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AbstractFlexibility at various levels of management is desirable to manage organizational change effectively. Flexibility is a multidimensional concept and might have multiple connotations. Some of the significant connotations of flexibility have been explained in this paper with the help of suitable metaphors so as to gain better understanding of the characteristics of flexibility for effective change management. Each connotation is also represented by a sketch to illusirate the metaphor. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Information System (IS) flexibility has been regarded as an important indicator of information technology success. This article provides a model of IS flexibility encompassing all stages of IS implementation and usage. The model considers the cognitive factors from IS staff and users as important leveraging IS flexibility with adaptation activities. A review of constructs extending from the interpretive flexibility perspective in the literature is used to identify these cognitive factors. By hypothesizing the relationships among these cognitive factors, IS flexibility, and adaptation activities several propositions are identified. Empirical testing is then warranted to refute or validate the propositions.

Two distinct ideas — that the labour force is becoming more flexible and that flexible specialisation offers a new means for capital to exert control — are critically evaluated. The evidence for both fashionable theses is found to be wanting; their increasing acceptability is linked to a retreat from class politics and from a confrontation of inequalities of race and sex. Indeed they herald a new form of imperialism.

NEGOTIATION IS USUALLY AN OUTGROWTH OF A BROADER CONFLICT EPISODE IN WHICH ONE PARTY, THE CLAIMANT, IT TRYING TO PERSUADE ANOTHER PARTY, THE RESPONDENT, TO TAKE AN ACTION IT DOES NOT WISH TO TAKE. CLAIMANTS TYPICALLY EMPLOY A SCRIPT-DRIVEN SEQUENCE OF TACTICS, CHANGING THEIR APPROACH UNTIL THE CONFLICT IS RESOLVED OR THEY GIVE UP. IF NEGOTIATION IS PART OF THIS SEQUENCE, IT ORDINARILY COMES AFTER MODERATE ESCALATION. SIX OF THE MOST COMMON TACTICS IN CONFLICT EPISODES ARE FORMS OF FIRM FLEXIBILITY: CONCEDE BUT ONLY TO A POINT, HOLD FIRM ON ONE'S POSITION WHILE SEEKING A WAY TO COMPENSATE THE OTHER, HOLD FIRM ON MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES WHILE CONCEDING ON LESS IMPORTANT ISSUES, HOLD FIRM ON ONE'S WHILE SEEKING NOVEL WAYS TO ACHIEVE THESE INTERESTS, HOLD FIRM ON MORE IMPORTANT INTERESTS WHILE ABANDONING LESS IMPORTANT INTERESTS, AND HOLD FIRM IF ONE'S INTERESTS SEEM STRONGER THAN THOSE OF THE OTHER PARTY AND YIELD IF THE OTHER'S INTERESTS SEEM STRONGER. THE LAST OF THESE TACTICS LEADS TO HIGH JOINT BENEFIT IN CONTINUING RELATIONSHIPS. IF CONTINUING RELATIONSHIPS ARE FRAGILE, THERE IS A TENDENCY TO EMPHASIZE FLEXIBILITY OVER FIRMNESS. BY CONTRAST, IN CONFLICT EPISODES INVOLVING ORGANIZATIONS, FIRMNESS TENDS TO BE EMPHASIZED OVER FLEXIBILITY. SEVERAL REMEDIES ARE SUGGESTED FOR THE LATTER PROBLEM.

Negotiation is usually an outgrowth of a broader conflict episode in which one party, the claimant, is trying to persuade another party, the respondent, to take an action it does not wish to take. Claimants typically employ a script-driven sequence of tactics, changing their approach until the conflict is resolved or they give up. If negotiation is part of this sequence, it ordinarily comes after moderate escalation. Six of the most common tactics in conflict episodes are forms of firm flexibility: concede but only to a point, hold firm on one's position while seeking a way to compensate the other, hold firm on more important issues while conceding on less important issues, hold firm on one's interests while seeking novel ways to achieve these interests, hold firm on more important interests while abandoning less important interests, and hold firm if one's interests seem stronger than those of the other party and yield if the other's interests seem stronger. The last of these tactics leads to high joint benefit in continuing relationships. If continuing relationships are fragile, there is a tendency to emphasize flexibility over firmness. By contrast, in conflict episodes involving organizations, firmness tends to be emphasized over flexibility. Several remedies are suggested for the latter problem.

In dem Beitrag wird zunächst ein mikroökonomischer Ansatz vorgestellt, der das Flexibilitätsproblem der Unternehmen mit der Arbeitszeitfrage verknüpft. Der zweite Teil befaßt sich mit work-sharing und im dritten Teil wird der makroökonomische Aspekt thematisiert. (IAB2)