This period has been called the "information age". Until now, however, historians have by and large passed over the use and generation of business information. This broad-reaching book provides a new historical perpective by drawing upon concepts and models from economics, management studies, the history of sociology of science and from business and economic history. It enhances understanding of the place of information within business strategies and industrial policy, and aims to lead to a more sophisticated evaluation of various styles of information management, both in the past and today. The authors, distinguished scholars from several European countries, the USA and Japan, explore the information society through ideas about the meaning and economic function of business information. Theories of scientific management, the effect of organizational structures and spread of ideas are studied historically and in contemporary situations throughout the world. At a time when efficient information use is expected to yield particular competitive advantage to firms, this book should be of special interest to those responsible for the use of information in large organizations, as well as to scholars.
还没人写过短评呢