Integrating Decision Technologies: Implications for Management Curriculum
Authors: Adams, Carl R.; Song, Jae Hyon
Journal: MIS Quarterly (1989)
DOI: 10.2307/248928
<jats:p>The essence of management is decision making. Decision making requires the availability and proper use of data. Three evolving technologies relate to the support of decision making: information processing; decision science methods; and organization of decision makers and decision processes. More and more, because of technological developments and increased understanding of complex decision situations, these technologies must be seen as an integrated whole in order to support efficient and effective decision making. Within organizations, different groups are often charged with each of the three technologies that should support decision making. As a result, we often experience problems where the data is unavailable, is not compatible with the analyses desired, or is not relevant to the decision-making processes that managers wish to use. A substantive integration of these support groups and their expertise would help. Acting as a change agent, business and management schools can develop a conceptualization of the three technology areas that integrates them with respect to terminology. They can also develop a unified set of general constructs that carry throughout each of the…