Aligning IT and Business: Fostering Organizational Performance, Employees' Commitment and Quality of Management Methods Katarzyna Tworek

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Business Information Systems
Katarzyna Tworek
Aligning IT
and Business
Fostering Organizational Performance,
Employees’ Commitment and
Quality of Management Methods
Series editors
Witold Abramowicz, Poznan University of Economics, Poznan, Poland
Hans Ulrich Buhl, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
Bogdan Franczyk, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
Ulrich Frank, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
Currently, virtually every organization is using business information systems
integrating information technology, business processes, and people. With the
advent of new technologies and new business opportunities that arise (e.g.
electronic markets), designing and developing information systems that would be in
line with the long term strategy of companies and that would efficiently support
their core business processes, becomes even a more complex and difficult task. In
addition, business information systems in modern companies need to evolve and
adapt to changes occurring both inside as well as outside an organization.
Therefore, a broad range of issues such as new business requirements (including
societal and legal aspects), new market mechanisms and business models, as well as
new paradigms and system architectures, need to be considered. The “Springer
Series on Business Information Systems” targets high quality research monographs,
texts and contributed books covering the vast field of business information
processing and applications in various domains. It focuses particularly on fostering
the exchange on theoretical and practical aspects of the design and development,
implementation and application of business information systems, based on
innovative concepts. The book series is not only aimed at researchers and students,
but also at information system professionals in industry, commerce, and public
administration, who are interested in new ideas on business information systems.
Thus, with this series we establish a unique platform for design science oriented
research and the technology and economically oriented scientific community, trying
to bridge the gap between theoretical foundations and real world requirements.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11890

Katarzyna Tworek
Aligning IT and Business

Fostering Organizational Performance,
Employees’ Commitment and Quality
of Management Methods
123
Katarzyna Tworek
Faculty of Computer Science
and Management
Wrocław University of Science
and Technology
Wrocław, Poland

ISBN 978-3-030-11562-3 ISBN 978-3-030-11563-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11563-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018967431
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

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For all those, who fight to the end.
Contents
1 IT Solutions in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 1

1.1 IT Solutions Typology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 4
1.1.1 Typology of Information Systems Used
in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.2 Typology of IT Solutions Used in Organizations . . . . . . . . 9
1.2 IT Solutions Support for Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.2.1 High-Sensitivity Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.2.2 Mid-Sensitive Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.2.3 Low-Sensitive Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.2.4 Management Methods Typology Based on IT
Solutions Support Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 19
1.3 IT Solutions Role in Generating Value for Organization . ....... 20
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 23
2 Frameworks for the Analysis of IT Solutions in Organizations .... 29
2.1 Technology Acceptance—TAM Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 30
2.2 Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
(UTAUT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 32
2.3 IT Reliability as an Analysis Framework for IT Solutions
in Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.3.1 IT Reliability—Definition and Model Formulation . . . . . . . 36
2.3.2 IT Reliability—Model Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3 IT—Business Alignment—Theoretical Background
and Hypotheses Formulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.1 The Role of IT—Business Alignment in Generating IT
Value for Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
3.2 IT—Business Alignment in Different Business Contexts . . . . . . . . 61
vii
viii Contents
3.3 IT Reliability as an Indicator of IT—Business Alignment . . . . ... 63

3.3.1 IT Reliability as an Indicator of the IT—Business
Alignment—Single Measure Verification . . . . . . . . . . . ... 67
3.3.2 IT Reliability as an Indicator of the IT—Business
Alignment—Fit Model Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 67
3.4 Three Steps Framework for the Verification of IT—Business
Alignment Role in Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 69
3.4.1 IT—Business Alignment and Management Methods
Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 69
3.4.2 IT—Business Alignment and Employees’ Commitment ... 73
3.4.3 IT—Business Alignment and Organizational
Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 79
3.5 Research Hypotheses and Research Methodology Overview . . ... 85
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 88
4 IT—Business Alignment—Empirical Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
4.1 Empirical Research Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
4.2 Research Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
4.3 Research Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4.3.1 Sample Selection Justification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4.4 Variables Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4.5 Empirical Research Results—Hypotheses Verification . . . . . . . . . . 106
4.5.1 Verification of the Selection of Business Contexts . . . . . . . 106
4.5.2 Verification of IT Reliability as an Indicator
of IT—Business Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4.5.3 Verification of IT—Business Alignment as a Factor
Generating Value for Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
4.6 Discussion and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
4.6.1 Poland and Switzerland as Two Business Contexts . . . . . . 167
4.6.2 IT Reliability as the Indicator of IT—Business
Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
4.6.3 The Relation Between IT—Business Alignment,
Different Management Methods Quality, Employees’
Commitment and Organizational Performance . . . . . . . . . . 169
4.6.4 Overall Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
5 Roadmaps for IT—Business Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
5.1 Roadmaps Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
5.1.1 Roadmap for Aligning IT Solutions with High-Sensitivity
Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Contents ix
5.1.2 Roadmap for Aligning IT Solutions with Medium-

Sensitivity Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
5.1.3 Roadmap for Aligning IT Solutions with Low-Sensitivity
Management Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
5.2 Overview of Roadmaps and General Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Appendix D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Introduction
Researchers and practitioners consider “attaining alignment between IT and busi-

ness as a pervasive problem” (Luftman and Kempaiah 2007). Moreover, it is a
consensus among them that no alignment silver bullet exists for now. This issue has
a wide literature coverage over last three decades. However, it is usually considered
from the strategic point of view. The alignment of business strategy with IT is
discussed allowing only for general conclusions concerning the importance of the
alignment. It seems to be insufficient to understand the mechanism of its ability to
create value for organization and propose a set of roadmaps, which would be useful
for enhancing the alignment of IT solutions with actual organization’s require-
ments. Leaving aside the strategy, which seems to general for that purpose, it seems
logical to consider what is directly influenced by IT solutions support and can be
shaped by them—management methods implemented in organization. Different
management methods demonstrate different sensitivities for IT solutions support.
Moreover, they differ in case of their need for IT solutions support in the phase of
implementation and operation in organization. Therefore, the alignment between
organization’s requirements and IT solutions will have different levels of impor-
tance for the organizations using various management methods. It might be a
suitable notion for the analysis, which will allow to omit the problems experienced
by researchers considering only the strategy of organization and searching for one
silver bullet for all contexts. However, nowadays, when employees and their
commitment are an increasingly important factor and prerequisite for creating any
value for organization, it is also important to consider whether employees’ com-
mitment has its place in fostering organizational performance through IT—business
alignment (in the light of management methods’ support). Seeking for the mech-
anism of creating value for organization through IT—business alignment seems to
be a valid research gap. Moreover, in order to verify the assumed mechanism, a new
indicator of IT—business alignment is needed. Such an indicator should allow for
its measurement not only on strategic, but more importantly tactical and operational
level. The reliability of IT solutions used in organizations might be one of the
possible indicators of IT—business alignment satisfying necessary conditions for
use during the verification process. It is a new framework for the analysis of IT
xi
xii Introduction
solutions in organizations (Tworek 2018a, b, c) aimed at indicating how employees

perceive them and their alignment with organization’s requirements (including
management methods’ requirements).
Hence, it seems suitable to explore the research gap described above. The main
aims of the monograph will be to (1) develop a new typology of management
methods based on their sensitivity for IT solutions support, (2) develop a theoretical
background underlining the mechanism of IT—business alignment ability to gen-
erate value for organization (fostering organizational performance through man-
agement methods’ quality and employees’ commitment), (3) verify whether the IT
reliability framework may be an indicator of the IT—business alignment, (4) verify
the existence of assumed mechanism of IT—business alignment ability to generate
value for organization in different business contexts, using a three-step verification
framework (based on management methods’ quality, employees’ commitment and
organizational performance) and finally (5) propose a set of roadmaps for aligning
IT solutions used in organizations for different types of management methods, in
order to boost their quality, employees’ commitment and organizational perfor-
mance through shaping IT reliability.
Chapter 1 of the monograph will describe the role of IT solutions in modern
organizations. Different typologies of information systems will be presented, and
the new typology of IT solutions (based on their function in organization) will be
developed and presented in this chapter. Next, IT solutions support for various
management methods will be discussed and new typology of management methods
in the context of their sensitivity for IT solutions support will be presented.
Chapter 2 of the monograph will contain various frameworks used for the
analysis of those solutions (overview). The main part of the chapter will describe
the new framework for the analysis of IT solutions in organizations—IT reliability,
which consists of four components: system reliability, usage reliability, information
reliability and support service reliability. It will describe the process of the
development and verification of the proposed framework in different business
contexts and validation of its use for the analysis of IT solutions in organization.
Chapter 3 of the monograph will describe the theoretical background character-
izing the IT—business alignment ability to generate value for organization. The
necessity of the analysis of this issue in different business contexts will be underlined
in the light of different availability of IT solutions and different scopes of imple-
mented management methods existing in developing and developed economies—
drastically influencing the IT—business alignment and its role for the organization.
Next, IT reliability will be proposed as the indicator of IT—business alignment.
Next, the framework for verification of the mechanism of generating value for
organization through IT—business alignment will be described (based on manage-
ment methods’ quality, employees’ commitment and organizational performance).
The chapter will end with the formulation of general and detailed research
hypotheses developed in order to fulfil the presented aims of the monograph.
Chapter 4 of the monograph will describe the performed empirical research. The
research methodology, chosen research sample (1200 organizations from two
business contexts—developing (Poland) and developed (Switzerland) economy)
and identified variables will be described. Verification process will start with
Introduction xiii
confirming the proper selections of business contexts and verification of IT relia-

