Information Politics

Thomas H. Davenport, Robert G. Eccles and Laurence Prusak

 Sloan Management Review, fall 1992, pp. 53 - 65

Presentation Themes

1. Why do we need an information politics model?

2. Models of information politics3. How to choose the right model4. Conclusions

Why Do We Need an Information Politics Model?

• Information based organizations largely a myth– Many companies not yet able to manage

politics of information

• As information becomes basis for organizational structure, politics will play a bigger role– Much information at stake– Businesses must address information itself

and practices that generate information

Presentation Themes

1. Why do we need an information politics model?

2. Models of information politics

3. How to choose the right model4. Conclusions

Models of Information Politics

1. Technocratic Utopianism2. Anarchy3. Feudalism4. Monarch5. Federalism

Technocratic Utopianism: Summary

• Technical approach to information management– Focus on information modeling and

categorization

• Reliance on emerging technologies– Assumption that technology will resolve

all issues

• Attempt to address an organization’s entire information inventory

Technocratic Utopianism: Positives

• High efficiency and lack of data redundancy

• Can (uneasily) coexist with other information politics models

Technocratic Utopianism: Negatives

• Organizational and political issues assumed to be nonexistent or unmanageable

• Processes that produce information not a point of focus– Low quality of information

• High access to information, but only by people who understand IT– Senior management usually ignorant of IT– Information produced by computer systems

usually decoupled from information actually used to manage company

Anarchy: Summary

• Absence of over-arching information management policy– Anarchy model usually not chosen

consciously

• Individuals obtain and manage their own information

• Made possible by the growth of personal computers

Anarchy: Positives

• Quality of information likely to be high

• Individuals have access to own information

Anarchy: Negatives

• Redundant information processing• Inefficient information storage• Information discrepancies throughout

the firm– Personal databases can lead to inaccurate

information across organization

• Low-commonality– Data has different meanings across

organization

Feudalism: Summary

• Most common model• Distinct groups within organization

define own information needs–What information will be collected– How it will be interpreted– In what format it will be reported

• Report limited information to organization as a whole

Feudalism: Positives

• Possible for some degree of cooperation– Executives can create strategic alliances

to share information or create common networks or architecture

Feudalism : Negatives

• Least effective political model– Easy to fall back on when other models

fail

• Strong, independent groups restrict access to information under their control

• Information duplicated across the organization– Reduces efficiency

Monarchy : Summary

• Centralized – Firm leaders determine information

categories and reporting structures– Departments have little autonomy

regarding information politics

• Executives may or may not share information collected

• Constitutional monarchy– Document states monarchy’s limitations,

subject’s rights, etc.

Monarchy: Positives

• Strong, top-down approach ensures common vocabulary

• Top executives make sure right processes generate right information used in the right way

• High level of efficiency

Monarchy : Negatives

• Limited access to information by non-executives– High quality and efficient information

gained at expense of access throughout organization

• Mortality– CEO turnover can disrupt information

management

Federalism: Summary

• Preferred model for many businesses• Recognizes importance of politics• Consensus and negotiation on

organization’s key information elements and reporting structures– Negotiation brings competing and non-

competing parties together

• Strong central leadership

Federalism: Positives

• Preferable in a culture that values widespread participation and empowerment

• Creates common vocabulary and shared information vision

• Balance between un-integrated independence of feudal units and undifferentiated units under monarchy

• Supports autonomy and coordination

Federalism: Negatives

• Satisfying all constituencies may require more information gathering than necessary– Reduces efficiency

• Necessary compromises may reduce quality of information

• Difficult to achieve– Requires a strong, charismatic information

politician whose primary role is to facilitate sharing of information

Presentation Themes

1. Necessity of information politics models

2. Five Information Politics Models3. Choosing the right model4. Conclusions

Select an Information State

• Important to choose a single model– Multiple models are confusing and use

resources

• Practice politically astute information management1. Match organizational politics to

organizational culture2. Technological realism3. Elect the right information politicians4. Avoid information empire-building

Select an Information State cont’d

• Important questions–What models do people in the firm

already hold?–What model is most dominant?–Which model is most desirable?– How can it be achieved?

• Choose one model and move toward it, no matter how long it takes

Assessment Tools

• Evaluate model’s effectiveness– Commonality of vocabulary and

meaning– Degree of access to important

information– Quality of information• Currency, relevance, accuracy

– Efficiency of information management

Match Chosen Model to Organizational Politics cont’d

• Indicators of when culture is right for more democratic information politics• Empower front-line workers to make

decisions• Work together to improve processes• Remove fear as a motivator

• Information sharing is one of the last things to change when organization is changing its culture

Match Chosen Model to Organizational Politics

“A firm’s culture must be conducive to participative information management and free information flow before they will happen. Put another way, information flow does not make an organizational culture less hierarchical and more open; rather, democratic culture makes possible democratic information flows” (p. 62)

Technological Realism

• Engineering should focus on specific issues

• Information organized into units managers can understand– Forms, reports, etc. – not individual datasets

• Easy-to-use technology platforms– Common, standardized technology

• Use technology to model and categorize verbal and visual information

Information Politicians

• Manager whose primary role is to facilitate use of information

• Able to persuade individuals and the masses of the importance of information management and the correctness of the chosen political model

Avoid Building Information Empires

• Information stewardship– Corporation as a whole has

responsibility for ensuring data quality – Assigned throughout the corporation

• Responsibility for collecting, maintaining, and interpreting information should not be placed on one person

Presentation Themes

1. Why do we need an information politics model?

2. Models of information politics3. How to choose the right model4. Conclusions

Conclusions

• Effective management of information politics will require a shift in organizational culture

• Politics of information must be identified and managed for companies to move forward in the Information Age

Conclusions cont’d

• Monarchy and federalism are the only viable choices

• Federalism preferable in culture that wants widespread participation and empowerment, but harder to achieve

• Benevolent monarchy better for firms with difficulties achieving consensus