Client/server processing architectures and task fit: a service organization perspective

The 1990s are witnessing the rapid growth of the service industry. Service organizations are attempting to empower their workers with use client/server (C/S) systems. For an organization to benefit from the C/S model, however, it should ensure that its C/S processing architecture matches its information needs. This study examines the information requirements of a service organization in terms of the customer-contact dimension. This dimension can range from high contact to low contact. These two environments differ in terms of task uncertainty. This study proposes that, for an organization's C/S system to be effective, the task uncertainty which it is designed for should fit the C/S processing architectures. The results indicate that an appropriate fit between task uncertainty and C/S processing architectures is indeed an important determinant of C/S effectiveness.