The Impact of Automated Office Systems on Middle Managers and Their Work

A survey of seventy-five Montreal middle managers was conducted, investigating their perceptions of the impact of automated office systems on their jobs and work. Two key findings emerged in the results. First, middle managers perceived that office automation had led to a variety of changes that, almost without exception, made their jobs and work more enriching and satisfying. Second, middle managers with first-hand experience with various systems, either through the presence of such systems in their organization or through their own personal use of such systems, were even more positive than managers without this exposure. The importance of these findings is discussed in the context of related work drawn from the fields of psychology and organizational behavior.