The Concept of Information and Technology in Organisations - Essay Example

Information and Technology Management Introduction Modern developments in the business world are being boosted by advancements in information and technology. Successful businesses in modern times seem to rely on information and technology management in order to design and manufacture products that give them a cutting edge in the competitive business environment (Schneidewind, 2006). Overall, the current century has been termed as the information age, where, social, political and economic systems are created and managed though the use of technology and information systems. Information and technology management refers to the discipline that comprises of resources and approaches by which information and technology resources are managed in respect to the priorities and needs identified (Clark, 2003). The resources relied on this process include data, software programs, hardware facilities like computers, information centres and facilities as well as the staff needed to maintain and oversee these systems and processes. This paper examines the concept of information and technology in organisations and the process that go in the research and creation of products that become market leaders, creating competitive advantages for them, while consolidating their market position. In addition, it focuses on apple Inc., a company that has a technological and innovation culture in the process of creating different mobile technologies and other electronic products that it sells. Apple Inc. Apple inc., one of the chief companies in the technological industry is a multinational American company that is headquartered in California, USA (Grady, 2009). The company’s main objectives involve designing, developing and selling various kinds of consumer electronics, online services, personal computers and softwares among others. Among the products the company is known for include the iTunes Store, Apple store, the Mac and associated line of computers and the famous iPhone smartphone. Apple Inc. was established by three people, who were Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak and Steve jobs in 1976 with the main objective of developing and selling personal computers (Dormehl, 2012). Later in 1977, the company was officially incorporated under the name, Apple Computer, Inc. as the company changed and shifted its focus on consumer electronics; it changed its name to Apple Inc. in 2007. The iphone Among the many technologies that Apple Inc. has developed, the iPhone was the mobile technology that gave it success in the mobile industry as at the time of its launch. Actually, the iPhone is one of the smartphones that were Apple Inc. deigned and market across the global market. The phone was deigned to run on the operating system that was called iOS. In 2007, the company managed to design and create the first generation of this smartphone product. However, advancement in technology and the company’s innovative culture led to the development of the advanced versions of the smartphones – the iphone 6 as well as the iPhone 6 plus (Dormehl, 2012). The development of the smartphone was informed by the need to establish and position the company as the market leader especially when it comes to information and technology. In the design of the Iphone, its user interface was placed around its multi-touch screen that also has its keyboard in the virtual version. Built with the Wi-Fi connectivity, the phone has an ability to easily connect with different cellular networks that include the GPRS, EDGE, 1xRTT and UMTS among others (Dormehl, 2012). Additionally, the iPhone has been developed with an ability shoot videos, play music as well as take photos. It can also record notes, send emails and receive them including virtual voice mailing. Users of the iPhone can also enjoy GPS navigation and download more application to add to the ones built on the system and according to their needs and preferences on the Apple App store (Grady, 2009). Currently, the iPhone is ranked among the largest mobile based software circulation network in its kind. Significance of innovation, and how it links to wider strategic issues at Apple Inc Most successful companies like Apple Inc. provide important learning points about how innovation plays an important role in their growth and other management issues that give them competitive advantages. It is important to point out that in the modern business world, a weak economy, coupled with global competition have been the chief contributing factors to business growth and expansion approaches (Sahay, 2005). Nonetheless, other companies like Apple Inc. are managing to sail through the tough times and maintaining their performance and market position. This means that technology and information management alongside various innovations are important agents to this observation at apple Inc. and other companies in the same line. Finding the S – Curve It is believed that one of the best ways that Apple has used to create itself competitive advantages and market position is getting the right kind of innovation that revolutionizes that market. It is important to note that as far as organisational excellence is concerned, nothing grows and stays forever, at certain times, innovations are needed in order to take advantage of the changing market need and consumer preferences (Robert, 2009). According to innovation lesson from Apple inc. best products and services from companies under a certain cycle of growth, development and maturity that is almost predictable, this is often portrayed as the S-curve (Dormehl, 2012). Business executives and owners have to understand that diminishing returns will always find their way as the business finds it attractive clients. Fig 1. The S-Curve (Sahay, 2005) During this time, competitive pricing sets in as well; the product the company is banking on begin to lose their market luster. Soon, many challenges begin to increase with respect to customer support. At this time; the company requires new skills in its operations and product design, calling for innovations and other reliable approaches in its information and technology management. As soon as reality in the S-Curve becomes clear to these companies, it is often late for these companies to establish new growth strategies. According to the graphical structure of the S-Curve approach, the time needed for innovation and the window for innovation refers to the time the initial growth curve reaches its inflection point (Grady, 2009). Is it possible for companies to tell when they are hitting their inflection points? Often it is not easy. In this development, successful companies like Apple Inc. have to become paranoid for a long period. In this case, these companies make innovation part of their organisational culture so that the carry own with the process continues as long as they are in existence (Robert, 2009). Since the time the company was established and incorporated, it