of information alignment for supporting coordinated task performance in complex operational environments. As organizations become more expertise, geographically, and temporally distributed, appropriate alignment and coordination among distributed team members becomes more critical for minimizing the occurrence of information flow failures, poor decision-making, and degraded team performance. We first describe these coordination processes using the metaphor of an 'information clutch' that allows for smooth transitions of task priorities and activities in expert teams. We then present two case study examples that illustrate the potentially significant impact of information sharing and information alignment on productivity and coordination in organizations. We conclude with a discussion of future directions in this area.