The customer is always right, but whose customer is more important?: Conflict and Web site classification schemes

Welcome:
Guest

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Online from: 1982

Subject Area: Information and Knowledge Management

Content: Latest Issue | Latest Issue RSS | Previous Issues

Options: To add Favourites and Table of Contents Alerts please take a Emerald profile

Document Information:
Title:	The customer is always right, but whose customer is more important?: Conflict and Web site classification schemes
Author(s):	Kristin Eschenfelder, (School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA)
Citation:	Kristin Eschenfelder, (2003) "The customer is always right, but whose customer is more important?: Conflict and Web site classification schemes", Information Technology & People, Vol. 16 Iss: 4, pp.419 - 439
Keywords:	Classification, Conflict, Design, Social change, Worldwide Web
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/09593840310509644 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	MCB UP Ltd
Abstract:	This paper takes a social shaping of technology approach to identify and explain sources of conflict in the design or enhancement of corporate Web sites. Data from a multi-case field study show how Web site classification schemes embedded in Web site design elements created intra-organizational conflicts because the schemes could not equally accommodate different sub-units' customer requirements. Interview data demonstrate Web managers' perceptions that Web classification schemes privileged certain sets of customer needs, and Web managers' actions to shape the design of classification schemes to satisfy their perceived customer needs. Data analysis identified three design elements of Web sites associated with sub-unit conflict: classification categories, templates and tool bars, and database entities and attributes.