has never rested on designing and manufacturing various products and technologies that continue to enhance the value of their customers on the corporate and individual front. After creating the iPhone, Apple In. did not rest to enjoy the massive sales that were trickling in from its distributions outlets across the world, instead it went ahead to design and manufacture iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus, being advanced versions of the original iPhone (Dormehl, 2012). When Steve Jobs returned to the company in 2002, he made a great instant impact. In his new approach, he challenged the company to move away from computer industry, where the company had struggled to make an impact, hardly managing to make a paltry 10 percent of the industry’s market share (Dormehl, 2012). Eight years after this development, the company was successful in designing and introducing the iPhone, iPod and the iPhone. In the history of the company, this was a huge change in the company’s retail channel, giving it high levels of unprecedented growth. Jobs was the happy man at last, by managing to have the company change from Apple Computer, becoming Apple Inc. after successfully being incorporated. Technologies that have brought about changes/innovations at Apple For one to easily understand the technological and innovation path that Apple inc. has followed in its journey, it is important to first reflect on the place the journey started. Having been established in 1976, Apple started by designing and creating personal computers as its first products. These products are said to have been easy to use by its clients, with tailor-made features that its customers interacted with easily. For this reason, the company had to price the quite high in comparison to other computers that were being offered in the market. The motivation to create personal computers after the company’s founders visited research laboratories owned by Alto Palo, who later built Xerox Company. In their analysis they discovered that in making their computers, Xerox had made the early version of computer’s interface screen having drop down menus used in modern time personal computers. The company founders went back to their company and designed their first computer that was Apple Macintosh, famously referred to as the Mac, which made use of the consumer-friendly interface. The Mac was later launched in 1984, with the company deciding not to share or sell its software to rival companies. Years after the company launched the Mac, with a decision of not to share the strategy with other rivals became hostile to its business functions. The company had to invent other ways of how it would gain market position in the market that was dominated by Microsoft as the market leader in the computer technology. Apple’s Innovativeness After having a slow start in the market, Apple did not change its line of operation, it went on to design and supply both the software and hardware computer technologies. The company went ahead to design and produces other products that were related to the computer technology. Among the early successes in the company’s computer software and hardware technology include PowerBooks, the Mac2 and PageMaker, which later became the world’s initial desktop publishing software or program. PageMaker has so far remained one of the best success stories at Apple, being used in fashion houses and in the publishing industry. The program has remained exclusive to Apple Inc. in this case, the company has continues to maintain a specialist market in which it has a real competitive edge and can decide to change prices at any time in its interest without facing major challenges. It is important to understand that besides being successful in many of its technological innovations, not all of them were successful. The Newton PDA, which is product once designed and manufactured by the company did not perform well in the market. The policy of the company to adopt competitive pricing did not work in its favor, in this case other innovative products as the famous iBrook had many difficulties and challenges in penetrating the market, The move into consumer electronics Later in 2000, Apple Inc. came up with a new approach to safeguard and enhance its market. The company realizes an untapped that was existing in the manufacturing of consumer electronics. These technologies included the digital cameras, CD players as well as music players in the MP3 versions. The company would later make follow-up and design its own versions of the consumer technologies. This made it introduce its Apple versions in order to increase the utility functions of its user-friendly technologies. Some of the products that were later manufactured and sold included the iMovie, which was incorporated in digital cameras, the iDVD that was designed for the DVD players and many others. Compared to the strategy it had applied after designing its Mac computers, this time, the company decided to share the technology with other companies instead of keeping it to itself. Critical evaluation of Apple in the 21st Century The 21st century has emerged with great advancements in the technological and innovative industry. It is important to observe that some of the greatest innovations that have been witnessed so far in this century have been those that are cloud-connected and have the ability to update automatically (Luo, 2010). For softwares and computer programs, gone are those days when people had to keep buying new and updated versions. For hardware, the approach is different; the magical capacity to create products that get better with time is needed because new features keep on arising. The downside of this would happen if companies would decide to remove certain features from its products without first knowing the reaction of customers. For Apple, the future is looking better with each passing day, the company has had to keep redefining its organization culture in order to remain the market leader in terms of consumer technologies and innovations. The company has had to improve its human resource management practices, with emphasis kept on recruitment of staff that is not only tech-savvy, but also understand market dynamics and the need for competitive business practices. The need for globalization has continued to increase the need for various technologies and innovations that enhance consumers’ ability to reach different markets in different countries (Luo, 2010). In this analysis, the technological and innovation culture that is available at Apple Inc. is only a sign of good things to some. Conclusion As the 21st century knocked in the business arena, leaders and other visionary leaders in business and social organisations joined in the calls to advocate the skills that were needed to enrich people’s lives and make them successful in their business and social lives (Manu, 2010). This has seen companies striving at establishing market positions and competitive advantages though creation of technologies