I am writing a project on Information Systems (IS). The focus of my
study is on:

1) IS department structure; and 
2) The role of the |S Manager 

What I am looking for are is four quotes from industry leaders to show
that these two issues are important areas to senior management in
large organisations.

So to reiterate, I need four quotes from management in medium-to-large
organisations who have made comments on how IS department structure is
importamnt to them as a company and also how the IS Manager plays an
important role in the company. The quotes don't have to be long (only
need to be a few lines in length). However, I do need:

1) Refernces for the quotes ie. where they were taken from
2) The executive's job title (who actually said the quote)
3) The company with whom the executive works

Thank you very much for your help.

Imzy --

You're likely to get the most-appreciative quotes from companies that
have relied upon computers to pre-empt competition and create new
businesses or services.  I'm going to suggest several sources for
quotes, as I'm not sure that I can hit exactly what you want.

The first is CIO Magazine's online site, which breaks its coverage
into over a dozen topical areas.  You might try IT value:
CIO.com
"IT Value Research Center"
http://www.cio.com/research/itvalue/


or any of the "Research Centers"
CIO.com
Home Page
http://www.cio.com/



Lewis Eigen and Jonathan Siegel have published a book titled "The
Manager's Book of Quotations," AMACOM (American Management
Association) with 47 chapters having quotations
on topics including "Information Management" and "Computers and
Robots."

Here are several examples which may help you:

"A computer will not make a good manager out of a bad manager.  It
makes a good manager better faster and a bad manager worse faster."
Edward M. Esber
CEO, Ashton-Tate
Fortune Magazine, March 2, 1987

"Computers can automate the mechanics of work of all kinds -- whether
they generate payroll checks or perform sophisticated statistical
analyses.  So far they cannot even come close to doing the kind of
work that involves JUDGMENT on the part of managers."
Andrew S. Gove
CEO, Intel Corp.
"One-0n-One with Andy Grove," G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1987

"The highest art of professional management requires the literal
ability to 'smell' a 'real fact' from all others."
Harold Geneen
CEO, IT&T
"Managing," Doubleday, 1984

"Individual contributors who gather and disseminate know-how and
information should be seen as middle managers, because they exert
great power within the organization."
Andrew S. Grove,
CEO, Intel Corp.
"High Output Management," Random House, 1983

As Andy Grove has written extensively on management -- and the use of
technology and information -- you'll undoubtedly find his other
writings fertile ground as well.


Late Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper loved a good quotation and knew
how to use them.  She was a "bureaucrat" all of her life but knew how
to communicate and how to get things done.  You probably know her for
creating the computer term, 'bug;' perhaps for her role in developing
COBOL.   At her speeches, she'd have a 12" piece of wire to show
what a 'nanosecond' was.  

She was unlikely to praise a job function but rather focus on the
importance of action.  Some of her quotes:
 
"Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, 'We've always done
it this way.' I try to fight that. That's why I have a clock on my
wall that runs counter-clockwise."
 
"A business' accounts receivable file is much more important than its
accounts payable file."
 
"You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management
and forgot about leadership. It might help if we ran the MBAs out of
Washington."
  
"One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions."
 
"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out
to sea and do new things."
 
"If it's a good idea. . . go ahead and do it.  It is much easier to
apologize than it is to get permission."

The Norfolk Navy base had an excellent Grace Hopper page at one time
but seems to have taken it down.  Nevertheless, here's an excellent
resource for Grace Hopper quotes.
 
James S. Huggins Pages
"Grace Murray Hopper" (Aug. 19, 2003)
http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/grace_hopper.htm
 

I spent considerable time trying to find a quote that I recall from 
Robert L. Crandall, then president of American Airlines.  Crandall
realized the strategic value of the Sabre computer system, which he
used to build American's lead in the airline industry during the
1980s.

I recall him saying something like this with respect to the airline
deregulation period, "Let me keep the computers.  We can get rid of
the airplanes."  However, I could not find an exact quote, despite
considerable searching.

However, in an article in the NY Times Magazine in October, 1993,
Crandall says that AMR will not purchase another plane and will
gradually become a service company (eventually spinning off AMR
Consulting, an IT service company).  It's  backhanded compliment to
information technology by Crandall but doesn't synthesize exactly what
you're seeking.  Nevertheless, Crandall has stayed active and public
since his retirement and often is quoted on IT-related business
topics.


Google search strategy:
CIO Magazine
"American Airlines" + Crandall + computers
"Grace Hopper"

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

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Request for Answer Clarification by imzy-ga on 28 Aug 2003 03:13 PDT

Thank you for the response.

The information provided is good, but its not exactly what I need.

I want a quote which perhaps says something like:

"The successful management of our IS department is crucial for us to
survive and compete in the 21st century"

"The structure of the IS department/organization is a key enabler for
the business to thrive and remain competitive"

These are not actual quotes but some I just made up. Is it possible to
find something along these lines?

Also, the more recent they are the better.

Thank you very much for your help.

---

Clarification of Answer by omnivorous-ga on 29 Aug 2003 12:44 PDT

Imzy --

I just wanted to update you, so you'd know that we're working on
getting you more-appropriate quotes.  I'm going through the CIO.com
site and through interviews with company execs who rely on IT (e.g.,
Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com) to find something that fits what you're
seeking more directly.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

---

Clarification of Answer by omnivorous-ga on 30 Aug 2003 03:05 PDT

Imzy --

We've found one for you that gets closer -- and will continue looking
through the weekend:

Referring to Marriott's computer yield-management system:
"These systems are hugely important and a key part of our competitive
advantage.  Last year we had the worst year in our history, yet we
were able to grow revenue and maintain our costs."
Amy McPherson, senior VP global revenue management
April 15, 2003
CIO Magazine
http://www.cio.com/archive/081503/marriot.html

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

---

Request for Answer Clarification by imzy-ga on 30 Aug 2003 11:41 PDT

Thank you very much for your continued help. I look forward to hearing
from you soon.

I did not receive the information I was after.