THE EFFECTS OF STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING STRUCTURE AND COMPUTERIZATION ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

This study investigates whether the fit between computerization and st rategic decision making predicts organizational performance. Results s uggest that increased computerization along with the decentralization of strategic decisions leads to greater performance than increased com puter usage and the centralization of strategic decisions. Findings in dicate that the effects from a manager's decision to computerize opera tions and change the organization's strategic decision making structur e are not immediately felt. These findings support the idea that perfo rmance needs to be measured on a long-term basis rather than on a shor t-term basis. The results also suggest that it may be erroneous to eva luate managers strictly on a short-term basis since the effects from s trategic decisions may not be fully felt for one or more years.