Information Politics

1. Information Politics Thomas H. Davenport, Robert G. Eccles and Laurence Prusak Sloan Management Review, fall 1992, pp. 53 - 65

2. Presentation Themes Why do we need an information politics model? Models of information politics How to choose the right model Conclusions

3. Why Do We Need an Information Politics Model? • Information based organizations largely a myth • Many companies not yet able to manage politics of information • As information becomes basis for organizational structure, politics will play a bigger role • Much information at stake • Businesses must address information itself and practices that generate information

4. Presentation Themes Why do we need an information politics model? Models of information politics How to choose the right model Conclusions

5. Models of Information Politics Technocratic Utopianism Anarchy Feudalism Monarch Federalism

6. Technocratic Utopianism: Summary • Technical approach to information management • Focus on information modeling and categorization • Reliance on emerging technologies • Assumption that technology will resolve all issues • Attempt to address an organization’s entire information inventory

7. Technocratic Utopianism: Positives High efficiency and lack of data redundancy Can (uneasily) coexist with other information politics models

8. Technocratic Utopianism: Negatives • Organizational and political issues assumed to be nonexistent or unmanageable • Processes that produce information not a point of focus • Low quality of information • High access to information, but only by people who understand IT • Senior management usually ignorant of IT • Information produced by computer systems usually decoupled from information actually used to manage company

9. Anarchy: Summary • Absence of over-arching information management policy • Anarchy model usually not chosen consciously • Individuals obtain and manage their own information • Made possible by the growth of personal computers

10. Anarchy: Positives Quality of information likely to be high Individuals have access to own information

11. Anarchy: Negatives • Redundant information processing • Inefficient information storage • Information discrepancies throughout the firm • Personal databases can lead to inaccurate information across organization • Low-commonality • Data has different meanings across organization

12. Feudalism: Summary • Most common model • Distinct groups within organization define own information needs • What information will be collected • How it will be interpreted • In what format it will be reported • Report limited information to organization as a whole

13. Feudalism: Positives • Possible for some degree of cooperation • Executives can create strategic alliances to share information or create common networks or architecture

14. Feudalism : Negatives • Least effective political model • Easy to fall back on when other models fail • Strong, independent groups restrict access to information under their control • Information duplicated across the organization • Reduces efficiency

15. Monarchy : Summary • Centralized • Firm leaders determine information categories and reporting structures • Departments have little autonomy regarding information politics • Executives may or may not share information collected • Constitutional monarchy • Document states monarchy’s limitations, subject’s rights, etc.

16. Monarchy: Positives Strong, top-down approach ensures common vocabulary Top executives make sure right processes generate right information used in the right way High level of efficiency

17. Monarchy : Negatives • Limited access to information by non-executives • High quality and efficient information gained at expense of access throughout organization • Mortality • CEO turnover can disrupt information management

18. Federalism: Summary • Preferred model for many businesses • Recognizes importance of politics • Consensus and negotiation on organization’s key information elements and reporting structures • Negotiation brings competing and non-competing parties together • Strong central leadership

19. Federalism: Positives Preferable in a culture that values widespread participation and empowerment Creates common vocabulary and shared information vision Balance between un-integrated independence of feudal units and undifferentiated units under monarchy Supports autonomy and coordination

20. Federalism: Negatives • Satisfying all constituencies may require more information gathering than necessary • Reduces efficiency • Necessary compromises may reduce quality of information • Difficult to achieve • Requires a strong, charismatic information politician whose primary role is to facilitate sharing of information

21. Presentation Themes Necessity of information politics models Five Information Politics Models Choosing the right model Conclusions

22. Select an Information State • Important to choose a single model • Multiple models are confusing and use resources • Practice politically astute information management • Match organizational politics to organizational culture • Technological realism • Elect the right information politicians • Avoid information empire-building

23. Select an Information State cont’d • Important questions • What models do people in the firm already hold? • What model is most dominant? • Which model is most desirable? • How can it be achieved? • Choose one model and move toward it, no matter how long it takes

24. Assessment Tools • Evaluate model’s effectiveness • Commonality of vocabulary and meaning • Degree of access to important information • Quality of information • Currency, relevance, accuracy • Efficiency of information management

25. Match Chosen Model to Organizational Politics cont’d • Indicators of when culture is right for more democratic information politics • Empower front-line workers to make decisions • Work together to improve processes • Remove fear as a motivator • Information sharing is one of the last things to change when organization is changing its culture

26. Match Chosen Model to Organizational Politics “A firm’s culture must be conducive to participative information management and free information flow before they will happen. Put another way, information flow does not make an organizational culture less hierarchical and more open; rather, democratic culture makes possible democratic information flows” (p. 62)

27. Technological Realism • Engineering should focus on specific issues • Information organized into units managers can understand • Forms, reports, etc. – not individual datasets • Easy-to-use technology platforms • Common, standardized technology • Use technology to model and categorize verbal and visual information

28. Information Politicians Manager whose primary role is to facilitate use of information Able to persuade individuals and the masses of the importance of information management and the correctness of the chosen political model

29. Avoid Building Information Empires • Information stewardship • Corporation as a whole has responsibility for ensuring data quality • Assigned throughout the corporation • Responsibility for collecting, maintaining, and interpreting information should not be placed on one person

30. Presentation Themes Why do we need an information politics model? Models of information politics How to choose the right model Conclusions

31. Conclusions Effective management of information politics will require a shift in organizational culture Politics of information must be identified and managed for companies to move forward in the Information Age

32. Conclusions cont’d • Monarchy and federalism are the only viable choices • Federalism preferable in culture that wants widespread participation and empowerment, but harder to achieve • Benevolent monarchy better for firms with difficulties achieving consensus