Organizations and Technical Change: Strategy, Objectives and Involvement (The Routledge Series in the Management of Technology)

What is "new technology" in the 1990s? How has it come to be used in particular ways in organizations? What objectives are set by organizations and which strategies guide its adoption? These are the kinds of issues this book examines, looking at the social and managerial processes behind the adoption of new technology. The book examines the key issues of flexibility, choice, and the impact of social processes both within and without the organization. Four detailed case studies illustrate the main stages of initiation, progression and feasibility, investment decision, planning systems and design, as well as the central issues of strategy, objectives and employee participation. Changes which have occurred since the earlier stage of adoption in the 1980s are highlighted. This text should be of interest to students and researchers in management, information systems and related fields.