Technology and Urban Management

Abstract

This study argues that as automated information systems in local governments are more oriented to providing top management with information, top managers gain control vis-à-vis lower level managers and staff. clients, and lay policy officials. A measure of "management oriented computing" is developed which indicates the degree computing is oriented to serving top management. This index is related to both the hypothesized payoffs and the hypothesized preconditons of computing being oriented to serve the interests of top management. Survey response datafrom most of the larger U.S. cities and counties tend to support the power shift hypothesis and identify certain local government milieus most conducive to management-oriented computing. These milieus tend to be characterized by administrative reform values and top management control of computing decisions.