Anderson School of Management

In cooperation with AACSB, the Thirteenth UCLA Survey of Business School Computer Usage focuses on the question of “Where are business schools in the computerization process?” Two hundred ninety-three schools completed the phase diagrams providing data on 43 aspects of the computerization process. Forty-one figures and 18 tables support the data analysis.

For this sample as a whole, business schools can be characterized as in the moderate growth phase, indicating initial acceptance of computer-related concepts but insufficient resources to meet demand. However, the school clustered into five statistically significant groups: Start-up, Mixed, Late Growth, Stable, and Mature. The strategic, instructional, operational and network issues associated with each cluster were contrasted. E.g., the instructional issue of inability to use computers in the classroom was identified by the earlier clusters whereas the problem of courseware development was identified by clusters for a further along the growth curve.

Longitudinal analysis comparing the Fifth (1998), Ninth (1992) and Thirteenth (1996) Survey data provide perspectives of the evolving role of technology in business schools over this eight years period. E.g., when compared longitudinally, the computer operating budget showed a significant reversal on the growth curve between 1988 and 1996, moving from a moderate level of stability back into the high growth phase which may be interpreted as an increased expectation of funding resources available to support the business school computerization efforts.