Adapting to Rapid Changes in Information Technology Thesis

Abstract

This study examines the effects of rapid changes in information technology in decision-making. The rapid changes in technology have led to changes the way managers make decisions. Managers tend to change their policies and decision-making processes depending on the most current technology.

However, the rapid changes in technology are extremely to the extent that managerial decision making has been affected severely. This study will be conducted to see how managers have adapted to rapid changes in information technology.

Background

Adoption of Information technology support decisions making process at different levels of the organizational. Managers make structured decisions (Ayadi 56). These decisions are usually dependent on the information technology adopted. Studies have shown that manager decision-making process is structured according to the technology they are hoping to adopt.

However, with the rapid changes in the technology the process of structuring the decision making process has become difficult. Managers find the task of incorporating the concept of rapid changes into the process of decision making difficult. Managers believe that the cost of adopting new technology is escalating with growth in the IT industry (Miles 45).

Managers have the duty of adopting new technology in an entity. However, technology is changing at a faster rate than most elements that affect managerial decision-making. Most managers, in the current world, are of the opinion that rapid changes in technology are affecting the process of decision-making (Ayadi 122). This has led to managers developing different attitudes and perceptions towards the rate of technological changes.

Various managers argue that with the rapid changes in IT, the new technology adopted by an entity becomes outdated before it has been implemented fully. A good example of such a case was the advance in Microsoft operating system between 2006 and 2010. Many entities upgraded their computers from lower operating systems like XP to windows 7 operating system.

However, before the Windows 7 was fully implemented, Microsoft upgraded their operating system software. They came up with Windows 8 that was more advanced than Windows 7 (Jones 256). These rapid changes in technology are making managers more cautious while adopting new technology. Decision-making is a critical tool in determining the competence of a manager.

Managers therefore have to be careful while making decisions on information technology since such decisions may determine how competent a manager is. Managers have adopted the use of models to assist them in the processes of decision-making (Jones 320).

Rapid technological changes have also led to development of new policies and procedures. Managers have been forced to learn a new code of conduct that is compatible with the new technology. Advances in technology have led to overlaps in policies. Changes in technology have also lead to scrapping off redundant policies. New policies have been introduction of new to cater for the rapid changes in technology.

In the process of adopting new policies and adopting new ones, policies may overlap. Sometimes a policy vacuum is created thus making it difficult for manager to make crucial decisions on certain matters. In such cases, managers tend to use old policies that may be irrelevant in current decision-making process (Miles 119).

Problem Statement

Technology is changing at a rapid rate. With every new dawn, there is always new technology. It has become a difficult task for managers to keep up with the technological changes in their organizations. Due to the rapid changes in technology, managers are finding it difficult to choose the most appropriate piece of technology that would suit their function. Adopting relevant technology is becoming harder and harder for managers.

Therefore, different managers tend to have different attitudes and perceptions regarding changes technology. These attitudes and perceptions affect managers’ decision making processes. Moreover, managers’ view on adopting new technology is changing. This has been attributed to the rising costs of keeping up with the rapid technological changes. Institutions in the current world adopt technology that is deemed relevant.

Managers have shifted their decision-making stance in cases that involve technology. Instead of adopting newest technology, they only adopt relevant technology. This enables them to cut their costs and maintain the company’s profitability in the process.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this project is to determine whether there are significant effects on rapid changes in technology in decision-making process. The specific objectives include

1. Analyzing decision-making models that have been formulated with emergence of information technology.
2. Determine the challenges facing managers in adopting new technology
3. Propose areas requiring further research to fix the problem associated with new technology.

Research Questions

1. How does the rapid growth in technology affect decision-making?
2. Have managers formulated models to assist in tackling this problem?
3. What are the challenges facing managers when adopting new technology?
4. Which area in decision making in regards to information technology require further studies?

Limitations of the Study

This study is to be conducted within a limited period of time that is insufficient to establish the full extent of the effects of rapid technology advances on the process of decision-making.

Financial constraints also prevent study to be conducted effectively and efficiently especially the interviews that are to be conducted to managers of large-scale organizations who utilize management information systems as part of their management techniques.

It will thus be difficult to determine the influence of management information systems across large range managers to determine how each manager is affected by the decisions made.

Works Cited

Ayadi, Ingvar. Organizational Management in Modern Times. Tunis: Mashall publishers, 2009. Print

Jones, Mitchel. The 21^st Century Economy. London: Sage, 2005. Print

Miles, Peters. Planning and Decision Making. Boston: Yale Publishers, 2002. Print