Management homework help. Respond to two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:
- Explore additional ways that the technology experiences of your colleagues might impact you or change your practices.
- Share with your colleague ideas for how they might adopt other technologies to enable them to further improve their effectiveness as business managers.
- Compare your colleague’s experience with your own, and share additional insights you gained.
General Guidance: Your Shared Practice Discussion responses, will each typically be 1–2 paragraphs in length as a general expectation/estimate.
1st Colleague to respond to:
Technology has impacted almost every aspect of our lives. The way we communicate and collaborate has been greatly enhanced with new technology. I do not think I would be able to manage all of my professional and personal activities without the use of technology. Technology enables me to easily communicate with others, collaborate on projects, and exchange information. In the past, I had to be in the office in order to attend meetings, participate in projects, or attend training. With technology such as video conferences, online meetings, and instant messaging, I can work from home or remotely. I no longer need to be in the office in order to complete my work. For example, I had a dentist appointment today and while I was waiting for my appointment, I was able to read emails on my phone.
There are so many ways in which technology has enhanced my professional and personal lives. Here are a few examples of technology that I use in my workplace and at home:
Communication: In the past, whenever I needed to get a document to someone, we had to use interoffice mail or regular snail mail. Today, we can send an email and the person receives it instantly instead of in a few days. I use email, instant messaging, online and virtual meetings to communicate. In my personal life, I use FaceTime to communicate with my family and friends. This allows me to stay connected with them even when we are not in the same location
Collaboration: We use Microsoft software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, and SharePoint) to collaborate on documents. With Microsoft Word, we can make comments and updates within one document and store it in one central location. In the past, we would have to use multiple versions and then try to create one final document.
Meetings: At work, I can use video conferencing and online meetings allow me to convene meetings with anyone in any location.
Storage: At work, we no longer have to store our documents in a filing cabinet or off-site. We used network drives where documentation is easily accessible to everyone on our team. In my personal life, I use Google Drive to store and share documents with family and friends.
All of these types of technology have helped facilitate the flow of information in order to help me and my team communicate better, process data, and make decisions (Bélanger, Van Slyke, and Crossler, 2019).
References
Bélanger, F., Van Slyke, R., & Crossler, R. (2019). Information systems for business: An experiential approach, 3e. Burlington, VT: Prospect Press.
2nd Colleague to respond to:
Technology runs almost all aspects of life. In an ever changing business world, companies are constantly having to restructure how they use information and technology to stay competitive and effectively run their businesses. “With the rapid pace of today’s business world, being successful in a business career requires being able to understand what information is required and being able to efficiently and effectively gather, evaluate, and analyze that information” (Bélanger, Van Slyke, & Crossler, 2019, p. 3).
Like many other organizations, in order to obtain the information required to be successful, technology is used daily. I need dual-monitors, a laptop, telephone, and an all-in-one printer to do the basic tasks of my job. Using all these allows me to work more effectively and complete multiple tasks at once. For example, I may be on the phone with a potential student, but using dual monitors also allows me to chat with other prospects on one screen, and monitor my email from another screen. Therefore, I am able to speak to more than one person at a time, increasing the chances of more enrollments, which benefits profits. “Information technology matters to business success because it directly affects the mechanisms through which they create and capture value to earn a profit” (Drnevich & Croson, 2013, p. 483). In addition to being able to work quicker and more efficiently, through different software programs I am able to keep track of my metrics. This is an effective way to use technology as a business manager. While I would not want to micromanage my employees, I would keep an eye on their metrics to figure out how to better support them. Through this technology, I am also able to assess their strengths and weaknesses, which allows for better decision-making when recommending certain individuals for different tasks or projects.
In my personal life, technology can be a blessing and a curse. The best effect technology has had on my personal life would be allowing me to stay organized. I use my phone and Apple Watch as an alarm to wake me up in the morning. I have additional alarms to help manage my time after I get home from work to tell me when I need to start cooking dinner, bathing the kids, and putting the kids to bed. I frequently use my calendar on both devices as well to keep track of the endless amount of appointments. I use social media and news sites to keep up with current events and stay connected to family and friends. While there are great benefits for technology, the worst part of technology in my personal life would be using it as a distraction. For example, binge watching Netflix on Saturdays for hours while my kids also watch shows and movies on their handheld devices all day. There’s so many other activities that can be done during those hours we waste staring at the screen. Overall, technology is a powerful tool and if used effectively, can generate great results.
APA References
Bélanger, F., Van Slyke, C., & Crossler, R. (2019). The value of information. In F. Bélanger, C. Van Slyke, & R. Crossler, Information systems for business: An experiential approach, 3e, (pp. 2-13). Burlington, VT: Prospect Press.
Drnevich, P. L., & Croson, D. C. (2013). Information Technology and business-level strategy: Toward an integrated theoretical perspective. MIS Quarterly, 37(2), 483-509.