In the last several decades the computer has become one of the most important resources available to public and private sector managers. The computer’s ability to store, retrieve and manipulate large amounts of data rapidly and cheaply has led to its wide spread use in managing many clerical , accounting and service documentation functions in organizations. More recently, with the advent of management information systems (MIS), artificial intelligence (AI), expert systems and decision support systems (DSS), the computer is being used as an aid in making more and more complex decisions in unstructured situations. The rapid growth and importance of the role of computers for management makes this an important area for study.
Recently, the data base environment has emerged for using computers in public organizations to support decision making at the tactical, strategic and policy levels. In this environment, end-users (project managers, policy analysts, financial managers, and other non-computer specialists) directly use computers to quickly produce the information necessary for decision making. In the older file environment of computing, end-users depended on intermediaries (computer programmers and system analysts from the data processing department) to produce the necessary information. For many decisions, the file environment is a costly, inflexible, and slow approach to meeting information needs. The data base environment is thus a key to increasing efficiency and effectiveness in public management.
he data base environment has been made possible by recent developments in computer hardware providing relatively inexpensive but powerful computers, and by two software innovations: (1) the data base management system (DBMS) for managing the data base, and (2) end-user computing via very high level non-procedural computer languages and object oriented applications. DBMS make possible integration of data from multiple sources for multiple purposes by multiple users, while the new computer languages support computer use by non-computer specialist to retrieve and analyze data very quickly. In 1970 there was very little end-user computing, by 1980 it accounted for approximately 40% of computing in organizations, and by 1990 it has increased to 75 to 90% of computing in organizations. DBMS make the right data available and end-user computing provides appropriate tools for the effective conversion of data to information. This process should improve the quality of decision making in public organizations where it is successfully implemented.
Rob, Peter, and Carlos Coronel, DATABASE SYSTEMS: Design, Implementation, and
Management, 2nd Edition Wadsworth Publishing Co.: Belmont, CA, 1995.
Viescas, John L., Running Microsoft Access 2 For Windows, Microsoft Press: Redmond,
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I expect each of you to know how to start and stop a workstation or personal computer as well as the basics of working in a Windows environment (i.e. point and click). I also expect each student to be able to make use of electronic mail (e.g. Eudora and/or Pine on the Mailbox system), Excel and some word processing software such as Word or WordPerfect.
A major difficulty in studying information technology is the heavy use of jargon like words which tend to confuse beginning students. One approach for dealing with this problem is to obtain an introductory text book on computers or management information systems which contains a glossary of terms. While such a book can be expensive it does provide a useful long term technical resource. In the past we have Mandell's, Computers and Information Processing. I have order a few copies of the most recent edition of this book for those of you who wish to acquire such a reference book. I will cover some these topics (at lightning speed) in the first week of the course.
As part of your general education in public management it is important for each of you to lean to manage various aspects of the electronic office. Therefore I will be making heavy use of electronic communications for various aspects of this course. For example I will be using EMAIL make various announcements to the class as well as communicating with each of you individually. I want to encourage you to make use of EMAIL to ask questions. I will also be sending out files that will be attachments to a standard EMAIL letter. These file documents will include lecture notes, homework assignment and other hand out materials, typically in the form of Microsoft Word documents. You may then make use of these either electronically or by producing your own hard copy versions.
Ethical Issues in Computing (Mason)
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