Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Effectiveness：Examination by Sociotechnical Systems Approach

Abstract

In the first stage of the information technology era, we have witnessed the work situation similar to that of the mass-production era in which technology dictated human work. These developments remind us of the epoch-making researches reported by the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations which advocated the co-optimization of social and technical systems in designing work place organizations. Therefore, an empirical investigation was conducted if the sociotechnical systems approach is valid in information technology era.

As a result of regression analysis with productivity, adaptability to change and job commitment as the dependent variables, the sociotechnical systems model was generally supported. In particular, for all three dependent variables, IT variables turned out statistically significant with work place climate as the most dominant social factor. Further, statistically significant specific IT variables differed from case to case, and in the case of job commitment, two IT variables turned out negative. These findings suggest that Japanese corporations are making careful use of IT for purposes of increasing productivity and adaptability to change, but not sufficient considerations are given to employees’ job commitment.