Information Management and Organisational Performance: A Review of Literature

Abstract

Studies have demonstrated that one of the world’s most vital resources is information as it is required to solve problems and make decisions affecting both the present and the future. There is enough evidence to explain that the degree of success enjoyed by an organisation and its members depends largely on how well information is managed. The purpose of this paper is to present review of some major studies on information management in order to provide an understanding of existing knowledge, practices, identify the gaps and make a case for further studies in the area of information management. The research papers were generated from renowned journals such as Emerald, Science direct, IJRIC South African Journal of Information Management, and many others. The review indicates that information management is multi-disciplinary that combines skills and resources from many fields. The review also establishes that information management is distinctively different from information technology. While investment in information technology has not yielded corresponding impact on organisational performance, investment in information management has positively influenced organisational performance. Lack of resources such as funds, human resource, and infrastructure and managerial support have been identified as the main hindrance to information management programmes. The review discloses that formulation of policies and strategies that are in line with the organisational goals and strategies, the adoption of appropriate technologies and top management support are necessary for effective information management. Lastly, the review has shown that the technical aspect of information management has been over-emphasized but equal attention has not been paid to the management aspect. It is, therefore, recommended that researchers’ attention need to be directed to information management.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s1p62