A Field Study of End User Computing: Findings and Issues

This article reports on a series of interviews on end user computing carried out in twenty locations in St. Louis. The interviews took place between December 1982 and March 1983. Sixty-seven end users from all levels of management and nineteen IS professionals were interviewed in their work locations regarding the practice of interactive computing by non-DP professionals. Though end user computing is still in its early stages, signs of rapid growth are present. In response to this growth, IS departments are attempting to develop policies for its control and support. The picture is complicated by the recent introduction of microcomputers to the business office. The study explores this new phenomenon and examines some of the differences between those who use the mainframe environment and those who use micro-computers. Software used, the varieties of applications developed, and the training background of end users are examined, as well as some of the problems encountered and some of the early results. A prime objective of the study is accomplished in identifying end users’ educational goals. Finally, five critical issues are identified which those interviewed saw as needing resolution in the near future.