Information and Understanding

A major difference in age between the head of an organization and his acknowledged heir and successor can contribute to a better awareness by all that there is merit in both the old and the new. On the other hand, it can be the cause of friction between the two, as one is loath to release the reins and the other strives to take them on. Further, one may believe that only he can run the company, whilst the other knows that he can do it better. In such circumstances, the decision was taken that the younger man should investigate the needs for management information in the organization, and he set about creating an information system for the future, primarily his own. As he did so, he uncovered many aspects of the operation of the company which could benefit from new procedures, and in particular identified an area of major conflict which he was able to resolve. The purpose of the study changed considerably over time, and what began as a review of information processing became a detailed analysis of the fundamental principles of the nature of the organization to provide understanding for the future development of the company.