bility as an indicator of IT—business alignment. After establishing that, the veri-
fication of the role of IT—business alignment in creating value for organization and
its mechanism based on management methods’ quality, employees’ commitment
and organizational performance will be described based on: the relation between IT
—business alignment and management methods’ quality, IT—business alignment
and employee’s commitment, management methods’ quality and employee’s
commitment, IT—business alignment and organizational performance, manage-
ment methods’ quality and organizational performance, and employee’s commit-
ment and organizational performance (considering the moderating effect of context
variable and IT—business alignment). Finally, the overall, verified model of the
mechanism of IT—business alignment influence on organizational performance
will be presented in order to fulfil an existing research gap.
Chapter 5 of the monograph will describe the developed set of roadmaps aimed
at aligning IT solutions used in organizations with chosen management methods’
requirements in order to boost their quality, employees’ commitment and organi-
zational performance, based on shaping IT reliability. It will consider different
management methods in the light of their sensitivity for IT solutions support and
should be treated as proposition of alignment silver bullet for those management
methods and an effort to fulfil an existing research gap.
The proposed topic is new and valid and aims at fulfilling the described research
gap with the verification of the main hypothesis: The higher the level of IT—
business alignment, the higher the quality of management methods and employees’
commitment, fostering higher organizational performance.
References
Luftman, J., & Kempaiah, R. (2007). An update on business-IT alignment: “A line” has been
drawn. MIS Quarterly Executive, 6(3), 165–177.
Tworek, K. (2018a) The reliability of Information Systems in organization as a source of
competitive advantage. European Journal of International Management. https://doi.org/10.
1504/EJIM.2020.10018551.
Tworek, K. (2018b). Information systems reliability in the context of higher education institutions.
In L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez, & I. Candel Torres (Eds.), 10th International
Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, EDULEARN18: Palma (Spain)
(pp. 9419–9428), July 2–4, 2018. IATED Academy, cop. 2018. ISBN: 978-84-09-02709-5.
Tworek, K. (2018c). Reliability of information systems in organization in the context of banking
sector: empirical study from Poland. Cogent Business & Management. 2018, 5(1), art.
1522752, pp. 1–13.
Chapter 1
IT Solutions in Organizations
Abstract The chapter is describing the role of IT solutions in modern organizations.

First of all, different typologies of information systems are presented and the new
typology of IT solutions (based on their function in organization) is developed. It is
based on 7 functions of IT solutions in organizations: information, communication,
automation, coordination, integration, transformation and innovation. It allows to dif-
fer IT solutions in case of their information processing capacity and ability to cope
with organizational change intensity and presented in this chapter. Second of all, IT
solutions support for various management methods is discussed, including: Enter-
prise Resource Planning, Controlling, Customer Relationship Management, Busi-
ness process reengineering, Lean Management, Business Continuity Management,
Knowledge Management, Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, High Commitment
Management and Competency based management. Based on that, the new typology
of management methods in the context of their sensitivity for IT solutions support
is presented. Management methods are divided into three groups: with low, mid and
high sensitivity for IT solutions support, based on their need for this support in the
process of implementation and continues use and improvement. Third of all, at the
end of the chapter, the role of those IT solutions in generating value for organizations
is discussed.
The new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information
technology. It is composed of several related parts. One includes techniques for processing
large amounts of information rapidly, and it is epitomized by the high-speed computer. A
second part centers around the application of statistical and mathematical methods to decision
making problems; it is represented by techniques like mathematical programming, and by
methodologies like operations research. A third part is in the offing, though its applications
have not yet emerged very clearly; it consists of the simulations of higher-order thinking
through computer programs.
(Leavitt and Whisler 1958: 41)
Technology is defined by Ferré (1995) as “practical implementations of intel-

ligence”. Information technology (IT) is a specific type of technology, which is
compliant with this view and is defined as “technology used to acquire and pro-
cess information in support of human purposes” (March and Smith 1995). It was
first mentioned in the literature by Leavitt and Whisler (1958: 41) and until now
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 1
K. Tworek, Aligning IT and Business, Business Information Systems,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11563-0_1
2 1 IT Solutions in Organizations
its use in organization remains a broad and current field of study. However, multi-
ple concepts are available in the literature in the context of IT use in organization:
information systems, computer systems, IT systems, IT solutions. It is important to
understand that they cannot be used alternately because they have a different mean-
ing and promote different angle of the analysis. In order to organize the terminology
and identify the key notions for the analysis of IT—business solutions in organiza-
tion, it should be clearly stated that information system is “a set of components
that collect, process, store and disseminate data and information providing a feed-
back mechanism to monitor and control its operation to make sure it continues to
meet its goals and objectives” (Stair and Reynolds 2017). Moreover, the feedback
mechanism is what’s crucial in case of information systems used in organization.
However, there are also more general definitions, Laudon and Laudon (2016) are
adding that information system is indeed a set of interrelated components but its
first and foremost goal is to support decision making and not only control in an
organization. From those definitions it is clear that not all information systems are
computer-based. Computer-based information systems are defined as “a set of
hardware, software, databases, networks, people and procedures that are configured
to collect, manipulate, store and process data into information” (Stair and Reynolds
2017). There is a difference between data and information and in the context of IT
use in organization it is important to underline that difference. Data, can be defined
as stream of “raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical
environment before they have been organized and arranged into a form that people
can understand and use” (Laudon and Laudon 2016) and information can be defined
as “data that have been shaped into a form that is meaningful and useful to human
beings” (Laudon and Laudon 2016). Therefore, the main goal of computer-based
information systems concern data—information processing.
However, since the main topic of this monograph is the IT—business alignment,
it seems that the main focus should be on the use of IT for supporting organiza-
tion’s operations. That is why the concept of information system or computer-based
information system is not a best choice for the analysis of IT in organization in this
aspect, because of the need for individual analysis of each information system used
in organization independently. Nowadays, when almost every organization is using
a set of different information systems in order to support its operations, it seems
that independent analysis of those systems is not enough to form conclusions con-
cerning overall IT use in organization (Hanseth 2010). In organization, the main
function of IT is to manage and integrate data as an “enabler” of data-driven busi-
ness processes and decision making (Chandler et al. 2011; Lycett 2013), which is
the source of the need for IT—business alignment. Those functions may be ful-
filled by one information system (which is a computer-based one or not), or a set of
them. Therefore, to eliminate the fact that information system is the notion not broad
enough for IT—business alignment analysis, the notion of IT solution is adopted
in this monograph as a specific set of information systems used in organization in
order to support the data-driven business processes and organizational management
(Fig. 1.1). IT solution is a notion, which allows to perceive a set of information system
as a tool for their users used in order to support organizations operations (Hanseth
1 IT Solutions in Organizations 3
Fig. 1.1 IT solutions as a set of information systems supported by information technology. Source
Own work
2010). The aspect of tools addresses how the solutions are supposed to be used by
their users, while the aspect of systems captures the tools internal structure and tech-
nical aspects. Sidorova and Kappelman (2011) are stating that IT solution is a part of
an intra-organizational network, which includes vendors, built-in business processes,
protocols, standards, compatible IT, consultants, administrators, and users in order
to achieve organization’s goals and fulfill its strategy. Hanseth (2010) is confirming
that IT solutions are “enmeshed in a network of agents and alliances”. Therefore, it
seems logical to assume the notion of IT solutions as the basis for the analysis of
IT—business alignment in organization.
Moreover, it is supported by the fact that there are six basic components of IT
solution:
Computer hardware: “is the physical equipment used for input, processing, and
output activities” of IT solution (Laudon and Laudon 2016). It consists of computers
of various performance parameters, sizes and shapes (including mobile handheld

devices), various input, output, and storage devices, and telecommunications devices
that link together all the elements of the computer hardware.
Computer software: “consists of the detailed, preprogrammed instructions that con-
trol and coordinate the computer hardware components” in and IT solution (Laudon
and Laudon 2016).
Data: “raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical envi-
ronment before they have been organized and arranged into a form that people can
understand and use” and are the basis of gathering, manipulating, analyzing and
storing in IT solution (Laudon and Laudon 2016).
Procedures: set of rules governing the operation of IT solutions, which are linking
IT solutions with IT solutions users. It is usually underlined that “Procedures are to
people what software is to hardware” to illustrate the role of procedures in a system.
People: since the IT solution is perceived as a tool, it needs people if it is to be
useful. This aspect includes “not only the users, but those who operate and service
the computers, those who maintain the data, and those who support the network of
computers” (Kroenke 2015).
Feedback: the most crucial components of IT solution from the point of view of
organization is to provide feedback in order to fulfil the main aim of IT solution.
Hence, there is an apparent need for the development of IT solutions typology in
order to determine differences among them in order to consider types of IT solutions
in the context of their support for organization operations.
1.1 IT Solutions Typology
IT solutions typology may be somehow based on typologies of information systems

used in organizations. However, the available typologies are concerning individual
information systems and are unable to characterize the overall IT solutions support for
organization (Paré et al. 2015). They are focus on individual information systems and
most of them were developed at the beginning of research concerning information
systems use in organization (70’ and 80’ of previous century). The overview of
those typologies is presented in Table 1.1 and shows that there are to approaches to
developing them: identification of information systems types and identification of
features allowing for defining those types.
Stair and Reynolds (2017) are proposing more modern approach to typology
development and they identify three groups of information systems: personal sys-
tems (aimed at improving productivity of the user), group systems (aimed at improv-
ing communication and supporting collaboration) and enterprise systems (aimed at
improving performance of entire organization). Their proposition shows that there
is no unified approach to identify types of information systems used in organiza-
tion, it is a very chaotic field of study and directed at proposing more general and
less detailed typologies. Therefore, the typical information systems used nowadays
1.1 IT Solutions Typology 5
Table 1.1 Typologies of information systems in organizations

