management Information System

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Management Information System

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It is true that in most industries , the old approach to strategy no longer holds . The world in which economies and organizations operate has changed dramatically due to information technology

The title of Mark Warschauer 's book entices by referring to immensely important s but cautions of overambition due to the immensity of each component : technology , social inclusion , and rethinking the digital divide

He emphasized that the business environment has transformed drastically since the advent of

information and communication technologies (ICT Business organizations have undertaken extreme restructuring by modifying their means of communication and synchronization of work activities . ICT has made it promise for companies to work on a real-time basis , whereby products and services are conveyed to the right place at the right time . Since then , ICT has propagated and has undergone significant improvements . A business not supported by a network of computer systems (primary information technology ) is more or less destined to fail , since it will be incapable to compete efficiently in today 's complex and dynamic environment

Video , satellite , and computer technologies have become so essential to contemporary communications that the modern society can no longer be sacked as a passing fad . For better or worse , we live and will persist to live in a society where information exchange has become torrential The usual obstacles to communications of volume , distance , and time have been purged for all practical purposes . Ours is now a world accustomed to global telephone and television service via satellite , adapted to the computer 's capability to process data instantaneously , accustomed to the storage of 100 ,000 pages of print on a single five-inch disk . Entire sectors of the economy are by now so reliant on communications volume and speed that there is no spiraling back

This is not to say that every new medium will get a niche in the marketplace . Currently there is such a propagation of new video services - from well-known technologies such as cable and video recording to fledgling satellite delivery services such as direct broadcast satellite that it is dubious all will prove economically viable

In combination with computers , modems , and telephones , the television becomes a monitor competent of receiving and electronically publishing not only pictures but text and graphs from the most remote data banks This convergence of video , computer , and telecommunications technologies into integrated communications networks is not perilously tied to the survival of any one new medium . It is solidly embedded in our economic and social ways of life

The age of information , otherwise known as the postindustrial age , is displacing the smokestack era in the United States and in numerous other industrialized nations . History suggests that the technological transitions concerned as far-reaching as the advent of human speech , the printing press , the telephone , and the telegraph . The computer rapidly is approaching occurrence in domestic society . The integrated grid already is in place and requires but a few information bridges to make it a whole and all-pervasive system

Warschauer accepts that with the completion of these transitions , almost every building in the United States associated to a system of interactive modern society exceptional in human history . The complexity of the ICT inexorably influence the rate at which they are adopted , but the benefits they promise can be more than sufficient to support prospective users to attack the steep learning curves involved . As learning proceeds , users become concerned in ICT in which information delivered is always sought or chosen by users rather than being provided mechanically by the ICT

Communications through the ages has usually been directed toward individuals or small groups . Conversation fits this mold . So does all the writing up to the Gutenberg watershed , and much beyond it . It remained for the penny press of the nineteenth century to create the first true mass medium prior newss had been little more than newsletters , aimed at businesses . Combined with the wire services , the penny press created a data base shared by a considerable proportion of the American public . Radio , film , and especially television extensive and enriched this pool of common information . With the telegraph and television came centralized national control over news content and procedures

The central premise in Warschauer 's work is that abilities to access adapt , and generate knowledge by way of evolving ICT are indispensable to social inclusion in modern society (p . 9 . Borrowing from European discourse "social inclusion " refers to "the extent that individuals families and communities are able to fully participate in society and control their own destinies (p . 8 . He seeks to answer three central questions in pursuit of one overarching goal . The questions are (1 ) How and why is access to information technology critical to social inclusion (2 ) What does it mean to have genuine access ? and (3 ) How can access for meaningful social inclusion best be promoted in a wide variety of circumstances ? The overarching goal in addressing these three questions is to "reorient the discussion of the digital divide from one that focuses on gaps to be overcome by provisioning of equipment to one that focuses on social development issues to be addressed through effective integration of ICT into communities , institutions , and societies (p . 9

