Contract and Outline
Assessment Contract for Knowledge Areas, Form EC-1
Knowledge Area Number: ELC 772
Knowledge Area Title: Information Systems and Change
Student: Glen Gatin Faculty Reader: Dr Gayol
Background Information:
Student ID number: 0122575
E-mail address: glen.gatin@gmail.com
Student's mentor: Dr. Yolanda Gayol
Area of research interest: Application of new media to teacher training programs for adult educators.
KAs already completed (list by number): NA
KAs with open assessment contracts
Assessment specifics:
Learning outcomes:
- To gain an understanding of change theory from theoretical and practical perspectives.
- To gain an understanding of and explore the interrelationships between information systems and change.
- To gain an understanding of knowledge management and its importance to 21st century organizations, and to explore its impact on information systems and on creating change in organizations.
- To explore organizational culture and diversity and their effects on information systems and knowledge management.
- To identify those areas of interrelationship among information systems, change theory, knowledge management, organizational culture, and diversity that have unanswered questions of significance to educators of the 21st century.
II Skill development outcomes:
I hope to develop the Doctoral Level Competencies in the area of “Knowledge in the field specifically;
- Be familiar with foundational theories through original texts
- Demonstrate understanding of classic research studies
- Engage in current debates, open questions, and discourse
- Demonstrate an understanding of the history of the institutions and social practices under consideration
- Be aware of and contribute to future trends in the field
Describe the type and vehicle of feedback that you believe would be most helpful to you during this assessment to further your scholarly development.
Participation in collaborative online forum.
Establishment of a team blog.
Comments on blog from faculty assessor.
Attach the following to this form for submission:
1) Overview: A description of your activities for an overview demonstration of your competence in this area and how they will help you achieve your learning outcomes - BE SPECIFIC
a) Make reference to the theories, conceptual issues, competencies, and resources in the learning guide wherever useful and appropriate
Systems theory as applied to Networked intelligence, Communities of practice.
b) Indicate specific attention you will pay to inquiry and research as done in this area, and multicultural and/or global issues that are relevant to this field
Online discussion forums
c) List a tentative set of references (minimum of six)
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). Good business: Leadership, flow, and the making of meaning. New York: Penguin Books.
Tsoukas, H. & Mylonopoulos, N. (Eds.). (2004). Organizations as knowledge systems: Knowledge, learning and dynamic capabilities. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Winston, B. (1998). Media technology and society: A history from the telegraph to the internet. New York: Routledge.
Web search string for networked intelligence
Stephen Downes: An Introduction to Connective Knowledge,
Vincent Kenny: Anticipating Autopoiesis: Personal Construct Psychology and Self-Organizing Systems, Self-Organisation in Psychotherapy May 12, 2005
Loraine M. Stewart: Systems Analysis of Learning Theory Through Causal Influence Diagrams, NECC 2002 June 21, 2002
. d) Describe the specific deliverable or materials you will submit to the faculty for assessment of the overview portion
Blog with attached references and blog links
2) Depth: A description of your learning objectives and activities for a depth demonstration of your competence. Indicate a tentative list of references.
Development of blog with RRS feeds connecting to various communities focused on systems theory and the
Development of a WIKI and inviting comments from acknowledged leaders.
3) Applied: A description of your learning objectives and activities for an applied demonstration of your competence. Include plans for feedback from participants and/or from an expert in the field. Be sure to evaluate your own performance in light of the perspective of this knowledge area. Indicate if you plan to conduct a small-scale research or inquiry study as a demonstration of your competence. If you are asking a question, collecting data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions, you must submit a proposal through the Institutional Review Board and gain approval prior to conducting the research. (See URL http://www.fielding.edu
Please describe how your work in this knowledge area relates to the overall goals you describe in your Learning Plan Agreement (i.e., professional and academic work and possible dissertation study).
I am seeking a Grade of A
Student Signature: ______________________________
Student Address: 1024 Lorne Ave.E. Brandon MB., Canada
Faculty Assessor Signature: ______________________________
This contract is valid when signed by both of the above people.
Students are expected to keep copies of all assessment work and feedback for inclusion in their portfolio.
CONTRACT ROUTING & ASSESSMENT MATERIAL ROUTING:
Student --> Faculty Reader --> Fielding Curriculum Coordinator-->Student
Fielding Graduate University, 2112 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 687-1099
Course outline
ELC 772 INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND CHANGE
Compiled by Nancy J. Holley, Ph.D.
