Organizational Development and Information Technology

The success of an organization is determined by the type of leadership, culture, and teamwork that is exhibited in the given institution (Todnem 369). Todnem further reiterates that these factors contribute to the competitive advantage of the firm, thus, the need to integrate these elements in the management system. Importantly, managers should employ different approaches of these strategies given that market trends change due to elements such as economic fluctuations, changes in consumer behaviour, and legislations that are implemented to regulate particular sections of the industry. The integration of globalization components coupled with intense rivalry among firms have prompted businesses to design information technology to help run various programs within the enterprise. Therefore, the researcher provides a critical evaluation that “If an organization changes its strategy, it must change the IT structure too in order to support the new strategy.” The scenario is conducted to ensure proper coordination of the systems as well as reduce challenges of malfunction within departments.

The assessment of this notion is conducted by evaluating the relationship between organizational development (OD) models and information technology system that are deployed to help run various programs in the institution. Components of organizational change, teamwork, motivation, and business strategies as well as culture within the company will also be evaluated to determine how these elements relate with the IT designs and the aspects that necessitate the changes in the IT operations when the principles are altered to promote business performances (Carlos Pinho, José, Ana Paula Rodrigues, and Sally 374).

Organizational Development

Notably, Cummings et al. (2014) states that provides a broad range of options that managers can use to improve knowledge, skills, and behaviours in an organization (p. 22). The increase in financial performance, improved customer satisfaction, and the rise in engagement among a firm’s personnel are some advantages that the associated with organizational development. Cummings et al. (2014) further asserts that enhancement and overhaul of the institutional system is the primary function of OD. The objectives should be integrated with other elements such as the information technology and personnel system to ensure the success of the goals that are being implemented.

Significantly, the ability of the organizational development to initiate operation upgrade in the entire organization shows that the approach is directly related to the information technology designs Cummings et al. (22). The action, therefore, supports the requirement that when a company is changing its strategy, consideration of altering the IT designs should also be made to ensure conformity with the new functions (Baxter, Gordon, and Ian 5). Team building is the initial step in promoting OD in a firm and the process encompass employee empowerment and motivation to improve individual performance (Wahba, Mahmoud and Lawrence Bridwell 3). The structural changes that are conducted in municipalities, effects of new systems, as well as methods applied to effect change are primary method of OD in all institutions Cummings et al. (22). The integration of these factors require clear communication between the personnel and the management to ensure all that all individuals realize their objectives as required. The objectives can be achieved by designing a user-friendly information technology system, thus, the importance of upgrading IT structures when the administration introduces new changes such as use of mobiles in the company.

Organizational Change

Significantly, organizational change (OC) constitute a broader approach than the OD to promote efficiency and easiness in a company operations. OC applies to all the actions that managers need to perform in business to ensure that operation remain sustainable and the syndicate is competitive the industry. The development of goals, promotion of cultural diversity, and human resource principles are other primary elements that are controlled through IT structure (Sadeghi 1099). Specifically, OC incorporates management innovations, factors that led to the decline of an institution, and elements that help to evolve a company of a give duration. The characteristics of OC indicate that the strategy is technically elevated and its achievement heavily depend on the information technology structures to ensure success.

For instance, the introduction of innovations such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems to improve communication between the company and the client will depend on the IT structure that the firm uses. The installation of new CRM models will prompt the organization to upgrade the IT designs to ensure that it can support the needs of the advanced CRM (Tohidi, Hamid, and Mohammad 559). The failure to improve these computer networks leads to malfunction of operation and inability of the business to deliver its products with the recommended time. Customer satisfaction will also degrade given that the syndicate will be unable to communicate efficiently with the buyers, hence, loss of market share in the industry. These pieces indicate the relationship between the IT system and organization change that requires large scale improvements in a firm that needs to increase its profits, thereby, improving the IT structure to support the new system (Abd El Aziz, Rasha, and Rasha Fady 577).

Organizational Strategy

Companies need to outline the goals and actions that they need to achieve within a long-term duration. The provided elements make the organizational strategy and are usually evaluated after a period of five years. However, an institution can revise its strategic plan periodically when the firm is facing serious challenges that were not forecasted in the plan. The activities are usually designed and integrated with the existing information technology system to ensure conformity and safekeeping of the management board decisions (Falsarella, Orandi Mina, and Celeste 610).

