Chapter 4 Information, Management, and Decision Making

Chapter 22 Information, Management, and Decision Making How to IS can be designed to support managers? What Managers Do? –The responsibilities of managers range into a wide area of activities. –Putting Management and IS in Context The formal study of management began in 1880s. It was initiated by the Engineers. It is as a discipline began to emerge as industrial org. grew in size from 100 to 1000s of workers.

Chapter 23 Information, Management, and Decision Making Since then three schools have emerged: technical competence, organizational adaptability to environments, and finally with know-how and intimate knowledge of the product and production process. –Three Schools of Management The schools can be categorized according to their periods of time. The classical period begins in The contemporary period begins in the late 1920s. The postmodern period begins in the early 1960s.

Chapter 24 Information, Management, and Decision Making –The Technical-Rational Perspective Description of management and organizations that focus on the mechanistic aspects of organization and the formal management functions of planning, organizing, coordinating,deciding, and controlling. Watching the internal processes to continuously be improved is reflected in IS field such as reengineering, value chain analysis, business process design, and total quality management.

Chapter 25 Information, Management, and Decision Making –The Behavioral Perspective Descriptions of management based on behavioral scientists’ observations of how organizations actually behave and what managers actually do in their jobs. The org is seen as an open, biological organism much like a cell or animal. The effectiveness of the org depend on its ability to adapt to its environment. Also depend on arranging itself internally so that all constituents are supported and sustained. The behavioral perspective had a powerful impact on the IS: –User acceptance –Strategic IS –Network org and virtual org

Chapter 26 Information, Management, and Decision Making In behavioral perspective the managers behave appears to be less systematic, more informal, less reflective, more reactive, less well organized, and much more frivolous. –Managerial Roles: Mintzberg Managerial roles are the expectations of the activities that managers should perform in an org. Interpersonal roles describe the managers act as figureheads and leaders for the organization. Informational roles describe the managers act as the nerve centers of their org, receiving and disseminating critical info. Decisional roles are the roles where managers initiate activities, handle disturbances, allocate resources, and negotiate conflicts.

Chapter 27 Information, Management, and Decision Making –The Cognitive Perspective and Postmodern Era Descriptions of management and org. that emphasize the role of knowledge, core competency, and perceptual filters. Introduction to Decision Making –Decision making remains one of the more challenging roles of a manager. IS helped managers communicate and distribute info but provided limited help in decision making. –Levels of Decision Making Strategic decision making determines the objectives, resources, and policies of org. Management control decision making is concerned with how (cont.)

Chapter 28 Information, Management, and Decision Making (cont.) efficiently and effectively resources are utilized and how well operational units are performing. Knowledge-level decision making deals with evaluating new ideas for products and services. Operational control decision making determines how to carry out the specific tasks set by strategic and middle management decision makers. –Types of Decisions: Structured vs. Unstructured Structured decisions are repetitive, routine, and involve a definite procedure. Unstructured decisions are novel, important, and nonroutine, and there is no well-understood procedure for making them. Semi-structured decisions are part of problem has clear-cut answer provided by an accepted procedure.

Chapter 29 Information, Management, and Decision Making –Types of Decisions and Types of Systems Each level of the organization contains both structured and unstructured problems (Figure 4-4). –Stages of Decision Making Intelligence consists of identifying the problems occurring in the org. During design the individual designs possible solutions to the problem. Choice consists of choosing among alternatives. Implementation is to adopt the solution and monitor its progress through reporting system.

Chapter 210 Information, Management, and Decision Making How Information Technology has Changed the Management Process –There is a big difference between how traditional managers perform the management function and solved problems in past and the contemporary managers act. –Traditional and Contemporary Management Contemporary views rely much more on the involvement, enabling, and empowering of lower-level mngmt and workers. Contemporary depends on a proper understanding of the environment, opening firm to outside influences and to contemporary social and ethical currents.

Chapter 211 Information, Management, and Decision Making IT played a role in the changing process of mgmt. Managers use IS to give more responsibilities to workers, facilitate communications, and decision-making power in the new org. –Implications for System Design Managers use IS formal IS to plan, organize, and coordinate. They also use it for less obvious tasks such as interpersonal communication & personal agendas. Ad hoc IS may have more impact on managers because of the use of more current info and be adjusted to unique situations. The design should make a use of info at the most general level. Communicate with other sources inside and outside Provide effective means of comm. among managers and workers.