September, 2004
Contact: Nancy J. Holley, Ph.D.
nholley@csc.com
Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Change
Fielding Graduate University
Santa Barbara, California
Copyright 2004, Fielding Graduate University, All Rights Reserved
INTRODUCTION
The focus of this knowledge area is to allow the learner to actively engage in the interrelationships between information systems and change. However, since corporate culture, diversity, and knowledge management influence these relationships, ELC 772 will also provide suggested readings and learning goals that include these issues. Thus, your study in this area will be holistic in that it will demonstrate an understanding of the complex interrelationships among these topics.
The importance of knowledge workers to corporate success has led institutions to provide online educational experiences for employees that have the goals of continuous learning and increasing adaptability to change. Yet these programs are often ineffective, and organizations are looking for answers. You will have the opportunity in this knowledge area to seek these answers through your assessments.
As you are aware, each knowledge area requires that you demonstrate competency through three assessments: overview, in-depth, and applied. The overview includes a broad review of some aspect of the knowledge area. The in-depth focuses on a specific aspect of the knowledge area, and the applied allows you to show in a practical manner the knowledge you have gained. The overview and in-depth are designed for you, the scholar; the applied is designed for you, the practitioner. The goal is to allow you to become a scholarly practitioner in each knowledge area.
LEARNING GOALS
Overview:
- To gain an understanding of change theory from theoretical and practical perspectives.
- To gain an understanding of and explore the interrelationships between information systems and change.
- To gain an understanding of knowledge management and its importance to 21st century organizations, and to explore its impact on information systems and on creating change in organizations.
- To explore organizational culture and diversity and their effects on information systems and knowledge management.
- To identify those areas of interrelationship among information systems, change theory, knowledge management, organizational culture, and diversity that have unanswered questions of significance to educators of the 21st century.
The goal of the in-depth assessment is to focus on one of the areas from the overview in detail. Of particular emphasis should be the areas with unanswered questions: Why are these questions unanswered? What is their significance to educators? What types of research might be used to answer these questions? What might result from leaving these questions unattended?
Applied:
The goal of the applied is to demonstrate, in a practical way, the learning that has been gained. This demonstration can take many forms. Examples include projects, presentations, teaching/learning plans, or workshops. Be creative in this area, and discuss your ideas with your assessor.
Given the general learning goals for the overview, different focus approaches are possible.
DISCUSSION
Information systems (IS) is frequently used synonymously for information technology (IT) and information and communication technology (ICT). In this knowledge area, IS can be interpreted as including all the terms that are used to describe obtaining, disbursing, and interpreting information via electronic media.
The need for knowledge management in the 21st century means a heavy reliance by organizations on their information systems. The amount of information available (which may or may not be knowledge) has to be managed in a way that allows organizations and individuals to determine what is knowledge and how that knowledge can best be utilized to generate change, increase productivity, and improve competitive advantage.
In the past, it would have seemed strange to use the term competitive advantage when referring to educational institutions, but they have become big businesses competing for students and thus, attempting to provide the best and perhaps most unique learning experiences.
In this knowledge area, you will have the opportunity to review the history of IS, including how the use of technology and computers changed from stand-alone processes to integrated systems encompassing all corporate functions, supporting expense reduction, revenue expansion, employee education, and goods and services production, to name only a few. The use of integrated systems within education has been slower to evolve than in industry, but it is now imperative that all educational systems take the greatest advantage possible of IS to aid in supporting change and knowledge management.
According to Burke (2002), organizational change should be planned and revolutionary rather than unplanned and evolutionary. In one sense, it may seem contradictory to have planned revolution, but on the other hand, without planning chaos may ensue. In the past, incremental changes, planned or not, were frequently the change method of choice. It seemed easier for individuals to adapt to small changes, and thus, they were more acceptable.
However, with the rapidity of change in today's world, incremental changes are too slow to be beneficial. With all types of change, there is the two-fold problem of identifying the revolutionary changes that are needed, and implementing them before the benefits of their opportunity are lost. Obstacles that can stand in the way of rapidly identifying and implementing change include knowledge management, organizational culture and diversity. In each of these areas, there must be energy and support for innovative thinking and change.
There are numerous techniques that can be used to encourage innovative thinking and change, including Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros, 2003), Solutions Focused Brief Therapy and Problem Solving (Jackson & McKergow, 2002), and Creative Problem Solving (Isaksen, Dorval & Treffinger, 2000). These techniques and others may be of value to you in the applied portion of this knowledge area.
