Project Overview
The learning team project consists of team activities in Weeks Two, Three, and Four that support the development of a 4,200 to 4,900-word paper (12 to 14 pages) and associated presentation. The paper and PowerPoint® slides will describe an organizational technology plan for a business that the team selects for this assignment. Weekly assignments for sections of the paper and the presentation are listed below. Both the paper and presentation are due in Week Five.
The organizational technology plan will explore and define plans for an organization (including managers and individuals) for use of new and emerging technology. The plan should include the following sections: Overview, Current Technology Assessment, Value Chain Analysis, Managing Change, Social Contract, Global Issues, and Conclusion. The paper will include a minimum of eight outside sources.
WEEK TWO ASSIGNMENT
DEVELOP AND SUBMIT THE SECTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN PAPER LISTED BELOW, AS DIRECTED BY THE FACULTY MEMBER. INCLUDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM THE SELECTED BUSINESS FOR ILLUSTRATION.
Overview
Describe the business that you have selected for this team assignment. Include a short description of products or services, operations, and organization.
Current Technology Assessment
Identify the technology used in the business. Describe the types of technology, the ways in which technology supports general business functions, the challenges presented to management due to managing existing technology, and methods of addressing emerging technology. Identify areas in which technology impacts the four basic functions of management and where new technology might be extending or introducing new functions for management. Give specific examples in areas such as the following: • Challenges brought by uncertainty of new technology, workforce training issues (e.g., ongoing training to meet new technology), special characteristics of high-technology personnel, recruitment in a technological-driven workplace, acquisition of resources (e.g., purchase, investment, and upgrading of new technology), and new organizations needed to meet and embrace new technology (e.g., new departments to support emerging business functions) • Use of spreadsheets, planning conferences using video-conferencing, data archiving, sorting and retrieval for strategic planning, digitized management directives, memorandum or information sent to team members using email, and weekly status reporting by virtual team members • Technology-driven training, enhancing manager skills to be effective in a technology-driven environment, technological tools to support rapid response to business demands, and dynamic organizational structure
Value Chain Analysis
Explain the value chain analysis for the business that includes the customer. Value chain analysis describes the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the company. Value chain activities can be grouped into two categories. • Primary Activities – Those that are primarily concerned with creating and delivering a product (e.g. component assembly) • Support Activities – Activities (e.g., human resource management) that might increase effectiveness or efficiency
Also, Include information on how technology can be used for partnering activities that might add value to a company’s value chain. Give specific examples in areas such as the following: • Innovative approaches toward business functions in partnering with sites that draw together like-minded customers (e.g., electronic neighborhoods, reinventing commerce, extracting information from data exchange) • Use of the Internet for human resource management (recruitment and management of existing staff), competitive analysis (e.g., collection of intelligence), collection of corporate data for new product development (e.g., internal analysis of sales records