Management is a process by which organisational goals are achieved through the use of corporate resources. These organisational decisions are typically made by managers. Managers oversee this process in an attempt to optimise it. To understand how computers support managers, it is necessary first to describe what managers do. They do many things, depending on their position in the organisation, the type and size of the organisation, organisational policies and culture, and the personalities of the managers themselves. A manager's role can be categorised into: - Interpersonal - figurehead, leader, liaison - Informational - monitor, disseminator, spokesperson - Decisional - entrepreneur, problem solver, resource coordinator and negotiator A decision refers to a choice made between alternatives. Decision-making in organisations can be classified into two broad categories: problem-solving and opportunity exploitation. It is very difficult to make good decisions without valid, timely and relevant information. The number of alternatives to be considered is increasing, due to innovations in technology, improved communication, the development of global markets, and use of the Internet. A key to good decision-making is to explore and compare many relevant alternatives. Many decisions are made under time pressure. Even in real time, frequently it is not possible to manually process the needed information fast enough to be effective. Due to uncertainty in the decision environment, it is frequently necessary to conduct a sophisticated analysis to make a good decision. It is often necessary to rapidly access remote information, consult with experts or have a group decision-making session. The above trends cause difficulties in making decisions, but a computerised analysis can be of enormous help. Decisions range from simple to very complex and complex decisions are composed of a sequence of interrelated sub-decisions. QUESTION 1 (30 Marks) Discovery, communication and collaboration tools provide indirect support to decision-making, however there are several other information technologies used to directly support decision-making. Explain the decision information systems available to the various levels of management, for making informed decisions