Introduction
In the contemporary world, technology has become an integral part of organizations; however, it has affected the society and the environment mainly due to the changes that come about with it, which people have to adapt. Generally, it plays an important role in the field of business, since it provides tools such as internet that in this era, all companies have adopted. Simply, there are several types of technologies used in business including internet, laptops and computers, and software.
Technology supports the general business functions in a number of ways. First, the use of internet has eased communicating through face book, as well aiding inter-business communication through video conferencing, e –mails and even chat rooms.
In some companies, managers require employees to be in possession of devices like laptops and smart phones, which are easily portable, in order to stay connected remotely. Moreover, companies require their employees to use company cars fitted with GPRS locators, thus ensuring safety of their cars.
Finally, every business needs software to operate online, and in this case, they may opt for Voice over Internet Protocol (Voip) instead of analog signal, especially when conducting online conferencing and voice calls. Nevertheless, each business should consider its goals before choosing the technology to use, since not all technologies work for any business.
This paper will discuss the organizational technology plan for DirecTV, a direct broadcast satellite service based in El Segundo, California, which transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States.
Challenges presented to management due to managing existing technology
Given that the emergence of technology brings about organizational change, managers are always faced with various challenges. One of the limitations that DirecTV will face is the high or overdependence on technology among people to solve problems, thus making them tend not to think on their own. In addition, installation of computers in an organization requires staff training on how to use such computers, thus DirecTV will have to incur high operational costs.
Moreover, Gwartney et al (2008, p. 178) argues that technology leads to reorganization, such that, some employees who are familiar with a certain technology may be promoted, while those who are not may require special training or are demoted altogether. In modern labour market, employment patterns indicate that computer literate persons are more likely to be employed than their unskilled counterparts are.
According to Gronlund (2002, p. 312), change process is affected by the interdependence of three dimensions including: technology, organizational context, and change model. Normally, as technology changes, DirecTV will also change its products and processes, while employees’ skills and behavior will have to be subjected to an effective change model to make them adaptive to such changes.
In addition, e–recruiting has become common with companies, as it is fast, easy and cost effective, with wide outreach. However, the biggest challenge with this technology is DirecTV may find it attract some qualified applicants who may not be familiar with this method, especially if the company does not give an option of postal services.
Methods of addressing emerging technology
DirecTV has to be involved with technology because of the benefits that technology provides; for instance, it takes a short time to perform a task or process a large amount of information.
DirecTV should embrace knowledge management, which according to Awad (2004, p. 120) is “the name given to the set of systematic and disciplined actions that an organization can take to obtain the greatest value from the knowledge available to it. “ This involves innovative ideas, designs, new processes and methods, as well as strategies used by the HR. In addition, history of the organization, suppliers, and customers’ information is essential in enhancing effective communication within and outside the organization.
In order for DirecTV to embrace technology, the management must ensure that present employees are well informed and well trained on the technology in order to avoid biasness. In addition, the staff should be well prepared to embrace the technology used in the organization.
The management should always inform the staff about any changes and elaborate their role in such changes. In addition, discussion with staff about why the change is necessary to the company and the obstacles that come with it is important.
Areas in Which Technology Impacts the Basic Functions of Management
Technology has a great impact on management functions; first, there is introduction of change function of planning, as technology may prompt DirecTV to alter or improve its mission and objectives in order to be in line with prevailing business conditions.
In staffing, technology may lead companies to make changes in the human resources such as redeployment, laying-off some staff to eliminate redundancy and enhancing training programs for the new technology. On the other hand, technology has allowed firms to save on hiring costs, as well as benefiting from opportunity cost of space that has to be avoided, since some employees can work from home.
Technology has also enhanced management directing function, as it enhances effective communication, thus motivating the employees to understand the goals and objectives of a company and even accomplish their career objectives. Moreover, with the help of technology, a manager does not need to be present in order to his employees, as this can be done through voice calls or video conferencing.
In organizing function, technology has allowed organizations to be efficient in utilization and allocation of resources, thus yielding maximum benefits with minimal waste. Lastly, controlling function has been enhanced, especially due to the fact that employees and processes appraisal and evaluation have been automated, making it easy to monitor and initiate changes when required.
Conclusion
The success of DirecTV in coping with technology changes depends on how it is prepares for such change. Success requires DirecTV to manage its abilities; however, right leadership and effectively evaluating the organization’s ability to implement transformation are essential. Nevertheless, given that change is always inevitable, managers should always be prepared to embrace change.
References
Awad, E. M. (2004). Knowledge Management. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Web.
Gronlund, A. (2002). Electronic government design, applications, and management. PA: Idea Group Inc (IGC). Web.
Gwartney, J. D. et al. (2008). Economics. Edition 12. OH: Cengage Learning. Web.