ABSTRACT: Managing the influx of personal computers (PC) presents a significant dilemma for most management information systems (MIS) executives. On the one hand, too tight control will limit the creative use of PCs and may in fact force users "underground" (where formal standards, methodologies, and controls have little effect). A laissez-faire approach, on the other hand, can often lead to inappropriate, ineffective applications being developed by users on their PCs. This article presents the results of a field study of how eight firms are striking this balance, and it suggests two frameworks for understanding how firms must change their PC management practices in different circumstances.
Key words and phrases: human information processing, management of personal computing, models of personal computer use