| This study analyzed the information needs of commercial bank managers in Puerto Rico, in particular those related to strategic issues. The research focused on managers, information-seeking and acquisition practices for obtaining strategic information. A study to assess what information about the external environment commercial bank managers in Puerto Rico required and how they found it was considered essential to provide a basis for the design of an appropriate information system.; Managers from four commercial banks—one Puerto Rican, one American, one Canadian and one Spanish—in Puerto Rico were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire.; The study confirmed the findings of previous studies on information needs and environmental scanning activities; however, it failed to confirm others. Bank managers consulted various formal and informal sources to search for information about the external environment, such as books, journals, government documents, newspapers, business magazines, industry publications, electronic databases, and internal and external colleagues. They favored some sources in terms of ease of use, previous use, accessibility, and reliability. Of the four criteria, the best predictors of use of a particular source were previous use and accessibility. Colleagues, both internal and external, were consulted frequently. Traditional sources of information, such as libraries, chambers of commerce, even bankers, associations, played only a small role in providing information to bankers.; The responses corroborated the observations of other researchers regarding the association between accessibility and the frequency of use of a source. They did not support observations of other studies that individual differences and organizational affiliations influenced source selection. |
