Computer based Information Systems and Managers' Work

TL;DR

This paper explores how computer-based information systems influence managers' work through various models, emphasizing that their impact is a dynamic, evolving process shaped by individual and organizational actions.

Contribution

It introduces three models to understand the impact of information systems and highlights the non-linear, participatory nature of their influence on managerial work.

Findings

Impact of information systems is non-linear and evolves over time.

Managers actively shape how technology affects their work.

Different models provide diverse perspectives on technology's organizational impact.

Abstract

This paper identifies three categories of model: the Technology Impact Model; the Social Impact Model and the Integrationist Model, which imply different views of the "impact" of Information Technology on work organisation. These models are used to structure data from case studies conducted by the authors to explore the implications of the use of computer-based information systems for managers' work. The paper argues that the "impact" of information systems is not a single stable and predictable outcome but a non-linear ongoing process that changes and evolves over time. It also argues that the actions of individuals and groups within an organisation are not wholly determined by outside forces: people can and do react to, and shape, systems in different ways. In this sense, the "impact" of computer-based information systems on managers' work reflects decisions made by managers themselves about how the technology is used.