TOKYO (Nikkei)--The dissemination of information technology is causing a noticeable shift toward greater decentralization in corporate decision making, Thomas Malone, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, said here Thursday.

"For the first time in history, we can now have the economic benefits of large organizations -- economies of scale and knowledge -- without giving up the human benefits of small ones: freedom, creativity, motivation and flexibility," he said in a keynote speech at Global Information Summit 2006.

Participants at the annual forum, organized by The Nihon Keizai Shimbun under the theme of the "Digital Work Model," are discussing innovative approaches to work and management through the use of information technology.

"IT will enlarge the space and time frame for work," Kuniko Inoguchi, minister of state for gender equality and social affairs, said in a speech.

"This will support the entry of more married women into the work force."

As part of policy efforts to encourage such a trend, the Japanese government intends to promote the spread of "telework," or IT-based working from home, she added.

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