Information-Processing Reallocation: A Theoretical Analysis and Conceptual Model

When a technological system begins to perform an information-processing function previously performed by people, execution has changed, but it does not follow that relationships among activities, coordination requirements, decision authority, or organizational structure have also changed. This theoretical paper develops a conceptual model of information-processing reallocation through a targeted comparative analysis of literature on organizational information processing, function allocation, delegation, interdependence, coordination, work design, and human–technology collaboration. Information-processing allocation (IPA) is defined as the distribution of information-processing functions between people and technologies at a given point in time, and information-processing reallocation (IPR) as change in that distribution over time. The analysis shows that the extent of reallocation alone does not identify the extent of relational change or the coordination required, and that technological execution can transform rather than simply reduce human work. The model yields one testable proposition: all else equal, reallocations that shift task interdependence toward a more reciprocal form increase the need for mutual adjustment during execution. The paper also specifies empirical criteria for identifying functions, reallocations, interdependencies, and coordination requirements in longitudinal and comparative studies. The model is intended to separate changes in execution from organizational consequences that require independent empirical verification.