| This is a study of the economics of information systems. Two aspects of information systems are addressed, first, the economics of information production within the information system, and second, the economics of information use in the firm.;To understand the economics of information production, resource use patterns for information systems in locally owned grain and farm supply cooperatives in Minnesota are studied. This includes an examination of information technology adoption using binomial and multinomial logic models.;To study the economics of information use, a theoretical model of the local cooperative firm is developed. This model is based on the theory of the firm and theories of organization design. Empirical models for locally owned cooperatives in Minnesota are estimated using an average production function and a production frontier. These models are used to measure the technical and economic efficiency of information system use and to study the interrelationships between information system inputs and other factors of production.;This study provides a new theoretical framework for understanding the economic relationships between the firm and its information system and some empirical observations that will be useful to managers and researchers in the agribusiness industry. |