Identified information systems Identified basis for typology Sources
types development
TPS, DSS, EXS (Preliminary) Leavitt and Whisler (1958)
TPS, MIS, DSS Head (1967)
Functional area and Churchill et al. (1969)
reporting event
Management activities and Gorry and Scott Morton
decision type (1971)
Clerical, information, Dickson (1977)
decision, interactive,
programmed
EDP, DSS Alter (1977)
TPS, MIS, DSS Sprague (1980)
Prespecified, Martin (1982)
non-prespecified
EDP, MIS, DSS Raho and Belohlav (1982)
Data, decision, executive support Scott Morton (1985)
End-user, institutional Senn (1989)
Stochastic, deterministic Silver and Silver (1989)
Task, technology, time Grimshaw (1992)
System function and Ein-Dor and Segev (1993)
attribute
MIS, EIS, ESS, DSS, GDSS, Information support, Mentzas (1994)
EMS, ODSS, ES, OIS, IOIS decision support,
communication support
Regard, actor, forerunner External cooperative Jitpaiboon et al. (2006)
complexity, internal
cooperative complexity
TPS, PCS, FCS Operations support systems, Bagad (2009)
management support
systems
Personal systems, group systems, User characteristics, Stair and Reynolds (2017)
enterprise systems complexity
Source Own work based on Doke and Barrier (1994)
MIS Management Information Systems, EIS Executive Information Systems, ESS Executive Sup-
port Systems, DSS Decision Support Systems, GDSS Group Decision Support Systems; EMS Elec-
tronic Meeting Systems, ODSS Organizational Decision Support Systems, ES Expert Systems, OIS
Office Information Systems, IOIS Intelligent Organizational Information Systems
in organizations will be presented based on pyramid typology, which allows to ana-

lyze their role in supporting various aspects of organization operation—which seems
important in the light of monograph topic.
1.1.1 Typology of Information Systems Used in Organizations
One of the most known information systems typologies is based on the pyramid
(Fig. 1.2), which shows 4 different types of information systems (Stair and Reynolds
2017; EMSM 2018).
Transaction Processing System (TPS) is a system, which is aimed at capturing,
entering, storing, retrieving, and processing all relevant details of organization’s
operations and generating the information and documents necessary for those
operations (Rahmatian 2003). TPS are operational-level systems and are located
at the bottom of the five-level pyramid. They are usually operated directly by
individual employees and enable organization to gather (through the automated or
semi-automated tracking of low-level activities and basic transactions) and organize
data required to support the management of operations (EMSM 2018). Rahmatian
(2003) is underlining that its scope of functioning is based on the fact that transaction
is defined as a business event—important for the organization—whose relevant
attributes should be gathered and stored internally (in the corporate database) as
well as externally (for a customer, a supplier, a business partner, etc.) due to the
Fig. 1.2 Pyramid typology of information systems in organization. Source Own work
Table 1.2 Basic characteristics of TPS

Inputs Outputs Functions Properties
Transactions Lists Validation Atomicity
Events Detail reports Sorting Consistency
Action reports Listing Isolation
Summary reports Merging Durability
Updating
Calculation
Source Own work based on Rahmatian (2003) and EMSM (2018)
Table 1.3 Basic characteristics of MIS

Inputs Outputs Processes Properties
Internal transactions Summary reports Sorting Timeliness
Internal files Action reports Merging Integration
Structured data Detailed reports Summarizing Relevance
Accuracy
Usefulness
Source Own work based on Bidgoli (2017) and EMSM (2018)
possible impact on other operations of the organization and its stakeholders. The
basic characteristics of TPS are given in Table 1.2.
Management Information Systems (MIS) are an “organized integration of hard-
ware and software technologies, data, processes, and human elements designed to
produce timely, integrated, relevant, accurate and useful information for decision-
making purposes” (Bidgoli 2017). They are based on four major components: data,
database, process and information. MIS are tactical-level systems and located at
the second from the bottom level of the pyramid. They are usually used by middle
managers to help ensure the smooth organization’s operation in the short to medium
term (EMSM 2018). They are providing highly structured information, which allows
managers to evaluate an organizational performance by comparing outputs in time.
They are built on data, which are provided by TPS. The basic characteristics of MIS
are given in Table 1.3.
Decision Support Systems (DSS) are “interactive information systems used in
determining and evaluating alternative courses of action” (Saravanan and Subhamathi
2018). DSS are management-level systems located at the middle of the pyramid.
They are usually used by senior managers, facilitate the creation of knowledge and
allow integration of this knowledge within the organization. DSS are aimed at the
analysis of existing structured information in order to allow managers to perceive the
potential effects of their decisions to choose a better alternative based on that (EMSM
2018). They are usually highly interactive because of the need for the analysis of
not only well but also poor structured problems. DSS consist of databases, analytical
tools, support simulations, and may support the exchange of information within the
organization. The basic characteristics of DSS are given in Table 1.4. Typology for
Table 1.4 Basic characteristics of DSS

Internal transactions Summary reports Modelling Normative model
Internal files Forecasts Simulation inclusion
External information Graphs/plots Analysis Usefulness
Summarizing Timeliness
Relevance accuracy
Source Own work based on EMSM (2018) and Mentzas (1994)
Table 1.5 Basic characteristics of EIS

External data Summary reports Summarizing Ease of use
Internal files Forecasts Simulation Usefulness
Pre-defined models Graphs/plots “Drilling Down” Timeliness
Relevance accuracy
Source Own work based on EMSM (2018), Murthy (2011) and Mentzas (1994)
DSS was created by Power (2000) and identifies communication-driven DSS, data-
driven DSS, document-driven DSS, knowledge-driven DSS, and model-driven DSS.
Executive Information Systems (EIS) are systems used to provide critical informa-
tion on key vital indicators or critical success factors on organizational performance
to top management and senior executives of the organization (Murthy 2011). EIS
are strategic-level information systems and located at the top of the pyramid. They
are usually used by executives and senior managers to analyze the organization’s
environment in order to identify long-term trends, and to plan appropriate actions
aiming at fulfilling the organization’s goals (EMSM 2018). The EIS are aimed at
the analysis of weakly structured information, which comes from both internal and
external sources. They are designed to be operated directly by executives. Hence,
they are highly adaptable and easily tailored to their preferences to fulfill their aims.
EIS are considered as a special kind of DSS. The basic characteristics of EIS are
given in Table 1.5.
However, it is important to underline that types of information systems identified
by the pyramid typology differ between each other in case of structuralizing of data,
information and needed analysis and in case of level of control (Fig. 1.3).
The performed analysis of the types of information systems identified in the
pyramid typology shows that IT solutions typology can be based on the level of
structuralization and control of functions fulfilled by each IT solution. The detailed
identification of information systems is not useful for IT solutions typology, as those
solutions can be based on one or more information systems.
Fig. 1.3 Differences between types of information systems identified in pyramid typology. Source
Own work
1.1.2 Typology of IT Solutions Used in Organizations
Cats-Baril and Thompson (1997) proposed a typology of systems called information

systems (I r S) cube, which is not identifying each type of systems but rather groups
them based on three identified dimensions, which are useful in the process of typology
development for IT solutions (Barron et al. 1999):
• The scope of the systems being supported. It concerns all stakeholder, whom the
IT solution supports. It may vary from an individual user to inter-organizational
unit or entire organization.
• The complexity of the performer tasks. It concerns task complexity—especially
the degree of decision structure of the task needed to be supported by the IT
solutions. It may vary from structured to unstructured.
• The information richness required. It concerns the surplus meaning, which the
information contains, other than the literal symbols used to express it. It may vary
from spare to robust.
Zand et al. (2015) proposed a typology of information systems functions in orga-
nization, which can be adopted to the analysis of IT solutions and is based, among
others, on those three dimensions. They distinguished: information, communication,
automation, coordination, integration, transformation and innovation systems func-
tion (see Table 1.6). It can be assumed that IT solutions are fulfilling some or even
all of them, at least to some extent (depending on their type) and it is a dimension,
which allows to distinct them.
The identified 7 functions of IT solutions differ from each other and can be
arranged in case of the complexity of those solutions needed to fulfill each of them. It
was done by segregating them into four groups (after Zand et al. 2015), which differ
in case of their information processing capacity and ability to cope with organiza-
tional change intensity (Fig. 1.4), incorporating all three dimensions of information
Table 1.6 Typology of IT solutions functions in organization

IT solutions function Definition References
Information The ability of IT solutions to Davenport and Short (1990)
generate, gather, and store data Laudon and Laudon (2016)
in a reusable, organized, and Sambamurthy and Zmud (2000)
secure manner Zand et al. (2015)
Communication The ability of IT solutions to Bardhan et al. (2007)
promptly transmit and Bouwman et al. (2005)
disseminate data and Lai (2001)
information among distant
individuals, teams, and
organizations
Automation The ability of IT solutions to Laudon and Laudon (2016)
standardize, mechanize, and Weill and Ross (2009)
computerize operational Zand et al. (2015)
activities and decision-making
processes of the firm by
eliminating or minimizing
manual interventions
Coordination The ability of IT solutions to Bardhan et al. (2007)
organize, co-plan, and Bouwman et al. (2005)
synchronize activities and Mulligan (2002)
parties, in a synchronous or Nambisan (2003)
asynchronous fashion Zand et al. (2015)
Integration The ability of IT solutions to Mulligan (2002)
combine, assimilate, and Sambamurthy and Zmud (2000)
fundamentally reorganize the Zand et al. (2015)
existing processes and domains
of the firm into new, unified
processes and domains
Transformation The ability of IT solutions to Brynjolfsson and Hitt (2000)
introduce significantly modified Mooney et al. (1996)
production strategies, sales Zand et al. (2015)
methods, organizational
structures, and business
processes, or to renew the
existing ones, which leads to
reconfiguration and transition of
the organization as a whole to
new forms
Innovation The ability of IT solutions to Koellinger (2008)
develop or leverage completely Westerman and Curley (2008)
new products/services, delivery Zand (2011)
methods, business models, and Zand et al. (2015)
marketing channels
Source Own work based on Zand et al. (2015)
Fig. 1.4 IT solutions

functions arrangement.
Source Own work based on
Zand et al. (2015)
systems (I r S) cube. In order to be able to fulfill the function of the higher level, IT
solution needs to fulfill all functions from previous levels.
Therefore, the proposed set of functions is a basis for development of new typology
of IT solutions, which are differing in case of their complexity, information process-
ing capacity and organizational change intensity forming 7 types of IT solutions
used in organization: information solutions, communication solutions, automation
solutions, coordination solutions, transformation solutions, integration solutions and
innovation solutions.
1.2 IT Solutions Support for Management Methods
IT solutions used in organizations are aimed at supporting organization functioning

