CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
This study is on “Information Resource Management in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Abuja”. Information is very complex and difficult, as evident in the various definitions and attributes of the concept. Notwithstanding the fact that information is as old as man, and that it affects and is affected by all aspects of human activities, no consensual definition of the word exists in the literature. Available definitions reflect the emphasis and perhaps prejudice of their proponents. Information is a multi-disciplinary concept, it is against this background that Eliss (1999:2) observes that the data processing manager might conceive it in terms of data, the record manager in terms of records and report, the librarian or information scientists in terms of documents or materials and the rural people in terms of message. The foregoing, according to Ajewole (2001:216), had led to the categorization of information definition into three (3) strands. The first is the scientific and technical information (STI). This is within the domain of scientific and technological communities. The second strand is socio-cultural; in this context, information is viewed as knowledge which is transferable in the conduct of various activities. In the final strand, information is perceived as a basic resource and an indispensable and irreplaceable link between a variety of activities, intellectual and material, in the service of society, institutions and individuals. However, within each of these strands, there is no consensual definition of the concept.
Information is the resources which allows us to change and improve the society, we live in, it unfolds man physically, mentally, socially, politically and spiritually. It is a resource for the acquisition of power, it can be used in making national decisions by
individuals, group of individuals and organizations. The management of information resources, therefore, has become a critical issue in every sphere of life especially in public and government organizations where the right information is needed for decision making to move the nation forward. It is in view of this that the researcher undertook a study on Information Resource Management in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Abuja.
Public organizations in Nigeria need to serve as better sources of social and economic transformation by placing emphasis on information resource management. Information resource management helps organizations to maintain accountability, transparency and efficient services. Relevant information services are responsive to the needs of all the management uncertainty in decisions. Information resource management is based on the tenets of generation, acquisition, storage and use of information within the organization.
It is important to define Information Resource Management (IRM) and examine its scope for proper understanding of the activities involved. There are various popular definitions which, put together, gives a holistic picture. Schoneyman (1995:35) defined IRM as the Management (planning, Organization, Operations and control) of the resources (human and physical) concerned with the systems support (development, enhancement and maintenance) and the servicing (processing, transformation, distribution, storage and retrieval) of information (data, text, voice, image) for an enterprise. Mcleod and Brittain-White (1960:28) viewed IRM as the recognition by an organization that data and information are valuable resources and the application of the same principles of managing physical resources such as personnel. Other writers like Burk and Horton (1988:24) are of the view that IRM is the process within the information management area that serves the corporate interest. IRM seeks to harness information for the benefit of the organization as
a whole by exploiting, developing and optimizing information resources. The interest of the organization are usually manifested by its corporate goals and objectives, in their opinion IRM is the managerial link that connects corporate information resources with the organization‟s goals and objectives. Kerr (1991:15) refers to IRM as simply the belief that information is an asset that should be managed rigorously and can contribute to the success of businesses. Furthermore, O‟Brien (1990:22) viewed IRM as the managing of information resources – a major strategic responsibility of both managerial end users and traditional information system management.
There are many definitions in use for IRM, reflecting the various perspectives on the scope and impact of the information resources. One such IRM definition by Hoven (2001:80) can be derived by breaking up the term “information resource management” into its component parts:
- Information as something told or items of knowledge.
- Resource as a stock or supply that can be drawn on.
- Management as the professional administration of business concern.
The above breakdown suggest that all organizational activities have been embraced
in every ramification to bring about success.
Information, according to Burch and Grudnitski (1989:13) is important to the success of organizations in achieving their objectives. They maintained that it is “Information that ties all of organization‟s resources together for better operation, coordination and survival in a competitive environment.” Information is the key ingredient of modern organizations and therefore, the management of information is critical in public organizations. Information Resource Management can enable an organization to achieve its goals in a state of unity and harmony; it involves the communication and tapping of
experiences and knowledge in the organization. Public organizations in Nigeria require information to stimulate them to action and to inform them on the outcome of the options to work with. It therefore means that, the management staff in any organization need to manage information properly and disseminate it at the right time to managers who need the information to take decision for effective and efficient managerial operations.