Information Systems Have Changed the Way We Collaborate and Work in Significant Ways - Research Paper Example

Information systems have changed the way we collaborate and work in significant ways Abstract This paper is focused on information systems and their influence in the activities of modern people. It should be mentioned that in the context of globalization people of the world are looking forward to expansion of their production levels and are in need for facilitation production means. On the example of Taylorism and ERP Systems implementation in the modern context the issues of the modern management are considered. Key words: information system, technology, Taylorism, ERP Systems, scientific management, system of control. Introduction Imagine that your workers are robots. They do not have their maternity leaves and they are not getting ill. This is a perfect cyber society. We are partially robots and partially human-beings. It is very interesting to complete each stage of production and manufacturing. A perfect society, an ideal template of society, which can be reached with the help of technologies, Internet and Computers, is the main goal for modern leaders and managers. All of them are looking forward to reaching a common goal. They want to be effective and you do not spend your time on personal conflicts with them. A process of manufacturing or work will be turned into a chain of consequential actions. Different aspects of Scientific Management in the 21st Century are considered in terms of changing information systems. Modern people are surrounded by technologies. Moreover, we are absorbed by a deep technological abyss. We go to work by car, we pay for our dinner with our credit card and even in the hospitals the processes of health inspection are absorbed by technologies. For the modern citizens these processes of technological development result basically in positive changes. Scientific Management is being developed at a huge pace for the last 100 years. Nowadays it also plays a very important role. Current working conditions enabling people to be more proactive and efficient in the process of their work.  Main concepts of Scientific Management F.W. Taylor is a father of scientific management. This scientist claimed that it is better to make an emphasis on importance of productivity and decrease a power of labor. Each function in the process of manufacturing was properly studied. Every operation was controlled by a separate person. Taylor promised that he would ensure his employees of fair days of work. Taylor made an emphasis on a more efficient work and he promised to separate different stages of management, planning and many other parts. For Taylor a large number of employees were lacking of a proper education. A very famous citation expressed by Taylor can be illustrated as follows: “One of the very first requirements for a man who is fit to handle pig iron as a regular occupation is that he shall be so stupid and so phlegmatic that he more nearly resembles […] the ox… Therefore the workman…is unable to understand the real science of doing this class of work” (Taylor 1998, p. 28). Taylor’s implemented different tactics of science in his theoretical development. Machine was a perfect means for his powerful experience realization. The equipment that was used in the process of correct scientific activities and developments resulted in immediate implementation of tasks. Workers performed their specific tasks at a proper manner and they sometimes were unable to cope with them. Thus, Taylor provided monetary incentives in his system. He was striving for standardization of work process. He wanted to divide different actions into small pieces. He was focused on exact time, which was used for completion of every separate task. McDonalds are following strategies of Taylorism. Thus, they are defining certain time required for French fries or hamburgers. From different perspectives, McDonalds illustrates a practical implementation of Scientific Management. The process of production turns into a mechanical consequences of production. The principles of uniformity can be identified in the restaurants of McDonalds. Successful management implementation is evident, because McDonalds is on the way of becoming the most popular restaurant of food in the world. It goes global on the basis of scientific management tactics. Actually, the models of scientific management are borrowed in Fordism. Henry Ford was focused on mass production. Ford divided tasks among more experienced and less experienced workers. There is a high level of labor division and mass production can be effectively produced. Machinery is more important than workers and it plays more important role in the levels of effective and efficient production. The advantages of scientific management can be summarized in the following way: a mutual relationship between employers and workers should be established. Every company should be organized in such a way that the structure of a certain organization meets the main goals and objects of production. For managers scientific management plays a very important role, because they can count all expenses they need for a certain operation in production or manufacturing. Moreover, workers can guarantee a strict compliance with terms and requirements of the production process. Nevertheless, there are many disadvantages in the system of scientific management. It can be explained in the following way: all jobs are constituent elements in a chain of different actions. No essential input is required from employees, their emotions and feelings are left unmentioned. Scientific Management faces many challenges in the modern global world. It can provide numerous opportunities, but it also needs many improvements and updates. Currently, people are striving for knowledge in different spheres. Therefore, it should be mentioned that not only financial reward is interesting for employees. Not only technological aspects and techniques of scientific management are of crucial importance nowadays, but also different types and ties between technology and a real working world. Taylor claimed that only monetary reward is relevant to workers. He did not claim that in the modern context productivity and reward do not depend solely on controlling, which is appropriate feature of scientific management. There is an evident lacking of human concerns in the scientific management. This strategy of Taylorism was not introduced to the fullest extent in the twentieth century. For Taylor two issues were of high importance: these were productivity and efficiency. At least preparatory aspects of management should have been introduced for workers. Moreover, there is a great concern about a holistic approach to the process of production and manufacturing. There is a high level of input, which should be taken into account by the modern organizations. The Internet is a powerful and reliable data basis for the company's obtaining of information. The companies can work at a global level and time frames should be shortened. In the process of information delivery, data processing and different manufacturing technique, technological means are helpful elements. Modern companies pay a great attention for scientific management. Human relations model should be implemented in the modern