The organizational strategies are developed from the company’s mission and vision to help explain why a firm is in business. For example, the Toyota states that it has a duty to provide high products as an approach to attracting consumers and improving their experience. The organization has developed its machine and innovation technologies to design automotive parts in different variants. As such, any change in the production line will force the establishment to redesign its IT system to provide different commands when manufacturing other models. The same applies to the IBM Company in its manufacture of new computers where any upgrade of the products will demand revaluation of the whole product to ensure that the new innovation such as computer speed can be supported by the Random Access Memory (RAM) without buffering. Such a process is referred to as strategic alignment and it demands that a corporation realizes full advantage of its organizational change approaches by integrating those aspects with IT designs to help conceptualise all operations (Sibanda, Mabutho, and Durrel 192).

Information technology Structure

The IT structure of an organization is used to support the strategies of implementing various goals and objectives. Changing the strategy means that an administrator is alternating the operations of every individual as well as the routine of the firm. Given the intense developments, a new structure is recommended to support the new action that may be introduced in the firm procedures (Nakano 381). Importantly, the strategy follows the outlined structure and the plans used to achieve certain intentions can change to meet the desired needs of the management. However, the structure cannot change given that it is a powerful tool that is developed to meet long-term needs of an organization. Therefore, all these elements need to be changed in case efficiency, accountability is to be observed by the stakeholders.

The paper provides that strategy and structure are directly proportional to each other and the changing plans that are supported by the IT structure will demand the introduction of new components on the design to ensure that the new system works without stalling the operations of the firm. The process can be related to the body in which if a transplant is conducted to an arm that highly stronger and require more blood than the rest of the body, the arm will evolve downwards given that the heart cannot support its demands. The downward evolution of the new organ support the notion that structure and strategy collaborate to achieve a common goal. Consequently, manager should understand this concept and apply it in organizational development in which any change in the organization should be cooperated with the overhaul of the IT structure to support the ne institutional initiatives.

The Relationship between Motivational Approaches and the Information Technology Structure

Managers increase the performance of the employees through motivation to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization (Peyman 98). The methods of motivation are categorized into the need theories which include achievement, recognition, responsibility, influence and personal growth (Wahba, Mahmoud and Lawrence Bridwell 1). The process approach consists of a feeling of being able to change behaviour and a feeling of being confident that a change in conduct will produce a reward. Managers motivate employees by creating a positive work environment, setting reasonable and achievable goals, appreciating workers on jobs well done, and giving incentives (Hauser 239). Also, providing professional development, sharing profits, and letting them lead motivates employees to perform better. These strategies of motivation are barely linked to the corporate IT structure such that changing the IT system will not significantly affect the approaches of motivation. A positive work environment will encourage employees to come to work regularly, improve teamwork and sharing of ideas among employees leading to high productivity. This strategy encompasses transparency and open communication, work and personal life balance, and recognition for hard work (Wahba, Mahmoud and Lawrence Bridwell 2).

Employees are motivated by setting goals that do not discourage them from working. The goals should be specific, challenging and achievable, fair and reasonable, and relevant to the needs of employees. Changing the purposes of the organization can affect the Information Technology structure since some goals involve increasing awareness about a particular product in the market. For example, an organization whose goal is to improve information awareness about events that happen globally will affect the IT structure if the purpose is changed. The motivation that involves the appreciation of employees for the work that they have done will increase the productivity and development of the organization. Recognizing and celebrating the performance of employees has no link with the IT structure, therefore, change from recommending and appreciating them as a way of motivation will not affect the structure of IT.

Provision of incentives is also another strategy of motivating employees. The managers can provide financial incentives such as cash prizes, gifts, and meal cards and even non-financial incentives like day offs, reduced work week, parking spots and recognition (Wahba, Mahmoud and Lawrence Bridwell 3). These incentives increase the morale of the workers and help to improve the productivity and development of a company. Inclusively, the organization enhances the confidence and performance of their workers through sharing of the company profits that help to increase their earnings and at the same time increase their productivity (Maruping, Likoebe, and Massimo 117). The gains and incentives provided to the workers are always recorded in the company database hence the change in strategy of motivation will affect the structure of the IT to some extent if not wholly.

Components of Organizational Culture and IT System Design

Organizational culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, attitude, and behaviour of the people within an organization which commands how they dress, communicate, and carry out their activities (Watkins 2). The components of the organizational culture include the symbols and artefacts such as company logos, vision, values, practices, people, and place. These components relate in several ways to the IT structure of the organization and any change in the culture of the organization will interfere or affect its performance (Janićijević 25). The company logo is a symbol or mark that enables the public to recognize the products of a specific company and they are always marked at the back of the products. The logos are made from the corporate IT system that forms the logo that is to be used by the company through the use of the knowledge from the computer. When the corporate’s logo is changed, the IT system is also affected since they have to adjust to the new changes by introducing a new logo.

