Although electronic messaging systems (EMS) are an attractive business communication medium several studies on the usage and impact of EMS have shown that despite the benefits, they have been generally used for routine and informal communication activities. Theoretically, EMS have yet to find their niche in organizational communications. Technically, EMS designs are not flexible to support communication activities of managers, are not maintainable to permit easy integration with other office applications and access to information from data/knowledge bases, and are not easily extendible beyond the scope of their initial design. Behaviorally, end users are not directly involved in the development of EMS. This dissertation attempts to bridge the transition of EMS technology from message processing systems to communication support systems. First, the dissertation provides an analysis for a knowledge-based messaging system (KMS) through a framework. The framework provides a theoretical basis to link management theory to EMS technology. It suggests that the communication needs of the managers vary depending on the activity level, implying related variations in EMS functionality. Second, the dissertation provides a design for the KMS through an architecture which incorporates the design and implementation issues such as, flexibility, maintainability, and extendibility. The superimposition of the KMS on an existing EMS provides flexibility, the loose coupling between the KMS-interface components and the KMS-functions increases its maintainability, and the strong functional decomposition and cohesion enhances the extendibility of the system beyond the scope of its initial design. Finally, the dissertation provides a implementation through the development of a prototype KMS which involves users into the design process through a validation study conducted at University of Arizona. The prototype used GDSS tools in eliciting message attributes for the personal knowledge base. This method proved effective in reducing the bottleneck observed in the acquisition of knowledge from multiple experts, simultaneously. Similarly, the combination of observation with interviews proved effective in eliciting the organizational knowledge base. The validation method measured the system's accuracy (which was very accurate) in prioritizing messages for the users.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 H33 / Master of Science / Computing and Information Sciences

by Au Yuk Van, Maria Assumpta, Yung, Thomas. / Bibliography: leaves 116-118 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries / Department: Computer Science.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries / Department: Computer Science.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries / Department: Computer Science.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries / Department: Computer Science.

Not available / text

This thesis begins by tracing the development of the practice of records scheduling in the federal governments of United States and Canada, from the initial concern with records disposal in the late eighteen hundreds, to the implementation of formal records schedules in the 1940s in the United States and the late 1950s in Canada. These federal initiatives provided a model for later developments at the state and provincial level. However, changes in scheduling methods have lately become necessary to meet the demands of the increasing volume of records, organizational complexity and change, and the widespread use of new media, particularly electronic records. Many of these changes have occurred at the provincial and state level, where the limited size of government has allowed the agencies responsible for scheduling to be more responsive and innovative. For this reason, analysis of current records scheduling practices in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, and the states of Washington and New York were conducted. These studies reveal schedules which are both flexible in their use and adaptable over time because they attempt to accommodate both records in all media and organizational change. Among the scheduling techniques examined are the addition of media specific elements, the use of functional schedule arrangement, the integration of schedules with other management tools, like classification, and the expanded use of general schedules for records common to more than one organization. These techniques are capable of dealing with the volume, complexity and variety of records which are being created in government today. Despite the changes demonstrated, the studies show that records scheduling remains a viable practice to control the life cycle of all records, from creation until disposal. Throughout this investigation, the role of archivists is discussed. Archivists' involvement in scheduling began with the earliest developments and continues still today. Archivists have been central to the initiation, development and adaptation of records scheduling in government. With the development of new information technologies, archivists' role is even more important, for they must intervene into the process of records creation if they want to maintain the ability to identify records of enduring value to society, and to ensure that their integrity is maintained throughout administrative procedures and use.