This study aims at analyzing and explaining the use of information technology (IT) and
its effect on organizational structures in SMEs in Turkey. Today, information technology
has come to play a more and more important role in most organizations and especially in
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Researchers give different meanings on the
concept of IT as how IT is used or interpreted in organizations. This thesis focuses on the
impact of IT on organizational structure. A framework for analysis consisting of four eras
of IT use has been developed and forms the basis of research method for analyzing the
effects of IT in SMEs. In the framework, the dominant technology actually creates an
organization metaphor, which helps to determine how organizational structures will be
affected by the use of information technology. The variables to be investigated in the
areas of organizational structure are control, specialization, formalization, span of control,
communication and collaboration, interorganizational relations. Through a case study of
two small and medium sized companies in the electronics and manufacturing industries, it is found that formation of information networks especially external networks has a
precise effect on organization structures. The results prove that IT has significant impacts
on decentralization, specialization, communication, and interorganizational relations.
Also, it is clear that managerial support for IT and IT implementation is found to be a
major factor for information technology to be used effectively.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/1268986/index.pdf |
| Date | 01 January 2003 |
| Creators | Keskin, Ekin |
| Contributors | Erkip, Nesim |
| Publisher | METU |
| Source Sets | Middle East Technical Univ. |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | M.S. Thesis |
| Format | text/pdf |
| Rights | To liberate the content for public access |
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