The International Journal of Public Sector Management

• Pages: 1-63
• Published date: 01 April 1993
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/eb002939
• Date: 01 April 1993
• Subject Matter: Public policy & environmental management

The

International

Journal of Public

Sector

Management

The Value of

Abstracts and

Their Use

3

The Value of Abstracts

and Their Use

Being in possession of the "right" information is vital in maintaining

competitiveness in the modern business age. There is a mass of

information "out there" in the environment, so coping with it, managing

it effectively, and selecting from it that which is useful, would appear

to be the key to success.

In

1991

MCB

undertook

a

major research project which generated some

significant findings, among them:

(1) that there was a need to create neutral bases of information and

generate products to match needs; and

(2) that concentration should be on individual articles, with easily

accessible information on what these articles contain.

The publication of separate abstracts issues of MCB journals is one

method by which these customer needs are being met

—

customizing

information for the benefit of our readership.

The abstracts are selected from the Anbar

database,

a division of

MCB,

containing management information from worldwide sources. They

provide a short summary of what the article contains, how long it is and

who wrote it. An additional feature of abstracts selected from Anbar is

the occasional use of comment

by

abstractors based on their managerial

or consulting

experience.

Such expressions of

opinion

are

shown

in italics.

The Anbar service is itself

selective,

choosing only articles which make

a significant contribution to the knowledge base, although classic articles

of a more basic nature may be included for those new to a discipline.

From this wealth of information, material

is

selected for inclusion

in

each

abstracts special issue based on the needs of the readership of each

journal.

Accessing the information contained in this issue is straightforward.

The abstracts have been divided

into

six major sections

by

subject. Each

abstract has an alphanumeric reference number at the end. If

you

wish

to receive the full text of an article you may do so by merely quoting

this reference number on the form provided on page 64. This form may

be copied as often as you wish.

SECTION 1

Culture, Strategy

and Organization

Structure

Included in this section covering organizational culture, strategy and

structure in the public sector are: an examination of the effect of

privatization on the organization in the UK; advice to local government

offices on how to work with elected officials; and a look at implementing

strategic plans.

International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 6 No. 4. 1993, pp. 5-12.

© MCB University Press, 0951-3558