The Role of Information Systems in Organizational Improvisation: A Perspective based on Two Complementary Theories

To remain competitive or to simply survive in today’s highly dynamic environments, organizations often need to act rapidly. Top managers deal with urgent issues and must improvise. The role that information systems (IS) play in facilitating improvisation is critical to the organization’s internal processes and market performance. This research-in-progress paper reviews the organizational improvisation literature and examines improvisation using the complementary lenses of organizational learning and dynamic capabilities. It places IS strategy, digital options and IS leveraging capability at the core of the discussion on improvisation. A research model and propositions are presented, as well as the study’s methodology and expected contributions.