Introduction
Management is the concept of running an organization along with the available resources into the achievement of stakeholders’ objectives. The concept involves various aspects of leadership like effective communication and risk management as the means to improve on the operations (Albrecht, 2005).
Managers are required to bring together skills and match them to tasks in order to enhance innovations. To accomplish this, information is central since decisions have to be made at each level of management (Muller, 2011). To evaluate the effects of management on information technology and the impact of apt information on leadership, Wal-Mart Company has been considered in this paper. Innovation refers to the ability to review the current situation and come up with more advanced methods of carrying out tasks.
In the information section, a company might improve the communication facilities, direct information through the right channels and choose audiences wisely. However, if this is not done right, the organization faces problems with stakeholders due to communication breakdown, deprived product quality, and inefficient leadership styles. This paper assesses the concept of management with respect to information technology aspects and discusses the impact of failed leadership in an organization.
Discussion
Management is a difficult process due to skill variations thereby posing problems of self-interests. This occurs also in a company’s departmental setting where managers might fail to implement an effective information technology due to personal bias. The issues of concern are based on the effectiveness of information held by managers for decision-making, as a quality measure (Muller, 2011). The problem arises when information does not get into the management system aptly and with the required level of accuracy.
This may be caused by inadequate control procedures in data collection and transmission. Wal-Mart’s department of information technology has an integrated online platform that hoards customer responses over the internet (Information Systems, 2013). This technology may be viewed effective due to timeliness of information, but it lacks the natural feel of clients, which is vital in the branding process.
The company may acquire information on a timely basis hence quick policy formulation characterized by an immediate customer reaction assessment. However, this process is negated by insufficient market evaluations to determine the value of products to the real worth in attaining organizational goals. Wal-Mart Company is thought to have a leading information technology innovation worldwide due to market leadership abilities and stretched market (Information Systems, 2013).
The company, however, has significant challenges that neutralize the benefits of innovative abilities causing a fall in online sales. Resulted by failed managerial skills, the company has made little progress in maintaining the online platform.
This has challenged the company’s ability to improve online services through qualitative operations taking account the interests of every stakeholder (Shane, 2009). Failed communication strategy obstructs the sufficiency of market research; customer needs appraisal, along with the need to make sound decisions.
Organizations with several departments require integrating their information technologies as a means to enhance communication in the setting for sound policymaking (Calley, 2010). The executive body is mandated to minimize risks that could threaten the operations of a company through effective policymaking and implementation (Sehgal, 2010). On that note, reliable information is central to ensuring this is attained.
This is because information forms the basis for innovative ideologies that increase the options available to decision makers. Planning gives an organization the way forward in utilizing its resources for the promotion of set objectives. Information technology and innovation are essential in modernizing the activities in an organization like Wal-Mart since such processes enable the management to figure out the customers’ desires (Cecere & Chase, 2012).
However, the department concerned in Wal-Mart does not keep track of international market needs hence causing internal and external communication issues. Communication breakdown in Wal-Mart Company negate the decision-making procedures leading to ineffective policies that do not solve customers’ problems (Information Systems, 2013).
As a result, customers are not satisfied, employees do not get motivated, and the overall outcome is a shortfall in profits. A reduction in the company’s net returns leaves it with fewer resources to enforce change. Although this can be resolved, it takes great skills and leadership by concerned agencies that try to match information technology to strategic goals.
Management issues in organizational design and administration include the need to identify problems that prevent developmental change as well as the evaluation of corrective measures to take. To manage the company’s information and innovations effectively, Wal-Mart executive body should consider seeking the expertise of technologists as a means to enhance quality. This would solve the problem of research where the aim is to improve on customers’ worth.
The virtual platform used by Wal-Mart does not solve the problem with customer need satisfaction (Information Systems, 2013). This is because the information technology only offers customers a virtual place to buy goods, but does not allow them to price the tastes of products and services. On that note, customers who fail to buy products online, lose trust in the performance of the company hence are discontented. Thus, instead of the technology solving the company’s customer service issues, it makes the matter complicated.
Wal-Mart management adopted the radio-frequency identification technology aimed at improving the supply chain structure. The company is considered to have the best supply chain system globally, but gets criticisms due to wrong selection of execution technology. For instance, the company chose to use RFID technology to enhance product supply and increase research details but failed to analyze the departmental skills to work out the procedure.
Therefore, the failed technology resulted to increased costs of operation, in addition to inefficiencies that come along with change management.
This makes it hard to accomplish the set goals for both local and multinational corporations. Therefore, customers’ displeasures are extensive due inadequate market research contributed by large market with no effective marketing strategy (Shane, 2009). Wal-Mart information technology department has failed in the implementation of consumer-based programs leading to customer dissatisfaction.
Conclusion
Information technology is an important facet in the development of sound strategic applications for the advancement of business performance. It is important for a company like Wal-Mart to obtain relevant consumer information in order to manage innovation and product development effectively (Malone, 2013). This thus means that customer satisfaction is the greatest aspect towards healthier business relations (Sehgal, 2010).
The company should invest in programs aimed at identifying customer needs along with preferences in order to create quality products. The company should improve the managerial styles used in policy implementation through innovations in customer support services and supply chain system. The incorrect use of information technology can be resolved through proper data review incorporating customers’ demands to suppliers’ needs.
This promises a better cost-benefit analysis for the organization thereby matching ideologies to objectives. Thus, new technological devices need to be installed in the company’s functional departments through the help of field experts hence promising elevated efficiencies. Lastly, the company ought to understand every stakeholder’s needs in order to execute sound solutions to problems. This is attainable through effective communication, adequate research, and quality product assurance.
References
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Calley, N. (2010). Program Development in the 21st Century: An Evidence-Based Approach to Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. London, UK: SAGE.
Cecere, L., & Chase, C. (2012). Bricks Matter: The Role of Supply Chains in Building Market-Driven Differentiation. London, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Information Systems. (2013). Web.
Malone, M. (2013). Did Wal-Mart love RFID to Death?. Web.
Muller, H. (2011). The transformational CIO: Leadership and innovation strategies for it executives in a rapidly changing world. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Sehgal, V. (2010). Supply chain as strategic asset: the key to reaching business goals. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Shane, S. (2009). Technology strategy for managers and entrepreneurs. Upper Saddle River NJ: Person Education.