Page 20 - Information Management 3rd Edition

Information Management
these systems. There is always resistance to change and the employees need to be assisted in coping with it in order to become productive once again by using the new systems. Employees will constantly have to be motivated to keep up with the changing circumstances. The information manager will also have to manage and coordinate the new technology in the workplace. Most of these technological changes will be in the areas of data and information processing, reprographics and telecommunications.
The South African workforce is culturally very diverse. With all the different cultures, beliefs, religions, habits and attitudes, the information manager, like all managers in South Africa, has to adapt to accommodate this diversity. This must not be seen as a stumbling block, but as an opportunity to utilise all the differences in a positive way. Just imagine how many different ideas can be gathered to solve a problemPfrom so mrany difeferent peo-ple. Thpe informatuion managber has to develop sensitivity towards the implications of large social and economic matters and has to recognise public matters of the immediate future and their effect on the business. For example, the effect of technological changes on the workforce and the work must be considered when strategic planning is done.
The information manager must include employees in the decision-making processes, train them, lead them and develop them to understand the total
function
the objectives of the business.
Today, in many businesses and industries, globalisation is part of business. The information manager will have to deal with this challenge in connecting the systems of the business with the different role players and make sure that they operate smoothly. copy
Recent controversial thinking in some quarters suggests that highly trained freelancers and software may replace information managers within businesses. But, with the increasing use of teleworkers and outsourcing by companies, the role of the information manager becomes even more necessary than ever before. Therefore, businesses have to ensure that all information managers are given the essential training that is required to enable them to make the best use of their own technical skills, as well as those of their subordinates.
To survive in the changing business world that businesses find themselves in today and with all the challenges facing them, it is obvious that the information manager has to be a person possessing many different skills. The task of the information manager has grown over past years to make this function one of the most crucial in most large businesses. Even smaller businesses are not as productive as they can be, because of the mismanagement of information.
Information managers must make use of the available technology to assist them in managing all the available information. Decisions taken with insufficient information can be very damaging to a business. On the other hand, the right information at the right time can give a business a competitive advantage in any industry.
The information manager must stay abreast of any developments in information and technological fields. Computer equipment is part of the information system of the business, as well as part of the information manager’s job specification regarding personal decision-making and problem-solving. The information manager must be
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