A good company culture requires a purposeful vision and mission statement which describes the purpose of the organization and the goals and objectives it intends to achieve. The vision helps to orient the employees on the decision to take during the work and also provide awareness to customers, stakeholders, suppliers and other companies (Alvesson, Mats, and Stefan 41). The employees working in the IT department are bound with the company vision, and mission statement and any change in them will lead to change in the structure of IT system. Importantly, the values of the company which include the way employees conduct themselves and their relationship towards each other are essential elements in the organization. The benefits are crucial to all the departments in the organization to ensure success and peaceful coexistence. Changes in the values will influence the IT system since the structure operates on values of the company to send messages, compose emails, and store the company credential data.

The culture of an organization also refers to the employees working within the organization and shares the values of the company among each other. The company ensures that it employs those employees who best feet the culture of the organization to provide increased performance and productivity (Jost 607). The skills that the employees have are linked to the various jobs and departments that they operate. When the entity decides to lay off some of its employees, the IT structure is affected by the number of those running the computers will be reduced leading to inefficiency. Lastly, the company practices like production, distribution, and marketing of products form a significant component of organizational culture. Any change in the activities affects the way information is transmitted in the departments and data storage systems.

Changes in the Organizational Leadership and its Impact on IT Structure

The management of an organization’s asset is crucial to the overall performance of an organization. The notable approach is the transformation leadership that enhances the personality of an individual as well as improvement in ethical applications (Deinert, Anika, et al. 1095). Despite the existence of various types of leadership systems that various leaders can use to manage a given company, the application of the transformational system as an organizational strategy can lead to success as of the given firm.

The importance and success that are associated with this system are founded on four critical pillars that encompass idealized influence, individualize perspectives, inspirational motivations, as well as intellectualised simulations (Deinert, Anika, et al. 1096). These aspects depend on the use of technology to promote their success besides promoting a positive organizational culture in the company. The method also requires leaders to be innovative and visionary to remain competitive in the market (Deinert, Anika, et al. 1011). Therefore, changing this type of organizational strategy will prompt the implementers to overhaul the IT structure given that the innovative plans were synchronised with the approach, thus, repealing the whole system.

The type of leadership that is applied in a firm is also closely related to the aspects of organizational culture, teamwork, and capital roles that personnel offer to the company (Sandoff, Mette, and Kerstin 415). The development of teamwork sometimes involve virtual cooperation, thus, will demand the changing of IT models and designs for security purposes (Ghorbanhosseini 1020). The changes of leadership system as a strategy to improve given operations of businesses also enforce proper alignments to ensure that the new materials that are being introduced into the company correlate with the aspects that already exist in the firm. The method call for a realignment of the business with the IT structure given that the current multi-national operations heavily depend on technology to operate.

Notably, the process requires information discipline given that most decisions are made at corporate levels, thus, the need to change the IT structure to conform with the new approach that is being applied into the business (Reynolds, Peter, and Philip 101). The author asserts the aligning process that involves redesigning of the IT structure is a crucial process that improves the performance of a firm in the industry. However, the strategy is a complex affair given that a significant number of organizations are more diversified and are deeply embedded in digital platforms.

Therefore, the paper provides that is exhibited in aligning leadership to the IT structure when the type of governance is changed is a clear evidence for the management to change both strategy and information systems to ensure that both can support each other. The concepts can also be related to the information that is highlighted by David Fleetwood in the lecture notes when the scholar related the aspects of motivation, organizational development, and technological designs. The scholar quotes the previous piece of research by stating that the elements directly relates to human resource and organizational development materials to ensure that high performance is achieved.

Team Work Strategy and Effects on the IT Structure

The research by Crosta, Lucilla, and David (116) provides that online learning systems are crucial for group training. The studies further portray that development requires interconnectedness to ensure that success is realized in the projects that are being undertaken. The coordination of online group challenge companies to design various communication system to ensure that the organizers realize every aspect of the intended information. The use of online communication as strategy is applied by companies such as Amazon that heavily relies on information technology to sell its products. Specifically, the corporation is an online franchise as it lacks on-point sales where consumers can purchase its products. All the coordination are conducted through an online platform.

