Ebook: Managing with Information Technology

The language of business and management, and of infor­ mation technology, is being employed across all sectors of economic and social activity. In recent years computers and information technology (IT) in general have moved from being a scarce resource to being a more generally available commodity, without a corresponding increase in understanding of how the new generation of tools can be used. IT is available on individual desktops, supporting decision making and communication, but often conven­ tional organizations have failed to adapt, individuals lack competence and confidence, and senior managers lack both the strategic insight to develop appropriate strategies and the humility to accept that they need to learn. As each sector, whether business, education, public sec­ tor management or the community and voluntary sector, realizes that the potential of IT is not being exploited to the full, calls are issued for the development of new "hybrid managers", a term coined to describe the gap in understanding and competence that is to be filled. The two editors work in the hybrid field of business information technology, which is a melting pot of ideas and experience from numerous traditional disciplines. The pace of change is such that no one individual could ever be abreast of all technical and business develop­ ments, but the field is now sufficiently mature for us to identify certain underlying issues and principles, and areas of research for the coming years.

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The increased availability of information technology has not been matched by an increased understanding of how to use it. One response to the problem has been the creation of "hybrid" managers, who combine a knowledge of the new technology with an understanding of the area in which it is being used. Richard Ennals and Phil Molyneux work in one such hybrid field, Business Information Technology, which combines the ideas and experiences from numerous traditional disciplines. Managing with Information Technolgy offers a unique approach to this important area, in that it bridges the conventional divides between private, public, and voluntary management. Produced as a collaborative effort, it brings together the ideas and experiences of people in academica, industry, education, and the community sector. The contributions cover 6 main areas: the fundamentals of business information technology; information systems and IT strategies; artificial intelligence and knowledge-based systems; hybrid managers; knowledge-based training systems; and human-centred systems. Managing with Information Technology offers a broad-based, critical evaluation of the role of information technology.

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The increased availability of information technology has not been matched by an increased understanding of how to use it. One response to the problem has been the creation of "hybrid" managers, who combine a knowledge of the new technology with an understanding of the area in which it is being used. Richard Ennals and Phil Molyneux work in one such hybrid field, Business Information Technology, which combines the ideas and experiences from numerous traditional disciplines. Managing with Information Technolgy offers a unique approach to this important area, in that it bridges the conventional divides between private, public, and voluntary management. Produced as a collaborative effort, it brings together the ideas and experiences of people in academica, industry, education, and the community sector. The contributions cover 6 main areas: the fundamentals of business information technology; information systems and IT strategies; artificial intelligence and knowledge-based systems; hybrid managers; knowledge-based training systems; and human-centred systems. Managing with Information Technology offers a broad-based, critical evaluation of the role of information technology.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
Front Matter....Pages 1-4
Declarative Programming....Pages 5-17
Front Matter....Pages 19-22
The Strategic Importance of Executive Information Systems....Pages 23-36
Information Systems Methodologies....Pages 37-57
Electronic Messaging....Pages 58-77
Strategic Management of Information Technology Investments....Pages 78-95
Front Matter....Pages 97-100
Artificial Intelligence in Business and Industry....Pages 101-117
Commercial Expert Systems....Pages 118-129
Expert Systems: Changing Perspectives in Applications in the Automotive Industry....Pages 130-142
Neural Networks in Business: A New Paradigm in Artificial Intelligence....Pages 143-149
Front Matter....Pages 151-154
Hybrid Managers in Information Technology....Pages 155-161
Information Technology Adds Value to Management Education....Pages 162-165
Is a “Hybrid Manager” Enough?....Pages 166-172
Undergraduate Hybrids....Pages 173-175
Front Matter....Pages 177-180
Towards Knowledge Based Hypermedia....Pages 181-192
An Intelligent Computer Based Training System: Evaluation and Development....Pages 193-203
Modality of Knowledge Based Training Systems: A KADS Approach....Pages 204-217
Front Matter....Pages 219-222
Human Centred Systems: Foundational Concepts and Traditions....Pages 223-239
Information Technology in the Community and Voluntary Sector....Pages 240-257
The Human User Interface....Pages 258-264
Back Matter....Pages 265-284

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The increased availability of information technology has not been matched by an increased understanding of how to use it. One response to the problem has been the creation of "hybrid" managers, who combine a knowledge of the new technology with an understanding of the area in which it is being used. Richard Ennals and Phil Molyneux work in one such hybrid field, Business Information Technology, which combines the ideas and experiences from numerous traditional disciplines. Managing with Information Technolgy offers a unique approach to this important area, in that it bridges the conventional divides between private, public, and voluntary management. Produced as a collaborative effort, it brings together the ideas and experiences of people in academica, industry, education, and the community sector. The contributions cover 6 main areas: the fundamentals of business information technology; information systems and IT strategies; artificial intelligence and knowledge-based systems; hybrid managers; knowledge-based training systems; and human-centred systems. Managing with Information Technology offers a broad-based, critical evaluation of the role of information technology.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
Front Matter....Pages 1-4
Declarative Programming....Pages 5-17
Front Matter....Pages 19-22
The Strategic Importance of Executive Information Systems....Pages 23-36
Information Systems Methodologies....Pages 37-57
Electronic Messaging....Pages 58-77
Strategic Management of Information Technology Investments....Pages 78-95
Front Matter....Pages 97-100
Artificial Intelligence in Business and Industry....Pages 101-117
Commercial Expert Systems....Pages 118-129
Expert Systems: Changing Perspectives in Applications in the Automotive Industry....Pages 130-142
Neural Networks in Business: A New Paradigm in Artificial Intelligence....Pages 143-149
Front Matter....Pages 151-154
Hybrid Managers in Information Technology....Pages 155-161
Information Technology Adds Value to Management Education....Pages 162-165
Is a “Hybrid Manager” Enough?....Pages 166-172
Undergraduate Hybrids....Pages 173-175
Front Matter....Pages 177-180
Towards Knowledge Based Hypermedia....Pages 181-192
An Intelligent Computer Based Training System: Evaluation and Development....Pages 193-203
Modality of Knowledge Based Training Systems: A KADS Approach....Pages 204-217
Front Matter....Pages 219-222
Human Centred Systems: Foundational Concepts and Traditions....Pages 223-239
Information Technology in the Community and Voluntary Sector....Pages 240-257
The Human User Interface....Pages 258-264
Back Matter....Pages 265-284
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