In the current global scenario of extreme competition, factors such as productivity, availability, quality and cost of operations play a vital role in the success of a company. A critical component...

Plant-level maintenance decision support system for throughput improvement

This paper proposes a new research perspective on resistance to information systems (IS) change. Drawing upon a power lens and complementing it with the organizational literature on resistance, we develop an integrative framework that conceptualizes resistance at three levels: 1) the non-compliance behaviors, 2) the meanings and norms that resisters contest and enact, and 3) the technical artifacts that resisters bring into their acts. By mapping existing IS literature on resistance onto our framework, we identify a bias of the literature towards a refusal view of resistance. That is, IS literature has been mainly concerned with resistance as a refusal behavior –i.e. refusal to a new system, to changes in the working practices, to loss of status quo– by which resisters attempt to neutralize the actions from the proponents of IS change. Yet our framework enables us to depict resistance not only as refusal but also as generative. Whilst a focus on resistance as refusal pays attention to the acts by which resisters aim to block the outcomes intended by the proponents of IS change, the analysis of the generative potential of resistance considers two additional aspects. First, it involves looking at how resisters challenge the meanings that proponents assign to the IS change –i.e. assumptions about the technology, goals and role of actors in the change process. Second, it entails analyzing how (human) resisters and technical artifacts become intertwined in the acts of resistance and how those socio-technical assemblages instigate disciplinary effects to the proponents of IS change. In other words, studying the generative potential of resistance involves viewing resistance as a socio-material accomplishment that may transform the established order through structural and radical changes.

Generative resistance: broadening the boundaries of research on resistance in information systems change

In this paper, the roles of different information systems in an organization are identified using a framework called “Information Wheel”.An information wheel is similar to a physical wheel in that it consists of a hub, spokes, rim and a tire. The parts of a physical wheel are made of material such as steel, rubber and plastics. The parts of the information wheel are made of different information systems.

Information Wheel - a framework to identify roles of information systems

Office productivity in the United States is not what it should be. Recent statistics indicate that office productivity has only increased four per cent in the past ten years. Meanwhile, operating costs have doubled, and labour costs have increased from six to eight per cent per year (Egatz, 1984). Unfortunately, the labour-intensive nature of the office makes it particularly sensitive to ever-escalating costs. Fortunately, today's technological advancements offer opportunities to reduce these costs and also to provide information more quickly and accurately (Lieberman, p 4).

Integrating New Office Technology in the Business Communication Curriculum

At Indiana University in the late 1970's, the demand for word processing, the burden on the University's text processors, and a variety of commercial equipment demanded coordination. In 1978 a task force studied and made recommendations on the future of word processing throughout the corporation. As a result of these efforts, the Office of Information and Computer Services (OICS) assumed leadership and developed a small consulting team to assist users in choosing and installing word processing systems. By 180 the consultants' workload and the existence of perceived needs for $1.8 million in word processing products demanded a more systematic and encompassing strategy. Therefore, OICS formed a temporary group, the Office Systems Group, to devise objectives, policies, and implementation strategies for the 180's. This team needed to elarn what questions to ask and how to find answers. Furthermore, because modern office technologies will not work unless people accept them, the group had to deal with the social dynamics of office units. The group did a technical study of available products and developed a self-study method to determine office needs. Today the University's policies and strategy foster compatible systems, enable adequate maintenance, and promote staff mobility. The products chosen meet the needs of all users ᾢ teachers, students, clerical staff, professional staff, and administrators.

Thomas W. West

Papers

Word processing in a major corporation: policies, plans, and management

SIM Competition Paper: Word Processing in a Major Corporation: Policies, Plans, and Management

The Office Automation Primer: Harnessing Information Technologies for Greater Productivity

Thomas W. West

Papers

Word processing in a major corporation: policies, plans, and management

*SIM Competition Paper:* Word Processing in a Major Corporation: Policies, Plans, and Management

The Office Automation Primer: Harnessing Information Technologies for Greater Productivity

SIM Competition Paper: Word Processing in a Major Corporation: Policies, Plans, and Management