Autopoiesis and the Evolution of Information Systems

In this paper we explore the relevance of the theory of autopoiesis for understanding the evolution of information systems. We use the theory as a metaphor which highlights three themes: (1) How systems construct their own environments, (2) how the system’s organization of itself and its environment shape the conditions for their success and failure, and (3) how systems deal with changes that are destructive to their identity. Evolution in this perspective is seen as the construction and maintenance of an identity instead of adaptation to external changes. The environment only exists through perception and is organized in such a way that it facilitates the reconstruction of the identity. The theory draws attention to the dynamics that constitute the process of evolution, instead of focussing on the outcome of processes of evolution. We illustrate these ideas by describing a case study of an information system that remained relatively stable over a period of thirteen years in a context of massive changes