The Role of Effective Management in Virtual Teams, Libraries and Information Systems - Term Paper Example

 The Role of Effective Management in Virtual teams, Libraries and Information Systems Introduction In the recent years, dramatic changes have occurred in the arena of technology. Businesses have diversified their management strategies and have expanded via virtual teams. The management of virtual teams through library and information systems has aided the business in effectively supervising them. The rapid pace of technological advancement and progress has shifted the management of the needs of the business from manual records and data processing to computer-mediated work that has revolutionized the world of systems management. LIS, or Library and Information science, is the study of the elements that encompass libraries and information fields. It is an inter-disciplinary field that requires expertise from business management, resource management, statistics etc. Access to organized and structured form of information yields a lot of opportunities for businesses- it not only saves time from researching and organizing information collected from eclectic sources, but it also facilitates in making the decision process easier and less time consuming. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of effective management skills in libraries, information systems and virtual teams, specifically those operating in the construction industry. The paper discusses how each one is managed, and gives an overview of funding and marketing in library and information systems. Information systems, abbreviated as IS, is the department that is in charge of the management of computers, data and networking. It can be of different types depending on the needs of the business and the level of organizational hierarchy. They can be either structural databases or software to manage information. An information system is responsible for the compilation of date so that it becomes meaningful information. Information and data differ in the respect that data is raw facts whereas information is the end product of the process of transformation of data into a more organized and meaningful form. Information helps a firm evaluate and make decisions. The assessment of a firm’s management apropos to the efficient and profitable use of firm’s resources is usually made on the basis of economic performance obtained from information on periodic earnings (Epstein et al., 2009).The value and worth of information affects the decisions of the organization and profoundly influences the achievement of the aims of the company. Good information is relevant, usable, reliable and exhaustive. Since information helps companies make decisions and put it into action, one can measure the differences in performance in order to assess the value of information and its contribution in improving the business. The measured difference in performance owing to informational reasons is known as the realistic value or the revealed value of information (Babu et al., n.d.). Management of Libraries In the recent years there is also a dramatic change in the level of technology that libraries have begun to use. In fact, technology has become integrated in the management of library resources. Although the collection of books and other library material still remains manual, most of the cataloguing is now being done with an increasingly technology-dependent system of resource management. The widely-spreading use of electronic record management termed ERM and centralized search systems that collect data from various resources are representative of the changes towards the adoption of information system in library settings. Libraries utilize a variety of tools to maintain records that deal with licensing, workflow tracking etc. One of the tools is the ERM- Electronic Resource Management- which tracks extensive metadata concerning e-resources (Collins & Carr, 2008). Although libraries with direct access to technology can grow their electronic-resource collections rapidly, they are often dependent on their parent organization to delegate responsibilities of the management of the technology to the staff. So it is less capable of acting independently and taking technology-related decisions (Kresh, 2007). An example of a library that has developed information systems to promote effective deployment of library resources is the Indira Gandhi National Open University. It has developed WINISIS which is a computerized information storage and retrieval system aimed to promote e-learning and easy access to texts. The library provides a forum for members to interact and learn, and features like glossary, related web links etc. The library provides data security and a platform that is independent and provides both HTML formats and CD versions. Software and courseware provide interactive e-tutorials and the library also provides a facility to generate individual learning curves (Kanjilal & Ghosh, n.d.). Characteristics and Management of Information Systems The characteristics of a good information system include widespread and easy access to data. The system should be sufficiently modular and generalized to permit it to connect with existing data and informations system (Okin, 2005). The system should be able to operate without any network barriers and there should not be any centralized control on the system. Another important feature of an effective informations system is that one can control the information that is shared. Platform independence is essential on library and information systems because it enables the access of a program on any system regardless of the technology used to implement it. For example, platform independent programs written in Java can be accessed on any hardware or software platform like Linux and Mac. Furthermore, another feature of