Consider the 'online complaint service ' which is regarded by Warschauer as 'an especially valuable component of the Gyandoot project , and one that has had an important impact on villagers ' lives (Warschauer 2003 :179-80 . Complaints range from problems about drinking water and nonpayments to the absence of a veterinarian or schoolteacher and reactions thereto are required within 7 days

Although these and other services have been very widely used 'Some of the major problems faced by the project have been related to technology

Basically , Consumers and interest groups have created strategic alliances and now capable to coordinate their activities as well as exchange ideas and thoughts through a number of database and network systems . For instance , owners of personal computers can subscribe to a computer network and without difficulty retrieve information on the products and corporations on line . Such information can also without problems be transmitted to other users . This huge use of ICT by both consumers and companies affects , but the way business is run today These consumer strategic alliances know no geographical limitations oftentimes , they are global in nature , particularly among the industrialized nations

As companies can get in enormous profits from the better coordination greater product elasticity , improved quality , leaner production , and more time-based competitiveness that ICT offers , they also facades the threat that can come from these consumers ' strategic alliances . For instance , corporations can no longer ignore consumer demands for constant product quality , reliability and respect for the environment or timely delivery of services

As we move toward more and more advanced technologies , the labor force must be retrained . This training must not only expose workers to the technical matters adjoining the new process but also to the new focus of the organization . They have to be made responsive of the importance of advanced technology in improving work methods and in remaining competitive . Employee compulsion to the new process is imperative

Warschauer emphasized that SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 in numerous ways in which ICT applications could guide to better learning and teaching outcomes . Most booming computer-aided instruction and computer-based training applications boast of cost reductions , but a few also claims gains in the excellence of employee learning . Several of these applications rely on markedly cutting-edge technology , making lavish use of multimedia , and engaging trainees in very interactive discussions

Though , other ideas are astoundingly simple . For instance , The Teaching Company (TTC ) thinks that the videotapes and audiotapes it offers can aid trainees improve grades in everything . Of course , these tapes lack the interactivity of a good tutoring session , but TTC is betting that the quality of its tapes will more than compensate : The lectures are carried by elite "superstar " faculty in each field , not by merely experienced professors

The use of ICT has the prospective to be an enterprise-wide decision-support system that facilitates achieving both strategic and operational objectives . Fully integrated systems can aid the more seamless operation of a company across functions and departments

For example , Berry (1994 ) cites the case of a large manufacturing company where the departure of an employee needed the services of several specialists (EEO , COBRA , payroll , pensions , outplacement , etc Through the adoption of a graphical user interface (GUI ) a single user was then competent to access all related systems and support tools resultant in all activities being accomplished in one session and updated automatically . GUI in addition can be used to do "what if benefits plan modeling and can work as an executive information database

Expert systems are programmed to reply questions and aid decision making as would be a human expert (Greenlaw Valonis , 1994 . These systems develop into the repositories of the best experience and thinking of subject matter experts and have incredibly prospectively in human resource strategy formulation . Both by consideration of expert system technology and a perceptive of the task to be performed effect how sharply a person uses an expert system (Greenlaw Valonis , 1994 . These systems are signified in applications such as Policies Now and Resumix and in intelligent tutoring systems (ITS

Another computer-based technology known as Group Decision Support System (GDSS ) assists group discussions , group brainstorming , and team sessions by permitting participants to put in their ideas all together Additionally , open , honest involvement is optimistic through inscrutability (Townsend et al , 1995

In the area of training and development , the use of computer-assisted training to pass on information , such as Intel 's use of an interactive set of connections to present new product seminars (Coyle , 1995 , is becoming more universal . In another application , the -intensity of collecting 360-degree feedback for management development is lightened by the use of automated systems . Administrative support can be condensed from three full-time employees per thousand multiple-source assessment (MSA ) participants to one full-time employee per two thousand MSA participants (Edward Ewen , 1996 . Numerous HR professionals are known with the utility of Career Architect , skill recognition and analysis system (Lancaster , 1995 ) made more user-friendly by its accessibility in a PC-based version

