Article
Complex Systems and How Complex Non-Profits can Harness the Flow of Information
Journal of Information & Knowledge Management
(2020)
Abstract
Non-profits must continuously adapt themselves to changing circumstances, but they often
lack the resources necessary to adapt successfully. This paper proposes a model to help non-profits
overcome this challenge. It explains the role of information in the adaptation of complex systems and
suggests a process that non-profits can follow to direct the flow of this information. The Information for
Innovation Model (IIM) presented in the paper explains how the inflow and outflow of information
influences a system's adaptation. A series of steps are then proposed for the design of Communities of
Practice (CoP) that can help organisations implement the model. Librarians, trained in information seeking
and focused on increasing their reach beyond the library, can support a non-profit following these
steps. This paper contributes to the literature on complexity science by articulating a process that
organisations can follow to influence the inflow and outflow of information. This process highlights new
roles for both CoPs and librarians within non-profits. This is important because non-profits often lack
resources necessary for innovation, and librarians are looking for new ways to extend their reach.
Keywords
- Innovation; communities of practice; complex adaptive systems; information seeking; experimentation
Disciplines
Publication Date
2020
DOI
10.1142/S0219649220500276
Citation Information
Darin Freeburg. "Complex Systems and How Complex Non-Profits can Harness the Flow of Information" Journal of Information & Knowledge Management Vol. 19 Iss. 3 (2020) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/darin_freeburg/26/