at various management level. One of the key aspects of organizational management
generating the need for IT solutions support are management methods (Sutherland
and Canwell 2004; Van Assen et al. 2009; Potocan and Dabic 2012). The man-
agement role in organization is explained based on six different approaches: classi-
cal, humanistic, systems, contingency, post-modernistic, and scientific values (Wren
and Bedeian 1994; Daft 2000; Mullins and Christy 2013). The organization’s man-
agement is connected to five basic notions (defined by Nedelco and Potocan 2016
based on Rigby and Bilodeau 2007; Sutherland and Canwell 2004; Sapkauskiene
and Leitoniene 2010):
Concept: comprehensive, developed and defined basis for consideration of any idea.
Methodology: entity or closely related collection of methods, rules and disciplinary

postulates.
Methods: goal-and problem- ordered types of procedures, which are especially reg-
ular and systemic ways of setting and realizing the given goal.
Techniques: the manner in which technical details are treated.
Corresponding management solutions: the way for realization of management
ideas.
Various management methods and concepts were developed over decades and
their main goal is to support and improve work process, including all processes,
which can be supported by IT solutions in organizations (Dessler 2004; Sutherland
and Canwell 2004; Certo and Certo 2009). In business practice, management methods
and concepts are the basis for the creation and implementation of various management
solutions, including IT solutions supporting management methods (Lock 1992; Daft
2000; Potocan and Dabic 2012).
However, the literature coverage of the management method typology is very
low, independent of the factor on which the typology is based on. Armstrong (2003)
is proposing the most frequently used typology, based on the functional aspect
of organizational operation, which the method is supporting. Based on that he is
dividing management methods into five groups: marketing management, operations
management, financial management, human resource management and information
technology management. Bieńkowska and Zgrzywa-Ziemak (2011) are proposing a
typology based on the ease of use of management methods. Management methods
were divided into easy and hard based on frequency of use, implementation prerequi-
sites and other barriers and results. However, those typologies are independent of the
needed IT solutions support, which role in ensuring their quality is rapidly growing
over last decades (Sutherland and Canwell 2004; Van Assen et al. 2009; Potocan and
Dabic 2012; Dabic et al. 2013; Nedelko and Potocan 2013). Since they are one of the
most important aspect of managing organization, which generates requirements for
the support of IT solutions, it seems that such a typology is highly needed. Baars and
Kamper (2008) describe some sort of proposition of such a typology and a division of
management methods based on the need for processing structured and unstructured
data. The idea behind that is concerning the fact that online analytical processing
(OLAP), a basic functionality which is needed for the support for almost all currently
used management methods, is simply no longer enough. Its main role as a part of
reporting systems is to present and analyze numerical business data from within the
organization. However, in today’s world of unstructured data and variety of informa-
tion sources, it is insufficient for the support of management methods, which require
more flexible and adaptive support and the combination of data from within and from
outside of the organization (Negash 2004; Cody et al. 2002). However, this example
still does not concern the different sensitivity for overall IT solutions support.
It is a well-established fact that various management methods differ in case of their
need for IT support in the phase of implementation and operation in organization (e.g.
Bieńkowska et al., 2019; Huang et al. 2015; Martı́nez-Lorente et al. 2004). For the
1.2 IT Solutions Support for Management Methods 13
purpose of developing a typology of management methods based on their sensitivity

and need for IT solutions support, two dimensions will be used:
1. IT solutions support as a management method implementation prerequisite (IT
solutions support are a prerequisite for an implementation of some management
methods, which cannot be properly implemented without IT solutions properly
aligned with the requirements of the method).
2. IT solutions support as enabler of management method quality (IT solutions
support can enable obtaining and increasing the quality of management meth-
ods, which are dependent on the alignment between IT solutions and method’s
requirements as a factor conditioning their quality).
Based on those dimensions, management methods will be divided into three
groups:
• High-sensitive methods, for which IT solutions support is both an implementation
prerequisite and quality enabler,
• Mid-sensitive methods, for which IT solutions support is mainly an implementa-
tion prerequisite or quality enabler,
• Low-sensitive methods, for which IT solutions support is neither an undisputable
implementation prerequisite nor quality enabler.
Such a typology is aimed at demonstrating different sensitivity to IT solutions
support and different level of alignment needed between those IT solutions and man-
agement. Moreover, it is crucial to underline that as time goes by and changes in the
internal and external conditions of the organization functioning occur (changes in size
or configuration of organization, information technology development, emergence
of new markets, etc.), existing IT solutions aimed at supporting various manage-
ment methods must be improving to assure the continues alignment between them
and current requirements, otherwise they will lose the ability to perform the func-
tions for which they were created, and the organization will cease to benefit from
the implementation of IT solutions aimed at supporting those management methods
(Bieńkowska et al. 2018, 2019).
1.2.1 High-Sensitivity Management Methods
Enterprise Resource Planning
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a holistic and integrated management method

concerning all core business processes in organization, usually with a full IT sup-
port (Al-Mashari et al. 2003). There are various commercially available systems,
which promise seamless integration of all information flows in the organization,
from financial and accounting information, to human resource information, supply
chain information, and customer information (Umble et al. 2003). Moreover, those
systems are rarely implemented in-house, most organizations are turning to off-the-
shelf ERP systems to manage organization (Al-Mashari et al. 2003; Holland and
Light 1999). In case of this management method it is clear that it cannot be imple-
mented and cannot be used without well aligned, proper IT solutions support. It is
a method which can be described as highly sensitive for IT support. However, since
IT support for management is its core, it is not a good and typical example of man-
agement method and rather poor candidate for the analysis of its sensitivity for IT
solutions support.
Controlling
Controlling, is understood as “management support (…) consisting of coordinat-
ing the process of solving specific management tasks, supervising and monitoring
the course of their implementation, as well as participating in the performance of
these tasks, mainly in the field of planning, controlling and providing information”
(Bieńkowska et al. 1998: 289) and can be described as one of the most often used
methods of management in contemporary organization (Bieńkowska and Zgrzywa-
Ziemak 2011).
It is often underlined that “the implementation of controlling almost automati-
cally connects with the implementation of the IT system” Młodkowski and Kałużny
(2007), as it seems impossible to create, transform and transfer management infor-
mation without appropriate IT systems (Peleias et al. 2009; Lira et al. 2012). The
appropriate design of IT solutions and adaptation to the requirements of control-
ling is a prerequisite for the implementation of this management support method
(Bieńkowska et al. 2018). That is mainly because nowadays, meeting controlling
demands (in case of information requirements) is impossible without IT support
(Peleias and Parisi 2001; Lira et al. 2012), as well as its efficient functioning and
continues improvement. Lira et al. (2012) underline that alignment between IT and
controlling requirements is especially needed in order to enable the increase of qual-
ity of this management method. The relation between quality of controlling and IT
solutions support is empirically verified by e.g. Bieńkowska et al. (2018, 2019).
Therefore, it can be assumed that controlling is a management method highly sensi-
tive for IT solutions support.
Customer Relationship Management
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a management method aimed at man-
aging organization’s interaction and relations with past, current and potential cus-
tomers. Most authors’ underline that nowadays customers’ loyalty is one of the
key factors building organization’s competitive advantage and there is a significant
need for supporting this field of organization’s operations (Chen and Popovich 2003;
Brown and Coopers 1999). Fickel (1999) underlines that nowadays CRM is aimed
at linking functions from “front office” (e.g. marketing, sales etc.) with those from
“back office” (e.g. HR, logistics etc.) and with “touch points”, in which organization
interacts directly with the clients. There is no discussion that IT solutions support is
needed in case of CRM and without that support (which is definitely also a prerequi-
site for the implementation of this management method) it is impossible to obtain and
increase a quality this management method (Ngai et al. 2009; Payne and Frow 2005).
CRM is also a notion commonly used in IT development companies to describe IT
solutions dedicated to the support of this method (Payne and Frow 2005). Hence, it
can be positioned as a management method highly sensitive for IT solutions support.
Business Process Reengineering
Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is an approach for business process transfor-

mation and unconstrained reshaping of all business processes. However, it is widely
misunderstood by labeling any organizational change as reengineering (Heusinkveld
and Benders 2001) while it is process design, process management, and process inno-
vation (Attaran 2004). The term “reengineering” actually appeared at first in the IT
field and has evolved into a broader change process (Attaran 2004). On the one hand,
IT can be one of the greatest barriers for BPR and there is a lot of reengineering
efforts which failed because IT solutions used in the organization have not supported
such a redesign (Attaran 2004). On the other hand, most authors consider IT solutions
support as the key enabler of BPR (Hammer and Champy 2001). Attaran (2004) is
underlining that IT solutions are prone to improve information access and coordina-
tion among all organizational units. They state that IT solutions can actually create
new process design options, not only support those already existing. IT solutions have
an important role in three phases of BPR: before the process is designed, while the
process design is underway, and after the design is complete [it is explained in details
by Attaran (2004) and Furey and Diorio (1994)]. Luca (2014) is even suggesting that
IT is part of every reengineering effort and a sort of catalyst, which enables organiza-
tions to reorganize internal processes. Based on that it can be stated that IT solutions
support is not only a prerequisite for BPR implementation but is a continuously
needed for gaining and increasing the quality of this management method (Attaran
2004), which is confirmed by various empirical research (e.g. Huang et al. (2015)
verified positive relation existing between IT solutions support and BPR implemen-
tation). Moreover, improper use of unreliable or not well aligned IT may stop the
process reengineering with consolidation and automation of the old way of thinking
and old behavior patterns (Luca 2014). Hence, BPR can be identified as a method
highly sensitive for IT support.
Lean Management
Lean management principles, based on the Toyota Production System is a source