Coyle (1995 ) cites the improvement of the executive education network (EXEN , which works together with universities to deliver some of their most well-liked courses via satellite to subscriber electronic classrooms . Though , Coyle (1995 ) also reminds us that companies that are amongst the leaders in management development still value personnel face-to-face communication among participants . GE still troops its managers and executives off to its Crotonville management education center and IBM places a best on socialization and personal interaction in its programs

Recruiting also is enduring drastic change due to technological advancements . Students on more than sixty college campuses are competent to interview via desktop video with recruiters from at least ten major companies . It is estimated that the number of participating companies will attain four hundred by 1997 (Wall Street Journal , 1995 . Bell South is a dynamic participant on the O Net , a depository of job and skill taxonomies that gives a link between business , learning , jobs seekers and career centers . Technology also facilitates the rapidly growing provisional and contract workers ' industry to cope and track a vast array of skills pools across an outgoing geographical spread for multiple clients . As a case in point , Snelling International makes wide-ranging use of its HRIS in managing 251 franchise and co-owned offices straddling five countries . This company processes more than fifty thousand W-2s and 338 ,000 paychecks and sends reports to just about a thousand local , state and national regulatory agencies (Datamation , 1995

On the other hand , Internet today also plays a role of institution . The Internet is no longer for technically expert people who live and breathe computers . With the arrival of the Word Wide Web several years ago , the door was opened for wide-ranging access to the vast potential of the Internet . The all-pervasive growth of Internet practice is expected to expand at an absurd rate . In fact , the number of Web sites currently doubles every 53 days (Gerstner , 1996 . It has gotten to the point that a company should have a Web site or risks being identified as not "with it

The equation becomes further complicated as we consider the prospective fundamental shift away from PC-based systems such as Microsoft Windows to Internet-based systems such as Sun Microsystems JAVA (Elmer-Dewitt 1996 . Indeed , Sun 's slogan goes to the extreme , proclaiming "The Network is the Computer " The case for networks is further supported by the development of internal , company Intranets . Instances include Federal Express , which has sixty Web sites running inside the company and Ford , which used an Intranet that connected design centers in Asia Europe , and the United States to engineer the 1996 Taurus (Cortese 1996

Going online is vitally changing the way HR tasks at companies such as CISCO Systems . Of course , CISCO is in the business of "internetworking so it facts it would be among the leaders in HR use of the Net . CISCO posts approximately all of its job openings on its home page and on a number of career services , and the company receives around seven hundred resume electronically per month . All resumes are passed automatically into its recruiting database (Greengard , 1995

There are a huge number of online services and sources of information that are extremely pertinent to HR such as interactive online guides job placement services , professional and contract worker listings , and government sites such as OSHA (Greengard , 1995 . Sasaki (1996 ) has recognized almost thirty online discussion groups on HR-related s such as ADA , benefits , gender issues , training , and TQM . Additionally numerous universities (e .g , Cornell , Harvard ) and HR associations (e .g , SHRM ) have Web sites

However , at some point , Web technology could noticeably make training packages attributing superstar instructors easier to build up and more generally accessible , perhaps leading to considerable improvements in teaching and learning productivity . Imagine , for instance , a course built around master lectures , digitized and put online , and shared with complementary assignments , projects , tutorials , and group discussions like those by now found in World Lecture Hall courses . Taking this course through the Internet might not be moderately the same as there in person , which would need being a student at MIT , Stanford . However , for less-fortunate students , such an online course could be better than an in-person course accessible by a second tier university . Here , as in other areas , information technology might lead to progression in productivity by making truly well not just competent practitioners and their performances accessible to more or less everyone . Advanced technology by itself adds little or no value to an organization . There should be organizational as well as employee dedication to exploit the technology to the maximum . For instance , with ever-increasing use of computer-integrated manufacturing systems , and the stream of technical documentation that accompanies it , employees have to be skilled of recognizing the critical information at the right time . Once that information is recognized and properly interpreted , there must be an organizational dedication to use the information to make better decisions . Without this potential , the organization cannot take advantage from new technologies . Human resources ' management , therefore will persist to be a critical factor in the survival of any organization

