Exploring the influence of information overload on middle management decision-making in organizations

This phenomenological study was an exploration of information overload and how it influenced middle management decision-making in a single organization. In-depth interviews were used to gather lived experiences of 22 middle managers at XYZ Defense Company in California. Data were analyzed using both HyperRESEARCH TM 2.8 software and a manual approach described by van Kaam and later modified by Moustakas (1994). The information flow in the organization studied required middle managers to handle volumes of email from both superiors and subordinates and created information overload. Middle manager decision-making relied primarily on e-mail rather than face-to-face communication, creating adverse affects on the organization. Filtering e-mails and multitasking to cope with the overload caused middle managers to ignore or delay decisions. Technology information overload induced stress and led to ineffective decision-making. A bureaucratic style of leadership resulted in a "faceless organization" with middle managers acting as "traffic cops" responsible for filtering vast amounts of information. It is recommended that organizations prepare leaders to deal with the burden of technology information overload and promote better organizational decision-making.