Implementing continuous adaptation to technology innovation in complex adaptive organizations

Abstract

Most organizations integrate technology innovation through a complex, ad-hoc, top-down model of assimilation. However, a continuous and autonomous adaptation process may be more natural and improve the quality of assimilation. Organizational workers who function as “fractals” in a Complex Adaptive System (CAS) demonstrate higher quality of digital technology usage. The current study investigates whether “fractal workers” demonstrate more positive attitudes toward technology innovation, and whether these attitudes translate into quality technology usage. Online questionnaires were completed by a sample of 300 workers in 20 organizations that have recently introduced technology innovation. Pearson and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between the functioning of workers as CAS fractals and their attitudes toward the innovation, and between their attitudes and the quality of technology usage. A strong positive correlation was found between functioning as CAS fractals and the attitudes toward technology innovation, and between these attitudes and the quality of technology usage. Increasing the autonomy of workers and encouraging them to function as CAS fractals within the organizational environment can facilitate an efficient, dynamic, and continuous process of adaptation to technology innovation. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical research to study how functioning as a CAS fractal translates into attitudes toward technology innovation and to technology usage within organizations. It sheds light on the important differences between assimilation and adaptation of technology innovation.