We sum up the influence of information technology on human resources as follows

Information technology transforms the mode of communication and work processes

Custom or standardized operations are replaced with skilled and multi-skilled workers . An extremely trained labor force is desired to manage information technology

Worker motivation and satisfaction might improve since workers are no longer restricted to routine operations , enjoy management powers , and can contribute to developments in their work processes

New technology also has an impact on the organization itself , as follows

Organizational reformation is required . This reformation makes the organization flat . Decision-making powers are decentralized

Communications are better and the organization is capable to make timely responses to its environment

Introduction of new products and services is improved and varieties of products can be efficiently introduced and marketed by the organization .The organization is competent to improve its efficiency , quality , and competitiveness

Today 's advanced technology can , conversely , easily become a basic technology . A rapid increase of ICT also brings rapid obsolescence of earlier technologies . Policies concerning technology must not be static they must keep evolving . Stalk (1988 ) points out that "competitive advantage is a persistently moving target . The best competitors the most thriving ones , know how to keep moving and always stay on the cutting edge

A company should be able to evaluate potential new technologies quickly The goal must be to remain competitive , and effective management of technology is a vital step in achieving this . With an increased focus on customer satisfaction , technology is a decisive means for achieving customer satisfaction . Browning (1990 ) notes that a learning organization "uses technology incessantly to refresh its knowledge of its customers ' wants and to work out new ways of satisfying them " This commitment to be a learning organization needs vast resources , however For example , Browning also points out that building a learning organization "necessitates new skills , clever people and capable machines " Noticeably , technology and human resources should be used together for the organization to stay competitive

Thus , Warschauer like other experts accept that ICT are recognized as key variables that facilitate an organization to improve its productivity , quality , and competitiveness . A critical constituent is the ICT , which offers both opportunities and challenges . The organization should show understanding to its environment via its policies , and be learning and caring organization , as time and reliability influence competitiveness . Finally , organizations should innovate and constantly move to achieve new targets , particularly in view of today 's rapidly developing new technologies

References

Berry , W . E "Management Accountants ' Strategic Asset : The Human Resource Information System " Management Accounting , January 1994 75 (7 , 56-57

Browning J "Information Technology Survey " Economist , June 16 , 1990 pp . 5 - 20

Cortese , A "Here Comes The Intranet " Business Week , February 26 , 1996 76-84

Coyle , J "Technology and Executive Development : The Promise and the Practice " American Journal of Management Development , 1 (2 (1995 37-46

Datamation "HR App Meets Critical Needs " June 15 , 1995 , 69-75

Edward , M .R A .J . Ewen "Automating 360 Degree Feedback " HR Focus March 3 , 1996

Elmer-Dewitt ,

"Why Java is Hot " Time , January 1996 , 58-60

Gerstner , J "Cyber Architect : Nicholas Negroponte " Communication World , January /February 14-17 , 1996

Greengard , F "Catch The Wave As HR Goes Online " Personnel Journal July 1995 , 54-68

Greenlaw ,

.S W .R . Valonis "Applications of Expert Systems in Human Resource Management " Human Resource Planning , 17 (1 (1994 , 27-42

Lancaster , H "Professionals Try Novel Way to Assess and Develop Skills " Wall Street Journal , August 29 , 1995 , B1

Leslie Laine Is E-Learning E-Ffective for IT Training : You 'd Think So Wouldn 't You ? but an IT Training Firm Bravely Conducted Its Own Research , with Some Surprising Findings T D , Vol . 57 , June 2003

Sasaki , I "HR-Related Resources on the Internet " Presentation at the Human Resource Institute 24th Annual Issue Management Conference , St Petersburg Beach , Florida , February 14 , 1996

Stalk G "Time--The Next Source of Competitive Advantage " Harvard Business Review 66 (4 (July-August 1988 : 41-51

Townsend , A .M , M .E . Whitman A .R . Hendrickson "Computer Support System Adds Power to Group Processes " HRMagazine , September 1995 87-91

Warschauer , Mark . Technology and Social Inclusion : Rethinking the Digital Divide . Cambridge : The MIT Press , 2003 Management Information System PAGE 1 ...