Firm Objectives, Controls and Organization : The Use of Information and the Transfer of Knowledge Within the Firm

The actual organization and use of information systems in American, European and Japanese firms are investigated and compared with theoretical conclusions. Finally, following the experimental evolution of the information products over the past twenty years, the results presented indicate that information and communication firms are now starting to offer the kind of business information systems predicted by the analysis. The transformation of business information systems technology can be followed in the __Chronicle__, which is provided on diskette and which covers the development of modern IT and telecommunications industries. The data are arranged to allow researchers to reconfigure the data according to their own needs. Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Economics of Innovation, Coordination, Selection, and Knowledge Transfer....Pages 3-22 The Organization of Production, Markets and Administrative Control Systems....Pages 23-52 The Firm as an Experimental Machine -- Its Decision Problem....Pages 53-116 Front Matter....Pages 117-117 The Firm -- Its Control System in Practice....Pages 119-148 The Universal Information System -- A Fantasy or a Feasible New Product....Pages 149-159 The Experimental Evolution of a New Information Product....Pages 161-221 Front Matter....Pages 223-223 Systems Components and the New Information Product Defined....Pages 225-242 Back Matter....Pages 243-277