Abstract:
Management information systems are increasingly important to both public and private sector organizations. More and more managers recognize that access to accurate information, available in a timely fashion, can influence decisions and, in turn, can affect the efficacy of the overall organization. Computers are now a ubiquitous tool for managing information, a tool which is technologically sophisticated and one which continues to experience rapid technological change. One of the results of these trends has been the production of massive amounts of prescriptive material on how to make computers a more effective tool for information management. Some of this material has been of a technical nature, such as database theory and local area networks, while much of it has tried to integrate the technology to management issues, such as decision support systems (DSS) and management information systems (MIS). An important issue to any manager faced with reviewing and making use of these prescriptive arguments is the ability to identify which prescriptions are relevant to their circumstances and which are not.
Full Paper
Bretschneider, S. (1990). Management information systems in public and private organizations: An empirical test. Public Administration Review, 536-545.