Communication bandwidth and the design of executive information systems

This paper explores the advantages and constraints placed on executive information systems (EIS) by the communication bandwidth associated with the managerial activities of scanning, communicating, and delegating. Prior research has shown that these activities are significant components of managerial behavior. Because the given investments in software and hardware in EIS are associated with providing communication bandwidth, this is perhaps the most significant constraint on these classes of systems. It is further argued that the growth in application and popularity of EIS are just one facet of the world-wide importance of systems integration-the drawing together of diverse data in organizations and the environment in a common and flexible reporting scheme. This growth is accompanied by a commensurate growth in communications, and a growing need for greater `channel bandwidth´. The current analysis formally describes these growing bandwidth requirements, surveys the evolution of existing EIS to determine how effectively the growth in communication is being met, and suggests design theories with which to guide future design and implementation of EIS. The conclusions suggest that design theories should focus on small networks-often with only two executives involved