On Information Technology and Organization Structure

Abstract

One of the most important developments on the industrial scene in the past decade has been the advancement in information technology. Probably no other time in history has been characterized by such a rapid rate of technological progress in information processing as that observed during this period. Today, there are more than 15,500 electronic data processing systems of various sizes operating in the United States, and continuous installations in business firms of more electronic computers are expected in the future. The wide-spread application of electronic data processing has made an impact upon many phases of management organizations. In many concerns operational procedures, the organizational structure, the flow of managerial information, the distribution of manpower, and the work content of jobs have been radically changed or altered in some manner. This paper reports a study on one of these areas of change, namely, the effects of the newer information technology upon the distribution of clerical and managerial manpower.