Exploring Mediation Between Environmental and Structural Attributes: The Penetration of Communication Technologies in Manufacturing Organizations.

Author List: Lee, Choong C.; Grover, Varun;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 1999, Volume 16, Issue 3, Page 187-217.
The relationship between organizational structures and information technology (IT) has been the subject of much discussion in IS research. While studies have not yielded conclusive results, the importance of examining the relationship between structure and technology is increasing in an environment where organizations are using contemporary IT to redesign themselves in order to compete more effectively. This paper presents a study that examines the relationship between the use of an important class of IT, communications technologies, and organizational structural attributes within a broad contingency context. Hypotheses are proposed, based on theory from the information-processing paradigm examining the mediating role of communications technologies (CT) in the relationship between environmental characteristics and organizational structural characteristics. Data from 153 manufacturing firms are collected and analyzed. The results show that CT seems to play a direct role in reinforcing structures that emerge from environmental dictates. The expanded set of variables considered in this study and the results provide potentially strong implications for future work in this important area.
Keywords: communication technologies; environmental characteristics; mediation; organizational structure; telecommunications
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#209 0.188 results study research information studies relationship size variables previous variable examining dependent increases empirical variance accounting independent demonstrate important addition
#277 0.131 structure organization structures organizational centralized decentralized study organizations forms decentralization processing communication sharing cbis activities appropriate provide identify organizing communications
#1 0.127 organizational organizations effectiveness factors managers model associated context characteristics variables paper relationships level attention environmental technological based maturity organization's relationship
#162 0.082 structural modeling scale equation implications economies large future framework perspective propose broad scope resulting identified leading analyzed second interviews analysis
#173 0.076 effect impact affect results positive effects direct findings influence important positively model data suggest test factors negative affects significant relationship
#25 0.054 relationships relationship relational information interfirm level exchange relations perspective model paper interpersonal expertise theory study effects literature role social identify
#102 0.050 choice type functions nature paper literature particular implications function examine specific choices extent theoretical design discussion value widely finally adopted
#165 0.050 uncertainty contingency integration environmental theory data fit key using model flexibility perspective environment perspectives high conditions processing examine issue uncertain