article

Informational environments: organizational contexts of online information use

Authors:

John Leslie King,

Rob KlingAuthors Info & Claims

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Volume 54, Issue 2

Pages 97 - 114

https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.10182

Published: 01 January 2003 Publication History

Abstract

Before the Web, the story of online information services was largely one of over-estimates and unmet expectations. This study examines sustained use and non-use of online services within organizations in a way that overcomes limitations of the traditional approaches that repeatedly led to exuberant usage projections. By adopting an open-systems view, we see that firms in highly technical and highly institutional environments have many more incentives to gather data and go online than do firms in low-tech, unregulated industries. But firms make important choices about partnering and outsourcing that can shift informational activities across organizational boundaries. Our analysis focuses on the informational environments of firms in three industries: law, real estate and biotech/pharmaceuticals. This environmental model provides richer conceptualizations about the use of information and communication technologies, including Internet technologies, and better projections about future use. In support of our analysis, we briefly discuss insights from an ongoing intranets study informed by an informational environments perspective.

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Cited By

Smutny Z(2016)Social informatics as a conceptJournal of Information Science10.1177/016555151560873142:5(681-710)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/0165551515608731
Mayernik M(2016)Research data and metadata curation as institutional issuesJournal of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/asi.2342567:4(973-993)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/asi.23425
Grover VLyytinen K(2015)New state of play in information systems researchMIS Quarterly10.25300/MISQ/2015/39.2.0139:2(271-296)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.25300/MISQ/2015/39.2.01
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Index Terms

Informational environments: organizational contexts of online information use
1. Information systems
  1. Information retrieval
  2. World Wide Web
    1. Web applications
    2. Web services
2. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing and business

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cover image Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology Volume 54, Issue 2

January 2003

92 pages

ISSN:1532-2882

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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

United States

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Published: 01 January 2003

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Cited By

Smutny Z(2016)Social informatics as a conceptJournal of Information Science10.1177/016555151560873142:5(681-710)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/0165551515608731
Mayernik M(2016)Research data and metadata curation as institutional issuesJournal of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/asi.2342567:4(973-993)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/asi.23425
Grover VLyytinen K(2015)New state of play in information systems researchMIS Quarterly10.25300/MISQ/2015/39.2.0139:2(271-296)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.25300/MISQ/2015/39.2.01
Jarrahi MSawyer S(2015)Theorizing on the take-up of social technologies, organizational policies and norms, and consultants' knowledge-sharing practicesJournal of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/asi.2316166:1(162-179)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/asi.23161
Bawden DRobinson L(2011)Pharmaceutical informationAnnual Review of Information Science and Technology10.5555/2766865.276687445:1(63-119)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2766865.2766874
Qu WPinsoneault AOh W(2011)Influence of Industry Characteristics on Information Technology OutsourcingJournal of Management Information Systems10.2753/MIS0742-122227040427:4(99-128)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2011
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Oyarce G(2008)Using the shape recovery method to evaluate indexing techniquesJournal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology10.5555/1388316.138832259:9(1479-1492)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2008
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Karsten H(2007)The Social Actor Traveling the WorldThe Information Society10.1080/0197224070156966123:5(301-303)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2007
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Davidson E(2007)Reflections on Roberta Lamb, Social ActorThe Information Society10.1080/0197224070156960423:5(297-299)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2007
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Robbin A(2007)Rob Kling In Search of One Good TheoryThe Information Society10.1080/0197224070144415423:4(235-250)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2007
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