ABSTRACT
Over the past 50 years, organizations have been developing computer-based information systems. Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s the vast majority of issues were associated with how to ‘supply’ information systems to organizations. As these issues have become better understood, and with many of the basic organizational systems having been automated, attention has turned to more imaginative and fruitful applications for information technology (IT) and the ascertaining of the ‘demand’ for information systems in organizations. In essence, organizations have witnessed a revolution in the way people do their jobs and in the development of new systems. The computer keyboard and screen are now familiar desktop tools in many offices. This may be a computer terminal used to access a remote mainframe computer or a personal computer used for word-processing and spreadsheet calculations or, increasingly these days, a combination of both.
