Management Development and IT: Bridging the Gulf
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635579010000363 |
| Date | 01 March 1990 |
| Published date | 01 March 1990 |
| Pages | 3-8 |
| Author | Ceri Thomas |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT
AND IT:
BRIDGING
THE
GULF
3
R
eports from consultants show that
managers and organisations remain
sceptical about the paybacks of
information technology.
Management
Development
and IT:
Bridging the
Gulf
Ceri Thomas
"Organisations Win Competitions — Not
Technologies"*
Debates about the competitive advantage afforded by
Information Technology often take place in an intoxicating
atmosphere, but they are no less important for all that,
and
have
a
vital
role to
play
in
shaping management profiles
for the 1990s.
This article addresses the problem of management
development
in
the IT area from the viewpoint of
a
human
resource specialist operating primarily in the IT field
—
in
other words from the gulf or middle ground, depending
on your perspective. It identifies some of the symptoms
of the gulf between IT producers and consumers and
proposes various bridging strategies
—
some of which the
author's own organisation is adopting
in
the particular field
of computerised human resource systems.
A Gulf to be Bridged
The Information Technology industry is suffering a mild
case of the
jitters.
This may surprise people outside the
industry who stare incomprehendingly at the ever
advancing, massed ranks of VDUs that
line
modern offices
and at the infuriatingly regular computer ads that have
shouldered their way onto Sunday night television.
But worldwide, the industry is having major difficulties
in getting its act together for the benefit of corporate
clients
—
standard operating systems and "open" systems
have long been promised but yet to be delivered, leaving
managers wondering
still
what horse to back or which way
to jump. Meanwhile, report after consultant report
announces that managers and organisations remain, in
worryingly large numbers, sceptical about the paybacks
of information technology. A common complaint is the gulf
that divides IT departments from business managers.
Computer
Weekly
recently commented on the BIM's
report, "Managers and IT Competence", that the problem
was "not a matter for complacency". The report
highlighted the general neglect by companies of training
and education activities, and IT itself suffers from this.
Training on systems is generally available, it is said, but
"Most training appears
to
concentrate upon the mechanics
of
a
system, while for managers, the important elements
are training for the management of change and
interpretation of the reporting abilities of
systems".
Such
a finding reflects widely held scepticism over whether the
IT industry is addressing the real needs of
its
customer.
As
an industry, it is arguably over-focused on "product"
to the detriment of "service" or "client" orientation
—
and it shows.
The Kobler Unit at Imperial College London, UK, asked,
"Does Information Technology slow
you
down?".
It drew
on
15
case studies and came up with
a
decidedly equivocal
answer. It found little correlation between a company's
market success and the amount spent on technology.
On the other hand, a fairly reliable prediction of IT
effectiveness was found to be its "strategic use". "Not
only do the more successful users demonstrate a
comprehensive strategy for their investment, but they also
determine a budget over a two- to four-year period with
clearly defined priorities. Those that achieved the best
results had, significantly, used
IT to
open
up
fresh business
opportunities"
(Computer
Weekly).
While this conclusion may at first sight be enlightening,
it begs the big question of
how
organisations can develop
* I am indebted to Dr Robb Wilmot for this observation.
© Percom 1989
This article was
first
presented as a paper at the Association
for Management Education and Development (AMED)/
Ashridge conference, "Management Profiles for the 1990s".
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