As improbable as it may seem, in early 1991 some people continued to question the long term value of computerization in business and government organizational operations. In most instances, such people were those who (1) feared the loss of jobs, as a consequence of computerization, (2) had not, as a consequence of their age, receive computer training in school, and feared that they would be left behind in the organizational march toward computerization, (3) had not, as a consequence of their own sloth or indifference, received computer training in school, and feared that they, too, would be left behind in the organizational march toward computerization, or (4) as members of the flat earth society, rued the fact that automobiles had replaced horses in the transportation system, with a consequent loss of jobs for skilled horseshoers.
The value of computerization in the contexts of efficiency and effectiveness had been proven in organizations of all sizes (Seilheimer, 1988). In the early 1990s, one could confidently predict that organizations of the future (of all sizes) would rely more heavily on computers, as opposed to turning away from the technology (Moad, 1988). Being able to make such a prediction with confidence, however, was not the same thing as stating that no problems existed with respect to the application of computer technology in organizations, or that such applications would not result in long term changes in the ways in which organizations are structured, and in the ways in which they operate.Statement of the Problem
Computerization has the potential to impact many facets of organizational culture and organizational operations. Two of the more significant facets of organizational culture which may be dramatically affected by the introduction of computerization into an organizational environment are (1) organizational structure, and (2) organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is heavily influenced by th...