Understanding interaction between office-based professionals for the development of advanced communication and information technologies

This paper describes a multi-method exploratory study conducted with the aim of developing a greater understanding of how individuals working in an office environment communicate and manage information. The study is directed towards informing the design of 'personal information management appliances' - advanced information and communication products which support the management of electronic communication and information. The study has focused on the relationship between managers and their personal assistants as an instance of collaborating office-based professionals, identifying and categorising the range of tasks which are performed during office-based interaction. It describes the frequency and duration of a common set of tasks, indicating variations in performance of those tasks by managers and assistants, and proposes the implications which this may have on the design of enabling technologies to support such collaborative office-based activities

Computer-based information systems and their use by managers in Saudi Arabia and the UK

Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) are now widely used for supporting business activities; they are recognised as a tool that can produce information for management decision-making. The present study has utilised both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection to investigate the way computer-based information systems are being used for management purposes in Saudi Arabia. Some data have also been obtained in the UK to examine comparatively the impact of computer-based information systems on the work of managers in business organisations in Saudi Arabia and the UK. This examination has involved determining the uses that managers are making of CBIS, and evaluating levels of satisfaction. The sample has covered a range of firms, but has concentrated particularly on oil companies and banks. The reason for this choice is that Saudi Arabia depends on these two for much of its economic activity. For the UK, the study has involved a small sample of three companies. The first was Shell, to compare with the Saudi Arabian oil companies. The other two companies were Astra and Andaris. These were selected as high technology companies which were expected to put considerable emphasis on computer-based in formation systems. In order to fulfil the aims and objectives of this study, a research model was developed, which describes the characteristics of the approach for the study and the variables considered. The first stage of the subsequent investigation involved a questionnaire distributed in Saudi Arabia firms (72.1% of 1000 questionnaires were returned) and UK firms (74 % of 140 questionnaires were returned). The second stage involved a series of interviews carried out in both Saudi Arabia (19 respondents) and the UK (11 respondents) with selected managers and selected computer centre managers. The main findings of the study show that CBIS is already highly used in Saudi Arabia, but that some problems (e.g. with training) still remain. There also appear to be some differences between Saudi Arabia and the UK