Information Safety and Effectiveness in Administrative Decision-Making in Business Organizations
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
According to the Business Dictionary (2013), information refers to data that is accurate and timely, specific and organized for a purpose, presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance and can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty. Information is valuable because it can affect behaviour, a decision or an outcome. For example, if a manager is told his/her company net profit decreased in the past month, he/she may use this information as a reason to cut financial spending for the next month. Information serves as the basis on which organizations take decisions; it could be the difference between making profit or loss in a competitive market. Government financial institutions and private businesses amaze a great deal of confidential information of their employees, customers, producers, research and financial status. Most of this information are collected, processed and stored in files or computers and transmitted across networks to other computers.
Consequently, protecting and safeguarding information has become a necessity which organizations cannot ignore. According to the central intelligence agency (CIA) (2000), to secure information effort must be made to ensure confidentiality, which is preventing disclosure of information to unauthorized individuals or systems. Also, the information must have integrity, maintenance and assuring the accuracy and consistency of data over its entire life cycle. This means that data cannot be modified unauthorized or undetected.
In the office, information is stored on files or computer system and this information form the basis of administrative decisions. Information plays a vital role in organizational decision making; it becomes pertinent that organizations take the necessary care to protect its information. Recently, there are many threats to information in the business world, especially when such information stands to put the
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
According to the Business Dictionary (2013), information refers to data that is accurate and timely, specific and organized for a purpose, presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance and can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty. Information is valuable because it can affect behaviour, a decision or an outcome. For example, if a manager is told his/her company net profit decreased in the past month, he/she may use this information as a reason to cut financial spending for the next month. Information serves as the basis on which organizations take decisions; it could be the difference between making profit or loss in a competitive market. Government financial institutions and private businesses amaze a great deal of confidential information of their employees, customers, producers, research and financial status. Most of this information are collected, processed and stored in files or computers and transmitted across networks to other computers.
Consequently, protecting and safeguarding information has become a necessity which organizations cannot ignore. According to the central intelligence agency (CIA) (2000), to secure information effort must be made to ensure confidentiality, which is preventing disclosure of information to unauthorized individuals or systems. Also, the information must have integrity, maintenance and assuring the accuracy and consistency of data over its entire life cycle. This means that data cannot be modified unauthorized or undetected.
In the office, information is stored on files or computer system and this information form the basis of administrative decisions. Information plays a vital role in organizational decision making; it becomes pertinent that organizations take the necessary care to protect its information. Recently, there are many threats to information in the business world, especially when such information stands to put the