Technological Determinism Compared to Social Determinism - Essay Example

November 11, Paperless Introduction Technology continues to revolutionise the way people work. The research delves on technology’s significantly improving both social determination and technological determinism. The research focuses on technology enhancing the knowledge management outputs. Technology advances increase the quality and quantity of the people’s work performances. Technological Determinism compared to Social Determinism Technological Determination Concept The practical implication of technology revolution includes significantly enhancing the use of the latest technological determinism innovations. The concept of technological determination is classified as one of the reductionist theories. The concept focuses on the dynamic innovations of technology used by society (Gruba, 2012). New technologies are constantly targeted to improve the service quality and output quantity of the prior technology models. The practical implications of the concept emphasises that society’s technology significantly contributes to the development of our nation’s social structure. The same concept proposed that the nation’s technology enhances the development of the community’s cultural values. The concept states that changes in technology will lead to consequent changes in society (Davenport, 2013). Further, another practical implication is the use of the currently available technology alternatives to enhance inter-personal relations (Brichmeier et al., 2011). As a practical implication, using the hand to write messages on paper was replaced by the use of typewriters. Consequently, the typewriter technology gave way to the computer technology. People use printers to produce a hard copy of the computer’s word file. Compared to yesteryears’ typewriter, people today prefer the computer to print documents, Furthermore, another practical implication example is in the field of transportation technology (Bailey, 2012). People previously used horses to travel from one place to another. Next, the car technology replaced the horse technology. Today, people maximise the use of the jet plane technology to travel from New York to London. The jet plane technology replaced the use of ships. During the time of Columbus, people took several months to travel from London to New York. Today, people can travel from London to New York in less than two days. Compared to riding the Columbus-style wooden ships, people today prefer riding the Jet plans to travel from New York to London. In terms of another practical implication, the communication device technology metamorphosed to the better quality replacement technologies (Putti, 2013). Previously, people used the heavy home phone technology to call another person. The phone is connected to the home’s telephone wire. Unfortunately, the busy travelling individual cannot bring the wall-attached phone outside the home or office. Next, the pager was created. The pager technology informed the person of the senders’ messages. However, the person owning the pager cannot use the pager to reply to the sender’s messages. Finally, the cellular phone technology cropped up. People can carry the cellular phone to the car, restaurant, golf, school, work, exercise, and other places. Compared to the immovable home or office phone, people today prefer the flexibility of the android I phone, tablets, and other mobile phone devices. Social Determinism The dynamic practical implication of technology’s revolutionising how people work includes favourable social determinism successes. Social determinism focuses on the people using the technologies. Social determinism is grounded on social change. In order to generate higher production outputs, people and organisations must adapt to the changes in the work environment, community environment, or other environments (Casmir, 2013). For example, people exercise their right to choose which technology devices to use. One cannot force an elderly person to use emails, instead of post office mail, to deliver faster messages to the receivers. During the Stone Age, the cavemen communicated by making drawings on the cave walls. The cave drawings include animal shapes. Some drawings depict the cavemen’s hunting exploits. During the 1950s, the people were happy using the home-confined or office-confined heavy phones to contact their relatives. The phones were attached to telephone wires. The wires were attached to phone line posts spread along the neighborhood streets. Today, most mobile individuals prefer using the mobile phones (Mureta, 2012). People carry their android cellular phones wherever they went, ensuring the person can be easily contacted. In our present society, some individuals prefer using the tablets to communicate via the internet. Other individuals prefer using the computer to send or receive messages. It is now a popular trend to use the video conferencing features of Skype. Skype allows the individuals to have a face to face conversation with one or more t persons at the same time. During the 1920s, the people were happy sending snail mails through the post office (Hepp, 2013). The snail mail took several days to reach the receiver. In our current generation, people are happy using the faster message delivery services of Federal Express Company or UPS Company to deliver their printed matters than the slower post office message delivery services. Other individuals prefer using e-mails to deliver their messages. The e-mails reach the inbox of the receiver in less than an hour. However, some individuals prefer holding on to the old way of doings things (Poli, 2011). This is common among the older generation. Some of the members of the older generation are used to certain traditional gadgets or technologies. Transferring to the new way of doing things puts a strain or significant effort on the older generation. Lack of information and training on the new unfamiliar technology creates fears that the new technology will generate lower production outputs or quality outputs. Consequently, failure to master the rudiments of the new technology leads to a longer learning time period for the older generation to master the new technologies or gadgets (Hegar, 2011). On the other hand, the majority of the members of the young generation are eager to experiment with the latest technologies. Comparing social determinism and technological determinism Applying the dynamic practical implications of the two determinism concepts, technological determinism will generate better outputs than social determinism. Social determinism is grounded on the person’s choice of technology to be used. Technological determinism is use of the most appropriate technology (usually the latest innovation of a prior technological invention) to generate the expected information gathering, recording, and analysis. The person classified as slowest, laziest, physically handicapped, bedridden, imprisoned, and low-intelligent can use the latest technological breakthroughs to increase one’s information gathering, recording, and analysis outputs. Further, relevant examples will definite prove the above paragraph is correct. For example, the receiver of an e-mail (internet technology) from an elderly person will receive the message faster than a message being physically delivered by a 10 kilometer race champion who runs the office to mail his enveloped-enclosed short bond paper-typed message. Compared to a Texas-based person driving a car to personally locate the white house address, a bedridden 10 year old child can use the internet technology to find the location of the White house faster. Using the cellular phone (communication technology) to dial another person in the next state, one can know the location of the called person faster than riding a speeding taxi to reach the other person’s last known location. Knowledge Management The