Computer-based informated environments : emergent forms of work organisation

This research formulates the concept of a Computer-Based Informated Environment (CBIE) as an emergent anthropocentric form of work organisation; this is a computerised office environment which informates and empowers lower level employees. The study attempts to enhance our knowledge over the nature of CBIEs. It hypothesizes that with the current interest in IT-enabled empowerment there are more opportunities for the development of CBIEs. A missing element on studies in informated and empowered workplaces is employees' interpretation of these forms of work organisation. A review of the literature on information technology (IT) in organisations supports the view that there is a need for further research on the meaning of technological and organisational changes. This study attempts to cover this gap while also making a contribution in the field of anthropocentric uses of IT in office environments. A structurational framework is developed to uncover the process and context of change and the linkages between the two. Considering the research topic, the case study approach was adopted. Three service-oriented organisations participated in the research. All three had within the last few years introduced the system ImagePlus which is promoted for its potential to empower employees. There have been two important findings about the nature of CBIEs. Firstly, it is found that the process and context of CBIEs should not be treated as mutually independent but as inextricably linked. Secondly, it is identified that CBIEs could occur without being anthropocentric-oriented. Informated employees are not necessarily truly empowered. When the 'empowerment' approach is diffused via IT, it is likely to be in forms that align more with managerial and organisational interests than those of employees. Using structuration theory, the complex dynamics of the use of IT in organisations become evident. The study argues that the 'determinism' and 'choice' perspectives need to be linked for each has a vital role to play in enhancing our understanding of the use of IT in organisations

Digital leaders and the transformation of the IT function

With digital transformation attracting increasing attention, our study is motivated by a need to understand the impact on the transformation of the Information Technology (IT) function in pre-digital organisations. In particular, we present in this paper a qualitative study that aims to examine how digital transformation influences the IT organisational structure and leadership in pre-digital organisations. The empirical study is based on a series of semi-structured interviews with digital leaders across a range of organisations and sectors in the UK and Scandinavia. We find four different categories of both IT organisational structure and leadership following digital transformation initiatives: managing digital as projects within the IT function; managing the IT and digital functions separately with separate leaders; managing IT and digital within one function with dual leadership; and managing the IT and digital functions together with a single leader. The study has both theoretical and practical implications for the management of digital transformation and the IT function

Gender and professional ethics in the IT industry

In this paper, we discuss the ethical responsibility of the Information Technology (IT) industry towards its female workforce. Although the growing IT industry experiences skills shortages, there is a declining trend in the representation of women. The paper presents evidence that the IT industry is not gender-neutral and that it does little to promote or retain its female workforce. We urge that professional codes of ethics in IT should be revised to take into account the diverse needs of its staff

AROC outcome targets report, inpatient - pathway 3 - Anywhere Hospital, July 2014 - June 2015

The AROC Outcome Targets Report has been available to facilities since calendar year 2012. It graphically compares your facility\u27s data to the AROC Benchmark (as set by AROC members). For each impairment that has had outcome targets established we provide background information on the development of the impairment specific target and graphically present the results for all facilities with sufficient data on this impairment