Bob Travica / Information View of Organization Information View of Organization: Framework & Research Bob Travica Asper School of Business November 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

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 1 of 12 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 2 of 12 Rationale – Information Systems Theory (IST) Side

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 3 of 12 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

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 4 of 12 Infostructure Infoculture Infoprocesses Infopolitics Homo Informaticus Groupomatics IS Management Infoeconomics IS Adoption IS Design/Development IS Use IS Evaluation Org. Goals & Issues Individuals Work Groups Org. Processes Org. Economics Org. Politics Org. Culture Org. Structure INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DATA MEANING KNOWLEDGE WISDOM IVO Framework Organization theory (yellow) Information systems theory (blue & white) IVO approach (green) Travica, 2003, 2005

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 5 of 12 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)

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 6 of 12 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

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 7 of 12 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 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). InfocultureStable beliefs and behavioral patterns revolving around organizational information and IT. InfopowerInfopower, agendas, and flight/fight revolving around organizational information and IT. Infopower as (a) control over data/IT, (b) meaning management, and (c) expertise-based. InfostructurePatterns of relationships b/w data segments and in IT arrangements in terms of hierarchy, centralization, dispersion, fragmentation, formalization InfoprocessSet of information tasks form a start to an end point, which deliver a value for a customer. InfoeconomicsCosts, benefits and other economic aspects related to managing data, knowledge, IT & IS. 8 of 12

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization Infoculture Research & Management 9 of 12 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 LevelIS Department Level What is the role of IT/ISInformation toolOrganizational force Who we are in relation to IT/IS Reluctant passengerDriver 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) 10 of 12 Infopolitics Aspect Finding InfopowerNo 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 InfoagendaCorporate 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 11 od 12 Infopower IS Planning IS Adoption IS Planning IS Adoption Infopolitical Agenda Infopolitical Agenda Infopolitical Fight Infopolitical Flight Infopolitical Fight Infopolitical Flight Infopolitics Research & Management

Bob Travica / Information View of Organization 12 of 12 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…