L'informatique de gestion, entre technique pure et outil de gestion : une perspective historique à travers les discours des responsables informatiques de 1970 à 2000

摘要

This research aims at understanding how the contribution of information technology within the organizations is thought. It is based on an analysis of discourses of Information Technology business leaders between 1970 and 2000. It confronts the archives of a professional association, the Club Informatique des Grandes Entreprises Françaises (CIGREF), with historical publications and retrospective interviews. It presents the evolution of the representation given to InformationTechnology in their historical context. Beyond historical periods, it highlights two different conceptions of technology, guiding the IT function management. On one side, IT management systems are conceived as a pure technique that inherently carries virtues for business management. The real-time technology, for example, should be considered because it increases the speed of information flows, considered as a key element of companies’ competitiveness. The IT function then develops the technical potentials available to the company. On the other side, it is seen as a management tool that enables the implementation of methods, organizations and processes within a technical framework and, thus, drives the organizational changes. The IT function must then understand the business issues todevelop a relevant technical solutions framework. Finally, research shows that the second conception is promoted in order to strengthen the legitimacy of the Technology and the IT function in organizations.