Understanding Technology-Structure Relationships: Theory Development and Meta-Analytic Theory Testing

Abstract

Theoretical models concerning technology-structure relationships typically are limited to one technology variable, one structure variable, and one contingency variable. This study draws on three decades of technology-structure research to develop and test more encompassing and potentially more valid models. Contrary to the most common explanations of mixed results on technology-structure relationships, the results of our meta-analytic theory testing indicate that the use of different definitions of technology and variation in organizational size generally do not affect these relationships. The results also indicate that two previously neglected contingency variables, professionalization and industrial sector, generally do not affect technology-structure relationships, but two methods variables, industrial sector heterogeneity and the size of the units of analysis, do affect them.