White collar computing: a field study using automated logging

A field study of computer use by executives, managers, professionals, and secretaries at the IBM corporate headquarters is described. The study uses automated logging to observe directly the users interaction with their computers. The study population uses computers an average of about 80 min/day. Both the amount of use and particular facilities used vary with organizational position. Variety and patterns of computer use are also seen to reflect the kinds of work generally associated with each position. Analytical workers are found to use systems more than verbal and managerial workers (106 vs. 57 min/day). The profiles of various groups of users suggests that their use echoes the general allocation of their time