1. IST 301: Information and Organizations
Wei-Fan Chen, Ph.D.
The Penn State University
Wilkes-Barre Campus

2. Lecture 1: Relationships between IT & Organizations
Factors in effective organizations
Relationships BTW IT & organizations
Author’s Research findings
Symptoms for poor coordination
Seven ways of interaction
Review questions
In-class problem and homework
Reading source: Walton, R.E.: Up and Running. The relationships between information technology and organization---Crucial, complex and manageable. pp

3. Factors in Effective Organizations
Business strategies: marketing
Organizational strategies: reward, measurement, leadership, commitment, etc
IT strategies

4. Relationships BTW IT & Organizations
Observation 1: GM’s plants in MI (high-tech/traditional) v.s. MA (low-tech/traditional)
Observation 2: NUMMI and HONDA plants (moderate-tech/high-reform) v.s. GM (high-tech/traditional)
Observation 3: Nissan (more-tech/less-reform) v.s. NUMMI and HONDA
Observation 4: Japan v.s. US (FMS)

5. Author’s Shipping Industry Research
Economic benefits of new technologies depend on the implementation of a new organizational form
Role flexibility
Ship owners should innovate socially as well as technically
More training to work force

6. Symptoms for Poor Coordination
Employees ignore the system
Low morale among employees
Disappointing results of systems use

7. Seven Ways of Interaction
IT requires new org. policies
IT elicits org. dynamics
IT is revised by users
IT promotes org. solutions
IT refines org. adaptations
IT & org. considered as alternatives
IT provides opportunities for org. change

8. Review Questions
What are the factors influencing the development of effective organizations?
What are the symptoms that reflect a poor coordination of IT development and organizational change?
What are the seven ways explaining the interaction between IT and organizational change?

9. Approaches to constructing a reflection paper
Describe. Answer this question: What does the article say?
Explain. Answer this question: What does the article mean?
Explain in your own words/experiences. Answer this question: What does the article mean to YOU?

10. Homework (reading#1)
What are the four observations made in the article (MIT International Motor Vehicle Program) regarding the relationship between IT & organizations? Draw a conclusion.
Describe potential symptoms for the poor ordination of IT development and organizational change. How can you resolve this problem?