Exploring Mediation Between Environmental and Structural Attributes: The Penetration of

Communication Technologies in Manufacturing Organizations

陳志凡 603530031

林劭儒 303530032

指導老師 洪新源 教授

Abstract

This paper presents a study that examines the relationship between the use of important class of IT , communications technologies , and organizational structural attributes within a broad contingency context.

IT Impact Researsh

Early V.S Recently

Early ,the researcher considered IT as a major organizational determinant. 著重在科技跟組織架構間的雙線性關係

Recently ,we need to expand the study of IT impact research by considering people ,structure environment , and task within a broader organizational context.

Conventional and Contemprary IT : Technologies (1/3)

C-squared : distinction between two categories of IT , computing and communications technology.

Computing technology: a combination of MIS ,ex: KM,DSS,CRM

Communications technology: ex: LAN ,WAN,Email

Conventional and Contemprary IT :Technologies (2/3)Markus 提出兩個能共享 computing technologies 擴散的特性 :

1. 作者無法避免別人無付費的來使用自己放在公共網路上的作品

2. CT 的使用者互相依存

Conventional and Contemprary IT :Technologies (3/3)Interaction of IT and organizations:

1.) IT 的觀念需要被擴展到對 CT( 通訊科技 ) 的 explicitly examine

2.) IT 需要被當作更廣泛的 organizational contingencies 的因素來考慮

Research Model

The information processing paradigm and Huber ‘s theory of the effects of advanced communications technology on organizational design is especially useful in deriving hypotheses.Below , the variables selected for the study are presented.

Research Variables (1/2)

Research Variables

Environment Organizational structure CT

Research Variables (2/2)

Environmental variables:1. Environment dynamism2. Environment complexity

Organizational structure:centralization, complexity, formalization , integration

CT: how widely an organization depends on CT , and how much the CT penetration is routinized.

Models and Hypotheses (1/5)

Models and Hypotheses (2/5)

The specific hypotheses to be tested in this model are:Hypotheses a: The more dynamic the environment ,the less formal the organization structure

Hypotheses b: The more dynamic the environment ,the more complex the organization structure

Hypotheses c: The more dynamic the environment ,the more integrated the organization structure

Models and Hypotheses (3/5)

Hypotheses d: The more complex the environment ,the more decentralized the organization structure

Hypotheses e: The more complex the environment ,the more complex the organization structure

Hypotheses f: The more complex the environment , the more integrated the organization structure

Models and Hypotheses (4/5)

當 dynamism increases , less formal, more complex ， 更整合的架構發生時 ，需要透過 CT 的參透來處理 , 這些假設會變成以下情況 :

Models and Hypotheses (5/5)

當環境複雜度傾向 less centralized ，更複雜跟更整合的架構在所提出基本假設時 , 這些假設會變成以下情況 :

Methodology

It’s assumed that the cross-sectional data used to study organization structure and other contingency variables represents numerous organizations in distinct stages of growth or change.

Measurement of Variables

五個測量 Environment dynamism 的變數 :marketing practices, product sustainability, consumer demand and tastes , competitors ,and production technology.

Organizational structure: 大部分都是從一些組織理論文獻裡有出現的結構變數

CT: 測量的方法不只從科技如何深入的嵌入組織內部，還有多少不同的應用系統被常規的使用

Pretesting and Administration

在 Pretesting 的階段 , 由 1 位地方政府機關的 MIS 決策者跟 14 位地區公司的高階主管來完成面談

Administration 階段 : Compact Disclosure 包含 Disclosure 資料庫和一些可用的軟體，用在製造公司的 sample frame 裡面，裡面有 12,000公開上市的公司的財務和資訊管理的資料