of simultaneously improvement of productivity, quality and customer service for
many organizations (Riezebos et al. 2009). Since those benefits are also known to be
connected with the support of IT solutions in organization, it is assumed by many
that the implementation of lean management and IT solutions supporting lean prin-
ciples are interdependent and complimentary (Reizebos et al. 2009; Blackstone and
Cox 2005). Blackstone and Cox (2005) are stating that Computer-aided production
management systems (CAPM) considered as “all computer aids supplied to the pro-
duction manager” are a basis of lean management (introducing master production
scheduling, capacity requirements planning, and management resources planning)
and together with maintenance and decision support systems are a prerequisite for an
implementation of lean management in organization (Monniot et al. 1987, Reizebos
et al. 2009; Blackstone and Cox 2005). Therefore, it seems that it is a method highly
sensitive for IT support.
1.2.2 Mid-Sensitive Management Methods
Business Continuity Management
The Business Continuity Institute defines BCM as “a holistic management pro-

cess that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organization and provides a
framework for building resilience with the capability for an effective response that
safeguards the interests of key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value creating
activities” (Randeree et al. 2012, p. 473). BCM aims at creating an organization’s
resistance to the occurrence of various threats and is considered as a socio-technical
approach focused on identifying and preventing operational risks. Usually the role
of IT in the creation of BC plans—for long considered as a central point of BCM—is
strongly emphasized (Wan 2009). However, IT support seems to be also very impor-
tant during the event and post-event continuity management. IT solutions support
seems important as a potential factor determining the achievement of the goals and
benefits of BCM implementation in the organization. On the one hand, because in
the crisis event, IT could possibly be needed the most as a factor ensuring organiza-
tion’s ability to resume proper functioning (e.g. as a source of stored information)
(Järveläinen 2012) and its misalignment with BCM requirements may make it use-
less for those tasks. On the other hand, employees need to perceive IT reliability as
high due to IT solutions alignment with BCM requirements in order to use it with
conviction in a crisis situation, which is extremely important for it to contribute to
quick resume of the operations. However, based on the literature review it can be
concluded that IS supporting various aspects of BCM are not very well standardized
and there is a need for the increase of alignment between those solutions and BCM
requirements in each organization to gain benefits from IT support. Moreover, in
the light of above findings and empirical research conducted by e.g. Tworek and
Zabłocka-Kluczka (2018b) it can be stated that IT solutions support is rather a pre-
requisite for a proper implementation of BCM than enabler of its quality increase.
Hence, BCM is a management method, which sensitivity for IT solutions support is
medium.
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management processes follows one another in the order and form
“metaprocess” with input and output. The processes that add up to the metaprocess
are: acquisition (creation and location outside the organization), codification, trans-
fer, utilization and storage of knowledge in organization (Kowalczyk and Nogalski
2007, p. 81). Practitioners of knowledge management represented by the consult-

ing firms focused chiefly on its processes: development, transfer, codification and
utilization, creation of formal systems supported by IT, emphasizing benefits from
conducting knowledge management: enhancement of the organization value in the
eyes of customers and employees (among them: Garner Group, McKinsey, Deloitte
& Touche, KPMG, APQC, Unilever, Ernst & Young, PWC) (Tworek et al. 2015).
Knowledge management first and foremost integrates capability of IT solutions to
process data and information and the ability of innovation (i.e. Bhatti 2001; Maltroha
2005; Akram et al. 2011). It gives the opportunity to receive appropriate funding,
develop and control the use of the conditions, methods and techniques needed for
the processes related to knowledge in order to generate value from intellectual assets
or other resources based on knowledge. However, Gupta et al. (2000) underlines
that “technology is secondary to a human element in the knowledge management”
and managers obtain two-thirds of their information from conversations with people,
not from information systems directly. They assume that IT solutions support is a
prerequisite for knowledge management implementation but it is not clear whether it
have the capacity to increase its quality over time since employees and their knowl-
edge is still the most important factor enabling its quality. Therefore, it seems that
knowledge management is a management method with medium sensitivity for IT
solutions support.
Total Quality Management
The basic idea of TQM philosophy stems from the belief that in every point along the
value chain, mistakes can be avoided and defects can be prevented. There are eight key
TQM dimensions: top management support, workforce management, employees’
attitudes and behavior, customer relationship, supplier relationship, product design
process and process flow management (Martı́nez-Lorente et al. 2004). Ayers (1993)
is stating that TQM and IT solutions are partners for profit. Dewhurst et al. (2003) are
listing that IT solutions support TQM by “improving costumer and supplier relation-
ship, increasing process control, facilitating teamwork, facilitating inter departmen-
tal information flow, improving design process and skills and applying preventive
maintenance”. However, not all authors agree with that, e.g. Jabnoun and Sahraoui
(2004) are clearly stating (and supporting those views with empirical research) that
many factors, including the absence of a clear perspective on a TQM structure are
inhibiting the effective support of IT solutions for TQM and IT—business alignment
is not a quality enabling factor in this case. Moreover, Forza (1995) developed a
model to link TQM, IT solutions support and quality performance and he did not
succeed in empirically establishing a relation between TQM quality and IT solutions
support. However, keeping in mind the fact that it is needed and present in many
areas connected with the use of TQM in organization (as verified empirically by e.g.
Martı́nez-Lorente et al. 2004), it seems that TQM is a management method with a
medium sensitivity for IT support.
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only the sudden sight of you that made me so stupid."
"It is only right to both your husband and child that you should consult a
doctor," returned the Bishop. "Possibly all you need is a tonic; anyhow, as I
consider I stand in the position of a father to you, you must do what I say. And
you must certainly curtail your work."
And so Rachel gave way and promised, and the Bishop left the house with a
heavy heart. Besides the state of Rachel's health he had learnt for the first
time of their extreme poverty of which he had had no idea. He did not suppose
that Rachel's family knew the state of their finances, as Gwen would certainly
have enlarged upon it in her letter to him had she known. No doubt Rachel
had hidden the fact from her mother partly to save her pain, and also to
prevent her from blaming Luke for marrying her when he could not provide for
her. Something must be done. He was unwilling to give Luke too sudden a
shock by telling him what he thought of his wife's health, but as Mrs. Greville
was now getting stronger, he decided to enlighten her quickly about the
matter. He would write directly he got home; and meanwhile, the thought that
this was only one case of extreme poverty that existed among the clergy in his
diocese, lay on his heart like lead.
But the doctor told Mrs. Greville of the serious state of Rachel's health before
the Bishop's letter reached her.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE DREAM OF HIS LIFE.
Rachel did not hurry to see a doctor, but having promised to do so she knew
she must keep her word, so the second day after the Bishop's visit, knowing
that Luke would be away at a clerical meeting in the country, she wrote a note
to the doctor who had been attending her mother-in-law asking him to come
and see her. She did not suppose that there was anything seriously the matter
with her notwithstanding the fact that she felt so ill; and after all, she thought
to herself, she need not follow out his injunctions if they were inconvenient.
She was quite unprepared for his verdict. He told her that both her heart and
her lungs were affected, and that it was absolutely necessary that she should
give up all parish work and if possible take a thorough rest. To Mrs. Greville,
he gave a still more serious account.
"She should leave this place at once," he said, "and live as far as possible an
open air life. A sanatorium would give her the best chance. But if this is
impossible she should go into the country or to the sea. Of course she has
been doing the work of two or three women. She must drop all that and what
is more she should be fed up. She is not properly nourished."
"Do you mean to say you think that she has not had enough food?" asked
Mrs. Greville very much distressed.
"I am afraid not. She has not looked after herself at all. I made her tell me
what she had had in the way of food yesterday, and when I heard I was not
surprised at her state of health.
"I am afraid it will be an awful blow to my son," said Mrs. Greville.

