Avoid Chaos in the Workplace by Managing Technological Changes Effectively

Avoid Chaos in the Workplace

by Managing Technological Changes Effectively

25 January 2003

Avoid Chaos in the Workplace

by Managing Technological Changes Effectively

Organizations recognize the Internet as a significant tool for marketing, communication, and networking with other businesses. "(I)nformation technology not only gives you access to the rest of the world(,) (t)his technology also gives the rest of the world access to you" (p. 117). Sales meetings are conducted between countries across the world in minutes, using tools like NetMeeting and WebEx to give sales pitches and presentations to prospective clients. Employees are working from home, calling into company bridges instead of attending meetings in the company conference room. Email is accessed through Personal Digital Assitants (PDAs) and documents are transferred in seconds to overseas offices. For businesses to be competitive, they need to reevaluate how they transact business, and empower their workforce to employ new technology to increase sales, expand their client base, and grow the business.

The increased connectivity and quick access to data has affected the traditional ways of managing a business. Telecommuting, eBusiness, and access to mass amounts of data have changed how organizations communicate, interact, and sell products. "There are three keys to prospering in an information-rich environment-speed, flexibility, and discretion" (Rouse, 1999, p. 122). Consumers now expect an immediate response to their needs, and companies must understand the need and respond quickly or risk losing valuable business. Companies must be willing to empower their employees to make quick decisions to address the ever-changing needs of its customer base and act on them, and the company must trust that its workforce will exercise good judgment when addressing these needs.

Organizations who want to remain competitive in today's market, must reevaluate its management strategies and opt for a more resilient business that can react quickly to comsumer demands. The October 2004 Electronic Information Report stated, "Recognizing the limitations of serving only the dial-up half of the ISP market space, bargain-priced ISP