In its late 20th century incarnation, information technology has affected our economic structures not only more intensely but all around differently than its previous heydays when it brought us language or print. The objectives of the present research is to identify if and to what extent IT has transformed society's very crown jewel of productivity, the firm. IT has impacted every parameter and variable of the firm's character, its strategy, structure, scale, scope, and social position in such fundamental ways that we may be in the presence of a truly new nature of the firm. The resulting complex information technology-intensive firms are much altered from the original nature of the firm as it was envisaged by Ronald Coase and his fellow New Institutonals. Through empirical research the authors are trying to identify and model some elements of a new framework of why and how firms are intended, designed, and created.

Economics