Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

4-1995

Abstract

Exceptions, situations that cannot be correctly processed by computer systems, occur frequently in computer-based information processes. Five perspectives on exceptions provide insights into why exceptions occur and how they might be eliminated or more efficiently handled. We investigate these perspectives using an in-depth study of an operating information process that has frequent exceptions. Our results support the use of a total quality management (TQM) approach of eliminating exceptions for some exceptions, in particular, those caused by computer systems that are poor matches to organizational processes. However, some exceptions are explained better by a political system perspective of conflicting goals between subunits. For these exceptions and several other types, designing an integrated human-computer process will provide better performance than will eliminating exceptions and moving toward an entirely automated process.

Keywords

Exceptions, exception handling, process design, total quality management

Discipline

Computer Sciences | Management Information Systems

Research Areas

Information Systems and Management

Publication

ACM Transactions on Information Systems

Volume

13

Issue

2

First Page

206

Last Page

233

ISSN

1046-8188

Identifier

10.1145/201040.201049

Publisher

ACM

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1145/201040.201049

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