Managing Geographic Information Systems

by Obermeyer, Nancy J.; Pinto, Jeffrey K.

• ISBN13: 9780898620054
• ISBN10: 0898620058
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-03-25
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Managers charged with the task of creating an effective geographic information system (GIS) for their organization often find that they are faced with two problems: mastering the GIS technology and managing its effective introduction and use. Existing literature in the field has focused almost entirely on explaining and teaching GIS technology, and ignored issues of implementation. In an attempt to fill that gap, this accessible volume provides a practical guide as well as a theoretical foundation of the key organizational and behavioral dynamics that can determine where a GIS should be used and how it can be employed successfully.

Author Biography

Nancy J. Obermeyer, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Geography at Indiana State University and has served as a research associate at the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis at the University of Maine at Orono.

Jeffrey K. Pinto, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Management at the University of Maine at Orono.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Implementing a GIS: Theories and Practice	p. 9
The Role of Geographic Information within an Organization's MIS	p. 31
Keeping the G in GIS: Why Geography Matters	p. 48
Bureaucratic Factors in the Adoption of GIS	p. 67
Economic Justification for GIS Implementation	p. 82
Sharing Geographic Information across Organization Boundaries	p. 96
GISs and the Strategic Planning Process	p. 124
Ensuring the Qualifications of GIS Professionals	p. 144
Policy Conflicts and the Role of GISs	p. 165
GISs in a Democratic Society: Opportunities and Problems	p. 178
References	p. 199
Index	p. 215
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