Search results

The paper reports a study of the behaviour of on‐line searchers in looking for the answers to set questions. The work was carried out with a view to learning more about the way actual searches are conducted, so that instructions to users can be given to optimize the generation of references. The study suggests that developments in user education would be made considerably easier by some rationalization among file producers and systems, especially in spelling, vocabulary, basic commands and indexing philosophy.

Three types of software have been evaluated which can be used on IBM‐compatible microcomputers: programs for terminal emulation and communication, programs for conversion of received data, and programs for storage and retrieval of literature information in local databases. With software for these three applications, data can be downloaded from external computers and directly used to build a local documentation system. Functions of these types of programs and general results of the tests are discussed. Criteria for selecting software for online searching, as well as for building local databases using external data downloaded from online searches, are given.

This paper reviews the history of separate online system interfaces, leading to efforts to develop expert systems for searching databases, particularly for end users, and introduces the research in such expert systems. Appended is a bibliography of sources on interfaces and expert systems for online retrieval.

In a work environment marked by unprecedented complexity, volatility and ambiguity, managers must accomplish their objectives while navigating many challenges. This paper aims to investigate potential interrelations among environmental transformations, cognitive biases and strategic decisions. In particular, the purpose of the study is to crystallize the state of art on the impact of cognitive biases on strategic decisions, in the context of environmental transformations.

The authors have conducted a systematic literature review to identify existing relevant work on this topic and to detect potential avenues for future research.

The findings highlight how decision-making is influenced and enabled by internal (e.g. perception) and external factors (e.g. digitalization). Specifically, the strategic role of cognitive biases appears to be crucial when investigating the related impact on strategic decisions in times of environmental transformation.

Implications are drawn for scholars and practitioners interested in evaluating the role of specific decision-making determinants for the formation and implementation of strategic decisions. In this sense, we stress that decision-makers need to manage their cognitive biases and select the right information out of a wide data set in order to adapt to environmental transformations.

By systematizing the literature review, potential interrelations among environmental transformations, cognitive biases and strategic decisions are identified. Furthermore, the primary phases that drive the decision-making process are proposed (analysis, decision, onboarding and control).

Dow Jones Announces News/Retrieval Service; Now Sees Itself as “Retailer” of Information. When a data base producer decides it is time to enter the on‐line era, it most frequently choses to do so by forming a “partnership” with one or more of the existing on‐line vendors‐companies such as SDC, Lockheed, or BRS‐which have existing computer facilities as well as marketing and educational programs.

This section presents tips on on line searching, sample searches on various data bases, and search problems that our readers have found particularly challenging. We encourage reader participation, and accept contributions in any of the above areas. In addition, we are offering a prize of $50 for the best solution to the ‘Corner contest’ described below.

Many people complain of a lack of coverage of European matters in online available databases. Although this is still true for many areas, a recent survey in The Netherlands shows a remarkable trend in new machine readable sources of information coming online. This is partly due to a government subsidy that was instituted during the last three years and was used for forty new products, receiving about 25 million guilders (10m dollars) in total.

The first Microlib conference was held in 1988 and some of the papers presented there appeared in subsequent issues of Program. The second Microlib conference was held at the same location, the Penta Hotel in Lisbon, from the 14th to the 16th of May 1991. As before, the conference was organised by Consinfor, a Portuguese consultancy company specialising in the information field. Staff from Consinfor have been involved over the years in helping organisations choose database software and design databases; they have also been involved in the organisation of other relevant seminars, exhibitions and conferences. Microlib '91 was sponsored by the Portuguese firm, Time Sharing, and the Dutch serials subscriptions agency, Swets.

Among leaders of the French Socialist Movement, Albert Thomas (1878‐1932) was one of the few steady supporters of scientific management. The purpose of this paper is to describe how Thomas developed his ideas about advanced management thought and practice during and after World War I.

The paper makes extensive use of published and unpublished primary sources preserved at the Archives nationales, Paris, at the Bureau International du Travail (BIT), Geneva, and at Smith College, Northampton, MA.

Thomas's reformist ideology first stood the test during World War I when he served as minister for munitions for France. After the International Labour Organization had entrusted him with the directorship of the BIT, Thomas helped to create the International Management Institute (IMI) as a center for the collection and dissemination of advanced management thought and practice. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the rationalization movement fell into disrepute. Like some progressive members of the Taylor Society, Thomas identified scientific management increasingly with concepts of socioeconomic planning and international cooperation. Nonetheless, the intellectual tide turned against his reformist creed. Having lost the support of its American sponsors, IMI closed its doors in January 1934, only about two years after Thomas's unexpected death.

The paper tries to show how one of the most brilliant French politicians of the last century developed and applied his theories‐in‐use about scientific management under changing historical circumstances.

The following bibliography focuses mainly on programs which can run on IBM microcomputers and compatibles under the operating system PC DOS/MS DOS, and which can be used in online information and documentation work. They fall into the following categories: