THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON MIDDLE MANAGERS

This article reviews studies that examine the impact of information te chnology (IT) on the number of middle managers in of organizations. Co ntradictory evidence is found to suggest, paradoxically, that IT both increases and decreases the number of the middle managers. This ''empi rical paradox'' is resolved by looking at the effects of IT on middle managers as contingent upon the degree of centralization of computing decisions, and of organizational decisions more broadly. When both com puting decisions and organizational decisions are centralized, top man agers tend to use IT to reduce the number of middle managers. When the se decisions are decentralized, middle managers use IT to increase the ir numbers. A recent case study provides preliminary support for this perspective by showing an interesting case of reduction in middle mana gers.