Social analysis in MIS: the Irvine School, 1970-90

The Irvine School of research and instruction in information systems focuses on the social and organizational implications of information technology. Over an 18-yr period, the school has developed and used empirical research methods to study automation in a wide array of organizational sectors. In the process, the school has produced a number of seminal findings on the nature of innovation, the politics of technological change, and the effects of computerization on productivity, performance, and work life. The major approaches of the school are discussed, the essential findings of the research are reviewed, and emerging directions are presented.<>