Management information systems in higher learning institutes of Malaysia: an overview

In Malaysia, the area of management information systems (MIS) is growing rapidly in most of the higher learning institutions, in line with the government's encouragement to make information technology (IT) a part of our lives. Thus, a survey was carried out to oversee the roles and application of MIS in the higher learning institutions of Malaysia, emphasising managerial roles in decision making. Decision-making consists of stages that can be described as intelligence, design, choice, and implementation. In our survey, twelve higher learning institutions are used to help identify factors/activities involved in the first stage of decision making i.e., intelligence. From the survey, it was found that managers of higher learning institutions play a vital role in the implementation of MIS to enable business objectives and improve productivity. Any management decisions made about IT are critically important, since it will determine the prosperity and survival of the organization.