The introduction and use of microcomputers by professionals in an industrial corporation

The introduction of computer technology to many activities of society in recent years is due to a large extent to the microcomputer (MC). On the one hand, the low cost of MCs and the fact that they entail a significant degree of independence from management information systems departments would predict their rapid spread in business organizations. On the other hand, such a diffusion may be delayed because of people's resistance to the use of a new technology, especially if they do not feel comfortable with it. The current study examines the adoption of MCs in a large high-technology corporation. The response of the organization to the microcomputer innovation was described by determining in a "diffusion" function to fit the data on the purchasing of MCs. A two-stage was conducted to sample the users' attitudes toward the MCs and its impact on their their job and their effectiveness. The results indicate that there was no significant effect on users' jobs or on the allocation of their time to different activities. Yet the overall response to the MC was very positive. This positive attitude was directly related to users' perceptions of changes in decision-making processes and in the power structure of their units due to the introduction of the MCs. The implications of these findings to the process of adopting MCs are discussed.