library and information systems is that they should have the capability to progress and add new algorithms and codes. In consideration of the ethical accountability of the job, librarians and information professionals are expected to observe commitment to their work. One of the essential ethical principles that they should practice is belief that improvement is possible and continuous upgrading of their job performance (Maxwell, 2006). As mentioned above, LIS is the science that integrates skills and expertise form different professions. Hence teamwork assumes a critical role. Therefore as professionals, they should be able to recognize the worth of interprofessional relationships and healthy collaborative interactions. Concerted efforts to achieve shared goals are important for the smooth functioning of the business. In lieu of grudges and jealousy, professional are required to have a polite and flexible attitude towards peers since no organization can work properly if there is absence of teamwork. Teamwork is the key to modern management; successful managers will have a healthy relationship with their teams and the success of the organization is directly dependent on the team performance (Gupta, 2007). Other professional issues that are seen in the management of libraries and information systems include that everyone is accountable for what he/she does. This sense of accountability is essential to promote ethical and moral values and in creating a working environment that is conducive to learning and progress. It has been seen that there is little emphasis on ethics in the curricula being followed for LIS studies. Therefore, freshly-graduated librarians are not competent enough to deal with the hard questions and decisions of information ethics that they face during their practice. However, LIS programs are increasingly offering courses in ethics and integrating these themes in to the curriculum, thought standards of pedagogy can vary (Buchanan & Henderson, 2008). The system should meet the requirements of the firm and in doing so, it should achieve three objectives: support the stewardship function of management to properly manage the resources of the firm, to support management decision making and to support the firm’s day to day operations (Hall, 2008). LIS- Overview of Funding and Marketing Information systems are being used in various areas of business like Human Resource management, sales and marketing and accounting. In order to devise an effective marketing plan, analysis of the values of the organization needs to be done and the needs of the users and clients. This assessment can be used to make and implement a marketing plan that promotes the goals on the firm. Marketing of Library and Information Services is the process of planning, pricing and promoting the library products with their subsequent delivery to the customer (Ravichandran & Babu, 2008). MLIS is not aimed to increase profits; rather it is aimed to achieve the needs of the clients. The customer requirements, competition and survival necessitate the marketing of libraries and related organizations using IS. Marketing can be done through various sources including the official website of the library. The four main marketing concepts employed in MLIS are not-for-profit marketing, services marketing, relationship marketing and internet marketing. A holistic approach of marketing improves the reputation of the librarians, attracts greater attention of the stakeholders and is a catalyst in meeting consumer needs (Gupta, 2006). With the rapid pace of development, the scope of MLIS is great. Funding of libraries and information systems is dependent on the parent organization or the state in the case of public libraries. Libraries are faced with the problem of limited budget for expansion, resource-sharing and maintenance of the library. Lack of funding has a negative impact on various aspects of the library service delivery, making it difficult to access or acquire the required information resources (Abdullahi, 2009). Management of Virtual Teams Another aspect of technology that comes into limelight when discussing LIS is virtual teams. Adaptive structuration theory states the role of information technology in organizational change. One can see how virtual enterprise has been revolutionized by advances in IT. A virtual team is a group of people who are interacting with each other electronically, and do not necessarily have frequent face to face meetings. They operate irrespective of geographical boundaries. The development of fiber optic technology has enabled the teams to operate in isolated settings and therefore, they are also known as geographically dispersed teams. Nowadays many organizations are forming virtual teams of geographically distant knowledge employees to collaborate on a variety of workplace tasks (Warkentin et al., 2007). Virtual teams are increasingly being used in the construction sector to look over construction activities in a new site where it is not possible for the entire business to shift. Virtual teams are seen as a means of harnessing and exploiting talent that is distributed across different firms. Since a team is a group of people working together for the achievement of shared goals, virtual teams are also organized to achieve a common set of goals. The success of virtual teams lies in e-leadership and the quality of teamwork. Teamwork has a positive impact on team performance and member satisfaction as well (Lepine et al., 2008). A virtual team is formed if the team members cannot meet face to face due to different work shifts or geographical constraints. In companies who are operating in a number of different countries, members often communicate via electronic means since meeting face to face is not feasible. If a company who works in construction is thinking of initiating a project