The Distinct Effects of Information Technology and Communication Technology on Firm Organization

Nicholas  Bloom; Luis  Garicano; Raffaella  Sadun; John  Van Reenen

Article | Management Science | December 2014

The Distinct Effects of Information Technology and Communication Technology on Firm Organization

by Nicholas Bloom, Luis Garicano, Raffaella Sadun and John Van Reenen

Abstract

Empirical studies on information communication technologies (ICT) typically aggregate the "information" and "communication" components together. We show theoretically and empirically that this is problematic. Information and communication technologies have very different effects on the decisions taken at each level of an organization. Better information access pushes decisions down, as it allows for superior decentralized decision making without an undue cognitive burden on those lower in the hierarchy. Better communication pushes decisions up, as it allows employees to rely on those above them in the hierarchy to make decisions. Using an original dataset of firms from the U.S. and seven European countries we study the impact of ICT on worker autonomy, plant manager autonomy, and span of control. Consistent with the theory, we find that better information technologies (Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP, for plant managers and CAD/CAM for production workers) are associated with more autonomy and a wider span of control. By contrast, communication technologies (like data networks) decrease autonomy for both workers and plant managers. Treating technology as endogenous using instrumental variables (distance from the birthplace of ERP and heterogeneous telecommunication costs arising from different regulatory regimes) strengthens our results.

Keywords: Communication Technology; Information Technology; Organizational Structure;

Format: Print

Find at Harvard Read Now

Citation:

Bloom, Nicholas, Luis Garicano, Raffaella Sadun, and John Van Reenen. "The Distinct Effects of Information Technology and Communication Technology on Firm Organization." Management Science 60, no. 12 (December 2014): 2859–2885.

The Board of Alere, Inc., a leading medical diagnostic firm, is evaluating the offer made by Ron Zwanziger, the firm’s founder and former CEO, to acquire the company and take it private. The offer arrives at the end of a tumultuous year for the company, which saw Zwanziger fighting and ultimately losing a confrontation with activist investors Coppersmith Capital. How should the board evaluate this offer? Should they reject it, on the basis that Zwanziger’s decision to expand into integrated healthcare solutions was the main reason behind the company’s poor stock performance, as Coppersmith claimed? Or should they once more place their trust in Zwanziger’s leadership and in Alere’s ability to effectively implement his vision?

Describes the founding and growth challenges facing Moleskine, an Italian-based consumer products company known for its oilcloth-covered notebooks once used by Ernest Hemingway and Vincent van Gogh. CEO Arrigo Berni and co-founder Maria Sebregondi aim to transform the company from a founder-led company to a professionally managed firm by expanding into new geographies, product categories, and distribution channels. They have also recently developed several strategic partnerships with Silicon Valley firms to expand into an array of digital products. However, after going public, stock prices continue to fluctuate below analysts' expectations, raising concerns about whether the company has grown too quickly. The leaders must now decide how to expand the firm's capabilities while continuing to preserve its organizational identity and creative culture.

Faculty & Research

The Distinct Effects of Information Technology and Communication Technology on Firm Organization

Abstract

Citation:

About the Author

More from the Author