This article discusses the findings of an empirical study conducted on 303 organizations. The major purpose of the study was to analyze the relationship between various organizational attributes and the deployment of hardware resources. The salient finding was that the most influential variable is the distribution of decision-making processes in the organization. The more decision making is distributed, the more hardware is distributed. No significant relationships were detected between hardware distribution and any of the following variables: organizational structure, economic sectorial association, and the size of the organization.
This paper presents an approach to developing and implementing a management information system for small airlines. The system presented is a new, comprehensive, real-time sales support and reservation system based on state-of-the-art computer technology, advanced concepts in software design, and practical experience in the travel industry. The system represents a departure from the philosophy underlying most existing airline reservation systems. It is an important strategic asset and a valuable weapon in an increasingly competitive market.
The Information Systems Development Life Cycle (ISDLC) is usually treated as a rigid sequence of activities. This article asserts that differences in the nature of development projects should affect the planning of the ISDLC. Two classes of factors affecting the ISDLC are identified: factors relating to the environment and factors relating to the development effort (e.g., in-house development vs. canned software package). Each step along the ISDLC is decomposed into several dimensions relating to the activities that should be performed, the degree of control that should be exerted, to human resources, to other resources, and to the time factor. The relationship between the six dimensions and the two classes of factors are explained. Finally, a practical approach to ISDLC planning is suggested based on a structured procedure and a number of working forms. It assists in preliminary planning of the development process as well as in periodic reviews and revisions whenever the project reaches a certain milestone.