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ChaPter 5 • InformatIon GatherInG: unobtrusIve methods 139

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HYPERCASE EXPERIENCE 5.1

“We’re glad you find MRE an interesting place to consult. HYPERCASE Questions
According to the grapevine, you’ve been busy exploring the home 1. Use clues from the case to evaluate the Training Unit’s com-
office. I know, there’s so much going on. We find it hard to keep puter experience and its staff’s feeling about the PSRS. What
track of everything ourselves. One thing we’ve made sure of over do you think the consensus is in the Training Unit toward a
the years is that we try to use the methods that we believe in. Have computerized project tracking system?
you seen any of our reports? How about the data that were col- 2. What reports and statements are generated by the Training
lected on one of Snowden’s questionnaires? He seems to favor Unit during project development? List each, with a brief
questionnaires over any other method. Some people resent them, description.
but I think you can learn a lot from the results. Some people have 3. According to the interview results, what are the problems
been good about cooperating on these projects. Have you met with the present project tracking system in the Training Unit?
Kathy Blandford yet?”
4. Describe the “project management conflict” at MRE. Who is
involved? Why is there a conflict?
5. How does the Management Systems Unit keep track of proj-
ect progress? Briefly describe the method or system.

will be persuasive in the organization. Obviously, if one department is battling another, it may be
impossible to gain any cooperation on a systems project until the politics are resolved in a sat-
isfactory manner. Assessing the use of humor provides a quick and accurate barometer of many
HCI, interpersonal, and organizational variables, including which subculture a person belongs to
and what kind of morale exists.
MEMOS. Along with the five preceding guidelines, an analyst should also consider who sends
memos and who receives them. Typically, most information flows downward and horizontally
rather than upward in organizations, and extensive email systems mean messages are sent to many
work groups and individuals. Memos reveal a lively, continuing dialogue in the organization.
Analysis of memo content will provide you with a clear idea of the values, attitudes, and beliefs
of organizational members.

SIGNS OR POSTERS ON BULLETIN BOARDS OR IN WORK AREAS. Although signs may seem
incidental to what is happening in an organization, they serve as subtle reinforcers of values to
those who read them. Slogans posted such as “Quality Is Forever” or “Safety First” give an analyst
a sense of the official organizational culture.

CORPORATE WEBSITES. An analyst should view websites used for business-to-consumer (B2C)
ecommerce as well as those used for business-to-business (B2B) transactions. Examine the
contents for metaphors, humor, use of design features (such as color, graphics, animation, and
hyperlinks), and the meaning and clarity of any messages provided. Think about the website
from three dimensions: technical, aesthetic, and managerial. Are there discrepancies between
the stated goals of the organization and what is presented to the intended viewer? How much
customization of the website is available for each user? How much personalization of the website
is possible? If you are not designing ecommerce sites for the organization, how does what
you see on its website affect the systems you are investigating? Remember to note the level of
interactivity of the website or sites, the accessibility of the messages, and the security level.

MANUALS. Other qualitative documents an analyst should examine are organizational manuals,
including manuals for computer operating procedures and online manuals. Analyze manuals
following the five guidelines spelled out previously. Remember that manuals present the “ideal,”
the way machines and people are expected to behave. It is important to recall that printed manuals
are rarely kept current and are sometimes relegated to shelves, unused.