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The purpose of this paper is to examine plastic and virtual purchasing card use by US Government agencies, with particular focus on how successful implementation might inform governmental entities of potential improvements in the cost, quality and time associated with the digitization of their procure-to-pay processes. Specifically, the paper will: analyze the evolution of card-based payments by US Government agencies, compare the value stream of plastic and virtual cards to governmental entities, analyze the value of card use as a significant and sustainable contributor to greater governmental efficiency and examine the opportunity in the portability of successful card technology implementation strategy.

The authors examined data published by the US federal government relating to agency budgets and commercial card use and combining it with industry performance metrics, projected potential savings and efficiencies for the government and its agencies.

The US Government acknowledges significant administrative cost savings and cash rebates based on its spending on commercial cards. An analysis of US Government spending indicates that changing patterns of card spending are primarily driven by activities of one agency – the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Through the incorporation of advances in card technology, escalation of transaction amounts and leveraging card spending data transparency, the VA has continued to increase its use of and benefit from card technology, while other agencies have languished. By replication of VA strategy, the US Government at large has the potential for billions in card-related savings.

The study implies that a large swathe of governmental agencies, after having adopted new technology (e.g. purchasing cards), are hesitant to use the new technology, a problem that afflicts most implementation efforts. Countermeasures to offset agency resistance to change should be considered and deployed.

Taxpayers demand much of government. The burden of governmental failure to exploit the benefits of innovation (such as card technology) falls on the shoulders of taxpayers. When the government cannot exploit technologies that are commonly used in the private sector, the failure lowers citizen respect for the capability of government employees and the ability of government writ large to solve problems.

Governmental failure to exploit the benefits of technology dispirits the citizenry, yielding a desire for change that may be disproportionate to the problem at hand.

The study combines General Services Administration, US Treasury and market data points to make a unique assessment of the benefits derived through 20 years of governmental commercial card use.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.

After fifteen years of use by U.S. Federal government agencies, purchase cards are still caught in a debate between the drive to improve governmental efficiency and the need to prudently manage and control spending of taxpayer resources. This paper gives decision makers facts by which to evaluate the purchase card experience to date by providing a brief history of legislative actions related to purchase cards, analyzing patterns of purchase card spending by Federal government agencies, estimating the potential size of the purchase card program, and identifying the costs and benefits of shifting low-value transactions to the purchase card. The paper concludes with recommendations for government action.

The article provides and interview with Dr Richard Pech.

Richard Pech answers questions about business growth, downscoping, downsizing, core competencies, and growth strategies.

Richard Pech provides views on a variety of issues connected to business growth.

Provides an insightful interview with Dr Richard Pech.

An analysis of library use studies previously published by this author (Kilgour 1989) revealed that of every hundred user requests for a book, seven are not satisfied because the library has not acquired the book, eleven because there is a defect in the catalog or error in its use (3.45 to deficiency and 7.55 to user error), and twenty‐three because the book is not on the shelf. This paper demonstrates types of online catalog access that can reduce the failures caused by card catalog flaws or by user search errors by half.

Seeks to examine the important role commitment plays in implementing TQM and the interrelationship between that commitment and the role of training. In particular, considers the necessity of maintaining the energy and drive for quality within the system. Develops a model which is analogous to the energy within a chemical process. The existing status quo is altered through the influence of commitment to training, communications, systems, and teams. These affect the organizational culture which then reinforces further changes and developments.

The motive to manage impressions has been broken down into protective and acquisitive orientations. A protective orientation exists when an individual is concerned primarily with encountering disapproval, rather than approval, from the relevant audience. An acquisitive orientation exists when an individual is concerned primarily with obtaining approval from the audience. This study tests the proposition that organizational managers have primarily an acquisitive orientation. The affective sentiments of 95 international middle‐ and upper‐level business managers toward their organization, its leaders, and its business control mechanisms were compared with their perceptions of the acquisitiveness and protectiveness of their work environment. The results indicate that affective sentiments of managers are correlated with the acquisitiveness, but not the protectiveness, of the work environment, supporting the notion that managers have primarily an acquisitive orientation.

Looks at the reasons and requirements for effectively planning and managing the implementation of TQM. Examines controlling the resulting rate of change in the organization to ensure that expectations for performance improvement are achieved. Presents instructions for running an employee training session, including sample exercises.