Supporting executive intelligence activities with agent-based executive information systems

This chapter examines the theoretical underpinning for supporting executive intelligence activities and reviews conventional studies of executive information systems (EIS) over the last two decades in responding to the current executives’ information processing needs and the current Internet era. The reviews suggest the need for designing advanced EIS that are capable of responding and adapting to executive information. This chapter recognizes the necessity of revitalizing EIS with advances in intelligent technologies and Web-based technologies. Empirical studies were conducted to elucidate executives’ desires and perceptions of the prospect of agent-based technologies for supporting executive intelligence activities in the more integrated and distributed environment of the Internet. Based on the insights gained from empirical studies, this chapter concludes by presenting a three-level agent-based EIS design model that comprises a “usability-adaptability-intelligence” trichotomy for supporting executive intelligence activities.