Educating the CBIS user: a case analysis

ABSTRACT

Deficiencies in computer-related education for end users have contributed to the lack of successful integration of computer-based information systems (CBIS) into organizations. Data gathered from 20 companies whose CBIS exert a high strategic impact on existing operating systems were studied to determine how these companies accomplished "education integration." About 80% of the companies reported training budgets between zero and two percent of the CBIS budget, with a majority of the participants reported training staffs consisting of two or less full time trainers. Of the seven educational techniques used by the companies, the Resident Expert technique rated superior in terms of quantity and quality. A description of the activities in four companies with unique approaches to the education of their user community provides additional insights into the role of organizations in promoting the integration and use of CBIS among end users.

REFERENCES

• 1: [1] Ackoff, R. L. "Management Misinformation Systems," Management Science, Volume 14, Number 4, 1967, pp. B147-B156.
• 2: [2] Argyris, C. "Double Loop Learning in Organizations," Harvard Business Review, Volume 55, Number 5, September-October 1977, p. 115-125.
• 3: [3] Benson, D. H. "A Field Study of End User Computing: Findings and Issues," MIS Quarterly, Volume 7, Number 4, December 1983, pp. 35-45.
• 4: [4] Brady, R. H. "Computers in Top-Level Decision Making," Harvard Business Review, Volume 45, Number 4, July-August 1967, pp. 67-76.
• 5: [5] Churchman, C. W. and Schainblatt, A. H. "The Researcher and the Manager: A Dialectic of Implementation," Management Science, Volume 11, Number 4, February 1965, pp. B69-B87.
• 6: [6] Cullipher, L. Personal Communication, Durham Life Insurance, Raleigh, North Carolina, March 1985.
• 7: [7] Dickson, G. W. and Simmons, J. K. "The Behavioral Side of MIS," Business Horizons, Volume 13, Number 4, August 1970, pp. 59-71.
• 8: [8] Dickson, G. W., Leitheiser, R. L., Wetherbe, J. C. and Nechis, M. "Key Information Systems Issues for the 1980's," MIS Quarterly, Volume 8, Number 3, September 1984, pp. 135-159.
• 9: [9] Downer, J. A. H. Personal Communications, Northern Telecom, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, March 1985.
• 10: [10] Gibson, C. F. and Nolan, R. L. "Managing the Four Stages of EDP Growth," Harvard Business Review, Volume 52, Number 1, January-February 1974, pp. 76-88.
• 11: [11]Ginzberg, M. J. "Early Diagnosis of MIS Implementation Failure: Promising Results and Unanswered Questions," Management Science, Volume 27, Number 4, April 1981, pp. 459-478.
• 12: Barbara F. Grace, Training users of a prototype DSS, ACM SIGMIS Database, v.8 n.3, Winter 1977 [doi>10.1145/1017583.1017589]
• 13: [13] Heany, D. F. "Education: The Critical Link in Getting Managers to Use Management Systems," Interfaces , Volume 2, Number 3, May 1972, pp. 1-7.
• 14: [14] Johnson, M. "A Training Alternative," Datamation, Volume 31, Number 2, January 15, 1985, pp. 156-157.
• 15: Henry C. Lucas, Analysis, Design and Implementation of Information Systems, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY, 1981
• 16: Henry C. Lucas, Toward Creative Systems Design, Columbia University Press, New York, NY, 1974
• 17: [17] McFarlan, F. W. and McKenney, J. L. Corporate Information Systems Management, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., Homewood, Illinois, 1983.
• 18: [18] Nelson, R. R. "Education of the CBIS User Community: An Exploratory Study." Ph.D. dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 1985.
• 19: [19] Nolan, R. L. "Managing the Crisis in Data Processing," Harvard Business Review, March-April 1979, pp. 115-126.
• 20: [20] Pickard, M. Personal Communication, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina, March 1985.
• 21: John F. Rockart , Lauren S. Flannery, The management of end user computing, Communications of the ACM, v.26 n.10, p.776-784, Oct. 1983 [doi>10.1145/358413.358429]
• 22: Ralph H. Sprague, Jr. , Eric D. Carlson, Building Effective Decision Support Systems, Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference, 1982
• 23: [23] Whisler, T. L. and Leavitt, H. J. "Management in the 1980's," Harvard Business Review, Volume 36, Number 6, November-December 1958, pp. 41-48.

INDEX TERMS

Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.2 User/Machine Systems
          Subjects: Human factors

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.1 Applications and Expert Systems
          Subjects: Office automation

  J. Computer Applications
  J.1 ADMINISTRATIVE DATA PROCESSING
      Subjects: Business

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.1 Project and People Management
          Subjects: Training

General Terms:
Economics, Human Factors, Measurement, Performance