SHIFTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS COMPLEXITY: HOW ORGANIZATIONS CAN MANAGE THE COMPLEXITY OF THEIR INFORMATION SYSTEMS LANDSCAPE

Information Systems (IS) have a critical role, and organizations encounter difficulties in managing increasing IS complexity. Interventions often fail to yield the desired results. The research question of this dissertation is: "How can organizations manage the complexity of their IS landscape?". This dissertation contributes to enhancing the insight into what causes the unexpected effects of interventions aimed at managing IS complexity. IS complexity is often conceptualized in different ways. These different interpretations are often used interchangeably, leading to different conclusions concerning the impact of interventions. By conceptualizing IS complexity as different forms of complexity, we gain insights into the underlying components, interactions, and patterns within complex systems. IS complexity can be categorized into the material realm and the cognitive realm. The material realm includes structural and dynamic forms of complexity. Structural complexity involves the number and diversity of components and their interactions. Dynamic complexity refers to the continuous evolution and changes of a system’s form and function, reflected in the emergent behavior of the system. The cognitive realm relates to the subjective form of complexity and the capabilities of individuals trying to understand and work with the system. With the outcome of the literature review and the analysis of the empirical studies it is possible to develop a typology of IS complexity. This typology aids in identifying and explaining the interrelations between these forms. With that insight this typology provides a lens to understand what the effects are of interventions to manage IS complexity in each of these forms. The effects of different interventions to manage IS complexity indicated both decreases and simultaneous increases of complexity. Analyzing these shifts deepens our understanding of IS complexity that goes further than only an input-output relation between interventions and IS complexity; it is about unpacking the emergent casual pathways that unfold as the effect of these interventions. I observed two types of effects: 1) shifts within the forms of complexity and 2) interactions between forms of complexity. The idea of shifting complexity emphasizes the multidimensional and context-dependent nature of IS complexity. Organizations can develop more effective strategies to manage complexity. The idea of shifting complexity supports in unpacking the relationship between interventions and the complexity of IS landscape. Recognizing these shifts improves the manageability of IS complexity by analyzing the impact of interventions to manage the complexity of an organization’s IS landscape.