Management support systems of state-owned enterprises in China

Very little is known about Chinese MIS in general and management support systems (MSS) in particular. This paper describes the brief history of these systems in state-owned enterprises. The MIS/MSS history is divided into three periods: experimental (1980-1985), development (1985-1990), and the adjustment (1991-present), This paper highlights the poor state of the required infrastructure which was impacted by economical and political reasons. The MIS/MSS history shows that remarkable progress has been made during the 90s. However, while some enterprises made a frog leap as demonstrated in two case studies, most companies are still experiencing poor infrastructure and a lack of management applications. Extensive training programs and hiring of young staff help in moving China to close the gap with Western companies. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.