Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design

This paper answers the question, "Why do organizations process information?" Uncertainty and equivocality are defined as two forces that influence information processing in organizations. Organization structure and internal systems determine both the amount and richness of information prov...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inManagement science Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 554 - 571
Main Authors Daft, Richard L, Lengel, Robert H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Linthicum INFORMS 01.05.1986
Institute of Management Sciences
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
SeriesManagement Science
Subjects
Ambiguity
Departments
Design
Environment
Environmental technology
Equivocality
information in organizations
Information management
Information processing
Information storage and retrieval systems
Information technology
Interdepartmental
Inventory management
Laboratories
Media richness
organization structure
Organization theory
Organizational communication
Organizational structure
Relations
Structural design
Studies
Technology
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Summary:This paper answers the question, "Why do organizations process information?" Uncertainty and equivocality are defined as two forces that influence information processing in organizations. Organization structure and internal systems determine both the amount and richness of information provided to managers. Models are proposed that show how organizations can be designed to meet the information needs of technology, interdepartmental relations, and the environment. One implication for managers is that a major problem is lack of clarity, not lack of data. The models indicate how organizations can be designed to provide information mechanisms to both reduce uncertainty and resolve equivocality.
ISSN:0025-1909
1526-5501
DOI:10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554