in a particular construction site, it needs to appoint a virtual team to supervise the activities at the site. There is also a need for virtual teams if the company is planning to expand in a new area but wants to set up an initial team to operate there and see the scope of the company in the market. Virtual groups can be present in any profession like education, finance etc. Virtual teams require both hardware and software to operate- PCs, telephones, teleconferencing etc. One of the socio-organizational challenges faced by construction firms in managing virtual teams is the team’s trust and moral boast of the employees. Rezgui investigates the effectiveness of virtual teams in the construction sector. The Open System for Interenterprise Information Management in Dynamic Virtual Environments, OSMOS, plans to equip the virtual teams with necessary tools to operate successfully. The problems associated with the management if virtual teams in the construction sector include communication and coordination of the employees. The objectives of OSMOS are to overcome these challenges. These include specification of Internet-based services to bridge the gap between dissimilar construction applications, and to create increased coordination between the members of the virtual teams. On general consideration of firms operating in the constructions industry, the core issue in formation of virtual teams is their management. Since the team is separated geographically, a strong e-leadership is very important in maintaining the team. Since a firm operating in construction sector can not physically monitor the team because of geographical barriers, electronic means become the only means of communication. For example if a construction business plans to expand elsewhere, it needs to appoint someone who has strong e-leadership skills to keep the team functioning as the lack of physical interaction can be a great challenge in collaboration. When the employee is virtual, the challenge of supervision is double-fold (Brown et al., 2006). Communication and collaboration are the two most important factors in the success of the team; technology introduces a significant variable that radically changes the choices for, and the efficiency of communication and collaboration (Duarte & Snyder, 2006). In management of virtual teams, an initial face to face meeting is reflective of successful management strategy. One must understand the dynamics of virtual teams in order to manage them successfully. In order to diminish problems that might arise due to the lack of physical interaction, managers working in the construction industry should give detailed instructions to the members in order to solve any unforeseen problem that may occur from a more adaptive environment rather than technical, which involves direct application of the instructions. As the role of virtual teams becomes important in companies, it is important that they identify and leverage the team members’ knowledge (Kanawattanachai & Yoo, 2007). Media naturalness theory states that members of a team who are coming from multiple cultures have different levels of comprehension and therefore the supervisor must ensure that the instructions are conveyed effectively. Like in all teams, resolving conflicts and differences of opinions that may arise between members is essential; however, this gains more importance virtual teams since there are more chances of the conflict becoming exaggerated and aggravated. Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s model of delegation and team development states that the manager is responsible for the delegation of tasks and their management. Thus management of virtual teams requires the team leader to appreciate the individual competencies of the members and appreciate them on their achievements. This keeps the team together as each member is respected for the role he/she plays, increasing job satisfaction. An examination of team composition provides an indication of the approach to be used in managing the team (Hill, 2007). Also since the team is operating away from the headquarters of the construction company, the leader’s job also encompasses delegation of tasks and their explanation in detail so that they can be carried out precisely according to the needs of the organization. Moreover, since most of the communication is verbal, the leader and the members are expected to observe non-abusive language and avoid words that can hurt the other person. Media Naturalness theory also states that speech has a greater impact on naturalness than gestures and therefore it is essential to communicate in clear speech. In conclusion available communication technology can address a wide range of the communication needs of the team; however people should meet in person to periodically reinforce their relationships and the identity if the team (Portny, 2010). Human resource professionals can play a key role in appointing cultural liasons to overcome cultural barriers and help intercultural members interact (Stahl & Björkman, 2006). Thus it can be concluded that with the advancement in technology, the library and the information systems sector is showing a paradigm shift towards the integration of technology in the management of resources. Furthermore, virtual teams, especially in the constructions industry, have received a huge boast by technological advances; businesses who have adopted information systems and virtual teams have benefited greatly by them. One can see the importance of effective management in libraries, information systems and virtual teams and can appreciate the role it plays in development, in fostering creativity, innovation, and in dealing with the needs and expectations of the people (Malekabadizadeh et al., 2009). REFERENCE LIST Abdullahi, I., 2009. 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