{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,10]],"date-time":"2025-03-10T16:10:09Z","timestamp":1741623009401,"version":"3.38.0"},"reference-count":67,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2008,9,1]],"date-time":"2008-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1220227200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Information Technology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2008,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p> This paper uses a case study to illustrate and further extend the notion of \u2018socially destructive systems\u2019. Baskerville and Land define a destructive information system as either coming apart internally or threatening to take their environment apart. Building upon their insights, this paper suggests that destructive systems emerge from the very attributes that attract organisations to information systems in the first place - a phenomenon encapsulated by the so-called \u2018Icarus paradox\u2019. Icarus flew so close to the Sun that his wax wings that had enabled him to fly in the first place melted sending him plunging to his death. The case study of an insurance company shows how a system that increased claims processing productivity in the short run resulted in higher costs and lower customer satisfaction in the long run. The paradox is explained by a disconnect between \u2018espoused-theory\u2019 and \u2018theory-in-use\u2019. Issues for further research include developing techniques of impact analysis to measure recursive losses arising from \u2018destructive systems\u2019 and for gauging the level of complexity at which computer-based automation becomes counterproductive. An important recommendation for practice is that computer-based systems are efficient only to a point. For more complex tasks organisations may need to put more emphasis upon developing people. <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jit.2000119","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,10,30]],"date-time":"2007-10-30T06:53:33Z","timestamp":1193727213000},"page":"176-184","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["The Icarus Paradox: An Analysis of a Totally Destructive System"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Helga","family":"Drummond","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Management School, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,9,1]]},"reference":[{"volume-title":"Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban missile crisis","year":"1999","author":"Allison G.","key":"bibr1-palgrave.jit.2000119"},{"volume-title":"Making Sense of Management: A critical introduction","year":"1996","author":"Alvesson 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