PhD student in Information Systems and Innovation
Biography
Spyridon Samonas holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Piraeus, and an MSc in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics. He is currently completing his doctoral studies in the Department of Management at the London School of Economics. Spyridon has had industrial and consulting experience, before and during his doctoral studies, as a business analyst and management consultant in the insurance and software industries. In his spare time, he plays classic rock on a Fender standard Stratocaster and a Tokai SG.
Research Interests
Subject areas: Organisational structures and power, bureaucracy in management, organizational integrity, information systems risk and security.
Thesis: 'Managing Computerised Bureaucracy : Opportunities and Hazards'
This thesis argues that computerised systems introduce and impose their own distinct kind of bureaucracy on organisations. Computers introduce bureaucratic mechanisms into organisations, which inevitably generate security risks that need to be considered and mitigated. The term ‘computerised bureaucracy’ is introduced to illustrate the distinctive character of a bureaucracy that is being established through the implementation and extensive use of technological artefacts. The design and use of technology in organisations almost always involves the bureaucratisation of tasks, processes and problem-solving, to a greater or lesser extent. So in this respect, a computerised bureaucracy is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, with both technical and organisational implications, and one that has enormous consequences for security professionals.
This computerised bureaucracy should be seen as a security risk, which needs to be seriously considered by IS security practitioners and academics. Through the inhibition of discretion, and due to the consequent denial of the principle of requisite variety, this form of bureaucracy represents a very real danger to organisations. In this context, a redefinition of IS security is called for, so that it encompasses the new forms of risk arising from computerised bureaucracy. In this context, the ultimate purpose of this research is to provide certain recommendations regarding trust, innovation and the appropriate use of discretion in organisational settings.
Supervisor
Teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant at LSE in Information Systems Management, from 2006 until 2008.
Publications and Papers
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Angell, I. O. and Samonas, S. (2009) "The Risk of Computerized Bureaucracy." Journal of Information System Security, Vol. 5, Issue 2.
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Samonas, S. and Angell, I. O. (2009) "The Power of Discretion in IS Security." Journal of Information System Security, Vol. 6, Issue 2.
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Samonas, S. (accepted-forthcoming 2011) "Mitigating Risk in Computerized Bureaucracy." Journal of Information System Security.