| How is the decision-making function at one hierarchical level affected by the manner in which information is obtained, exchanged, and transferred at another hierarchical level in an organization? The research seeks to answer that question by an exploratory study of the information culture of support staff in municipal government offices and the relationship of that culture to managerial decision-making.; The study assumes that (1) institutionalism affects the actions of both support staff and managers, (2) that support staff are affected by roles, power and authority and that they may exercise power and authority themselves, and (3) that this exercise of power may manifest itself in the way that support staff transfers, or does not transfer, information to the managers they. It also assumes that support staff create their own network of information sources that may be unknown to management.; The context of the study, municipal government, is important due to the growing importance of 'New Public Management,' in which managers in public administration are asked to make different types, and riskier, decisions, than previously. Managers work closely with their support staff and are dependent upon them for the information they receive to make these decisions, and yet, the information behavior of support staff, and their contribution to the organization's knowledge base, is generally unappreciated.; Data is analyzed using Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA). Developed from a human factors perspective, in which systems are designed according to the actor's goals, priorities, and work environment, CWA is a qualitative framework for designing systems and services to help workers cope with new information needs as they arise. The study is meant to inform researchers in human information behavior, management, and knowledge management system designers. |
