California Management Review

Abstract

The article presents an approach to the design and use of management information systems. It goes without argument that information is essential to managerial decision-making. Managers need timely, accurate information in order to make sound decisions regarding the myriad problems and issues that confront the organization. Organizational technology pertains to the nature of work activities. Technical-professional technologies tend to be fairly complex because there is substantial variety in the tasks performed. But the various problems are usually handled by referring to a store of established knowledge and decision-making techniques. At lower and middle management levels, problems and decisions frequently pertain to operational or line activities or organizational work units. At the top levels of the organization, however, few decisions are operational. At this level decisions pertain to policy matters, strategy, the government, competitors, future planning, jurisdictional disputes among executives, and the organization's general relationship with the external environment.

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