Professor Tom Wilson University of Sheffield

Applying the Critical Success Factors approach to identifying

information needs

Organizational performance

organizational goalsachievement of goalscompetitive vs. non-competitive environments

secrecy vs. open information exchange

Critical success factors

originsDaniel (1961), Rockart (1979)MIS context

definition: those areas in which good performance is necessary to attain organizational goalsuse in information science

Perceptions of CSF

literature suggests general understanding by managersborne out by studybut - depends in academia in individual’s self-perception

Academic goalsimprove the department’s research ratingoffer high quality teachingeducate the studentimprove external relationshipsadvance boundaries of disciplinemaximize staff potentialwiden accessattract high quality applicants

Information needsorganizational vs. individual

most information needs research has focussed on the individual, but, organizations also have needs, as collectivities

congruence of goals (org. vs. indiv.)what happens if there is a lack of agreement between the goals of individuals and the goals of the organization?

CSF in business management

Researchers report that business managers accept the underlying ideas very quickly and are able to identify their CSFs (for a division or a company) quite readily.

CSF in academic management

willingness to accept managerial role: academic institutions may be considered to be either ‘managed’ institutions or ‘collegial’ institutions. In the latter, heads of departments perceive themselves to be, first, researchers; secondly, teachers; and thirdly, if at all, managers.

Information and CSFCompetitor intelligenceResearch fundingPotential student needsStudent informationResearch (activity)Employers’ needsStaff informationPerformance dataTravel fund sources

Marketing informationPolicy (higher education)Teaching (activity)Resource availabilityFinancial informationStudent support fundsOther financial supportNeeds of disabled persons

Internal vs external information and CSF

Internal information

Student informationStaff informationPerformance dataFinancial informationResources data

External information

Competitor intelligenceResearch fundingEmployers’ needsMarketing informationResearch information

CSF and the Value Chain - 1

Firm infrastructure

H um an R esource M anagem ent

Technology D evelopm ent

P rocurem entMARGIN

Primary Activities

Support

Activities

The Generic Value Chain

Researchand

Develop-ment

Purchasing Production

Distribution

Logistics Marketing

Sales and

Service

CSF and the Value Chain - 2 R & D Purchasing Manufacture Distribution Marketing Sales/servicing

Drugs

PCs

Carengines

Fashion

Perfume

Fast

food

Drug

develpt

World-widesourcing

Expensive

tooling

J-i-Tsupply

Ads.

Franchiseclusters

Conclusion

Organizations, as well as individuals can be seen as having ‘information needs’ and the CSF approach has been shown to be appropriate in helping to define such needs.