Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

Information View of Organization:Framework & Research

Bob Travica

Asper School of BusinessNovember 19, 2010

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

• Rationale for Information View of Organization (IVO)

• Basic terminology

• Research & Management use of IVO

• Conclusion & Future Research

• Questions & Answers

Outline

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• Enhance link between IS theory (IST) and organization theory (OT) for benefit of both (Orlikowski & Barley, 2001)

• OT’s issues: IT invisible and buried in abstract concepts of technology (Clegg et al., 1996; Currie & Galliers, 1999)

- But IT is different from other technologies as it works with cognition rather than physical matter (comp. Woodward, Thompson, Perrow)

• OT’s bridges: Barley, Clegg, Weick*

Rationale – Organization Theory Side

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

• IST looks at life cycle of IS or information technology (IT): planning – development – management…

• IST’s issues:

– Theorizing IT

– Theorizing information

– Organizational context weak or arbitrary (TAM research vs. Task-Media Fit Theory)*

• IST’s bridges: Markus, Orlikowski, group systems research, new organizational forms research

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Rationale – Information Systems Theory (IST) Side

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Information View of organization (IVO)

IVO

• In IST: Formalize use of known organizational views by linking them to information & IT

• Advance theorizing of information & IT

• In OT: Introduce a new view of organization by focusing known organization views on information & IT

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Infostructure

Infoculture

Infoprocesses

Infopolitics

Homo Informaticus

Groupomatics

IS ManagementInfoeconomics

IS Adoption

IS Design/Development

IS Use

IS Evaluation

Org. Goals & Issues

Individuals

WorkGroups

Org. Processes

Org. Economics

Org.Politics

Org.Culture

Org.Structure

INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY

DATA MEANING KNOWLEDGE WISDOM

IVO Framework

Organization theory(yellow)

Informationsystemstheory(blue & white)

IVO approach(green)

Travica, 2003, 2005

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IVO Basic Terminology: Information

Information: An umbrella term for cognitive agents called:

• data (symbols for human communication in various states of organization)

• knowledge (cognitive structures in human memory)

• wisdom (capability of making right judgments)

• meaning (process & effect of data-knowledge/wisdom interaction) key aspect; information=0 before data are understood

•Information teleology (example): Uncertainty reduction (Shannon & Weaver, 1949; Galbraith, 1973) vs. uncertainty creation, “creative chaos” (Nonaka & Takecuhi, 1995)

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Information Technology (IT): •Artifacts for manipulating data – tool, device, machine; electronic and pre-electronic•Agent in data-knowledge interaction i.e. meaning creation (“Medium is a message”, McLuhan) •Equivoque (incongruence b/w workings of automated information system and user`s mental models; Weick)

• IT teleology: IT as means of control vs. autonomy (Giddens’s duality of structure & action)

IVO Basic Terminology: Information Technology

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• In organizations, data IT & procedural knowledge related via the concept of information system (IS)

• IS as both cognitive and organizational agent

• Organization ontology: Various OT metaphors used, including brain and intelligence

• Organization as the intersection of OT and IST aspects (infoculture, infopolitics…)

Data Data

IT

Know-how

Information System

IVO Basic Terminology: Information System, and Organization

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

Seven Topical Areas in IVO

Topical Area in IVO

Concept

Homo Informaticus (Individual)

Cognitive aspects of individual organization members; Information behaviours (information seeking, decision making); Individuals as IS designers, users and evaluators

Groupomatics (Groups)

Group cognition aspects (transactive memory, group thinking, group decision making).

Infoculture Stable beliefs and behavioral patterns revolving around organizational information and IT.

Infopower Infopower, agendas, and flight/fight revolving around organizational information and IT.

Infopower as (a) control over data/IT, (b) meaning management, and (c) expertise-based.

Infostructure Patterns of relationships b/w data segments and in IT arrangements in terms of hierarchy, centralization, dispersion, fragmentation, formalization

Infoprocess Set of information tasks form a start to an end point, which deliver a value for a customer.

Infoeconomics Costs, benefits and other economic aspects related to managing data, knowledge, IT & IS.

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Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

Infoculture Research & Management

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• Study of Utilities, large professional bureaucracy (Travica, 2008, 2010)• IS: Human resource mgt. system (HRMS) using ERP software*• Managers have to manipulate HRMS directly (primary user)

• Theory: Test of infoculture; infoculture influences IS adoption; insight in differentiation of organizational culture

• Management: Enhance mutual communication and education

Infoculture Aspect Finding

Enterprise Level

How data and IT/IS are managed

- Unpolished systems development

Business Departments Level IS Department Level

What is the role of IT/IS Information tool Organizational force

Who we are in relation to IT/IS

Reluctant passenger Driver

When/Why change IS When necessary, novelty must save users’ effort; conservatism

When IT changes, to follow progress

How data and IT/IS are managed

- Electronic vs. paper formats- White-blue collar divide

Electronic standard

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

Infopolitics Research & Management

• Utilities, HRMS (Travica, 2008, 2009)

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Infopolitics Aspect

Finding

Infopower No gain for line management – access to same records and reports but have to manipulate HRMS directly

Gain for corporate executives due to control over integrated data

Gain for IS managers due to expertise in & control of enterprise software

Gain for clerks having blue collars dependent as before and line managers depending for new skills

Infoagenda Corporate and IS management aligned on changing management processes via HRMS. Disagreements on development priorities.

Line management aligned in opposition to HRMS.

Infopolitical Fight/Flight

Line management fights corporate and IS management.

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization

• Theoretical implications:

• Management implications: – Rethink political benefits for line management

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InfopowerInfopowerIS Planning---------------IS Adoption

IS Planning---------------IS Adoption

InfopoliticalAgenda

InfopoliticalAgenda

Infopolitical Fight-------------------------Infopolitical Flight

Infopolitical Fight-------------------------Infopolitical Flight

Infopolitics Research & Management

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Conclusion and Future Research

• IVO may advance understanding of organization and IS

• Need to advance study of other IVO aspects

• Scale development (infoculture, infopolitics)

• Theory building

C`est tout, gens!

Questions, please…