Information management practice and education in the U.S.A.

Abstract

In the US, information is regarded as a resource that should be managed equally to other commodities and tools, whether natural or man-made. The main motives behind the growth and expansion of information management (IM) have been the reduction of costs and the enhancement of productivity both in the public and private sector, and at varlous work-places as well. The four key organizational components of the IM structure are: Chief Information Officer (CIO), functional units (not necessarily in one organizational entity), corporation-wide information resources council or committee, organization-oriented IM structure. As a whole, IM must be assessed positively, in spite ot the criticism against IM. IM education at universities faces several problems because of the formation phase of the new academic discipline. Other IM education and training forms are workshops and seminars, distant learning, vocational/technical schools and in-house training. All these educational forms provide knowledge for varieties of careers in information management.