"I'm afraid it will, but if he wants to keep her he must make some other
arrangement for her. I won't be responsible for her life unless she is removed
as soon as possible, and is given the opportunity of changing entirely her way
of living."
Mrs. Greville so dreaded telling Luke the news she had received from the
doctor that she did not ask him to come round to see her that evening. So she
sat and brooded over the news, and in her heart she blamed Rachel for
neglecting herself as she had evidently done. Of course people would lay the
blame on Luke; but how could you expect a man whose every moment was
filled in with his parish duties to notice when his wife looked pale, or lost her
appetite. And what a terrible hindrance to his work to have an invalid wife!
Moreover, it was easy for the doctor to prescribe a different climate and
complete rest; but how his plans were to be carried out she did not know.
Meanwhile Rachel quite unconscious of the doctor's visit to Mrs. Greville, after
the first shock of the news, determined to behave as if he had never been.
She was resolved not to become an invalid and a hindrance to her husband,
an hour before it was positively necessary. And after all doctors often made
mistakes. She would drink more milk, a matter on which he had laid great
stress, and there she would leave it.
When Luke returned home from the clerical meeting he was in good spirits.
The paper he had read had been well received and the discussion that had
followed had been intensely interesting. Rachel was as interested in all that
had happened as she always was in his concerns, and he did not notice that
she was looking unusually tired and worn.
The next day two letters lay on the hall table for Luke. But he had to hurry off
directly after lunch to an appointment, and so he put them in his pocket to
read in the tram on the way.
It was only after taking his seat that he remembered them. One he saw at
once was from the Bishop, the other had the London postmark. He opened
the second first as being more interesting to him; and he could scarcely
believe what he read. It was the offer of a living in a crowded part of London,
where he would have the charge of 16,000 souls. He could have shouted for
joy. It was exactly what he had been longing for. It was true that financially it
was not much better than his present living, but money had very little
attraction or indeed meaning for Luke, and he dismissed from his mind that
part of the news in the letter almost without a thought. It was the work that he
craved, and work in the very centre of the universe, as he liked to think of
London. At last the dream of his life was coming true. He felt he could hardly
get through his work, so anxious was he to tell the news to Rachel and to his
mother.
He felt that his mother would rejoice with him almost more than Rachel. Now
that he came to think of it his wife had never taken much to the thought of
London; though he knew that she would do nothing to prevent him going. Had
she not said when they had been talking about the possibility of him one day
being offered a church there, "Where thou goest I will go?" But the
remembrance of her words about London and her dislike of it, for a moment or
two rather damped his spirits; but he knew she would not fail him now that the
dream of his life was coming true.
So full was he of the news the letter contained, that he forgot there was
another one in his pocket till he was in the tram again on his way home.
To his amusement, he found that this one was also an offer of a living; but one
in the country. It was a good one, much better than the one offered to him in
London; but this did not weigh with him in the least, and the fact of it being in
the country at once made him dismiss it from his mind. In fact, he scarcely
took in the Bishop's letter in which he said, that he felt sure a country life
would be beneficial both for his wife and his son, adding that when he called
at his house he had thought Rachel looking very tired and worn.
Rachel was always so bright in her husband's presence that he supposed the
Bishop must have called at an inconvenient time and that unfortunately
Rachel had not been able to conceal the fact. He had not noticed anything
wrong in her looks himself, and he did not recollect her once complaining of
even a headache ever since her marriage. The Bishop evidently had got a
wrong impression of her from his call. He would write and thank him for his
kind thought of them but decline the country living and tell him why. Then he
thrust the Bishop's letter into his pocket and made his way joyfully toward his
mother's rooms.
CHAPTER XXIII.
LUKE SEES HIMSELF.
Luke, full of his great news, ran upstairs to his mother's room, with the letter
from London in his hands.
He found her crouching over the fire in the big horsehair chair, the only
armchair in the room. He was surprised that she did not look round at the
sound of his footsteps and give him her usual smile of welcome. Instead, she
stretched out her hand to him with averted eyes.
"Mother what is it?" he asked. He knew she must have bad news of some kind
and wanted to express her sympathy before she broke it to him.
"My poor boy," was all she said.
Luke took a chair by her and looked anxiously at her. She had been so much
better lately, was able to walk a little and was getting altogether stronger, that
her action perplexed him. Had the doctor given her a depressing account of
herself, he wondered? Mrs. Greville's first words confirmed this fear.
"Dr. Fleming has been here."
"And surely he thinks you much better? Don't let him make you nervous about
yourself, mother."
"It isn't about myself," said Mrs. Greville in a strained tone of voice, "it's about
Rachel."
Luke's face cleared at once.
"Oh well," he said laughing, "you may make your mind easy about her. I left
her this morning in good spirits."
He was much relieved.
"My poor boy!" said his mother again, "You must prepare for a great blow."
He began to wonder if the slight stroke his mother had had, affected her brain.
He put his hand caressingly on hers. "Let's have it out," he said with a smile. "I
don't think what ever it is that it can affect me as much as you imagine."
"Rachel is not well," said his mother watching his face anxiously. "She saw the
doctor yesterday."
"Not well!" said Luke astonished. "Why, what is the matter with her? She was
quite well anyhow this morning. Has she had an accident?"
"No. It is worse than an accident. The doctor thinks very seriously of her."
Luke rose and stood before his mother. All the colour had left his face.
"Tell me outright what you mean," he said sharply. "What is wrong with her?"
"Both her heart and her lungs."
Luke stood quite still and silent. He was always silent and unnaturally quiet
when agitated in his mind.
"When did she see the doctor?" he asked at last.
"Yesterday."
"Yesterday!"
"Yes. The Bishop, you remember, called on her. He made her promise to
consult him."
"And why didn't she tell me?" said Luke. And the agonised expression in his
eyes showed his mother how intensely he was moved.
"I don't know, except that she wanted to save you anxiety. She has not told me
either and I don't suppose that she has any idea that Dr. Fleming came round
to see me about her."
Luke dropped into a chair. Then he looked up again at his mother.
"Did he give any directions or say what should be done?" he asked.
"I'm afraid he did my dear boy. He mentioned something about a Sanatorium,

but anyhow, he said it was absolutely necessary for her to have perfect rest
and a change of air and environment. In fact Luke," she added, and her voice
trembled, "he seemed to think it a matter of life and death."
Luke groaned and covered his face with his hands.
"He says," continued his mother, "that she has evidently been doing too much
and has not taken care of herself. He particularly dwelt on her thinness.
Apparently she has not had nourishing food."
Luke groaned again.
"I feel Rachel is greatly to be blamed for having been so careless about her
health," added Mrs. Greville.
Luke looked up, and his mother was startled by the stern expression of his
face.
"Rachel to be blamed!" he repeated. "I am to be blamed, not Rachel."
There was anguish in his tone of voice. He picked up the letter from London
which had fallen to the ground, ramming it into his coat pocket. Then he
sprang up and looked at his watch.
"I shall go and see the doctor at once," he said. And without another word, he
hurried away.
His visit confirmed his worst fears, and the doctor seemed surprised that he
had never noticed the gradual change in his wife's appearance. Even he had
seen it, casually meeting her in the street.
Luke walked home as if in a dream. The letters in his pocket were absolutely
forgotten; his one thought was Rachel.
He opened the door of the house softly and went up into his study. He felt he
could not meet his wife till he had looked the terrible truth in the face. The
thought that he might possibly lose her was too painful to him to be able to
bear calmly, and yet he knew that he must not give her any hint as to his
fears.
He shut the door of his study after him and sank into the large armchair by the
fire burying his face in his hands.
The fire! Even that seemed to cry out in condemnation of his selfishness. Of
course Rachel had lit his fire so that his room might be warm and comfortable
for him, while she probably had had no fire to sit by except that in the kitchen.
He had been so preoccupied with his own interests and concerns that he had
scarcely given a thought to hers. His mother had said, that the doctor gave it
out as his opinion that she had not eaten enough. How was it that this fact had
never been noticed by him! She always supplied him with plenty, and it had
not struck him to notice what food she had provided for herself. Husband and
child had never wanted for anything.
The doctor had said that she was thoroughly overworked. And yet he had
never noticed how she was getting thin and pale! How often had he asked her
to do things for him so that he might go off to some meeting or other, and it
had never crossed his mind that the anxiety of leaving Pat with inexperienced
Polly must have added to the strain.
Then he had never shared in the care of the child; in fact he had at times
asked Rachel to do what she could to keep him quiet as his crying somewhat
disturbed him working. Not many weeks after his birth he had moved his bed
into his dressing room, as the child's restlessness prevented him sleeping,
and he felt his sleep to be all important to his work. He had never realised that
Rachel also wanted an occasional night's rest.
And what had she not given up for him! Her luxurious home, where she had
every comfort; her mother and sisters who had petted and loved her; her out
of door pursuits; her flowers which she loved so passionately; her ease and
her friends. And what had he given up for her in return? Nothing! Nothing!
In exchange for all her home comforts, he had given her a pokey little house,
poverty, overwork, and strain!
He was indeed in the Valley of Humiliation!
Then he suddenly rebelled at his thoughts and he started up and began to

pace the room. Given her nothing! He had given her his heart's love. All the
love that he knew how to give. Next to his God was his love for his wife; and
he knew that in this sudden reaction of thought Rachel would be one with him.
Though poor compared to her love for him he had given her his best. She
knew she was all the world to him. Life without her was unthinkable. He
paused as he reached his writing table, looking down absently at his Sunday
sermon which he had already begun. The text of it faced him.
"'These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.'"
The words gave him a shock. They so exactly described him, and yet he had
been so unconscious of his delinquencies that he had actually intended to
preach to his people about theirs.
"'These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.'" The Word
of God condemned him. He had forgotten that preaching and visiting were not
the only duties to be done for God, or the only work. Did not St. Paul lay a
special stress on the home life?
He realised now that though he loved his wife so devotedly, he had been so
engrossed in his own affairs that he had neglected her. He suddenly paused in
his walk. That was Rachel's voice. Evidently little Pat was restless and his
mother was singing him to sleep. Luke could hardly bear the sound of her
dear voice. It pierced his heart like an arrow. He pictured just how she was
looking, walking up and down in her bedroom with the child in her arms. He
had often heard her sing the words that he now heard, but he remembered
how even the sound of her singing at times had disturbed him, and he had
asked her to stop. But this evening, he listened and wept.
"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head,
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay."
"The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,

But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.
I love Thee Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh."
"Be near me Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay

Close by me for ever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there."
The voice grew softer and softer; then it ceased altogether and Luke knew Pat
was asleep.
He so dreaded to meet Rachel that he stayed up in his study till he heard her
footstep outside. When she opened the door she found him sitting over the
fire in an attitude of deep depression, and knew at once that somehow he had
learnt the news about her. Kneeling by his side she laid her head on his
breast.
"You mustn't worry about me dearest," she said, "I think myself that Dr.
Fleming is a pessimist and has made a mistake. Anyhow I don't mean to act
as if what he said was true. I shall just go on as I have done before; that is to
say after a little rest. I suppose I must have that."
Luke was silent. He hardly thought that she could be aware of her serious
condition.
"Why did you not tell me?" he asked after a pause. There was a tone of
reproach in his voice.
"I didn't want to worry you, you have so much to trouble you. Besides, I don't
suppose there is anything really the matter with me. Doctors make such
mistakes."
He took up one of her hands and looked at it. He was shocked to notice how
thin it was.
He held it to his lips and kissed it. The unusual action almost broke Rachel's
self-control.
She rose saying, "I must go now and see after the supper. Polly will wonder
where I am." But once out of the room her tears began to flow.
"Oh, I mustn't be ill," she gasped, as instead of going into the kitchen, she
sank into a chair in the drawing-room. "I shall be no good to Luke, only an
anxiety. Oh God show me what to do. Don't let me be a burden to him."
Luke, after Rachel had left, sat sunk again in deep depression.
Then suddenly he remembered the letters in his pocket. He had completely

