This volume presents a perspective on programs and policies designed to enhance the development of local and regional economics. The primary purpose is to provide an overview to assist economic development organizations in implementing competitive positioning programs and utilize IRM (information resources management) techniques. The first three chapters build the case for an information resources management (IRM) perspective on economic development. Chapter Four rounds out the discussion by proposing broad-based academic and governmental endeavors based on a perspective on economic development that is consonant with a rapidly changing, highly interdependent, global economy in today's Information Age.

Going beyond typical approaches to developing and administering sponsored projects, the authors build a compelling case for new perspectives and techniques which are uniquely relevant to today's fast-paced Information Age. This work functions as both a theoretical treatise and a desk-top handbook by integrating systems thinking, information management, boundary spanning, contingency management, and strategic planning into an effective and flexible model for both the public and private sectors. It assesses the various factors to take into account when applying the model in different organizational settings and outlines the various steps in initiating a project and bringing it to completion. The authors also further unify the technical work and human dimensions of their model by incorporating it with emerging concepts of organization culture.

Integrating concepts of marketing, information resources management, and planned change, this volume demonstrates the versatility and potential applications of competitive positioning programs designed to enhance local and regional economic development. In conjunction with its companion text, the volume stresses an information resources management (IRM) perspective emphasizing that the effective acquisition, interpretation, and communication of information is a basic, line managerial function rather than a support, staff managerial function. The first chapter introduces key concepts related to competitive positioning, examines critical organizational factors associated with the successful implementation of competitive positioning programs, and discusses important tasks necessary to initiate competitive positioning programs. The last three chapters focus on the analytical tasks associated with competitive positioning programs, the implementation and supervision of competitive positioning programs, and the modification and termination of competitive positioning programs. Each chapter has key activities included to aid readers in learning how to assess organizational and community readiness and to implement IRM-based techniques.