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The article focuses on the relationship between computing and economics. He examines the ratio known as the "Price of Anarchy," explores predictions relating to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on global gross domestic product (GDP), and discusses the economic pessimism about computing called the "Productivity Paradox."

The article discusses issues with health information technology (HIT) and productivity. Topics include the lack of correlation between health outcomes and HIT implementation in New York State, the utilization of information technology (IT) in various sectors, and the significance of regional health information organizations (RHIOs).

The article discuses the possible impact of three-dimensional (3D) printing on construction methods during the 21st century. Topics include the significance of 3D printing for the construction industry in relation to productivity and predictability, other forms of construction automation such as a bricklaying robot, and comments by cofounder James Gardiner of the firm FreeFAB. INSET: Autonomous Vehicles Help Build the Future.

The article presents the results of a research on the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) management systems in the petroleum and natural gas industry. It focuses on the years 1990 through 2005, when the SAP brand of ERP software became the industry standard. The study analyzed the impact which adoption of ERP had on profitability, which is defined in terms of productivity, price recovery, product mix and capacity utilization. It was found that ERP led to significant benefits in terms of productivity and capacity utilization.

The article discusses the development, productivity and impact of Information systems research in relation to demographic changes. Indicators on the development of the information systems research are also presented which includes its evolution within ten years and level of industry involvement in the economy. According to the authors, there is a modest growth on the productivity and improvement of information systems research. They mention that information research systems research still dominates in North American Institutions but there is an increasing productivity in Asia and Europe.

The article discusses the author's experiences as he audited the development of internal software used by a large corporation. The author used information about the project's plans, its current progress, and potential roadblocks on the development path to analyze whether it was a feasible design. The most important factors to consider when assessing the risk of software projects are examined, including the effects of the project on employee and organizational productivity and the probability that the software will be successful.

The article focuses on the management science of business processes. A description and analysis of the language-action perspective (LAP)-based DEMO methodology is presented. It is the author's view that one of the benefits of having the essential model of an organization at your disposal is that it shows in a very concise form some interesting things about the construction and operation of the organization.

The article cites some studies which researched the effects of increased IT expenditures in educational institutions. In recent years large expenditures have been made in IT in educational institutions with little corresponding study of whether there have been productivity gains in the form of better educated students associated with these expenditures. The study "The Productivity Paradox of Information Technology," conducted by E. Brynjolfsson and published in the December 1993 issue of the journal "Communications of the ACM," studied labor and commerce statistics and found that IT investments did not result in productivity gains. It found that there was a negative relationship between output per hour and IT spending. One of the significant articles on the association between computers and school performance, "Computers and School Performance," was conducted by P. Attewell and J. Home Battle and was published in a 1999 issue of the journal "The Information Society." The study reviewed the effects of home computers on standardized test scores in reading and mathematics, as well as a self-report on grades.

The article explores whether computing has increased productivity. It tries to find out the hype created over the use of telecommuters. The productivity issue is important because telecommuting is often suggested as an additional public policy option for mitigating traffic congestion and associated air pollution, as well as reducing dependence on energy imports. It is found that there is no guarantee that employees will actually devote all the extra time to more work than they would do in the office. From an employee relation's point of view, telecommuting consultants warn it would be bad policy to suggest or even imply that telecommuters should work extra hours. To put the productivity issue in context, the continuing emphasis on increasing productivity throughout the U.S. and world economies has been a major driving force for IT investments. It argues that there is a very telling indicator that telecommuting does not deliver, at least at the level of the whole organization, the productivity gains touted by consultants and vendors.

