Impact of information on decision making in government departments

Abstract

This study is a snapshot of the information inputs into decisions considered by a small sample of “decision makers” at the beginning of 1996. Each respondent was asked to focus on one decision only and there were no follow‐up interviews to investigate why particular routes to obtain information were taken. Within these limitations the study did highlight the fundamental role of information within the government departments studied, and the diversity of information‐seeking behaviour in a sector where decision making is a consultative process, where the decisions themselves can be extremely complex and take account of many influences, and where the decision makers tend to be experienced information users.

Citation

Winterman, V., Smith, C. and Abell, A. (1998), "Impact of information on decision making in government departments", Library Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 110-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435129810369080