Margrethe H. Olson

The measurement of user information satisfaction

This paper critically reviews measures of user information satisfaction and selects one for replication and extension. A survey of production managers is used to provide additional support for the instrument, eliminate scales that are psychometrically unsound, and develop a standard short form for use when only an overall assessment of information satisfaction is required and survey time is limited.

Managing investment in information technology; mini case examples and implications

While businesses are investing enormous resources in information technology (IT), there little evidence linking IT investment to organizational performance. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to increase understanding of the basis for IT investment in firms. Six mini case studies of companies in five different industries address questions of how they define IT for the purpose of determining the level of investment, how they track IT investments, and what other factors influence IT investment decisions. Each organization uses a different definition of IT, but there appears to be an overall trend to broaden the definition. Although companies track IT investment with varying degrees of rigor, they appear to be generally moving toward centralized tracking of all IT investment. Political considerations are important and significantly impact investment decisions. In all cases, the effectiveness with which IT investment is converted to useful output is acknowledged to be affected by the implementation process, the culture of the organization, and the skill of management. Three ma/or implications for practi~bners responsible for IT investment are: the need to adopt a broad definition of IT and track it over time against a convenient base; the need to separate different types of investment and match them to appropriate organizational performance measures; and the need to take into account factors such as management commitment and previous experience with IT. The latter impacts the effectiveness with which the firm converts it investment into. useful outputs.

An assessment of the contingency theory of management information systems

Abstract:This paper explores the use of contingency theory in the field of Management Information Systems (MIS). The development of contingency theory in MIS is compared to the development of organization theory. The assumptions of fit, performance as a dependent variable, rational actors, and a deterministic model in both organizational research and MIS research are critiqued. The dominant influence of contingency theory is demonstrated through a review of empirical studies published in JMIS and MIS Quarterly. Of the 177 articles during the period studied, 59 percent were empirical and over 70 percent of these were judged to follow a contingency model. Based on our assessment of this research, we conclude that research in MIS has been hampered by the use of a naive meta-theory, conflicting empirical results with low explained variance, ill-defined concepts of performance and fit, and a narrow perspective of researchers. We give some recommendations for improving the theoretical basis of MIS, including ad...

The relationship between organizational characteristics and the structure of the information services function

Although much has been written about the centralization versus decentralization of information services, relatively little is known about how the structure of an organization influences the level of centralization or decentralization. This paper presents the results of a study which examined the organizational context of the information services function. The authors attempted to identify those organizational characteristics that are associated with the structure of the information services function. It was found that the organizational environment does not have an influence upon the level of decentralization of information services. Few organizational characteristics, however, ere found to influence the structure of information services consistently across all organizations. Further research relating organizational form to its impact on information services is suggested.

The impact of office automation on the organization: some implications for research and practice

Computer technology has recently been applied to the automation of office tasks and procedures. Much of the technology is aimed not at improving the efficiency of current office procedures, but at altering the nature of office work altogether. The development of automated office systems raises a number of issues for the organization. How will this technology be received by organization members? How will it affect the definition of traditional office work? What will be its impact on individuals, work groups, and the structure of the organization? This paper presents a descriptive model and propositions concerning the potential impacts of office automation on the organization and it stresses the need, when implementing automated office systems, to take a broad perspective of their potential positive and negative effects on the organization. The need for further research examining the potential effects of office automation is emphasized.

Remote office work: changing work patterns in space and time

Remote work refers to organizational work that is performed outside of the normal organizational confines of space and time. The term telecommuting refers to the substitution of communications capabilities for travel to a central work location. Office automation technology permits many office workers to be potential telecommuters in that their work can be performed remotely with computer and communications support. This paper examines some behavioral, organizational, and social issues surrounding remote work, particularly work at home. An exploratory study was conducted of 32 organizational employees who were working at home. Important characteristics of jobs that can be performed at home were: minimum physical requirements, individual control over work pace, defined deliverables, a need for concentration, and a relatively low need for communication. The individuals who worked at home successfully were found to be highly self-motivated and self-disciplined and to have skills which provided them with bargaining power. They also made the arrangement either because of family requirements or because they preferred few social contacts beyond family.

Manager or technician? the nature of the information systems manager's job

The role of the information systems manager has evolved in twenty years from that of a technician managing a relatively unimportant service function into that of a vice presidential-level, general manager whose department can substantially impact the entire organization. In this article we trace, by example, the historical evolution of the job, and through an observational study of six information systems managers, examine the position today. The analysis includes the daily activities of the managers, the nature of the oral contacts that constitute 76% of their day, and the other notable observations. The information systems managers role is depicted as one of coordinator, motivator, and planner, with a cadre of experts, both internal and external, who provide technical expertise.

New information technology and organizational culture

Predictions of the effects of office automation on organizations vary widely. This article focuses on changes in individual work patterns, management control, and organizational structure that may occur as a result of implementation of office technology. The most significant change predicted is that organizations will no longer be limited by a central office work environment operation between the traditional office work hours of nine and five. Computer and communications technology will facilitate the relaxing of these physical constraints as necessitated by societal and economic pressures. Relevant research to date regarding the effects of the new technology on organizational behavior is reviewed. Management guidelines for preparing for the coming changes are included.

The Portland experience: a report on a distributed research group

Abstract From 1985 for three years, the System Concepts Laboratory (SCL) of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center had employees in both Palo Alto, California, and Portland, Oregon. The Portland remote site was intended to be a forcing function for the lab to focus on issues of interpersonal computing in a geographically distributed organization. Interpersonal computing supports people communicating and working together through computers; it includes tools to support interaction separated by time and/or space as well as face-to-face interaction and meetings. A consultant to the laboratory took on the role of outside observer to provide insight into questions about the process of working in a distributed organization and about tools for supporting collaboration in a distributed organization. The primary collaborative work of the lab itself was design. The major tool that developed to support the cross-site environment was Media Space, a network of video, audio and computing technologies. With the Media Space, SCL members were able to make significant progress in supporting their distributed design process. The SCL experience adds to the existing knowledge of collaboration by focusing on intellectual effort where the primary resource is information. The activities of the lab depended on reciprocal interdependence of group members for information. Their work required them to be in touch with one another to share and coordinate information, yet lab members were often not together physically or temporally. The SCL work forced the boundaries of social place to extend beyond the boundaries of physical place.

Work at home for computer professionals: current attitudes and future prospects

The subject of this paper is work performed in the home with computer and communications technology, also known as telecommuting. The article reports on two studies of work at home: a quasi-experimental field study of organizational telecommuting pilot programs, and an attitude survey comparing computer professionals who work at home to employees doing similar jobs in traditional office settings. The results of the field study demonstrated that working in the home had little impact on employee performance; however, supervisors were not comfortable with remote workers and preferred their employees to be on site. In the survey, work in the home was related to lower job satisfaction, lower organizational commitment, and higher role conflict. The survey also included computer professionals who worked at home in addition to the regular work day. The author suggests that performing additional unpaid work in the home after regular work hours may be an important trend that merits further investigation. The studies demonstrate that while computer and communications technology have the potential to relax constraints on information work in terms of space and time, in todays traditional work environments, corporate culture and management style limit acceptance of telecommuting as a substitute for office work.