In the 21st century, individuals can no longer have all the knowledge required for the implementation of change. Thus, teams/groups manage the knowledge used as the basis for revolutionary changes. To understand the impact of groups of individuals on the process, the theory of Group Identification (Henry, Arrow, & Carini, 1993) followed by a study of the theories of Group Potency (Guzzo, Yost, Campbell, & Shea, 1993) and Team Transformational Leadership (Bass, Jung, Avolio, & Berson, 2003) might prove useful.
POSSIBLE MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST
Following are questions that might be of interest to you in your in-depth study in this knowledge area. You might study the theory associated with one of these questions in your depth and then use your applied to implement a project, demonstrating theory in practice. These are only suggestions; you will work with your assessor to identify your specific course of action.
- How do issues of organizational diversity prevent the implementation of rapid change, and how might these roadblocks be overcome? Is there a specific instance of this problem within your organization that might be ameliorated through your applied assessment?
- What are the common pitfalls in knowledge management, and how can they be eliminated? Would the eradication of such pitfalls benefit your organization? How might you use your applied to demonstrate the success of pitfall removal in your system?
- Reflecting on the articles in the Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management in light of what has occurred in the years since their creation can provide questions for future research. What occurred to prevent their visions from reaching fruition, or what changes supported implementation of their visions? How are these issues related to your organization?
- Are learning organizations desirable? What characteristics make this possible, or present difficulties? Would you like to be part of a learning organization? How might this be implemented?
- What characteristics identify a successful corporate culture for integrating information systems and change? How might theses characteristics be implemented within your organization?
- How do privilege and power effect organizational culture and diversity? Does this in turn effect an organization's ability to implement IS and change? What challenges are encountered? Are these issues within your organization?
- How might individuals use their personal power and the power of IS to implement their visions rather than merely dreaming about them? Are there individuals within your organization who have wonderful ideas for change that never seem to come to fruition? What strategies might be used to overcome this challenge?
- What is the roll of IS in organizational transformation: historically and currently? What types of processes are best for managing organizational transformation? Is organizational transformation a goal of your system? How might that be implemented?
In this study guide, the annotated references include only books. It is assumed that learners will research the online databases to obtain current, relevant, peer reviewed articles in their areas of interest. ServiceWare Technologies offers interesting Knowledge Management resources that might be beneficial, including best practices and principles of success.
Albalooshi, F. (Ed.). (2003). Virtual education: Cases in learning and teaching technologies. Hershey, PA: IRM Press.
While the focus of this volume is on learning and teaching, the principles of IS, change, and diversity must be considered in making these applications viable in educational settings.
Antonelli, C. (2003). Economics of innovation, new technologies and structural change. New York: Routledge
This work might be particularly useful to learners interested in the economic value of technological change. It includes an understanding of the effects of introducing IS to organizations and interweaves economic theory.
Arora, N. (2003). Theory ZYX of successful change management: A definitive guide to reach the next level.
Fishers, IN: L. A. Press, Inc.
This work contains 33 laws of change management and provides a practical guide for changing corporate culture. It uses many real life case histories to illustrate the concepts, and contains analytical measurements.
Avgerou, C. (2002). Information systems and global diversity. Oxford: University Press.
Avgerou's work discusses diversity in organizations and globalization issues in relationship to change processes. "Part 1 explores the roots of organizational diversity from the following theoretical perspectives: the way organizations and ICT are socially constituted, and the relationship between technology and society, globalization, and the critique of the rationality of modernity" (p. 12).
She includes case studies to form empirical support for theory, provides a theoretical background of information and communication technologies (ICT), and describes the societal effects of IS innovation. She also provides references to studies identifying the relationship between ICT and organizational change.
Bennet, A. & Bennet, D. (2004). Organization survival in the new world: The intelligent complex adaptive system: A new
theory of the firm. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
This work describes the theory behind intelligent complex adaptive systems (ICAS) and proposes that ICAS is required for organizational survival in turbulent environments. It discusses the importance of the knowledge worker and knowledge management in organizations and the types of environmental characteristics required to support them.
Burke, W. W. (2002). Organization change: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
This work stresses that organizational change should be planned and revolutionary rather than unplanned and evolutionary. It discusses the fact that capital markets change more rapidly then their dependent business organizations. It includes models for organizational change that link theory with practice. It contains a helpful annotated bibliography, as well as an extensive reference list.
Cassidy, A. (1998). A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. Saint Lucie Press.
Cassidy provides step-by-step examples of how to develop a strategic implementation plan. She discusses why strategic planning is important and the drivers that lead to IS changes.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). Good business: Leadership, flow, and the making of meaning. New York: Penguin Books.
