Management Myths and EDP

by Andrew Grimes, Roger Vergin


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Abstract

The article focuses on management myths and electronic data processing (EDP). A recent study was conducted to attempt to determine the management view of the impact of computer installations in business organizations in eleven firms in Minneapolis. The detailed findings of this research showed wide differences among the firms with regard to management's computer objectives, acquisition practices, employment impact, system design, programming methods, and many other factors associated with computer data processing. The reasons for these misconceptions are both numerous and diverse. Many have been logically generated by using the results of factory automation as the basis for comparison and predictions about computerized office automation. Some have resulted from the acceptance of partisan views resulting when suboptimal improvement in specific areas of the firm were considered and evaluated rather than the effects on the entire enterprise. While in the past the disguised impact and the misconceptions generated about the use of computers together with the lack of adequate criteria upon which to evaluate computer performance have combined to prevent critical analysis of EDP systems, these constraints will not operate in the future.

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