2010 Volume 61 Issue 4 Pages 244-252
Past research has clarified that information technology (IT) supports economic growth. The application of IT positively influences the economy and corporate management. The importance of IT is therefore increasing in economic and corporate activities. Major Japanese retailers with revenues of approximately 30-70 billion yen report positive IT investment, but they have not realized the desired outcomes from that IT investment. This is true not because of the IT investment is insufficient, but because of an inability to use IT assets effectively. Due partly to the influence of this problem, retail productivity in Japan is not as high as that in the United States; companies cannot achieve a high profit rate. This paper presents a discussion of the future direction of IT applications from the perspective of the degree of IT utilization, and also reports results of empirical analyses of the relationship between IT utilization frequency and managerial indicators. The analyses described examine the influences of IT utilization on company (retail dealer) productivity. Empirical analyses of the IT utilization frequency and correlation analysis of productivity were conducted to verify the IT effect hypothesis and to clarify influences on managerial indicators. The correlation of each managerial indicator and IT machinery frequency data were analyzed with respect to duties. Results confirmed a change in managerial indicators depending on the IT utilization frequency. The IT utilization frequency is not irrelevant to overall productivity; managerial indicators were affected by the IT utilization frequency in many cases. Results confirmed that the IT utilization frequency positively influences managerial indicators. Even for different IT equipment and an organization with the same conditions, managerial indicators vary according to the IT utilization frequency.