and innovations that enhance the value of their products and customers. Businesses leaders like Apple have been championing for establishment of an organisational culture that focuses on technology and innovations. They have also created employee recruitment policies that focus on employees that can increase their efficiency and effectiveness in the business environment. Advancements in technology and information including systems for management of such systems are paramount in the process of creating competitive advantages and market positions. The role of intellectual property in innovation and technology diffusion Introduction Knowledge, as applies in various dimensions of life is characteristically non-excludable, in this case, it is important to note that it is not easy to prevent other people from thinking and applying their knowledge (Kuppuswamy, 2009). This applies even without the authorization of the ideas that are said to have been invented by another person. New technologies that are deemed valuable are often easy to be imitated and copied, this way the potential profits and other benefits for the original discoverer. The concept if intellectual property rights play a crucial role in encouraging the need for increased innovations. In this case, the process offers some kind of provisional monopoly power to their inventions and other products from the knowledge. Intellectual property rights are therefore an important practice that needs to be upheld in businesses and other systems of economic life (Kuppuswamy, 2009). Intellectual property Rights Intellectual property rights, also known as IP rights describes those exclusive tights that are duly recognized rights to the creations of the mind (Klink, 2006). Under these rights, owners of mental creations like inventions, knowledge among others are given specific fashionable rights to various intangible right that include artistic works, music, as well as inventions and discoveries. It also includes designs, words, phrases and symbols that are invented by persons. It is important to realize that in as much as several principles that govern IP rights have changed significantly over time. It was until the 19th century that the concept began to be used, with the 20th century welcoming it as a common thing in the business and other social dimensions (Kuppuswamy, 2009). Intellectual property rights and international technology diffusion International technology move or diffusion as commonly known, describes the process by which a business firm increases its right of entry to and utilizes technological materials that are designed and developed in a different country or region. While some of the transfers take place in various voluntary transactions, many of them happen through spillovers and different non-market transactions. The influence of stringer and stable IPR protection towards technology diffusion can be described as ambiguous in terms of its theory, at the same time, it relies in the prevailing circumstances in a country. Alternatively, stronger and restrictive IPR protection can play a role in limiting technology diffusion. It is important to realize that patents, as applied in IPR play a significant role in putting off others from using the proprietary knowledge as well as the augmented market ability of particular IPR holders, IPR, as applied in different countries is also imperative in increasing the diffusion of knowledge in different countries. This is because; the information that is present in patent claims can also be seen to be present in various other potential inventors. In this development, it is evident that stronger and stable IPR protection encourages the transfer of knowledge through processes of increased trade in various goods and services in the business environment, foreign direct investments, joint ventures as well as in technology licensing. From the foregone discussion, it is evident that irrespective of the theoretical ambiguity, knowledge diffusion from one country to another is regarded one of the important and potential outcomes of the IPR agreements. This is especially an important thing that happens in the developing countries because most of them do it have the reliable infrastructure to manage various technological inventions. Many of the findings made from studies about IPR and technology diffusion in international trade, licensing, foreign direct investments and patenting reveal that IPR plays an important role in enhancing technology diffusion (Klink, 2006). The table below is an outline of the strengths of the IPR and how it advance knowledge diffusion from one country to another Source: (Klink, 2006) According to the information in the table, IPR has the capacity to support transfers of knowledge through various channels. However, the impact of these transfers relies on various forms of imitative ability and their prevailing levels of development present in the countries or regions where the transfer is taking place. Types of intellectual property rights available to companies Many types of IPR exist in different countries to govern different kinds of technological inventions and works of the mind. The application of these IPR depend on the legal frameworks that have been created by the particular countries in which they apply, some of the include; Copyrights laws Copyright laws, as applied in IPR offer the discovered of a piece of original content the exclusive rights over it, but for a certain period of time that is sometimes limited in a certain way (Brock, 2002). The copyright law applies to a broad range of artistic, intellectual and creative works. However, it is important to understand that the law does not usually apply to ideas and other kinds of information, but the forms and manner that the works are expressed. Patents Patents are the IPR rights that are given to creators of original content in order to prevent the content from being reproduced, sold, used for a certain period (Brock, 2002). It is often considered that an invention is simply a specific technological solution to a certain technological problem; in this case, it can be a process or a product. Trademark This is simply a sign, expression or design that is recognized, and differentiates services and products from other traders dealing in similar products (Klink, 2006). it is important to note that sin some countries, many kinds of IPR exists depending on the technologies and inventions used in those countries, and the economic and social functions that take place in those particular countries. Success through recognition of process innovation facilitators Process innovation Process innovation, as applied in many organisations refers to the designing and implementation of new and improved production and delivery methods. It also includes significant changes and adjustments done on software and equipments used in companies and other business organizations (Rogers, 2003). Process innovation is practiced in the organizations with the main objective