Discusses the problems encountered at the Duquesne Light Company of Pittsburgh's nuclear power plant as the result of an inability to process information effectively and keep pace with technological change. The creation of a separate division trained and directed to manage the plant's information flows is described and evaluated. (CLB)

The acquisition and implementation at Arizona State University of a fourth-generation language product to facilitate end-user access to institutional data are described. Some problems encountered are included, as are discussions of training and security considerations. (Author/MLW)

Computing and information technology at Arizona State University have developed within the University's large, complex decentralized culture. Delivery of central services, faculty and student computing, networking, administrative computing, and the construction of a computing and network services building are discussed. (MLW)

Proposes ways in which computerized data available in public libraries can be organized and used for management decision making. Experiences in the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library system and the Monroe County (Indiana) Public Library system are described, and use of the data for preparing materials acquisition budgets is discussed. (36…

Carnegie Mellon University's decision to standardize its administrative system development efforts on relational database technology and structured query language is discussed and its impact is examined in one of its larger, more widely used applications, the university information system. Advantages, new responsibilities, and challenges of the…

Sponsors of education management information systems (EMIS) often underestimate EMIS's impact on other education sector activities and fail to provide individual and organizational incentives for encouraging use of improved educational data at the national level. Liberia's example illustrates the consequences of developing poor incentive…

One way to avoid the danger of foster children losing permanence and drifting in the child welfare system is to improve the monitoring of children by using modern information technology. The feasibility of the use of a clinical information system in Israel is examined. (BC)

Many colleges and universities will soon adopt distributed systems for executive information and decision support. Distribution of shared information through computer networks will improve decision-making processes dramatically on campuses. Critical success factors include administrative support, favorable organizational climate, ease of use,…

A methodology to assist decision making about the relative priorities of alternative projects developed at the University of Western Ontario is described. The method identifies the principal options for information systems development and permits application of executive judgment to the strategic importance of competing projects. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of Executive Information Systems, the newest decision-support computer application for organizations, argues that this approach could profoundly change how colleges and universities are managed. Using graphics, icons, and mainframe data retrieval software, middle management can handle large quantities of information. Proven design…

The approach taken by Baylor University (Texas) to developing a campuswide information system focuses on better use of existing resources to expand information access to nonproduction users. Guiding principles include carefully selecting target workstations, using "information-harvesting" tools, testing prototypes, creating derivative…

The Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments Information Management System (CASE-IMS) is described as a model and as a school improvement process that can provide schools with a framework and research-based tools for achieving a vision. Development of the model, its 34 variables, and the computerized information management system are…

Presents challenges to knowledge management revealed in a 1998 study of county judges and clerks in rural Texas courts. Proposes a model for integration of knowledge management work practices in local courts into large-scale state information systems. This model emphasizes the need for a holistic, well-integrated view of local practitioners' work…

Investigated the differences in teaching management information systems to business, accounting, and economics students at Towson University in Maryland and economics and accounting students at Anhui University in China; also sought a teaching paradigm for visiting college-level teachers in China. Found differences in student behavior regarding…

This article describes the results from the first year of a longitudinal study of a school social work caseload in a large midwestern school district. The purpose of the investigation was to examine the relationship among case characteristics, types of services provided, and case dispositions. Data were collected using a management information…