forgotten them, and now when he opened for the second time the Bishop's
letter, it suddenly dawned upon him that here was the way out of his difficulty.
To accept the country living meant that Rachel could live in the garden, and
her strenuous life at Trowsby would be over. She would go to the place as a
known invalid and would not be expected to take up parish work. The cloud on
his face lifted, and the weight on his heart grew lighter. Moreover, the struggle
with poverty of which Rachel had been more conscious evidently than he had,
would be over, for the stipend was unusually good.
With a feeling of great thankfulness, he closed the letter and opened the one
from London intending to answer them both that night. Of course the London
living must be refused. There was no question about it. But as he read over
again the description of the work a feeling of intense disappointment took
possession of him. He had been longing for this offer! It was, as he had once
said to Rachel, the dream of his life.
And here it was within his grasp and yet he was unable to accept it. Instead of
preaching to a large congregation and ministering to their souls needs, he
would have to vegetate in the country! It would be a living death to him.
During the first year or two of his present charge he had tasted what it was to
be able to move people by his oratory; it was only the extra-ordinary craze for
amusements that had spoilt it all. It was then he began to long for a wider
sphere, and though the parish in which was the church that had been offered
to him was in a poor part of London, the congregation consisted of many who
had been drawn there by the preaching of the former Vicar. The Trustees
were most anxious to secure a good preacher to succeed him. One of them
had visited St. Marks on purpose to judge of Luke's preaching, and was much
struck by it. This was why the living had been offered to him notwithstanding
the fact that he was somewhat young for such an important post. All this was
mentioned in the letter that Luke held in his hand, and the fact that he had to
decline it filled him with the keenest disappointment. So keen was it that he
decided not to tell Rachel that night about either letter. He would wait to
answer them till the next day. It was never a good thing to do anything in a
hurry.
Luke's silence at supper did not surprise her. She knew that it was a sign that
he had some problem to solve. The problem of course, this evening, she knew
must be what to do about her. Once or twice she tried to make him smile as
she recounted some event of the day; but she was so unsuccessful that she
felt it was better to leave him to his thoughts. She was trying herself to unravel
the difficulty that had arisen, but so impossible did she find it that she came to
the conclusion that the only thing was to leave it in Higher Hands. God had
always provided for them and would do so still. Was He not a very present
help in time of trouble?
Luke sat up late that night. He was standing before the Bar of his own
conscience. He had to face the fact that he was feeling rebellious; struggling
against the Will of God. To bury his talents in a village was a repugnant
thought to him. How could he endure the quiet and dullness of it? Would it not
tend to make him indolent in work? What would be the good of reading all the
new thought of the day in order to help those who were troubled by it, if there
was no-one who had even heard of the false teaching. How could he spend
his time in preparing sermons suitable to men and women whose brains had
never been taught to work. He pictured himself preaching to a congregation,
the half of which were asleep and the other half on the verge of going to
sleep. Then he suddenly remembered how his Lord had spent time over the
soul of one poor woman, the Lord of whom it was said, "Never man spake like
this man." Had He not taught again and again, both by his words and actions,
the value of one individual soul?
Luke's disinclination for a village congregation made him look into his own
motives. Had all his work been at Trowsby been done for the glory of God?
Had not the first year or two of his great popularity somewhat intoxicated him?
Was the wish to preach to large audiences to win them to the service of the
Lord? Or was it the delightful sense of power to sway their minds, that
attracted him? Was the disappointment and the longing for a larger sphere
caused at all by the fact that he was conscious that he had lost hold of his
people? That they no longer hung on his words as of yore; that instead of
looking up to him, as formerly, with admiration, they looked down on him as
out of date?
Sitting by his fire that night, looking at the dying coals, he saw himself for the
first time in the light of one who had been weighed in the balances and found
wanting. He was right down in the Valley of Humiliation, and in agony of soul.
It was late when he went to his room. Then he dreamt that he was a Bishop
preaching in St. Paul's Cathedral. He looked down at the sea of faces, and
was conscious of a thrill of emotion as he saw the vast congregation before
him. He felt triumphant and elated as among the number he noticed some of
his parishioners at Trowsby, who had left his Church because they did not
consider him up to date.
He heard his fine voice echoing down the aisles as he gave out his text, and
was congratulating himself on its texture, when the whole congregation rose
to its feet, saying solemnly and slowly, "Thou art weighed in the balances, and
art found wanting." Then they filed out of the Cathedral till he was left standing
alone in the pulpit, with the condemning words still echoing among the pillars.
He awoke trembling with horror, and knew, in the anguish of his soul, that it
was true of him. He had been weighed in the balances and found wanting.
The cry of his little son in the adjoining room reached him; and he heard
Rachel's soft voice singing:
"Be near me Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there."
He rose and opened the door softly, and took the child from her arms. Rachel,
almost too tired to smile or feel any surprise, lay down and slept.
"Perhaps," said Luke to himself, "To take care of my little son, may be more to
God's glory than to preach in St. Paul's Cathedral."
He wrote the next morning before breakfast to refuse the London living and to
accept the one in the country; and he never told his wife nor his mother that
he had had a chance of experiencing the dream of his life and had put it away.
CHAPTER XXIV.
FOR LUKE'S SAKE.
Luke paced up and down the lawn of his pretty Rectory. The moon was
shedding its silver light on grass and trees; the flowers were flinging their
perfume around him; a nightingale trilled out its song from a tree in the
distance; but it all meant nothing to Luke. His soul was crying out for crowds of
human beings; for his fellow men; for the rush and excitement of city life; for
the tumult and whirl of London.
The silence of this summer night broken only by the song of the nightingale
was almost unbearable. The thought of his village church sparsely filled with
farmers and their wives, and labourers, who listened to him with their mouths
open in astonishment at the oratory of their new "parson," the remembrance of
the cottages nestling on the hill below the Rectory, with their walls covered
with roses and honey suckle, and whose occupants he had already visited
several times during his short stay among them, had no charm for him.
He longed for strenuous work in courts and alleys, for congregations of people
who could appreciate his sermons; he pined for London platforms and
enthralled listeners to his eloquence. He felt he was wasted, utterly wasted in
this quiet village on the hill that Rachel so loved.
Yes, Rachel loved it. That was the only compensation. Gradually it seemed
that her health was returning. The open air life and comparative rest from
worry were doing their work; and only a few minutes before, she had left him
rejoicing in all the beauty of their surroundings, its peace and quietness. She
revelled in the flowers and trees and soft green grass.
When Luke had told her two months ago of the Bishop's offer of Stagland, the
news had struck her as so wonderful that she had burst into tears. She knew
that a few more months in Trowsby would mean that she would have to say
goodbye to husband and child and leave them to get through life alone; and
the lifting of that burden seemed almost too good to be true. Moreover, living
at Stagland meant an end to the perpetual struggle of keeping within their
means, an end too of housework, for which she was entirely unfit. She
decided before many hours were over to take the faithful little Polly as
nursemaid and to help in the house, with another general servant. They would
be able to grow their own vegetables and fruit, and no doubt Luke would do a
certain amount of work in the garden with a man to help. The whole plan
seemed ideal to Rachel. She lay awake thinking of it at night and panting for
the fresh air of the country.
At times, however, she wondered if she ought to let Luke sacrifice himself to
the extent of living in the country. Would he be able to endure it? Would he
have enough to occupy his time? Was it right that a young and strong man
should take a country living and spend his best years among fields and
hedges instead of courts and alleys?
She looked anxiously at his face when he did not know that her eyes were
upon him, and was afraid that she detected a shade of sadness in its
expression. Luke, however, was very careful not to let her know by his words
how almost unbearable the thought of the country was to him. But when
Rachel was not with him he gave way to his miserable thoughts.
He had been inexpressibly touched by the warmth of feeling displayed by

