Key Elements for Managing Autonomous Organizational Systems

The autonomous organizational system could be a significant opportunity or adversity; therefore, it is imperative that a conceptual framework of the key elements for managing this phenomenon be developed to assist organizational management to mitigate the hazards and realize the benefits. The study followed a conceptual research design to address the research problem, which was the lack of a conceptual framework for managing these systems. The conceptual research design facilitated the expansion of current autonomous organizational systems understanding and the generation of an original conceptual framework. The developed conceptual framework encompasses both technical elements and social (human) elements. The technical elements comprise information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, algorithms, data, systems integration, human-machine interface, evolution, transparency and trustworthiness, and the social (human) elements comprise organizational governance and oversight, organizational structure, level of autonomy/level of human intervention, accountability and legal liability and risk management. Such knowledge is important for all organizational management as artificial intelligence (AI) systems permeate all industries and evolve autonomous organizational systems, providing a guide for avoiding the many hazards and realizing the numerous benefits of these systems. For scientists, the study expands current understanding, develops original knowledge and establishes a basis for theory progression and further knowledge generation in the field of autonomous organizational systems.