Joan Greenbaum and Kim Halskov Madsen
Problems with the use of office computer systems may often be traced back to the designers' narrow view or understanding of off ice work. Neither office work nor design of office…
Abstract
Problems with the use of office computer systems may often be traced back to the designers' narrow view or understanding of off ice work. Neither office work nor design of office systems should be done solely according to formulas. Precedent and comparison play just as important a role. Accordingly, we do not present a set of guidelines for design but five pieces, or exercises, which stimulate seeing the design issues differently. We use metaphors to interpret computer use. Using the dichotomous ideas of description and interpretation, similarity and difference, planned action and situated action, group discussion and individual problem‐solving, and authoritative knowledge and shared knowledge, we hope to set in motion a dialectical reframing process.
Office automation as it is being introduced today aims “to automate office procedures”, as I.B.M. points out, not “merely to mechanize tasks”. It refers to the use of computer…
Abstract
Office automation as it is being introduced today aims “to automate office procedures”, as I.B.M. points out, not “merely to mechanize tasks”. It refers to the use of computer technology to process and transmit information, combining word and data processing. Automation also involves linking together today's many modern devices into “integrated office systems”. Because new technology is being developed to computerize the very flow of work in the office, its potential impact is qualitatively different from previous office equipment which “mechanized” or “automated” routine tasks.
Wanda J. Orlikowski and Jack J. Baroudi
Much of the prior research into information systems (IS) workers has assumed that they are professionals. In this paper we examine the characteristics of IS workers, IS work and…
Abstract
Much of the prior research into information systems (IS) workers has assumed that they are professionals. In this paper we examine the characteristics of IS workers, IS work and the IS workplace, and suggest that this perspective is mistaken. Drawing on the sociological theory of professions as a reference discipline we contend that IS professionalism is an inappropriate categorization, and that such a portrayal limits our understanding of IS workers and their work. We argue in this paper that a more faithful and potentially useful characterization is to view IS workers as members of an occupational group. Within this perspective, an understanding of the occupational culture, context and history of IS workers is essential to an understanding of the IS occupation. We examine and challenge some common myths regarding IS work, technology and the IS workplace. We conclude by making some recommendations for future research, which should enhance our understanding of IS workers as members of an occupation.
Computer‐based automation may be decisive in making an enterprise strike resistant. As a consequence it is in a union's interest to include as many as possible data processing and…
Abstract
Computer‐based automation may be decisive in making an enterprise strike resistant. As a consequence it is in a union's interest to include as many as possible data processing and computing skills in bargaining units. It also is in management's interest to have these same skills excluded. Of special importance are a number of developments: (1) the increasing pressure for clerical and technical workers to join labor unions, (2) the FAA's success in keeping airports operational with the help of computer‐controlled air flow procedures and (3) management's successful bids in a number of crucial labor relations cases to exclude from bargaining units licensed and certifiable professionals who were doing data processing work. The primary need now is for proper negotiations and possible new rulings and legislation to deal with the status of professional and technical computer work.
Ksenia Podoynitsyna, Yuliya Snihur, Llewellyn D. W. Thomas and Denis A. Grégoire
We investigate how Salesforce’s key people used analogies and metaphors during the deployment of their (then) radical business model innovation. Our analysis shows how…
Abstract
We investigate how Salesforce’s key people used analogies and metaphors during the deployment of their (then) radical business model innovation. Our analysis shows how Salesforce’s entrepreneurial team skillfully used a mix of analogies and metaphors to communicate its innovations and differentiate the company from its competitors. We also show how business model innovators can weave together analogies and metaphors to create distinct meta-narratives that elicited strong emotions and helped construct a memorable organizational identity that galvanized stakeholders around the firm’s ecosystem appeal. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for business model and cognition research.
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Qualitative evaluation concerns the examination and analysis of individual experiences. This type of research tends to answer questions of why, how, what is the process, what is…
Abstract
Qualitative evaluation concerns the examination and analysis of individual experiences. This type of research tends to answer questions of why, how, what is the process, what is the relationship, and so on in an effort to understand the essential nature of a service or process. While statistics tell us how many questions we have answered, qualitative evaluation tells us how well we have met the patrons' needs.
Refers to previous research to suggest that US commercial bank managers use discretion to “manage” regulatory capital and that accounting discretion can influence a bank’s…
Abstract
Refers to previous research to suggest that US commercial bank managers use discretion to “manage” regulatory capital and that accounting discretion can influence a bank’s investment opportunity set (IOS) and therefore its share price. Challenges the assumption that using accounting discretion to manipulate contracting variables will only result in a redistribution of wealth. Develops a mathematical model based on Feltham and Ohlson (1995) and uses it to explore the bank manager’s optimal investment in risky assets, the constraint on investment choice produced by minimum regulatory capital requirements and how accounting discretion can reduce this. Shows that regulatory requirements do constrain a bank’s IOS but that discretion (e.g. over loan loss provisions) can only mitigate this if dividend and financing policies depend on the discretionary components.
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Paulina V. Harper, Kyrille Goldbeck, Margaret Hogarth, David Greenebaum, David Magolis and Millie Jackson
To report on the 1st Electronic Resources & Libraries Conference held in March 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia.Design/methodology/approach – Provides a review of some of the events of…
Abstract
Purpose
To report on the 1st Electronic Resources & Libraries Conference held in March 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia.Design/methodology/approach – Provides a review of some of the events of the conference.
Findings
The ER&L conference is the first step to building an shared understanding about the unique medium of electronic resources and management and developing a supportive community for dissemination of basic practices and latest developments in the field.
Originality/value
A conference report of interest to information management professionals, especially those involved with electronic resources.
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This paper examines discursive strategies deployed by individuals to manage the deinstitutionalization of technology during IS development. In particular, the strategy of…
Abstract
This paper examines discursive strategies deployed by individuals to manage the deinstitutionalization of technology during IS development. In particular, the strategy of face‐work is an inevitable response to requirements analysis, because it centers on identifying “problems”. Directly implicated are individuals who work with the legacy system, thus threats to face and place within the organization are inescapable. This research shows that individuals save face by valorizing the past. This face‐work is accomplished through constructing the legacy system as a great system of the past and by confessing to previous transgressive acts with this system that attests to their technological competence. Both strategies are an intricate part of identity negotiations that serve to secure an individuals’ place in the organization. In this study, the presence of expert consultants and researcher gave expression to particular skewed power relations during the interviews. Thus, face‐work is profoundly influenced by the discursive field in which it takes place. Implications for research and practice are discussed.