Information systems and organisational change

Abstract

Organizations may be viewed as shifting political coalitions competing for organizational resources. Control over the administration and distribution of in¬formation is one means for influencing the distribution of intraorganisational power. The history of Management Information Systems implementation in organizations points to the fact that implementation is not a simple nor a straightforward process. It is very much based on humans beliefs, emotions, perceptions and the like. Cases have been recorded which refer to sophisticated technical systems failing because of actions taken by the people required to operate these systems. The management of any organization has to realize this situation very early in the development cycle and not when the problems start to occur. This paper discusses long-term change in organizations in relation to Information Systems. It explores the nature of implementation -how people react to change and why- as well as how the reactions are often manifested in terms of counter-implementation.