Csikszentmihalyi takes his germinal work on the theory of flow and applies it to leadership and organizations. He supports the notion that individuals within organizations cannot be made to be creative, but rather must be led or allowed to be creative through organizational and leadership characteristics.
De Ville, B. (2001). Microsoft data mining: Integrated business intelligence for e-commerce and knowledge
management. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
De Ville provides a beginning point for learning about data mining using the SQL Server 2000 DBMS. He identifies best practices for data mining and indicates how data mining can be used to search large databases, identifying patterns and trends.
Harvard business review on knowledge management. (1998). Boston: Harvard School Press.
This collection of essays from the Harvard Business Review Series provides a solid background of the foundations of Knowledge Management. The article by David Garvin emphases "since you can't manage something if you can't measure it, a complete learning audit is a must" (p. 48).
Jacobsen, J. K. (2000). Technical fouls: Democratic dilemma and technological change. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Jacobsen looks at the drivers of technological progress and what determines its direction. He discusses how the ideologies of power, money, and politics interact to influence technology policies. It includes an analysis of technological development in other countries such as the former Soviet Union and China.
Johnson, A. G. (2001). Privilege, power, and difference. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Johnson discusses the issues of privilege and power that are present, but are frequently hidden from the consciousness of those possessing these characteristics. He indicates that until those who have privilege and power recognize their effects on how they operate within life and organizations, issues of diversity will not be resolved.
Jones, G. R. (2003). Organizational theory, design, and change. (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Jones discusses implications of organization transformation and problems encountered in the process, providing direct and clear managerial implications. Interesting case studies are used to illustrate the concepts identified with regard to organizations and their environments, design, and change.
Laudon, K. C. & Laudon, J. P. (2003). Management information systems. (8th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
This work addresses logical approaches to organizational change strategies and provides for non-technical managers the key elements of networking that support the management of such changes.
McLaughlin, J., Rosen, P., Webster, A., & Skinner, D. (1999). Valuing technology: Organizations, culture and
change (The management of technology and innovation). New York: Routledge.
This work is based on research that focused on how organizations acquire and use new technologies. This major study included a focus on the introduction of IS and change in higher education, as well as other institutions.
Mitter, S. & Rowbotham, S. (Eds.). (1995). Women encounter technology: Changing patterns of employment in the third
world (Unu/Intech studies in new technology and development. New York: Routledge.
These essays describe the challenges faced by women in third world countries when dealing with IS and dispel the notion that there is any monolithic, specifically feminine vision of technology and science. They also indicate that women in third world countries welcome modernization when they have input into the process.
Morrison, K. (1998). Management theories for educational change. London: Paul Chapman.
The author describes the similarities between business and education especially with regard to the influences of environments and stakeholders. He identifies those theories originally generated in business research that are particularly applicable to managing change in educational institutions.
Mowery, D. C. & Rosenberg, N. (1999). Paths of innovation: Technological change in 20th Century America.
Boston: Cambridge University Press.
This historical presentation of the evolution of IS provides a detailed discussion of the roles of universities and the federal government in the development of the four giants (the internal combustion engine, chemicals, electric power, and the electronics revolution) leading to a technological society.
Neuhauser, P., Bender, R., & Stromberg, K. (2000). Culture.com: Building corporate culture in the connected workplace.
New York: John Wiley & Sons.
This work discusses in detail the corporate culture of a dot.com world. There are chapters emphasizing the issues of the warp speed being experienced by all organizations, virtual cultures, and external influences that present cultural challenges. In the final chapter, they present ten tips for building a corporate culture that fits in the 21st century.
Paechter, C., Preedy, M., Scott, D., & Soler, J. (Eds.). (2001). Knowledge, power and learning.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.
This collection of essays emphasizes knowledge, its trustworthiness and the ability to sift though all the information. Gender issues with regard to power and knowledge are discussed. It contains an interesting (but perhaps biased) chapter questioning the concept of learning organizations.
Rouse, W. B. (1993). Catalysts for change: Concepts and principles for enabling innovation. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
This is the third volume in a series by Rouse involving the human-centered design of complex technological systems, business planning, and market development. In this volume, he presents a model for addressing issues of technology-based enterprises.
Rumizen, M. C. (2002). The complete idiot's guide to knowledge management. Indianapolis: Alpha Books.
Despite its title, this work has a wealth of information, including additional resources that may be helpful. It emphasizes the need for communities of practice and the relationship of information technology and culture to the success of knowledge management. Methodologies for measuring knowledge management are also discussed.
