Evolution of an Organizational Interface: The New Business Department at a Large Insurance Firm

Abstract

This paper describes how the work organization and computer system of the New Business Department at a large life insurance firm have interacted and evolved over time. The dynamics of interaction are explained largely in terms of the economic incentive to reduce the length of transaction processing chains and the more political goal of extending managerial control. It is argued that examining the interaction of organizations and computer systems Can contribute to a better theoretical understanding of the development of large computer systems and offer guidance to designers of user-computer interfaces. A graphical technique for depicting organizational interfaces is presented.