This article by David Kirsh, which appeared in Intellectica, distinguishes supply related overload from demand side overload and how environments must be designed to minimize overload's negative consequences. Avoiding Information Overload by Captain Robert L. Bateman III, US Army.
Information overload can be a particular danger in time-sensitive military operations.
Even the intellectually most advanced groups, the researchers, educators, managers and technologists, often feel overwhelmed by the changes in their domain. The ability to produce information is outstripping managers' ability to process it. By Joseph McCafferty. Too much of a good thing can hurt your job performance. By Jim Owen.