1. Information Politics Thomas H. Davenport, Robert G. Eccles
and Laurence Prusak
Sloan Management Review, fall 1992, pp

2. Presentation Themes Why do we need an information politics model?
Models of information politics
How to choose the right model
Conclusions

3. Why Do We Need an Information Politics Model?
Information based organizations largely a myth
Many companies not yet able to manage politics of information
As information becomes basis for organizational structure, politics will play a bigger role
Much information at stake
Businesses must address information itself and practices that generate information

4. Presentation Themes Why do we need an information politics model?
Models of information politics
How to choose the right model
Conclusions

5. Models of Information Politics
Technocratic Utopianism
Anarchy
Feudalism
Monarch
Federalism

6. Technocratic Utopianism: Summary
Technical approach to information management
Focus on information modeling and categorization
Reliance on emerging technologies
Assumption that technology will resolve all issues
Attempt to address an organization’s entire information inventory

7. Technocratic Utopianism: Positives
High efficiency and lack of data redundancy
Can (uneasily) coexist with other information politics models

8. Technocratic Utopianism: Negatives
Organizational and political issues assumed to be nonexistent or unmanageable
Processes that produce information not a point of focus
Low quality of information
High access to information, but only by people who understand IT
Senior management usually ignorant of IT
Information produced by computer systems usually decoupled from information actually used to manage company

9. Anarchy: Summary Absence of over-arching information management policy
Anarchy model usually not chosen consciously
Individuals obtain and manage their own information
Made possible by the growth of personal computers

10. Anarchy: Positives Quality of information likely to be high
Individuals have access to own information

11. Anarchy: Negatives Redundant information processing
Inefficient information storage
Information discrepancies throughout the firm
Personal databases can lead to inaccurate information across organization
Low-commonality
Data has different meanings across organization

12. Feudalism: Summary Most common model
Distinct groups within organization define own information needs
What information will be collected
How it will be interpreted
In what format it will be reported
Report limited information to organization as a whole

13. Feudalism: Positives Possible for some degree of cooperation
Executives can create strategic alliances to share information or create common networks or architecture

14. Feudalism : Negatives Least effective political model
Easy to fall back on when other models fail
Strong, independent groups restrict access to information under their control
Information duplicated across the organization
Reduces efficiency

15. Monarchy : Summary Centralized
Firm leaders determine information categories and reporting structures
Departments have little autonomy regarding information politics
Executives may or may not share information collected
Constitutional monarchy
Document states monarchy’s limitations, subject’s rights, etc.

16. Monarchy: Positives
Strong, top-down approach ensures common vocabulary
Top executives make sure right processes generate right information used in the right way
High level of efficiency

17. Monarchy : Negatives Limited access to information by non-executives
High quality and efficient information gained at expense of access throughout organization
Mortality
CEO turnover can disrupt information management

18. Federalism: Summary Preferred model for many businesses
Recognizes importance of politics
Consensus and negotiation on organization’s key information elements and reporting structures
Negotiation brings competing and non-competing parties together
Strong central leadership
Recognizes importance of politics
“Federalism treats politics as a necessary and legitimate activity by which people with different interests work out among themselves a collective purpose and means for achieving it”
Strong central leadership
Culture encourages cooperation and learning
Requires touch negotiating and a politically astute info manager
Understand value of info itself and IT
Can use understanding to create shared information vision
Each unit contracts with executive and other realms to share assets and benefit from greater organization

19. Federalism: Positives
Preferable in a culture that values widespread participation and empowerment
Creates common vocabulary and shared information vision
Balance between un-integrated independence of feudal units and undifferentiated units under monarchy
Supports autonomy and coordination

20. Federalism: Negatives
Satisfying all constituencies may require more information gathering than necessary
Reduces efficiency
Necessary compromises may reduce quality of information
Difficult to achieve
Requires a strong, charismatic information politician whose primary role is to facilitate sharing of information

21. Presentation Themes Necessity of information politics models
Five Information Politics Models
Choosing the right model
Conclusions

22. Select an Information State
Important to choose a single model
Multiple models are confusing and use resources
Practice politically astute information management
Match organizational politics to organizational culture
Technological realism
Elect the right information politicians
Avoid information empire-building

23. Select an Information State cont’d
Important questions
What models do people in the firm already hold?
What model is most dominant?
Which model is most desirable?
How can it be achieved?
Choose one model and move toward it, no matter how long it takes

24. Assessment Tools Evaluate model’s effectiveness
Commonality of vocabulary and meaning
Degree of access to important information
Quality of information
Currency, relevance, accuracy
Efficiency of information management

25. Match Chosen Model to Organizational Politics cont’d
Indicators of when culture is right for more democratic information politics
Empower front-line workers to make decisions
Work together to improve processes
Remove fear as a motivator
Information sharing is one of the last things to change when organization is changing its culture

26. Match Chosen Model to Organizational Politics
“A firm’s culture must be conducive to participative information management and free information flow before they will happen. Put another way, information flow does not make an organizational culture less hierarchical and more open; rather, democratic culture makes possible democratic information flows” (p. 62)

27. Technological Realism
Engineering should focus on specific issues
Information organized into units managers can understand
Forms, reports, etc. – not individual datasets
Easy-to-use technology platforms
Common, standardized technology
Use technology to model and categorize verbal and visual information

28. Information Politicians
Manager whose primary role is to facilitate use of information
Able to persuade individuals and the masses of the importance of information management and the correctness of the chosen political model

29. Avoid Building Information Empires
Information stewardship
Corporation as a whole has responsibility for ensuring data quality
Assigned throughout the corporation
Responsibility for collecting, maintaining, and interpreting information should not be placed on one person

30. Presentation Themes Why do we need an information politics model?
Models of information politics
How to choose the right model
Conclusions

31. Conclusions
Effective management of information politics will require a shift in organizational culture
Politics of information must be identified and managed for companies to move forward in the Information Age

32. Conclusions cont’d Monarchy and federalism are the only viable choices
Federalism preferable in culture that wants widespread participation and empowerment, but harder to achieve
Benevolent monarchy better for firms with difficulties achieving consensus