Analyzing Message Trends in Computer Office Automation: The Development of a Category System

This paper examines the patterns of communication on computer office automation systems (COA) in terms of organizational functi ons. A new category system is devised. Two areas of organizationally functional communi cation are defined: Operational Control Communication and Managerial Control Communication, the latter being divided into organizing and problem solving communication. Messages sent on a COA memorandum system are coded according to the newly defined classification scheme and the trends are examined. Evidence is presented that Probl em Sol ving Communication declines, Operational Communication increases, and Organizing Communication maintains a consistantly high 1 evel across time. The COA memorandum systen is suggested to be primarily serving an organizing function in the organization being examined. INmODUCTION joyed by industry. In order to avold the possible negative impacts of COA, Background however, it is important to understand, the impact that this technology can Until recently, more than ninety cents have on the business organization. of every dol 1 ar i nvested to i ncrease productivity in private business went Wayne L. Rhodes, Jr., Senior Editor of for i ndustri al improvements and autoInfosvstems Magazine, notes that the mati on. Over the 1 ast ten years, avermyriads of technol ogy "befuddl e the age industrial productivity increased user" and that often, in office auto90% whlle office productivity inmation, "the whole is less than the creased only 3.3% (Uhlig, Farber, and sum of its parts," (Rhodes, 1981). He Bair, 1979). At the same time, it has goes on to point out that rarely, if become obvious that since the bulk of ever, is the impact of the new techinformation used in the transaction of nology on the office and the personnel business is narrative textual inforworking there considered. Only remati on, simil ar productivity gains may cently have researchers turned their be difficult to achieve. Computer attention to these concerns. Current Office Automation (COA) seeks to adwork in this area includes studies of dress this problem and provide producinnovation strategies for computer tivity gains like those already enbased communication (Rice and Rodgers,