MGT/307 Week Four

Organizational Characteristics and Processes

INTRODUCTION
We will study the elements and effects of technology and organizational power this week. You will learn about how technology has impacted the workplace and how the distribution of power can positively or negatively affect the overall productivity of the workplace.
Most companies rely heavily on technology to assist in accomplishing their goals. The use of technology has rapidly increased in the past two decades. This has allowed companies to do business across increased distances at lightening speed. Such dramatic change in the workplace leads to increased stress as the workforce struggles to keep pace with technological advances.

Week in Relation to the Course
So far we have examined how individuals come together to form groups and teams in the workplace. We have also learned about the various human characteristics that add to organizational productivity. It is also important to understand the tools that assist the workforce in reaching their goals. Technology is the most ubiquitous method today for allowing people and organizations to gain and maintain the competitive edge. Knowledge is power in today’s competitive business world and technology provides the power necessary to maximize business capabilities. Of course, with the use of technology and power, difficulty arises. This week allows us to learn about how we can effectively use technology while understanding and minimizing the difficulties that can accompany it.

Discussion of a Key Point, Thread, or Objective
We can all agree that time is something that is in short supply in today’s marketplace. One thing that there is no shortage of is information. Information is necessary in all organizational processes. Regardless of our business, information is paramount to success. Information is so important that it is analogous to food – without it there is no chance for survival. The methods we use to communicate and share information within our organizations and with our business partners are critical to accomplishing our goals.

Technology is a critical part of an organization’s ability to communicate and succeed.
Technology helps organizations to process huge amounts of data and provides information for managerial decision making at the operational, tactical, and strategic levels. Managers at the operational, tactical, and strategic level often request reports that highlight critical information. In order to make the best decisions, managers also must rely on their experience, intuition, and common sense. Of course, none of this can occur without a heavy reliance on technology.
The integration of hardware, software, and data is the beginning of a technological solution for an organization. The successful use of technology begins and ends with the ability of workers to accumulate and utilize data. Once processed, data is used to help organizations gain a competitive advantage in their businesses.
The trend toward servicing more customers with more and improved services has dramatically increased the number and complexity of technology systems required in organizations. Technology plays a vital and pervasive role in electronic commerce, enterprise collaboration, and the internal business applications that support the operations, management, and strategic objectives of all companies. Technology has become an integral part of the modern organization because it allows businesses to: • Cut costs • Shorten business lead times and response times • Support e-business • Improve collaboration among business partners • Provide improved customer service • Improve the collaboration of internal workgroups and teams • Share resources • Develop new products and services
Technology allows companies to overcome barriers and to realize business success. The four strategic capabilities of technology include overcoming barriers in geography, time, cost, and structure barriers. Organizations must take care to manage information and technology.
Technology can provide information that assists organizations in doing their best work. Our ability to effectively communicate organizational business needs is improved through technology but we must insure that we empower our employees to use this information in ways that they are comfortable using. Because of the speed and complexity of the modern workplace, we must provide our employees with the resources they need and then allow them to do their best work. One way to insure the best outcomes is to enable our employees to make decisions that are consistent with our organizational goals.
When we increase the effective use of information, we also increase performance. When we empower our workforce we are really just pushing responsibility down to the level where it can be most effectively addressed. If we communicate to the custodial worker that we expect a certain level of workplace cleanliness and that they are responsible for achieving those results, they will perform at a higher level. This is true because they hold personal ownership and because we have taken the simple step of communicating their responsibilities to them. If warehouse workers never see the department manager in their work area then they have no indication that their actions are realized at the higher levels of management. If we take the time to walk through the work spaces and comment on specific actions and projects that we see, the employees realize that their work is important and that their contribution is recognized. This does more than assign responsibility, it empowers the employee to have input into how they are viewed and valued at the higher levels of the organization. Simply put, it lets them know that their efforts are important. When that occurs, their willingness to perform is increased.

Practical Application and Questions for Thought
Empowerment is a theme that managers should constantly revisit in their departments. In the “troubled department” workplace example we examined in Weeks One and Two, the employees previously felt that their actions were looked upon critically and that no matter what they did they would be criticized and punished for imperfect performance. As a result, their motivation to perform was limited and their ability to take actions to improve the organization’s performance was severely limited. What if we changed the culture so that the employees understood that they are expected and required to be the cause of increased performance? What if the director and managers told every employee that they are the keys to success? Remember, managers are nothing more than enablers, they do not accomplish the important work of an organization, they simply allow others to do their best. By increasing the employees’ ability to communicate solutions and to take action that is noticed and appreciated, we can create an environment that is conducive to success.

How Tools, Readings, and Simulations Solidify Concepts
This week’s readings provide valuable insight into the tools available to make information work for us. Technological advances allow managers and organizations to provide solutions for increased performance.

Summary to Encourage Learning
Traditionally managers have been very adept at taking full advantage of the resources of money, materials, and people, but only recently have they begun to make effective use of information. The quality of information can be described in terms of accuracy, verifiability, completeness, timeliness, and relevance. Information is only as good as the data from which it is derived. By filtering information, the right information reaches the right decision maker at the right time in the right form.
Once useful and accurate information is received, workers must be empowered to use it to the most efficient use. This occurs when workers have a shared understanding of organizational goals and personal ownership of the tasks they perform. Employee empowerment completes a systematic approach to workplace excellence. This approach begins with understanding the organization’s goals and how we can best work with others to succeed as groups and teams. When employees understand these things, they understand how they play an important part into the organizational structure. In the final step, employees are empowered to do their best work utilizing the best available tools and information.