On Management Myth-Information Systems

Ian I. Mitroff, John Nelson and Richard O. Mason
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Ian I. Mitroff: The University of Pittsburgh
John Nelson: The University of Pittsburgh
Richard O. Mason: The University of California, Los Angeles

Management Science, 1974, vol. 21, issue 4, 371-382

Abstract: This paper describes some key defining characteristics of a special class of information systems known as Management Myth-Information Systems (MMIS) or story-telling information systems. MMIS are information systems [Mason, Richard O., Ian I. Mitroff. 1973. A program for research on management information systems. Management Sci. 19 (5, January) 475-487.] which present information to a decision-maker by means of stories. In an MMIS, a scientific datum by itself is not information. In an MMIS, information is information if and only if it is tied to an appropriate story or myth that has meaning to the individual who needs the information, the organization in which he is located, and the type of problem that he faces. This defines the key variables underlying an MMIS. As such, the study of the critical literature dealing with the nature and function of mythology becomes central to the design of MMIS. One of the key purposes of this paper is to suggest how the literature of mythology and the phenomenon of story-telling can be used in the design of MMIS if not for information systems in general. An experiment dealing with some central features of MMIS is described. The experiment involved playing a series of games under the twin conditions of (1) uncertainty and (2) dialectical advice. Experimental subjects were exposed to the advice of two radically opposing "experts of the game" who were designed to present two radically opposing views ("stories") of the game situation. Finally, a program of research on MMIS is proposed.

Date: 1974
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