Dependent Variables for the Study of Firm and Industry-Level Impacts of Information Technology

Macro-level impacts of information technology (those at the level of entire organizations, industries or the society as a whole) have not been studied in the depth accorded to impacts at the individual user level. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies that can claim to have successfully demonstrated specific impacts at this level. We believe that a well-defined and instrumented set of dependent variables at this level would make a significant contribution in this area. This paper addresses the issue of identifying the appropriate dependent variables for research on the impacts of information technology at the firm and industry levels. The role of different organizational perspectives is examined, and some implications for the design of empirical studies are discussed. INTRODUCTION terization and operationalization of information technology as the independent variable have been Studying the organizational impacts of information addressed elsewhere; in this paper, we focus on the technology is at the core of the information identification of appropriate dependent variables for systems discipline, as evidenced by the substantial the study of the organizational and industrial body of existing literature on the nature of these impacts of information technology. Although an impacts at different levels, ranging from the agreement on research variables is not a necessary individual user to the level of society as a whole. prerequisite for research, it would provide several Ever since Mason and Mitroff (1973) posed the MIS benefits, such as a better foundation on the problem in a task-focused setting, impacts of underlying research disciplines, the possibility to information technology at the individual level have transfer operationalizations and measures across provided the major focus of MIS research. Several settings and to generalize and compare the results efforts have been made to establish a number of of different studies, and a start toward building a theoretical propositions and build a cumulative cumulative tradition of research. tradition. One sign of the relative maturity of research at the individual level is the dominance of empirical studies and validated methodologies over Research on user information satisfaction (UIS) at work based on assertions and speculation. Although the individual user level provides an example room for improvement may still exist, research on demonstrating these benefits. Since UIS was estabthe impacts of information technology at the level lished as a generally accepted important variable at of entire organizations, industries, or the society as the individual level, there has been significant a whole is still adolescent by comparison. improvement in our ability to understand it, measure it, and design proper studies that are more likely to As any area of research matures, it becomes produce rigorous results. Furthermore, significant necessary to rigorously formulate its theoretical controversy was generated about the proper propositions and subject them to empirical testing, definition, role, importance, use, and factors thus creating a need for the identification and underlying or affecting this concept, which was measurement of the relevant dependent and inconstructive in refining its theoretical underpinnings dependent variables. Issues related to the characand clarifying its practical significance.