Senge, P., Scharmer, C. O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. S. (2004). Presence: Human purpose and the field of the future.
Cambridge, MA: SOL
Based on the work of Francisco Varela (1999), their own research, and that of others, these authors discuss the human capacity for building a desired future. One item of importance is the ability to suspend, which provides the ability to see how our mental models limit and influence our thinking. They contend that being able to suspend individually and collectively is required for productive futuristic thinking. It includes many of their discussions and experiences as they attempt to identify purpose through presence.
Tsoukas, H. & Mylonopoulos, N. (Eds.). (2004). Organizations as knowledge systems: Knowledge, learning and dynamic
capabilities. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
This is a reflective work on the nuances of knowledge including its complexities and idiosyncrasies. It contains a series of essays regarding Organizational Knowing and Learning, Sharing and Managing Distributed Knowledge, and Organizational Knowledge and Dynamic Capabilities based on the Third European Conference on Organizational Knowledge, Learning and Capabilities in Athens, April, 2002.
Winston, B. (1998). Media technology and society: A history from the telegraph to the internet. New York: Routledge.
This book won the American Associated for History and Computing Prize for the Best Book of 1998. The author argues that the development of new media forms (from the telegraph and the telephone to computers, satellites, and virtual reality) is a product of a constant play-off between social necessity and suppression. He believes that the suppression of innovations occurs unless their disruptive potential is limited.
Yates, J. & Van Maanen, J. (Eds.). (2001). Information technology and organizational transformation: History,
rhetoric, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Most of the essays within this edited work were first published in a special issue of "Information Systems Research" in 1996. The introduction states: " In putting together this volume, we are particularly interested in understanding how organizational transformations unfold over time, how they have occurred in the past, how they apparently are occurring today, and how interested groups draw on and refine a discourse centering on IT and organizational change" (p. xi). The historical essays in the volume identify intended and unintended IS consequences.
The essays with regard to rhetoric and practice are of interest from a hindsight perspective. Eight years later, the world is a very different place with regard to technology, but perhaps a similar place with regard to IS and societal relationships.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
Bass, B. M., Jung, D. I., Avolio, B. J., & Berson, Y. (2003). Predicting unit performance by assessing transformational and
transactional leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(2), 207-218.
Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D., & Stavros, J. M. (2003). Appreciative Inquiry handbook: The first in a series
of AI workbooks for leaders of change. Bedford Heights, OH: Lakeshore Communications.
Easterby-Smith, M., Lyles, M. A., & Weick, K. E. (Eds.). (2003). The Blackwell handbook of organizational learning
and knowledge management (Blackwell handbooks in management). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
Guzzo, R. A., Yost, P. R., Campbell, R. J., & Shea, G. P. (1993). Potency in groups: Articulating a construct.
British Journal of Psychology, 32, 87-106.
Hayward, J. W. & Varela, F. J. (2001). Gentle bridges: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on the sciences of mind.
Boston: Shambhala.
Henry, K. B., Arrow, H., & Carini, B. (1999). A tripartite model of group development: Theory and measurement.
Small Group Research, 30(5), 558-581.
Isaksen, S. G., Dorval, K. B., & Treffinger, D. J. (2000). Creative approaches to problem solving (2nd ed.).
Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Jackson, P. Z., & McKergow, M. (2002). The solutions focus: The simple way to positive change.
London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Levinson, P. (1997). The soft edge: A natural history and future of the information revolution. New York: Routledge.
O'Brien, J. A. (2003). Management information systems: Managing information technology in an e-business enterprise.
Boston: McGraw-Hill
Taylor, D. A. (1995). Business engineering with object technology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Varela, F. J. (1999). Ethical know-how: Action, wisdom, and cognition (Writing Science). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Varela, F. J., & Shear, J. (1999). The view from within: First person approaches to the study of consciousness.
Exeter, UK: Imprint Academic.
Varela, F. J., Thompson, E. T., & Rosch, E. (1992). The embodied mind: Cognitive science and human experience.
Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
a, PA, 1973),HiTheTorectical s seHis seminal book, Theoretical Analysis of Informatystems (4 th ed., Studentlitteratur, Lund, Sweden, and Auerbach, Philadelphia, PA, 1973),His seminal book, Theoretical Analysis of Information Systems (4 th ed., Studentlitteratur, Lund, Sweden, and Auerbach, Philadelphia, PA, 1973),minal book, Theoretical Analysis of Information Systems (4 th ed., Studentlitteratur, Lund, Sweden, and Auerbach, Philadelphia, PA, 1973),
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