Linking an Innovative Subystem into the System
Rolf P. Lynton · Administrative Science Quarterly · 1969
The design and operation of linkage mechanisms constitute a major task for administrators of systems in complex and rapidly changing environments. The paper describes four different assessments of the needs for change and the linkage mecdanisms these assessments lead to, their costs, and their effects on the system as a whole. For systems in a turbulent environment, subsystems and also linkage mecdanisms need to be clearly differentiated, and supported by integration into the system as a whole. Where system support is inadequate, linkage problems tend to provoke a multiplication of innovative subsystems.