Dr. Yi-Da Chen is interested in investigating organizational dynamics in uncertain environments, particularly looking into the ways that information systems can be designed to fulfill organizations’ information needs in such complex situations. Novel situations and unknown factors in business environments pose two conflicting requirements for organizations to function effectively; organizations need established routines to regulate individuals’ activities while requiring individuals to proactively initiate investigations to clarify uncertainties, the activity that can be largely discouraged by the organizational routine. These two conflicting requirements create an interesting managerial tension and can trigger different dynamics in collective collaboration. To design information systems that can help organizations effectively manage this tension, a clear understanding of the organizational dynamics is believed to be critical and essential.
