Management Utilization of Computers in American Local Governments
Traditional concepts of management information
systems (MIS) bear little relation to the information 
systems currently in use by top management in most US local
governments.  What exists is management-oriented 
computing, involving the use of relatively unsophisticated
applications.  Despite the unsophisticated 
nature of these systems, management use of computing is
surprisingly common, but also varied in its extent 
among local governments.  Management computing is most
prevalent in those governments with professional 
management practices where top management is supportive
of computing and tends to control computing decisions 
and where department users have less control over design
and implementation activities.  Finally, management 
computing clearly has impacts for top managers, mostly
involving improvements in decision information.
CACM March, 1978
Dutton, W.H.
Kraemer, K.L.
