Information Technology, Organizations and People (Routledge Advances in Management and Business Studies, 6)

This wide-ranging volume presents in-depth research into the effect of new information technologies on organizational structure, assesses their progress towards transformation and describes the changes they are making to long-established business process roles, cultures and working practices. The book is based upon a series of rolling surveys carried out between 1989 and the present day, and funded by leading organizations such as IBM and KPMG. It provides a detailed picture of a sector in transition during a period of anxiety and doubt dominated by restructuring, downsizing and experimentation with re-engineering. As the 'lean and mean' emerge, they must now ask themselves if their competencies will enable them to survive into the next decade as competitors, such as Sainsburys, Virgin, Microsoft and Ford position themselves to become major players in the sector. This book is a major contribution to the debate on the growth of knowledge work, the need for core organizational competencies in the information age and the need for evolutionary, or radical, change. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures......Page 8 List of tables......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 Outline of the study......Page 13 The research......Page 16 Background to the research......Page 18 The financial services sector......Page 38 UK retail financial services and today's business challenge......Page 40 Business and IT trends in retail banking, mortgage lending, life and general insurance......Page 49 Technology......Page 60 Analysing stages of IT development......Page 62 Towards integration and business process redesign......Page 77 Technology for transformation......Page 98 Managing the IT function......Page 119 Management strategies......Page 137 IT and organisations......Page 154 New structures for transformation......Page 156 Structural transitions and the impact of knowledge-intensity......Page 169 Effects on clerical workers......Page 185 Effects on professionals......Page 193 Effects on senior and middle managers......Page 206 Effects on motivation and reward systems......Page 216 Conclusion......Page 230 Appendix......Page 247 References......Page 253 Index......Page 262 Based on a series of surveys from 1990 to 1996 sponsored by IBM, the Britannia Building Society and KPMG, examines information technology in the organization and its potential role in transforming retail financial services in the UK