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This symposium brought together business and IT researchers
and practitioners to share and exchange perspectives on the
coevolution of business and technology innovations. Specifically,
it examined the three topic areas of "disruptions,"
"key advancements," and "challenges" from
the perspectives of history, definitions, and projections.
Participants at the symposium explored collaboration opportunities
and ways to advance deeper understanding and theories of the
coevolution of technology-business innovation.
After the event, a good deal of communication and conversations
continue to happen.
A Historical Perspective
Technological tools and organizational methods coevolved rapidly
as the world's population grew from an estimated one billion
people in 1800 to six billion in 2000. These technological
tools harness nature to accomplish work, and range from steam
engines to electricity, automobiles to airplanes, and telephones
to computers. Organizational methods organize and manage people
and other resources to accomplish work in various contexts,
and range from factories to assembly lines, M-organizations
to franchises, and call centers to outsourcing. In the past
decade, the business to e-business transformation has unfolded
accelerating coevolutionary change. This accelerating change
is creating new opportunities for academic-industry collaborations
in the areas of human and organizational dynamics as well
as social and business sciences.
The Symposium Structure
The symposium was organized into three sequential sessions
that correspond to specific drivers of change:
| Session |
Driver |
| Major disruptions |
Disruptive new capabilities
(often technology) |
| Key organizational and management
practice and theory advancements |
New organizational and business
forms |
| Key industry sector challenges |
New challenges (often industry specific,
such as commoditization) |
Several of the speakers described several historical examples
(1800-2003) of either major disruptions, key advancements,
or key industry sector challenges (depending on session) in
the coevolution of technology-business innovation. Based on
these examples, the speakers offered an operational definition
of what a major disruption, key advancement, or key challenge
is. They also speculated about possible disruptions, advancements
and challenges that are on the horizon in the next five to
10 years.
Panel discussions followed each session, and participants
asked questions or offered brief summaries of their own proposals
(favorite historical examples, definitions, and projections).
Speakers and participants were encouraged to submit position
papers for inclusion in the proceedings.
For questions about this event please contact Jim Spohrer
(spohrer@us.ibm.com)
or Douglas McDavid (mcdavid@us.ibm.com).
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