of increasing their effectiveness and capacity to tackle various changes and process that are needed to enhance their performance through achievement of set goals and objectives (Rogers, 2003). The business environment is always very dynamic, different changes take place in customer preferences, supply chain processes and product design and development. The process of successful innovation The process of innovating is merely to establish utility in business products and activities for its clients (Schneidewind, 2006). In this case, the value in business can take different dimensions, which range from creating breakthroughs like new services and products, efficiency improvements, new business ventures or doing adjustments and improvements to products and services that currently existing in the business (Clark, 2003). The main aim of undertaking production and process innovations is to find, create and establish new ideas and knowledge and refine it into various useful ways for the business to use them for profit making. In the process of creating innovations, it is evident that ideas become few, especially at the input stage. In actual sense, people imagine that process innovation is kind of a funnel. In this design, many ideas are collected and enter into the organisations, undergo processing and leave as few completed innovations. What most people do not understand is the process that goes into the analysis and evaluation of these ideas before establishing final decisions that are valuable to the organisation. People, who are employees to organisations, play the important role of synthesizing the ideas collected before coming up with final products that enhance effective organisational practice. Organisations are expected to carry out research activities in order to establish the particular needs that exist in the business’ internal and external environment. It is from this research that the organisation identifies particular aspects essential in the success of the organisation. In all these processes, the human resources in the business are crucial in the establishing of the processes and adjustments to the processes for the success of the organisation. Source: (Rogers, 2003) Building a sound platform for success From the foregone discussion, it is important to note that by implementing appropriate technologies and sound management structures, organisations are better placed to establish themselves as not just being successful, but also as market leaders with various competitive advantages in the market. The process of establishing sound systems and structures for the success of organisation is long, careful considerations have to be made in the business internal and external business environment. Designing and implementing sound technological innovations In the wake of increased competition in the business environment and the need for globalization, businesses are expected to research and establish particular technologies hat can be applied in order to reduce its running costs and increase its profit margins. Several reasons are often proposed to explain the importance of having certain kinds of technologies in the business. It is important to understand that from one business to another, technological innovations that are needed to enhance business practices keep on changing. Businesses that do not involve in innovating technologies are at the risk of losing their market position because of competition, changes in customers’ tastes and preferences and management functions. Technologies used in the business differentiate businesses as market leaders or mere rivals. Technological innovations play an essential role in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in organisations functions. For instance, the use of internet technologies in business increases its ability to research about foreign markets and the opportunities existing in those places. Through these technologies, the business is able to research and find out the best market entre strategies in those places in order to order to exploit the opportunities that exist in those places. As businesses expand into different countries they need to communicate and hold meetings in order to deliberate on various organisational practices. Online and internet-based technologies are essential in enhancing these communication needs and business process for its success. In this case, it important to note that by implementing business technologies and different kinds of innovations, businesses can enhance their chances of success in the market. Employee Empowerment Human capital has always been considered an important resource that organizations have at their disposal when conducting various functions. Human resources can create and implement systems and strategies need to enhance effective performance and ultimate success. Organisations destined for success are supposed to empower their employees in order to undertake process innovation and other functions essential in creating competitive advantages for the company. Organisations that understand the right organisational practices can create and maintain an organisational culture; this way, business can effectively change in the changing times and adopt various strategies and approaches that enhance its effective practice. The human resource department in a business organisation has the function of ensuring that employees are comfortable and their needs are attended to effectively in the process of establishing their competitive advantages and market position One of the main reasons why empowerment of employees is important as far as success and effective performance in organizations is concerned is that they often feel valued and appreciated. Motivated employees that understand specific practices in the organisation can engage in critical and creative thinking in order to undertake process innovations and other important activities that enhance the success of those organizations (Dormehl, 2012). These employees find themselves with increased capacity to create various conventional ways by which the can contribute to processes of product design and development, as well as marketing and product promotion practices. Therefore, it is important to point out that empowering employees to capture the companies’ reputation for process innovation, organizations could build a sound platform for success. References Brock, J. (2002). Intellectual property industry and agency concerns over intellectual property rights. Washington, D.C.: U.S. General Accounting Office. Clark, P. (2003). Organizational innovations. London: Sage Publications. Dilek C., Rob P., & David., (2010). Technology Management: Activities and Tools. Cambridge: Palgrave Macmillan. Dormehl, L. (2012). Different thinking: Steve Jobs, the counterculture and how Apple Inc. took over the world. London: Virgin. Grady, J. (2009). Apple Inc. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Klink, J. (2006). 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