Information access and flow LO11451

John Zavacki (jzavacki@wolff.com)
Mon, 16 Dec 1996 04:44:17 -0500

Replying to LO11433 --

Replying to LO11412, Rol says:
> The strength of networks is also their weakness. A great deal of
> information is available with little filtering, and the network requires
> someone to 'pull' information from it in order for the information to be
> put to use. This is excellent for non-critical, perhaps
> non-time-sensitive information.
>
> A fast-moving organization will need information 'push' mechanisms for the
> critical, time-sensitive information. Perhaps these needs can also be met
> in a network environment, but I am uncertain how. Networks in general
> require someone at the end to get the info, and this is different than
> mechanisms in which info is given.
>
> ==

There are many agents available to 'push' information. These can be
scheduled to refresh information at any interval. They are no different
than asking a human for a report, reminder, etc. on a scheduled basis.
They can also be programmed to alert an individual or team when critical
values of information of interest are reached. As for someone at the end
to get the info, you've got to listen to Chicken Little in order to know
the sky is falling (or NOT).

Another interesting way in which the network metaphor can be useful in
talking about organizations is to extend the metaphor to software. What
we call organizational learning, tied to Shared Values can be viewed as an
operating system. Accounting, Engineering, Project Management, Janitorial
Services are applications. All operating systems do (many of) the same
things. Some are faster at some services, more robust for transmission of
certain modalities, etc., but all do input/output processes with
constraints. The constraints correspond to the limits our ethics put on
the possible behavior of the system.

--
jzavacki@wolff.com
John Zavacki
The Wolff Group
800-282-1218
http://www.wolff.com/
 

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>