Identifying information quality mechanisms : a comparative case study of professional bureaucracies

Masteroppgave i informasjonssystemer- Universitetet i Agder 2011There has been increasing attention to active management of Information quality (IQ) the later years, due to the severity of the impacts of IQ facing organizations. Still, while large organizations are typically aware of problems related to information and data, they consistently underestimate the extent of the problem and are unaware of the potential and opportunities of IQ management. One reason for difficulties in raising awareness is related to the complex nature of the concept of IQ; IQ is perceived individually and is context-sensitive. IQ research the past two decades has been extensive, where the main focus has been on designing attributes and perspectives in order to assess IQ. Several of these research efforts have emphasized the need for a deeper understanding of IQ, by using different theoretical approaches, in order to develop context-specific IQ models. This thesis aims to identify the underlying mechanisms and the impacts of IQ in a complex organizational context; professional bureaucracies. This context is particularly interesting, characterized by difficulties in assessing service quality; quality is hard to assess in general for the organizations, and particularly for the clients. These characteristics fundamentally challenge the extant IQ research calling for a consumer-centric viewpoint, based on the assumption of clients to be the best evaluators of service quality. Since mechanisms of IQ in professional bureaucracies can be characterized as an emerging research area, we chose to investigate in two stages; 1) a literature review, and 2) a qualitative inquiry. Data was collected qualitatively by conducting twelve semi-structured interviews in two professional bureaucracies; a general hospital and a university. The informants were representing different parts of the organizations, in order to gain both depth and breadth of the data. Our research identifies six distinct underlying mechanisms in professional bureaucracies; 1) Awareness of IQ, 2) Bureaucratization, 3) Individual contingencies, 4) Locus of power, 5) Complexity, and 6) Perceptions of IQ. Further, this thesis concludes with four distinct grand themes of IQ impacts in professional bureaucracies; 1) Client impact, 2) Organizational impact, 3) Personal impact, and 4) Service impact. We conclude these mechanisms to be integral parts of IQ in professional bureaucracies by shaping and affecting the state of IQ. For practice, knowledge of these mechanisms, and the relating impacts, enables professional bureaucracies to target initiatives aimed at leveraging IQ. This thesis contributes to research by presenting up-to-date summary of IQ dimensions, perspectives of IQ and by presenting a context-specific research framework. Keywords: Information quality, context, mechanisms, impact, professional bureaucracy, case stud