Information Management

Information Technology Management from 1960-2000

By Richard L. Nolan

- IT ( Information Technology. Digital convergence in data, voice and, video

- new functions were continuously assigned to the computer due to organizational learning

- IT became an information revolution that changed the way companies worked

Stages Theory of IT Management

- Four stages of organizational learning on an S-shaped Curve

o Stage I: Initiation ( proving the value of the technology

o Stage II: Contagion ( - high learning -Technology spreads in uncontrolled manner

o Stage III: Control ( control to slow growth to a manageable

rate

o Stage IV: Integration( balance between control and growth

Three eras of IT

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Technological discontinuity ( conflict between the old and the new technology

- Managers of the “old era” struggled against those preferring the new technology

- The new technology won

- IT workers faced a “diet of continuous change”

Relationship between Organizational Structure and IT Architecture

- 1960’s -1970’s: M-Form the dominant structure.

- each operating unit would have a hierarchy of line and staff functions

- Mainframe reflected this structure

- Two types of customers for computers:

o Engineers and scientists (scientific computing) (dominant 50’s-70’s)

▪ Help in conducting research& design and manufacturing

o Managers and administrators (commercial computing) (from 70’s dominant)

▪ Data processing (paying payrolls& keeping track of customer payments (lots of input and output data)

The data processing era

- sophisticated information and communication systems supported the mgmt of the larger organizations

- accounting and budgeting systems assured resource allocation

- large-room-sized