organizations too. Still, there are many options of freelance jobs and telework, when employees can work from their homes. Taylorism is efficient in the process of production and manufacturing, but, at the same time, it should be noted that a personal contribution of any employee to the Company's development cannot be denied too. Management is an important part of the modern organization, so it is impossible to restrict company's operation to mechanical works. In case Taylorism is implemented in different types of organizations at different stages, then modern organizations would discard humanistic factors. Humane features in the modern working context are discarded by telework: “At companies with between 1,000 and 4,999 employees surveyed last year, an average of 16% of employees telecommute one or more days per week, compared with an average of 14% of employees at firms with between 5,000 and 19,999 employees, and an average of 18% of those working for organizations with 20,000 or more employees” (Brownlee 2009, p. 2). In the result of these actions, Taylor underlines that workers are very much focused on monetary issues. Therefore, some elements of scientific management system are appropriate for the modern organizations. At the same time, it should be regulated in accordance with the modern principles of modern organizations' development. ERP systems are another possible means for improvement of organizations' functioning (Microsoft dynamics US Public sector, June 2012). The features of customization are considered in terms of new systems. ERP show a high level of perception. Different aspects of organizations' activities are taken into account, such as financial issues, budgeting and purchasing, HR management and payroll. ERP systems should be used for different activities too. In accordance with the modern survey:"139 organizations with newer ERP systems also used them for billing, permitting, code enforcement, inventory management, work orders, recruiting, revenue or cash management, time collection, and even court management" (Microsoft dynamics US Public sector, June 2012).These systems are focused on manufacturing or production processes advancement with the help of IT technologies. There are many different expectations from ERP systems, but these systems very often provide the reasons for dissatisfaction. It is impossible to implement these systems in case employees are lacking of knowledge in this area. ITT resources of the company can be restricted and implementation of different projects can be on hold. Very often great expectations are paid only for ERP systems, but staff and culture of the company remain unnoticed. In the survey it is claimed that "many organizations noted that training users was more complicated than expected, either because people were reluctant to learn something new, employees were dissatisfied with the training program, or users couldn’t easily learn the complex system" (Microsoft dynamics US Public sector, June 2012). Therefore, ERP cannot bring expected results and it is very difficult for every organization to follow the requirements of the system's implementation. Conclusion Therefore, we have studied impact of information development on modern work. In the modern age it is very interesting to follow paths of scientific development. Taylor and his strategy are too formal and it removes a factor of a human being at once. He has initiated the scientific management, but in the modern age, an individual does not want to play a role of a static constituent of working process. He/she is more inspired to create something new and unique. Taylor claimed that “humans must be standardized as well as machines” (Taylor, 1998). Division of responsibilities is effective for production, but not for creative potential of management practices for sure. His strategy is very dehumanizing. He neglected psychological and emotional factors of employees. There is an essential gap between managerial strategies of 20th and 21st centuries: Taylor wanted to ‘standardize’ workers in the process of technologies implementation. 'Machinelike’ chain of actions is perfectly implemented in fast food restaurants or in any place, where mechanical actions are in need. ERP systems are effective in chain-like management too, but these systems can be applied for many operations in the process of production or manufacturing. These systems enable employees to communicate with each other in different ways. For example, it is possible to introduce a system of telecommuting, which: “also will help your company achieve the business goals that the policy is intended to address, including improving employee morale and loyalty, increasing overall productivity and possibly new revenue generation, and enhancing accessibility for customers” (Brownlee 2009, p. 4). So, it is possible to find out some humane features in technological and specific features of scientific management. This is a hard work, but it is very important to be much more concerned about the way main tactics and practices of the productions process are implemented. There is a lacking of humane principles of interaction and communication, but, at the same time, strategy of ERP systems implementation represents a holistic approach to different aspects of human activities in different areas. Thus, the modern age of computerization provides many different opportunities for the companies and organizations to choose their strategies for the company's welfare improvement. It is relevant to focus on technology in more global terms: people are ‘absorbed’ in technology; people produce and consume technologies. There is a close connection between the society and technology. Science technologies are interrelated and there is an option to consider these two phenomena in the existent. It is necessary for the economy to be focused on technology development. Actually, there is a close relation between the society and technology. On the one hand, there are many challenges in the modern society, but technological advancement is of high importance for the contemporaries, leaders and managers of the companies and employees too. This type of study enables modern engineers, managers and employees to reconsider their attitude to technology in their lives. Moreover, it is also important to concentrate on important issues of technological process of work development. References Microsoft dynamics US Public sector, June 2012. Government finance officers association (GFOA 2012) enterprise resource planning (ERP) survey. [online]. Available at: http://www.google.com.ua/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2F3%2F8%2F2%2F382A6117-F701-4ACA-BC1E39DCFD21369E%2FGFOA2012_Survey_Final.pdf&ei=NOTAUNbFKo3Oswb0ioDwCg&usg=AFQjCNEbygHIqFH17BBEancmkXmRYMBV1w&sig2=Bn_2ZNew4qklykKB2gI5Iw [Accessed December 06, 2012] Nelson, D., 1980. Frederick W. Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Taylor, F. W., 1998. The Principles of Scientific Management. New York. Taylor, P. & Bain, P., 1999. An assembly line in the head: Work and employee relations in a call centre. Industrial Relations Journal, 30(2), pp.101-117 Thomas, Brownlee Ph.D., 2009. It’s Time to Review — And Renew — Your Telecommuting Policy. [online]. Available at: http://www.nawbo.org/imageuploads/ForresterTelecommutingPolicyReport.pdf Read More