THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON MIDDLE MANAGERS

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: PINSONNEAULT, A; KRAEMER, KL
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Irvine
• 刊物名称: MIS QUARTERLY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0276-7783
• DOI: 10.2307/249772
• 发表日期: 1993
• 页码: 271-292
• 关键词: organization; systems

摘要

This article reviews studies that examine the impact of information technology (IT) on the number of middle managers in of organizations. Contradictory evidence is found to suggest, paradoxically, that IT both increases and decreases the number of the middle managers. This ''empirical paradox'' is resolved by looking at the effects of IT on middle managers as contingent upon the degree of centralization of computing decisions, and of organizational decisions more broadly. When both computing decisions and organizational decisions are centralized, top managers tend to use IT to reduce the number of middle managers. When these decisions are decentralized, middle managers use IT to increase their numbers. A recent case study provides preliminary support for this perspective by showing an interesting case of reduction in middle managers.