Information Use in Decision-making by Senior Managers of Research Centers of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology

This research explores the information use by senior managers of research centers of ministry of science, research and technology in decision-making. The research was carried out as analytical survey and data was gathered by a researcher made questionnaire. The study population included 120 senior managers of research centers of the ministry of science, research and technology. Finding shows that the most appropriate criteria’s of data quality from the perspective of managers are accuracy, correctness, being free from mistakes, and adequate scope of information for decision making. The most appropriate information sources are electronic information services, professional associates and consultants, experts from the field of decision making, subordinate managers, and company library. Senior managers use information for strategic decision making and recognize the various approaches and alternatives in decision making. Barriers to use information in managerial decision making include the absence or lack of time for data collection, lack of information sources in Persian, and lack of access to information resources. The relative importance of data quality indicators and ranking them depends on the type of information use. Individual information sources to obtain information are most desirable for managers. The use of information in decision-making activities of managers is directly related to their managerial level and they use information to decide on the general policies and determine objectives of the organization, coordinating policies, and control of performance and current activities of the organization.