Information Technology and Decision Support

Information Technology and Decision Support

Computer technology has radically changed the nature of modern business systems and business decision support systems. Whereas organizational managers and skilled workers in previous eras made decisions-based substantially on their independent analyses and projections, their modern contemporaries depend much more on high-tech digital information systems for a wide range of decisions in the vocational realm. Generally, unstructured decisions allow the greatest autonomy in decision making but still rely heavily on data and processes provided by information system. Semi-structured decisions allow considerably more decision-making autonomy but still incorporate data and processes provided by information systems. Finally, structured decisions substitute most of the autonomous aspects of decision making with rigid outcomes determined by automatic processes in which the human decision maker may have comparatively little opportunity to contribute to the decisions.

The Role of Technology Systems in Unstructured Decision Making

In principle, unstructured decision making allows the greatest degree of autonomy and flexibility on the part of the decision maker, both in general as well as with particular respect to reliance on high-tech systems. Nevertheless, even unstructured decisions are likely to be supported substantially by information systems because modern IT systems typically handle, synthesize, and provide access to much more information (and information of higher quality) than the information available to even the most accomplished professional without access to IT systems and databases. Even where the decision maker maintains complete decision-making autonomy over ultimate decisions, those decisions are almost always supported by the information supplied by IT systems.

The Role of Technology Systems in Semi-structured Decision Making

In semi-structured decision making, the decision maker relies on IT systems for more than data and mechanical processes or syntheses of that information. Semi-structured decision-making processes involving IT systems allow the decision maker to exercise substantial autonomy but constrain that autonomy within the boundaries of specified outcomes of automatic information and situational synthesis. In principle, semi-structured decision making involving IT systems may simply limit the available choices of the decision maker based on objective data or other situation-dependent information that must be incorporated into the decision in a manner determined by IT processes outside of the ability of the decision maker to control.

The Role of Technology Systems in Structured Decision Making