dynamic implications of technology revolutionising how people work include significantly boosting the knowledge management processes of organisations, groups, or individuals (Liebowitz, 2012). Knowledge management includes the use of computers and internet to gather and record the latest relevant knowledge or information needed to enhance the decision making processes. Compared to using a pen to manually record important information on a piece paper, computers will increase the gathering speed and recording speed of information. Entities use the computers to send the gathered information to the branch office locating in another state within less than one hour. Information is sent through emails reach the receiver’s email address in less time than sending the typewritten letter through Federal Express messenger service or the post office. Further, management guru Peter Drucker reiterated knowledge management pertains to how the organization uses gathered knowledge to produce wealth (Woods, 2013). With the use of accounting software technology, the dynamic practical implications of technology include accountants using lesser time to record all accounting-related knowledge information (Dalkir, 2013). The accounting information helps management make timely profit-increasing decisions. The decisions include setting up a new branch in another European Union country, selling a new product, or hiring more production employees. Furthermore, the accounting software technology will lessen the time needed to post the gathered knowledge information to the respective accounting ledger accounts (Lehaney et al., 2011). The same software technology decreases the time needed to generate the financial reports needed by management officers. The accounting software helps management locate the required accounting data in less time than when manually looking for data on a printed financial report. Moreover, another dynamic practical implication is the use of use of stores’ barcode technology (IFMA, 2012). The barcode readers reduce the time needed to record and report business information, especially information pertaining to the updated revenue knowledge technology management reports and inventory knowledge technology management reports. The coders will immediately scan the codes of products scanned by the cashier. The cashier scans the product codes in order to determine the amount customers will pay. Consequently, the computers will immediately show the number of products leaving the store premises within the day or hour. After such information is gathered, the information is immediately used by the In addition, the concept of Knowledge management is grounded on two words. The first word is knowledge. The second word is management. However, a more favourable definition of knowledge management entails the organisation’s gathering of the required decision-related information, distributing the acquired information to the individuals, departments, or other affected parties. After the receipt of the distributed information, the receiving parties use the received knowledge to improve their decision making activities (Liebowitz, 2012). Further, knowledge management includes the management strategies used to maximise the newly found formation to better achieve established goals and objectives (Liebowitz, 2012). For example, the corporate officers gather knowledge or information. The knowledge or information must be related to solving a problem, achieving a goal, or other activities. For example, management wants to know if setting up a bookstore branch in New York City will be profitable. Management officers will gather information on the current bookstore competitors within the New York City market segment. The information includes which book genres are the most popular. Next, management needs information related to the most popular book prices. Third, management gathers information on whether the current New York bookstores are offering discounts and other promotional sales activities. For the ABC Books of London’s New York City expansion, relevant information relating to the New York City competitors’ sales outputs is an important knowledge management input. One such information is whether the bookstores offer sales discounts on certain times of the year. Information indicating one of the competing bookstores is setting up a new branch within the vicinity is very vital information. Such information will indicate there is a high demand for the books within the community. Such information will persuade the ABC Book management to proceed with the establishment of the New York City branch (Liebowitz, 2012). Further, gathered unfavourable information may persuade the ABC Books of London’s management to drop its plans to set up a new branch in New York City (Liebowitz, 2012). Information indicating four of the current bookstores in New York City filed for bankruptcy will discourage the setting up of a new ABC Books of London branch within the confines of the New York City environment. Information indicating robberies and gangs frequently crop up within the proposed New York City ABC Books branch will warn The London management officers of the impending dangers. Instead, the London management team is encouraged to set up the new ABC Books of London branch in a different city or community. Furthermore, knowledge management entails the timely distribution of relevant knowledge to the affected department, groups, employees, management, and other affected parties (Liebowitz, 2012). In terms of increasing the current sales outputs, the sales persons will conduct a feasibility study. The feasibility study will indicate whether the setting up of a new branch in New York City will generate high revenues. The feasibility study will show which book-related products will top sellers within the targeted New York City market segment. After determining the top sellers the production department, especially the printing section of ABC Books, will receive information on the approximate number of books needed by the New York City branch. After determining the number of books needed, the production department generates information on the number of suppliers needed to produce the books. The suppliers include those who supply the paper, paste, ink, cardboard, and other materials needed to print the required books. Conclusion Based on the above analysis, technology continually revolutionizes the way people accomplish tasks. Technology’s influentially develops both social determination and technological determinism. Technology boosts the knowledge management outputs. Evidently, technology advances significantly increase the quality and quantity of the people’s work performances. References Bailey, D., 2012, How Markets Work, Rosen Press, Orlando. Brichmeier et al., 2011, Strategic Uses of Social Technology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. CAsmir, F., 2013,. Building Communication, Routledge Press, London. Dalkir, K., 2013, Knowledge Management, Routledge Press, London. Davenport, T., 2013, Process Innovation, Harvard University Press, Cambridge. Gruba, P., 2012, Blending Technologies, Palgrave Macmillan Press, London. Hegar, K., 2011, Modern Human Relations at Work, Cengage Learning Press, London. Hepp, A., 2013, Cultures of Mediatisation, J. Wiley & Sons Press, London. IFMA., 2012, Technology for Facility Managers, J. Wiley & Sons Press, London. Lehaney et al., 2011, Business Information Systems and Technology, Routledge Press, London. Liebowitz, J., 2012, Knowledge Management Handbook, CRC Press, Boca Raton. Mureta, C., 2012, App Empire: Make Money, Have a Life, and Let Technology Work for You, J. Wiley & Sons, London. Poli, C., 2011, Mobility and Environment, Springer Press, London. Putti, J., 2013, Searching for Inspiration, Trafford Press, Bloomingdale. Woods, J., 2013. The Knowledge Management Yearbook, Routledge Press, London. Read More