THE IMPACTS OF MSS: AN OVERVIEW lution, this revolution is taking place very quickly and affecting every facet of our lives.
15.7 THE IMPACTS OF MSS: AN OVERVIEW lution, this revolution is taking place very quickly and affecting every facet of our lives.
Inherent in this rapid transformation is a host of managerial and social problems: impact on organizational structure, resistance to change, rapidly increasing unemployment levels, and so on. According to Gartner.com, the MSS share of the computer industry, including embedded systems and business intelligence, are expected to grow at a 20% compound annual growth rate, reaching over $1.5 billion in 2006 (per Lurhq, 2003), and so their impact may be substantial.
Separating the impact of MSS from that of other computerized systems is a difficult task, especially because of the trend toward integrating, or even embedding, MSS with other computer-based information systems. There is very little published information about the impact of pure MSS technologies because the techniques are frequently integrated with other information systems. Another problem is the rapid changes in MSS implementation. Thus, some of our discussion must relate to computer systems in general. We recognize, however, that MSS technologies do have some unique implications, which are highlighted throughout the remainder of this chapter.
MSS can have both micro and macro implications. It can affect particular individuals and jobs, the work structure of departments, and units within an organization. It can
CHAPTER 15 INTEGRATION, IMPAa5, AND THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Area of Impact
Section in This Chapter
Changing role of home bound people
Computer crime
Digital Divide
Electronic communities
Employment levels
Opportunities for the disabled
Quality of life
Telecommuting (working at home)
Work in hazardous environments
also have significant long-term effects on total organizational structures, entire industries, communities, and society as a whole (see the Opening Vignette).
Figure 15.7 presents a framework that shows a complete management system. Such a system stays in equilibrium as long as all of its parts are unchanged. If there is a major change in one of the components or in the relevant environment, the change will probably affect some of the other components. The major change stimuli (relevant to MSS) are strategy and technology, especially when computerized systems such as a DSS or ES are introduced. For further discussion, see Gill (1996) and Grudin and
Wellman (1999). One of the major changes now occurring is the emergence of the Web and its impact on MSS (Sikder and Gangopadhyay, 2002) and the relationship of DSS and
knowledge management. (Holsapple 2003). Both are related to the organizational transformation. Information technology plays a major role in supporting this change, especially some intelligent systems.
The impact of computers and MSS technology can be divided into three general categories: organizational, individual, and societal. Computers have had an impact on organizations in many ways. We cannot possibly consider all of them in this chapter, and so we have selected the topics we feel are most relevant to MSS.
Computer technology has already changed our world, and much more change is anticipated. In addition to the effect on individuals, there are significant societal effects. Table 15.4 summarizes some of the major areas of social impact and lists the sections in which they are discussed.
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