This article presents information on methods used to improve the productivity of software component of information systems. The widespread adoption of information technology (IT) over the last few decades, has helped organizations reap numerous operational and strategic benefits. Consumers have also benefited from IT as it reduces market frictions caused by geographical separation, price opacity, and information latency. It is widely recognized that improving software development productivity requires a balanced approach toward the three pillars of software management: technology, people, and process. Due to the human-centric nature of developing software, however, the benefits of technological improvements cannot be fully realized without a capable work force. A third way of increasing productivity is to refine the development process. The benefits of process improvement are not limited to accelerating the development work but also reducing the effort spent on corrective activities. Software organizations are now performing module integration more frequently, often on a daily basis. With advanced development and project management tools, it is now possible to obtain system fault data and other related metrics on a near continuous basis.

Software is arguably the world's most important industry. Software development environments used to build and support software are the major factor in software productivity. Yet, unlike hardware, there are no accepted measures that afford benchmark comparisons. Gross measures presented in the literature indicate that software productivity has been declining more rapidly than any other industry. The semiconductor industry had the most productivity growth from 1990 to 1995. In that same period, productivity for the software industry decreased by ten percent. If a given level of quality is achieved for the same software system by competing organizations, their relative productivities can be measured as being inversely proportional to the product of their cost and development time. Productivity of a software environment depends upon the understandability and independence of modules produced. These are inherent properties of a software development environment, and can be increased or decreased by design.

This article focuses on productivity concerns of workers due to emergence of anytime/anyplace computing or ubiquitous computing culture. Since there is little experience with omnipresent computing in knowledge work, the good and bad effects on productivity are anticipated based on the existing activities and behaviors of knowledge workers. Knowledge work is a significant portion of the work done in organizations, so productivity by knowledge workers is a matter of great concern to both organizations and individuals. There are very large differences in productivity among knowledge workers. For example, using typical measures of performance, productivity of the best performing systems analysts and programmers can range up to three or more times that of the lowest performers. This high ratio is not usually found in production work and clerical work because the organization provides work routines that reduce wasted time and effort and establish an expected pace for the work In knowledge work, there may be some organization standards and procedures, such as deadlines for reports, requirements for evidence of progress, and expectations about outputs. Knowledge work productivity depends on good self-management. In unlimited access computing, a person has access at all times and all places to all information and communication resources.

The article presents an assessment of the impact of software engineering development tools with an innovative set of measures for implementation. Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) technology is suggested as a possible means to increase the productivity and quality of systems development. While some studies report productivity gains from CASE usage, others observe that expected productivity gains are difficult to achieve. The importance of looking into these contradictory results can hardly be overemphasized as uneven success of CASE has led many information systems managers to delay implementation. Many reasons have been put forth to account for these inconsistencies. Most important of these seems the lack of use of common outcome measures. Lack of carefully constructed outcome measures constrains IS managers in their benchmarking and technology assessment efforts. A national survey was conducted to collect the empirical data for the study. Using CASE usage assessment framework, two measures were computed, adoption and infusion, to describe CASE spread in IS organizations.

This article discusses the issue of sexual harassment in a corporate environment through e-mail. E-mail, is an increasingly common form of corporate communication. In this article, the author looks at e-mail as a means of carrying out sexual harassment in the workplace. The regulatory definition of sexual harassment is harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of the law. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when, submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment. Although email has been viewed as a means of improving personal productivity and organizational responsiveness, these benefits have a dark side for employees and their employers. Anticipating the potential for claims of sexual harassment via e-mail, organizations formulating e-mail policy have two primary concerns: prevent inappropriate use and reduce exposure to liability. Therefore, corporate policy should include statements that restrict use to business only, prohibit inappropriate language and conduct, reserve the right of the organization to monitor communications, and provide guidelines for deletion, backup, and retention of messages.

Resolving the problem of Y2K compliance is a serious issue for the distributed enterprises. As organizations rely on distributed desktops for decision-making and productivity, risks associated with noncompliant desktops are receiving increased attention from the media, industry analysts, government officials and corporate leaders. Although most organizations have been aggressively correcting the Y2K problem on their central mainframe applications, many are only beginning to address the significant risks posed by errant desktop software, hardware and firmware. Since these distributed assets are critical to corporate productivity, organizations are vulnerable to significant risks if any of the distributed information technology assets cannot properly process four-digit dates. The majority of organizations do not have accurate asset information to identify noncompliant desktops, they have not determined which desktops to fix and in what order, and they have not developed a methodology to ensure that problems are corrected and not reintroduced into the enterprise. INSETS: Research Methodology and Demographics.;The Status of Each Y2K Compliance Step..

