Moogle, Google, and garbage cans: The impact of technology on decision making

Abstract

Decision makers are faced daily with making important and pervasive decisions. This is especially significant in higher education, where decisions about academics will have considerable impact on the next generation of leaders. In place of rational decisions about the substance of learning and instruction, academic administrators make incremental decisions, and rationalize the technologies used to produce those decisions. Administrative decision makers have become information managers. Technology information and decisions drive academic decisions. Information technology is right at the center of educational administration. Administrators give careful consideration to technology, which plays a significant role in the decisions that are being made. This fosters incremental decision making much more than rational decision making. Decisions lead to actions and actions to results and information, which itself leads to other decisions. Decisions are supported and yet limited by technology. A college’s future seems to be tied to technology, and decisions are tied to technology’s output. The challenge for academic decision makers is to form a comprehensive strategy for the use and impact of technology on decisions.

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Martin Sellers

Martin P. Sellers graduated with a Ph.D. in political science from Temple University, Philadelphia, an MPA from NYU and a political science BA from the College of New Jersey. He is currently Dean of the Undergraduate College at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Dr. Sellers has written extensively on topics related to organization theory and decision making, and has interests also in local level governance and special district government. His teaching interests are in the areas of national government, state and local government and public administration. He taught for 15 years at Campbell University in North Carolina before accepting the position of Dean at Lincoln Memorial University Dr. Sellers is married with five children.