Computing in Organizations: Myth and Experience

Is any image in modern times more evocative of social change than the computer? Popular mythology ascribes extraordinary powers to computers in the ordering of human affairs. Computers are seen as instruments of social transformation and economic change. Indeed, it is hard not to find computers in the modern workplace, let alone in the home. They are ubiquitous in government offices, businesses large and small alike, the school, and not-for-profit organizations. In this meticulously researched study of computers and computing, authors James B. Rule, Debra Gimlin, and Sylvia Sievers present a fascinating, entertaining, and thought-provoking survey of the use of what may be the most powerful tool in today's workplace. In the chapter entitled "The New York Study: Design and Execution," the authors describe their inspiration for the undertaking of their study, how they designed their research methods, and how they obtained funding for the project. In the chapter "What Computers Do; How Computing Changes," case studies involving businesses that adopted greater computer usage are described, and the authors explain how the new technology was employed for their benefit. In "Employment and Efficiency" time saving and cost-effectiveness qualities of computer technology are explored. And in "Management and Structure," the authors posit the role of the computer in organizational transformation. Computing in Organizations is a timely and relevant work, and will prove of great benefit to strategic consultants, business management personnel, sociologists, and students of information technology.