The relationship between information technology (IT) and productivity is widely discussed but little understood. Delivered computing power in the U. S. economy has increased by more than two orders of magnitude since 1970 yet productivity, especially in the service sector, seems to have stagnated. This article summarizes what we know and do not know, distinguishes the central issues from diversions, and clarifies the questions that can be profitably explored in future research. The research considered in this article reflects the results of a computerized literature search of 30 of the leading journals in both information systems (IS) and economics as well as discussions with leading researchers in the field. In what follows, the key findings and essential research references are highlighted and discussed. One of the core issues for economists in the past decade has been the productivity slowdown that began in the early 1970s. Even after accounting for factors such as changing oil prices, most researchers find there is an unexplained residual drop in productivity as compared with the first half of the postwar period. However, on closer examination, the alarming correlation between higher IT spending and lower productivity at the level of the entire U.S. economy is not compelling because so many other factors affect productivity. INSETS: List of Literature Searched.;Defining the Paradox: Some Key Terms..

Letters to the editor are presented in response to topics discussed in previous issues, including an explanation for the productivity crisis in computer science in the November 1980 issue, a comment on the action on behalf of Soviet scientists, and "Computer Assisted Instruction: Current Trends and Critical Issues," in the June 1980 issue.

This article discusses the sparse use of the computer software CASE tools in various software projects. The CASE tool is designed to increase productivity, improve quality, simplify maintenance, and making software development a more enjoyable task. But the current studies suggest that CASE technology dose not provide all these benefits. Authors analyzed their own experiences with designing and using CASE tools in industrial software projects and investigated common tool adoption practices they also examined CASE technology from the perspective of technical and non-mechanical issues involved in software development. They found that CASE tools are far too oriented on software modeling and construction methods, while other factors that matter to programmers receive little attention. In this article, authors discuss why a method-centered approach impedes the adoption of CASE tools in industry and suggest remedies to some of the problems. According to them, a CASE tool should provide more guidance for a novice developer that for an expert. It must be based on sound knowledge from different types of developers and their expectations. INSET: Neural Network.

This article focuses on international aspects of the productivity paradox. The productivity paradox of information technology questions the contributions of information technology (IT) to economic output and productivity, based on the fact there has been a marked slowdown in productivity growth despite massive and growing investments in IT. The statistical figures of the U.S. relating to IT investments show that the computer age is everywhere but in the productivity statistics. A slowdown in productivity growth has been the plight of other developed countries as well. This slowdown has occurred concurrently with relatively much faster growth rates of IT capital per worker. It is are marked that, the productivity paradox of IT is an international phenomenon, virtually all of the considerable debate on the subject has been restricted to the U.S. The purpose of this article is to go beyond the U.S. and examine the experience of other developed countries with respect to returns on IT investments. The research showed in this article is based on the method of pooling aggregate data on output, IT and non-It inputs from several development countries.

This article discusses whether computers contribute to the productivity growth. Productivity growth determines ones living standard and the wealth of nation. It is the amount of output produced per unit of input. According to authors, a proper measure of inputs includes not only labor hours, but also the quantity and quality of capital equipment used, materials and other resources consumed, worker training and education, and even the amount of "organizational capital" required, such as supplier relationships cultivated and investments in new business processes. He remarks that productivity growth comes from adopting new production technologies and techniques. Computerization does not automatically increase productivity, but it is an essential component of a broader system of organizational changes which does productivity. The article concludes that the statistical evidence suggests that revolution is occurring much more quickly this time.

