NCC Education Limited V1.0 Information Systems and Organisations Lecture 8: The 21 st Century...

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Information Systems and Organisations

Lecture 8: The 21st Century Organisation


The 21st Century Organisation Lecture 8 - 8.2

Scope and CoverageThis topic will cover:

• Technology and changing organisational forms• Commitment and control – managing distributed

work• Evolving working practice and the network

organisation



Learning OutcomesBy the end of this unit students will be able to:

• Understand the way in which organisations and work are changing under the influence of technology

• Critically analyse working practices and control in the 21st century organisation



Contents• How technology is changes working practices and

possibilities• Contemporary and future organisational forms• Changing relationships with the organisation• Management of distributed work

• Emphasis – People, Organisation and Technology



How Technology Changes Work• Most work in organisations is co-operative in nature

at some time or other• Eason identified important ways of characterising

such work in terms of:- participants relative power and influence- division of labour

• The classification scheme is on the next slide



Co-operative Work Classification, (Eason,1996, p40)

Classification



Examples• Type A – Local division of labour and equality e.g.

decide amongst each other who does what • Type B – Local division of labour and managed

contribution (team members + supervisor) e.g. fast-food restaurant

• Type C – Predetermined division of labour and equality e.g. team of equal professionals

• Type D – Managed team of specialists



Transformation of Work: Time + Space

Time-space and power-work type classification transformation. Based on Hassall 1999 page 40.

TIME POWER AND

INFLUENCESPACE Same

(Synchronous)

Different

(Asynchronous)

Division of

Labour

Equal Unequal

Same

Location1 2 Local A B

Different

Location3 4 Pre-

determinedC D

e.g. A ‘traditional’ seminar ( 1 B )

... becomes an on-line forum ( 4 B )



Technology Effects• Automating work• De-skilling and up-skilling work• Distributing work • Changing discretion of individuals when doing work• Changing times when work can be carried out

(whilst travelling perhaps)• Changing location and synchronism of work tasks



Margin

InboundLogistics Operations Outbound

LogisticsSales andMarketing Services

Administration and Management

IT Infrastructure

Research and Technology Development

Personnel and HR Development

The Organisation – Flow of Value Added



Margin



Administration and Management

IT Infrastructure

Research and Technology Development

Personnel and HR Development

Outsourcing Secondary Activities



Margin



Concentrating on KEY Primary Activities



Organisation - Part of Business Networks

• “If the corporation embodied capital in the industrial age, then the b‑web does the same for the digital economy. In b‑webs, internetworked, fluid, sometimes highly structured, sometimes amorphous‑sets of contributors come together to create value for customers and wealth for their shareholders. In the most elegant of b‑webs, each participant focuses on a limited set of core competencies, the things that it does best.

• Business webs are inventing new value propositions, transforming the rules of competition, and mobilizing people and resources to unprecedented levels of performance. Managers must master a new agenda for b‑web strategy if they intend to win in the new economy.”

• (Tapscott, Ticol and Lowy, Digital Capital, p17)



Challenges for Management• Relationship between people and their work

changing• Home-working, hot-desking , mobile and other

forms of work emerging• Blurring in online world between work and social

spheres• Competitive pressures• Need to be able to manage networked contributions

and distributed work



Managing Distributed Work

Individualcharacteristics

Organisationalcharacteristics

Technologycharacteristics

Workcharacteristics

FIT

Societal

Outcomes

Organisational Individual

Based on, Boddy, Boonstra and Kennedy (2008), page 229.



Replacing or Complementing Skills• Consider a call centre:

- The IS can automate more of less of the call handlers task- Amount of discretion and skill will depend on what the IS

allows and the flexibility it provides

• Consider a modern garage company that services cars:

- Computerised diagnostics can quickly isolate engine faults, speeding the repair process

- Repairs fitting/replacement parts still a manual process



Human Contribution and Management

MANAGERS Information Systems

Enhance human contribution

Limit human contribution

May enhance managers role

May diminish managers role

Based on, Boddy, Boonstra and Kennedy (2008) figure 8.5 page 225



The 21st Century Organisation• Flat Structure• Networked business• Distributed working• Automation using IS where possible• IS to enhance and control human contribution• Partnerships with both Suppliers and Customers• Concentrating on core value creating activities



References• Boddy, D., Boonstra ,A., Kennedy, G. (2008) Managing

Information Systems : strategy and organisation 3rd ed. FT Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0273 -71681-5XXX

• Tapscott, D. Ticoll, D. Lowy, A. (2000) Digital Capital, Harnessing the Power of Business Webs, Nicholas Brearley Publishing, ISBN 1 85788 209 1.

• Hassall, J C, 1999, Developing Performance Models for Co-operative Information Systems in an Organisational Context, Doctor of Philosophy, Aston University, July 1999



Lecture 8 – The 21st Century Organisation

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NCC Education Limited V1.0 Information Systems and Organisations Lecture 8: The 21 st Century...

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