Therefore, the change of this trading strategy by the firm will require that it also re-evaluate its information technology structure. For instance, Amazon may require introducing a block and chain system as a new organizational strategy to improve its market share as well as competitiveness. The process will require redesigning its IT structure to be able to support the new point of sale approach. Failure to expand the IT structure will result to the dissatisfaction of the clients as some of these individuals will be unable to locate the company’s new warehouses. Gupta (372) argues that differences between organization strategy and institutional structure may result in lack of stability and success.

Additionally, organization strategy depends on the designed structures and one of these elements is information systems. The proportionality of the factors also results in proper support to the institutional objectives that are realized through strategic implementation. Gupta (372) supports the statement that when a business changes its strategy, the outcome will prompt the top management to change the structure of operations. The modification will be necessary to support growth orientation and to ensure that the firm can react to any changes that occur in the business environment (Giannopoulos, George, et al. 1).

Teamwork challenges such as geographic elements require companies to develop advanced information structure that allows real-time communication and coordination of the given tasks. Multinational companies may be faced by various difficulties that demand the branch coordinators to consult the head offices, thereby, requiring teamwork and experts from various disciplines to solve the problems (Sandoff, Mette, and Kerstin 420). The changing of the IT structure will be involved in areas where some of the experts involved in the interventions are outsourced and the organization requires to keep some of its secrets. As such, the redesign of the information technology system will be essential to prevent access to some information by non-trusted individuals.

Changes in the Communication Strategy and its Relationship to the IT Structure

The learning materials provided by David Fleetwood indicate that communication functions beyond a ‘tool’ tag as it is the core of an organization. As such, the element must be used appropriately as an aspect to finding the values it adds to the success of a firm and its alignment system. Interaction among people in a business involves two foundations that include linear and non-linear pillars. The ‘source, encoding, channel, decoding and receiver’ framework characterise the linear system of communication while the ‘receiver, decoding, channel, encoding, and source’ design represents the non-linear platform of this organization strategy.

The scholar quotes the works of Weber, Fayol, and Taylor to illustrate the importance of communication as a strategy in an organization. For instance, the classic theory bureaucracy, the use of rules, and hierarchy are forms of managerial systems that rely on the interaction among people in an organization to improve performance. The entrance of globalization resulted in the development of IT structures and systems to allow the success of various approaches that are used to complete various tasks in a company. The development of the computer systems indicate the essence of communication to ensure that a business achieves its objective, thus, a change in such a strategy will demand a countermeasure of restructuring the IT system to ensure that the new systems are supported. Moreover, the process will also eliminate challenges that may be observed by employees while carrying various activities.

Conclusion

In essence, organizational structure encompasses core beliefs, assumptions that are integrated with institutional culture to help realize strategic goals. The elements involve routine behaviours, rituals that a business may carry, control and reward systems that impact the relationship between the employees and the management. The approach such as the information technology structure ensures that an establishment has a particular approach to conducting operations to ensure conformity, unity, efficiency, uniqueness in the market. Organizational structure as exemplified by the IT designs can be centralized or decentralized due to the differences in the management systems.

As provided by Gupta, decentralized system allows flexibility in changes in the strategy as the methodology allows coordination with the employees during decision-making. The findings of the research show that the IT structure elaborates on how various tasks should be accomplished, how to do the activities, and how the organization should realize these elements in a successful manner. Conversely, the outcome of the study reiterates that organizational strategy is a long-term solution to an institution and the interventions are achieved by employing various approaches that require teamwork and information technology redesigns. The process also involves redefining external and internal sources that arise from information technology. Observably, organizational strategy and IT structure are highly integrated elements to ensure that an establishment realizes its competitive advantage, remains sustainable, improves its performance, build the cultural environment, and increase the motivation of the personnel. The parameters can only be achieved when both the institutional strategy and IT structure are changed to support each other for the benefit of the corporation.

Moreover, organizational strategies that encompass leadership, teamwork, culture, motivation, and communication heavily depend on the designs of the IT structure. These elements define how a business operates and how various tasks are completed during the manufacturing process. As such, changing any of these plans prompts the re-evaluation of the information technology system to ensure that the new models can support each other to promote efficiency and success. However, motivation is not highly integrated with the IT structure as the aspect relates to personality and how an individual coordinate with the management of the company. Consequently, the changes in providing financial and financial approaches to the workers will not demand a change in the IT system as shown with the other governance components.

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