This article reports results of an empirical study of the impact of fourth generation languages (4GL) on system development productivity relative to third generation languages (3GL). Improving software development productivity has long been a major objective of the information systems community, and the large number of technological and managerial productivity improvement strategies reflect the importance of this objective. For over a decade, many proponents have promoted 4GL as productivity-enhancing tools. The research investigates the ability of 4GL technology to improve system development productivity during the design phase of the system development life cycle. The design phase includes all the system development activities between the analysis phase and the implementation phase. The few studies of productivity gains from the use of 4GL are inconclusive. The general finding is that the use of 4GL increases productivity, but the magnitude of this effect varies widely across studies.

The article discusses the effects of telecommuting on organizational productivity. As employers increasingly place a priority on labor productivity, telecommuting, which has traditionally been believed to increase producitvity, has become an attractive tool for managing employees. The authors look beyond traditional telecommuting data, which is largely self-reported, to find out the true effect of telecommuting on productivity over the long term. The study reveals that telecommuting has a positive effect on productivity.

The article presents author's viewpoints on the concept of virtual offices. As part of organizational restructuring and corporate downsizing, numerous companies are utilizing what have come to be called virtual offices in an effort to increase effectiveness and overall efficiency. Numerous benefits and advantages attend the use of virtual offices in today's climate of global competition. Telecommuting has been shown to result in productivity gains of between 15%-20%, while saving companies sizeable sums of money in office-space rentals. In addition, workers who previously found it difficult to work outside the home, now use telecommuting as a vehicle to participate in the workforce. Corporate executives and managers accessing the Internet utilize its rich resources, of both people and information, to improve operations and to market products. The sharing of equipment and space that occurs in virtual offices affords companies dramatic savings in the costs of facilities and the rental of space and equipment required to house those facilities.

Presents several letters to the editor about the impact of telecommuting on productivity. Criticism of the paper "Does Telecommuting Really Increase Productivity?" by Ralph D. Westfall; Views and references related to previous studies on telecommuting; Need of research to confront credibility issues associated with claims that telecommuting generates productivity gains.

The article focuses on issues concerning Information Technology (IT). One of the most fundamental measures of business performance is productivity. However, a "productivity paradox" was acknowledged a decade ago. IT could be found everywhere except in the productivity statistics. With the U.S. and other developed economies enjoying unprecedented prosperity in the late 1990s, concerns about poor returns on IT investment seemed to disappear. Business leaders and government policymakers, including Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, agreed that productivity gains from IT were a major force driving economic expansion. However, with the U.S. and other developed economies experiencing little or no growth, the relationship between IT and productivity is being revisited. The recent Internet and dot-com euphoria has been replaced by renewed skepticism about the value of IT. McKinsey and Co., the management consulting firm, has recently completed what it claims to be the most comprehensive study to date on the impact of IT.

This article presents graphs depicting key trends in various aspects of industrial productivity in the U.S. during 1955 to 1990. The parameters included in the graphs are cost of computing, microchip performance, computers as share of producers durable equipment and white collar productivity. The price of computing has dropped by half every 2 to 3 years. If progress in the rest of the economy had matched progress in the computer sector, a Cadillac would cost $4.98, while 10 minutes' worth of labor would buy a year's worth of groceries. There have been increasing levels of business investment in IT equipment. These investments now account for over 10% of new investment in IT equipment by U.S. firms. Information processing continues to be the principal task undertaken by the U.S. workforce. Over half the labor force is employed in information-handling activities. Overall productivity growth has slowed significantly since the early 1970s and measured productivity growth has fallen especially sharply in the service sector, which have been essentially stagnant for 20 years.

A new software has been developed which allows employers to screen out undesirable Web sites from worker's computers. This new software is developed by NetPartners Internet Solutions Inc., based in San Diego, California. The software program called WebSENSE has database of 25,000 sites separated into 26 categories. Management blocks the access of categories which it does not want their employees to see. This includes online shopping, gambling and pornography. The software maker boasts increased productivity, lower legal liability risk and enforcement of Internet access policies.