Information Technology in the Service Society: A Twenty-First Century Lever - Softcover

Information technology has been touted as a boon for productivity, but measuring the benefits has been difficult. This volume examines what macroeconomic data do and do not show about the impact of information technology on service-sector productivity. This book assesses the ways in which different service firms have selected and implemented information technology, examining the impact of different management actions and styles on the perceived benefits of information technology in services.

The use of information technology ( IT) has revolutionized the structure of management and the nature of competition in a variety of industries. IT is especially important in the service sector, which now accounts for about 74 percent of the value added in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and about 76 percent of national employment ( Table S.I) and enjoys a healthy $52 billion trade surplus.