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from The Information Economics Press
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D3: |
Governance of Information Management: The Concept of an Information Constitution (2nd ed.) |
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By Paul A. Strassmann
71 Pages
Date Published: 12/2004 |
Online Price: $14.98 |
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Summary
"Governance" is what information management is mostly all about.
Information management is the process by which those who set
policy guide those who follow policy. Governance concerns power,
and applying an understanding of the distribution and sharing of
power to the management of information technologies.
Information management seeks to answer the same questions as
those raised in politics. The management of information defines
how one organizes people to achieve cooperation. With the
proliferation of computers, information systems have become
an inseparable element of all management acts. Only the
technical aspects of such decisions can be safely delegated
to computer and telecommunication specialists. Computerization
is the conduct of management by other means, and therefore
cannot be delegated, but must be retained as an essential
managerial skill. It is the purpose of this book to convey
what are some of the fundamental issues that need to be addressed
by management before computerization can be seen as a safe economic
bet.
Computers offer new options for creating, distributing,
retrieving and preserving information. They make access
to sources of knowledge easier, faster and for less cost
than ever before. Computer networks now pass information
directly to customers, employees, and citizens to make decisions
previously requiring intermediaries. As result, old
relationships are severed as new ones are created. Whenever
that happens, there will be conflicts that require resolution
if we are to take advantage of the enormous power of
information technologies.
The resolution of these conflicting interests now
requires the introduction of formal governance processes
that will keep up with the accelerating rate of change
both in technology as well as in competitive relationships.
The US Constitution should be seen as a precedent-setting
event in which superbly crafted acts of governance yielded
decisive economic advantages in the global marketplace.
Similarly, the institution of superior methods of organizational
"information governance" should be seen as one of the
prerequisites for an organization to acquire the capacity
to compete in the "information age."
This work should be read as a prerequisite for its sequel that
will address the specific issues how to proceed with the
construction of an "Information Constitution" for an
organization where computers have become the primary channel
of communication with suppliers and customers as well as the
key for achieving internal coordination within the organization.
Table of Contents
THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATION GOVERNANCE 7
Why "Governance"?
Scope
Content
A Discipline of Information Governance
Precursors
The Value of Separate Essays about Information Governance
WHAT IS POLICY? 14
Using Policy
Avoiding Policy Making
Governance vs. Politics vs. Policy
Policy and Success
FRAMEWORK 19
Information Governance as a Form of Information Management
Business Plan Alignment
Implementation Matters
DEFINITIONS 23
Information Management
Executive Ownership
Delegation
Information Systems
Information Technology
Stealth Technology
Technology Management Roles
ROLES 29
Information Effectiveness
Unstable Leadership
Political Realities
The Onlookers
A Long View
MAKING POLICY 35
Priorities
Policy Innovation
Conflict Resolution
Economics and Politics
Local Politics
The Totalitarian Taint
Balance of Power
The Politics of Choices
The Politics of Control
Transition Politics
Distribution of Power
SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE AND GOVERNANCE 44
Favoring External Information Sources
Design for Complexity
Configuration Management
Lessons from History
Software as Federated Governance
Networking Choices
Hub Networking
Web Networking
THE CONCEPT OF AN INFORMATION CONSTITUTION 56
Limits
Inclusion Principles
Exclusions
Drafting a Constitution
Local Initiatives
ORGANIZATION 62
Decentralization vs. Centralization
Choices in Dividing Authority and Budgets
Distributing Tasks
FEDERATION 66
U.S. Constitutional Model
Information Constitutional Model
Layers of an Information Constitution
SUMMARY 71
Figures
FIGURE 1 - LAWS AND INSTITUTIONS MUST GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE PROGRESS
FIGURE 2 - POLICY WITHOUT GOVERNANCE
FIGURE 3 - ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
FIGURE 4 - ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION SUPERIORITY
FIGURE 5 - THE CONTEXT OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
FIGURE 6 - UNPREDICTABLE LEADERSHIP 31
FIGURE 7 - CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
FIGURE 8 - SIMPLICITY IS THE CLEAREST POLICY
FIGURE 9 - THE ART OF CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
FIGURE 10 - VARIATIONS HOW TO DISTRIBUTE COMPUTING POWER
FIGURE 11 - AN INFORMATION HERMIT
FIGURE 12 - VIRTUAL REALITY - THE ULTIMATE HERMIT EXPERIENCE
FIGURE 13 - IF IT IS NOT WRITTEN, IT CANNOT BE POLICY
FIGURE 14 - CONFLICTS WITHIN AN INFORMATION STRUCTURE
FIGURE 15 - A FEDERATED GOVERNANCE MODEL
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