some of the members of his congregation at Trowsby when they heard that he
was leaving them. As is often the case, he learnt then for the first time that
which would have immensely encouraged him had he known it before, that he
had helped so many of them spiritually. It made leaving them all the harder,
though at the same time it warmed his heart to find that he had been used far
more than he had imagined for the good of their souls. The last two Sundays
at Trowsby, the Church had been full to overflowing, and he had again the
wonderful feeling of being able to sway men's minds.
As he paced up and down in the moonlight, he lifted his eyes to the starlit sky
and cried to God to forgive all his past unsatisfactoriness and to make him
once more of use in the world.
As for Rachel she was in a dream of happiness. In fact it seemed as if life had
suddenly opened to her in all its rich fulness. The presence of her husband,
her child, the country air laden with all sorts of perfume; the feeling of rest and
quiet after the strain and stress of Trowsby; and the consciousness that she
was getting her strength back and had not to be always thinking of ways and
means, filled her with thankfulness. Moreover, she had a most faithful
nursemaid in Polly who she counted distinctly as one of her blessings. Polly's
devotion to Pat showed itself in many ways; and Rachel felt that she could
trust the child perfectly to her when she was feeling unable to make any effort
on his behalf. For though she knew she was gradually getting stronger she
was conscious that her amount of strength was at present very small and that
any unnecessary effort was bad for her.
"I am going to Trowsby," said Luke one morning. "I am not happy about my
mother. Her letters strike me as rather depressed."
"I am afraid that she must miss you very much," said Rachel.
"I fancy that is what is making her depressed. Anyhow I shall go and find out. I
shall rather like to be in Trowsby again," he added.
"You mustn't like it so much that you'll want to be back again," said Rachel.
Luke laughed. He would have given the world to be back again, but he did not
tell her so. Anyhow it would do him good just to have a look at the people. And
if he started quite early in the morning, by 7.30, he would have a long day
before he need return by the 8 o'clock train.
The streets of Trowsby did for him what the trees and flowers did for his wife.
He felt he could breathe again, and the depression that had weighed him
down rolled away. His first visit was to the church. It was empty. After kneeling
in prayer, he sat down and lived over again the Sundays he had spent there.
He remembered the crowded building, the earnest listeners, the hearty
singing, and compared it with his present village Church.
Then with a sigh he rose and made his way to his mother's rooms. That she
was missing him terribly, he saw at once.
"You must come and live with us," he said. "Why not?"
"My dear I could not do that," she answered. "If Rachel asked me that would
be another thing. But she is not likely to do that."
"But why not?" said Luke. "I am quite sure she would be delighted. I can't think
why the plan was not thought of before."
Mrs. Greville smiled.
"Have you ever come across a daughter-in-law who would welcome such an
idea? I haven't. No, it would not answer."
"Perhaps not with most people; but you are different. I can't imagine Rachel
not liking the suggestion. Of course she would be only too delighted."
Mrs. Greville shook her head. "It is impossible," she said. "I like Rachel and
admire her in many ways, but I am perfectly sure that our feelings for one
another would be strained and uncomfortable. I don't know if you are aware
she has never once called me mother. I am Mrs. Greville to her and nothing
more."
"What?" exclaimed Luke.
Mrs. Greville, seeing her son's astonishment, was sorry that she had
mentioned the fact to him.
"Oh it really does not signify," she hurried to say. "I daresay it has never struck
her. And I have not a word to say against her. She is a very nice girl and an
excellent wife. But you see the kind of footing we are on. She would not
welcome me I am quite sure."
"I am convinced that you are mistaken," said Luke. The idea had never
entered his mind, that his wife and mother were not on the closest of terms
with one another. His mother, he felt sure, was depressed from her late illness
and was looking at things through dark spectacles.
"You must put those ideas quite away from you," he said, "and you must come
and live with us. Wouldn't you like it?"
"I have never liked the thought of the country. But of course it would be far
less lonely and I suppose I could find enough to do in the village."
"Of course you would. You could start all sorts of things which Rachel is not in
a fit state to do."
"Well I shall not come unless I am definitely asked by your wife," said Mrs.
Greville, "as I am convinced that I should not be welcomed. Neither do I think
it at all wise for a mother-in-law to take up her abode with her son and his
wife. You will see that I am right."
Luke made the best of his time in Trowsby. He visited every member of his
men's Bible class; had tea with Mrs. Stone, looked up the district visitors and
finally found himself just in time to spring into the 8 o'clock train as it was
moving out of the station.
Meanwhile Rachel had had a lovely day in the garden. Little Pat was in his
perambulator by her side, crowing and happy. The birds were singing in the
trees above her. The gardener was cutting the grass in another part of the
garden with a scythe; that most delicious of all sounds; an occasional heavily
laden cart passed in the lane near by. She rejoiced in every sight, sound, and
smell, and the quiet and peace were as balm to her spirit.
When baby was taken away to be put to sleep for the night Rachel still lay on
under the trees, and was fast asleep herself when Luke opened the gate.
"Have you had a nice day?" she said, as she awoke at the sound of his
footstep. But she saw the question was unnecessary. His face was radiant.
"First-rate," he said, taking a seat by her side. "I enjoyed every minute of it."
"How is your mother?"
For the moment Luke had forgotten about his suggestion to his mother; and
the sudden remembrance of her words made him hesitate before answering;
then he said:
"Of course she misses me terribly. I don't feel happy at her being so far away."
He was so afraid of seeing by the expression on his wife's face that his mother
was right in her judgment, that he kept his eyes on the tree above him. Rachel
was silent. A sudden presentiment filled her mind and made her heart flutter.
Was Luke wanting his mother to live with them? Was it possible that such a
thought had entered his mind! How could she bear it? She had grown to like
Mrs. Greville, indeed to love her in a way.
Her devotion to little Pat was almost pathetic and had drawn them together.
But to have her in the house, for the peace to be interrupted by her restless
activities; to hear her loud voice disturbing the quiet of the home and garden!
How could she bear it! And yet—yes she was sure from the look on Luke's
face as he gazed up into the tree, that this was what he wanted to propose
and for some reason felt nervous of doing so. She was silent; then mastering
herself she said quietly:
"Of course she must miss you terribly. What a pity Trowsby is so far away."
With a fear lest he should then and there propose to her what she believed
would wreck the happiness and peace of the home, she added quickly, "I think
it is getting a little damp and chilly. Will you bring in my chair dear."
Luke was all concern in a moment. Rachel must not get cold. He folded up the
chair and followed her into the house. He was just a little surprised that Rachel
had not caught his thought. She was generally so quick at discovering his
meaning; but evidently the idea of his mother living with them had never
crossed her mind. He must try and broach the subject again later on. Had it
not been for his mother's words he would not have felt the slightest hesitation
in doing so; but what she had said was making him find it a little difficult for the
first time to tell Rachel his wish.
"What is the time?" asked Rachel as she paused at the door of the drawing-
room.
"Half past nine."
"Then I shall go straight to bed," she said. "Polly has laid your supper in the
dining-room. I must wait to hear all about your day till to-morrow, then I shall
be fresher."
On reaching her bedroom Rachel locked the door and sank into a chair. The
shock of the discovery of what was in Luke's mind made her feel quite faint.
Was her cup of happiness to be taken from her? She had so enjoyed having
her husband and child to herself—and so thankful that for a time, at least, the
subject of economy could be put on one side—that she need not worry any
more over eggs being 4d each or that margarine was cheaper than butter.
She hoped that she had left all that behind in Trowsby for ever; but she was
convinced that if Mrs. Greville lived with them the subject of economy would
continually crop up whether it were needful or not. Ways and means were too
interesting a topic to her mother-in-law to allow of her dropping it for long.
Then there were the servants. Polly had a rooted objection to Mrs. Greville,
and as for her new maid she was one who disliked any interference. Rachel
felt that she would certainly lose her, and if it were not for Polly's devotion to
little Pat and herself, there would have been small chance of keeping even
her. Anyhow the peace and the intense happiness would be gone. She would
feel that she had lost both husband and child. Mrs. Greville would dominate
them all and would rule the house. Rachel knew by this time, moreover, that
her ideas on the bringing up of children were in direct opposition to her own.
What should she do if Luke asked her outright to invite her mother-in-law to
live with them? Should she tell him of the difficulties which would certainly
arise? Would it be possible to talk them over together without hurting him too
much? But no. She knew that Luke would not in the least understand them. It
would only make matters worse. She must either put her foot down and say
decidedly that it could not be, or give way.
Rachel in her distress knew there was only one thing to do. Only one answer
to give. She must just pray for strength to do what she knew was her duty; and
to take up the cross without murmuring.
Luke was spared the ordeal he had begun to dread; for at breakfast the next
morning Rachel looked at him across the table with a smile.
"I have been thinking about your mother," she said. "Why not ask her to come
and live with us. Would she like it?"
Luke's whole face lit up.
"That is exactly what I should wish, dearest," he said. "But will it put more on
you? Happily we have Emma, and two servants ought to be able to work the
house well."
"Anyhow," said Rachel, "we might try the experiment."
"I'll write this morning," said Luke joyfully. "No, it would come better from you.
And Rachel," he said, with a little hesitation, "call her 'mother' will you? That
would bring her I know. She would feel we really wanted her."
Rachel laughed. Had she not laughed she would have cried.
"All right," she said. "You shall see my letter before it goes."
Luke was overjoyed. He was so glad that he had been right. There was
evidently no feeling whatever against his mother's coming in Rachel's
judgment. In fact she was evidently pleased at the suggestion. He would write
also and tell his mother that she had been quite wrong in imagining that his
wife would not like the plan.
Rachel dashed off her letter as quickly as she could lest her heart should fail
her, and showed it to Luke.
"Dear Mother," she wrote;

"Why not come and live with us? You would
like this place and would feel much less
lonely than living on in Trowsby. We do not
like to think of you there by yourself."
"Your affectionate daughter-in-law,"
"Rachel."
Rachel pointed to the beginning as Luke took it in his hands, saying, "I have
called her mother for love of you."

Aligning IT and Business: Fostering Organizational Performance, Employees' Commitment and Quality of Management Methods Katarzyna Tworek

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Aligning IT and Business: Fostering Organizational Performance, Employees' Commitment and Quality of Management Methods Katarzyna Tworek

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Aligning IT and Business: Fostering

Organizational Justice and Organizational Change

Quality IT and Business Operations Modeling and

Strategic Management Accounting, Volume III: Aligning

A first course in quality engineering integrating

Knowledge Solutions Tools Methods and Approaches to

A First Course in Quality Engineering: Integrating

How to engage, involve, and motivate employees :

Aligning Business Strategies and Analytics: Bridging

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11890

Aligning IT and Business

Business Information Systems

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018967431

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

1 IT Solutions in Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 1

3.3 IT Reliability as an Indicator of IT—Business Alignment . . . . ... 63

5.1.2 Roadmap for Aligning IT Solutions with Medium-

Researchers and practitioners consider “attaining alignment between IT and busi-

solutions in organizations (Tworek 2018a, b, c) aimed at indicating how employees

conﬁrming the proper selections of business contexts and veriﬁcation of IT relia-

Abstract The chapter is describing the role of IT solutions in modern organizations.

Technology is defined by Ferré (1995) as “practical implementations of intel-

of various performance parameters, sizes and shapes (including mobile handheld

1.1 IT Solutions Typology

IT solutions typology may be somehow based on typologies of information systems

Table 1.1 Typologies of information systems in organizations

in organizations will be presented based on pyramid typology, which allows to ana-

1.1.1 Typology of Information Systems Used in Organizations

Table 1.2 Basic characteristics of TPS

Table 1.3 Basic characteristics of MIS

Table 1.4 Basic characteristics of DSS

Table 1.5 Basic characteristics of EIS

1.1.2 Typology of IT Solutions Used in Organizations

Cats-Baril and Thompson (1997) proposed a typology of systems called information

Table 1.6 Typology of IT solutions functions in organization

Fig. 1.4 IT solutions

1.2 IT Solutions Support for Management Methods

IT solutions used in organizations are aimed at supporting organization functioning

Methodology: entity or closely related collection of methods, rules and disciplinary

purpose of developing a typology of management methods based on their sensitivity

1.2.1 High-Sensitivity Management Methods

Enterprise Resource Planning

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a holistic and integrated management method

Business Process Reengineering

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is an approach for business process transfor-

Lean management principles, based on the Toyota Production System is a source

1.2.2 Mid-Sensitive Management Methods

Business Continuity Management

The Business Continuity Institute defines BCM as “a holistic management pro-

2007, p. 81). Practitioners of knowledge management represented by the consult-

Total Quality Management

Before he left, he made her promise to have medical advice.

"I am afraid it will be an awful blow to my son," said Mrs. Greville.

"My poor boy," was all she said.

"Dr. Fleming has been here."

Luke's face cleared at once.

He was much relieved.

"Both her heart and her lungs."

"When did she see the doctor?" he asked at last.

Luke dropped into a chair. Then he looked up again at his mother.

"Did he give any directions or say what should be done?" he asked.

"I'm afraid he did my dear boy. He mentioned something about a Sanatorium,

Luke groaned and covered his face with his hands.