This qualitatively based study explores the post-implementation web management
problems o f web managers who work in both centralized information systems units
(CWM) and distributed functional units (DWM) within four traditional manufacturing
sites. The study also investigates related web management goals and the influence o f
contextual factors (especially organizational position) on problems and goals.
The study presents these related problems, goals, and contextual factors in a
“web management worlds” framework. It presents a general web management world
framework that is an abstract conceptualization o f the general experiences o f any web
manager at companies similar to the study sites. It also presents a CWM world and a
DWM world. These world frameworks serve to illustrate how CWM and DWM
experiences differ in terms o f the customer and product sets for which they have
responsibility and how these differences lead them to hold different goals and perceive
different problems.
Additionally, the study compares problems experienced by web managers with
problems experienced by managers o f other types o f IT. Study findings first suggest that
web managers experience problems similar to those o f other IT managers. They also
suggest however that web managers may experience some unique problems related to the
marketing orientation, high visibility and the interconnectedness o f content on the web
IS.