Organizational Culture and IT Infrastructure - Essay Example

?Running Head: IT INFRASTRUCTURE Organizational culture and IT infrastructure in concurrence with knowledge management Organizational culture and IT infrastructure in concurrence with knowledge management Definition of the Problem and Research Objectives The current climate of business has become increasingly dependent upon information technologies in order to facilitate almost every facet of the objectives that a business has set out to accomplish. The speed in which technology has been changing is at a rate that has made it hard for businesses to keep up. Even if they have managed to stay at the cutting edge of technological advancement, keeping their culture current and mindful of using these technologies can be a completely different problem for which knowledge management techniques can be helpful. A culture does not typically change quickly, but in order to keep up with technology, an adaptable culture must be designed. In conducting the research for this paper, the focus has been placed on the following objectives: To identify and define organizational culture, IT infrastructure, and knowledge management. To create a framework of understanding on how these three aspects of an organization are effectively integrated. To conduct an analysis of these three concepts and formulate a working concept on how best to design and implement them within an organizational structure. Introduction The creation of IT infrastructure is designed to facilitate the management of knowledge in regard to how IT is implemented and in what ways the hardware and software will need to be attended. The choices that are made at this time will affect how responsibility is distributed and where responsibility will be held in regard to keeping systems up and running. Responsibility is in direct correlation to knowledge and the level to which knowledge is managed and disseminated and can only be held when appropriate knowledge has been disseminated. Organizational culture is in direct alignment with how knowledge is managed and in how the IT infrastructure is designed in reference to its effective use. Literature Review Organizational culture is defined by Martin (2001) as a way to “explain ‘how things are done around here,’ the ways in which offices are arranged and personal items are or are not displayed, jokes people tell, the working atmosphere (hushed and luxurious or dirty and noisy), the relationships among people…aspects of working life” (p. 3). One of the primary factors in how a organizational culture is created is through the affect that leadership has upon the nature of the traditions, habits, and belief systems within a system. According to Schein (2004), “Culture is both a dynamic phenomenon that surrounds us at all time, being constantly enacted and created by our interactions with others and shaped by leadership behavior, and a set of structures, routines, rules and norms that guide and constrain behavior” (p, 1). IT infrastructure is the “equipment, systems software, and services used in common across an organization regardless of mission, or project…the foundation on which mission, program, or project specific systems and capabilities are built” (Leonard, 2009, p. 139). Part of that structure is defined by the way in which the culture of an organization is developed and how that has influenced the management of information. In creating an IT infrastructure, an organization must also construct a way in which to manage the knowledge of its use at the various levels that this specific knowledge must be shared and integrated into formal use. According to Khosrowpour (2004), “Communication between IT and business should be pervasive throughout the organization, informal, regularly occurring, and use rich methods such as e-mail, video-conferencing, and face-to-face”(p. 442). The report goes on to relay the idea that an important awareness has been reached about the connection between the organizational culture and the IT infrastructure. It states that “open communication requires an organizational culture that fosters communication by ensuring that it is ingrained as a fundamental task of every manager and employee” (p. 442). Through integration of the available IT resources and the development of an organizational structure that supports high usage of information technologies, the infrastructure becomes a more open construction and the knowledge used to manage the structure becomes more widely distributed by virtue of informed use. The opening of the information technologies within the cultures of organizations has provided a more rich development of interaction and information sharing. According to Mishra (2009), through the use of such technologies “collective identity with their colleagues, their field, and their professional position within that field via constant communications” has closed the gaps between one active implementation to another within that collective. Through the instantaneous dissemination of information, the collective has become aligned and objectives within the collective has become a matter of using the technologies appropriately and with the right amount of knowledge. Knowledge management is defined by the “the effective management of the sharing and retention of information in an organization; the use of management techniques to optimize the acquisition, dissemination, and use of knowledge” (Wallace, 2007, p. 1). The use of management techniques to control and efficiently release information becomes one of the core competencies of a good management team. Wallace (2007) goes on to say that knowledge management is “learning how to design an organizations strategy, structure, and systems so that the organization can use what it knows to innovate and adapt” (p. 2). Knowledge management is the methods by which an organization defines the way in which the right people within the organization are given the information that is needed and will exceed that which is necessary to perform at a high level, both in work product and potential excellence. According to Keyton (2005), “when managers believe they want to make changes or make cultural changes, they are often addressing organizational climate” (p. 130). The climate of the culture, the way in which change is accepted or rejected is crucial to how change can be implemented. In a world where technologies are changing rapidly and flexible IT infrastructures are being constructed for those rapid changes, the cultural climate within an organization is just as vital where flexibility and adaptability is concerned. As an example, Keyton (2005) states “One cannot create, for example, a climate of teamwork and cooperation if the underlying assumptions in the culture are individual and competitive” (p. 130, quoted from Schien 2000). Change programs will then fail as they have not been made towards the appropriate cultural assumptions and are coming into conflict with the belief systems within the organizational culture. Analysis/Discussion In creating a knowledge management system in which technologies can be easily updated and utilized because of rapid advancement, an adaptable culture is required in which flexibility is expected and skills that allow for flexibility is a part of the overall systems of belief about how an organization is structured. If the culture of a business is such that the employees believe that the way they do their job is predicated on being able to do it repetitively over the course of time to generate product, then the flexibility required to keep up with emerging technologies will be in conflict with the organizational culture. If the culture of an organization is defined by the ability of its employees to adapt to shifts in pattern and changes in skills, then the organization will have an easier time dealing with an IT infrastructure that is kept actively current. In this climate, knowledge dissemination and management is essential in keeping all members of the teams up to date on how and why changes are being made and to what advantage these changes will bring to the completion of objectives. Conclusion Knowledge management is a way in which information is disseminated and controlled within an organization. Utilizing knowledge management, however is not fully effective unless the climate of a organizational culture is designed for flexibility and adaptability. Organizational culture can be strong and in conflict with the use of emerging IT and even if the infrastructure is designed for change, it will not be effectively used if an organizational culture has not been designed to accept rapid changes. IT infrastructure is focused on the tools, use and management of information technologies in order to keep an organization functioning at its maximum. However, performance is only as good as those who use the IT, thus it is important that the climate of the organizational culture be suited for adapting to changes and shifts in patterns within the structure of the organization of objectives in order to fully utilize the tools available through IT. A climate of adaptability is essential in order to achieve the goals set through an IT infrastructure that is designed to maximize business goals. Without the ability to adapt to changes, an organizational culture will be reluctant to utilize new systems and will maintain old systems, clogging the flow of work production and bogging down the entire system. Through adaptability and the use of wise knowledge management, a work culture can be formed in which change can be considered part of the belief systems about their individual responsibilities, thus providing a smooth flow of use and transitions when needed. References Leonard, Barry. (2009). GAO cost estimating and assessment guide: Best practices for developing and managing capital program costs. New York: Diane Publishing, Inc. Keyton, J. (2005). Communication & organizational culture: A key to understanding work experiences. Thousand Oaks, Calif [u.a.: Sage Publ. Khosrowpour, Mehdi. (2004). Innovations through information technology. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing. Martin, J. L. (2001). Organizational culture: Mapping the terrain. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE. Mishra, J. K. (2009). Knowledge Management: Complexity, Learning & Sustainable Innovation. Global India Pubns. Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership, third edition. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass. Wallace, D. P. (2007). Knowledge management: Historical and cross-disciplinary themes. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Read More