End User Acceptance of the Spreadsheet

There were many reasons why the spreadsheet grew in popularity. But at the heart of every reason was the fact that with the spreadsheet, the end user was in control of his or her own destiny. The spreadsheet was the tool that allowed the end user to get out from under the control of the IT organization. And getting out of the control of the IT department meant that things could finally get done. The complicated and involved user requirements that for years had been neglected by the IT department were at last rendered unnecessary.

Furthermore, not only did the end user suddenly have control of data and processing, but with the spreadsheet, data became malleable. New data elements could be added. Data values could be changed. Calculations could be corrected. And all of this flexibility was available with no involvement from the IT department.

Another important factor in the rising popularity of the spreadsheet was transferability. Spreadsheets...