Abstract

Organisations are compelled by operational, structural and environmental exigencies to integrate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in their activities and this phenomenon transforms the organisation’s structure, scope, workflows, reporting and control mechanisms, products and services. The increasing trend in ICT adoption has led to a cross-discipline research interest in the relevance, usefulness and impact of this technology on organisations as well as their employees. While some of this research has been built within theoretical frameworks, other investigations have been exploratory. A review of the former indicates that the theories adopted vary and no single theory can sufficiently explain the organisational impact of ICT on its own. This paper suggests a generic three-layered model for gaining a more comprehensive understanding of such an impact. The model, an amalgam of the Contingency, Socio-Technical Systems and Structuration Theories, postulates that the use of ICT in any endeavour is a function of various contingent factors that determine an optimal mix of human skills and technological capabilities, which lead to changes in the nature of employee roles and organisation structures. The interplay of these three meta-level theories generates a synergy in the understanding of ICT impact on organisations.