Communication and Decision-aid Technologies: The Secrets to Business Survival in the Knowledge Economy

Mostafa Sayyadi

Communication and Decision-aid Technologies: The Secrets to Business Survival in the Knowledge Economy

Technology, as one would imagine, is often associated with information dispersed within companies. Information technology develops and disseminates knowledge throughout the organization which, in turn, is an important factor of sustainable competitive advantage. This article portrays a more detailed picture of the effects of emerging technologies (i.e. communication and decision-aid technologies) on companies that have been not mentioned in the past.

How Communication and Decision-aid Technologies Work

Today, technology has changed the business world ten-fold. Every day there is an easier way to process, access, and disseminate information. Technology, now referred to as, Information technology, is an internal resource that increasingly facilitates organizational communication and improves the search for knowledge. When executives have people in place to manage information technology, the organization can see increased revenues, better satisfaction by employees and customers, and most importantly enhance their own effectiveness as leaders. Knowledge creation is highly dependent on developing organizational communications and interactions. Information technology enables organizations to overcome space constraints in communication, and promotes the depth and range of knowledge access and sharing within companies. More specifically, communication technologies can be employed to enhance the conversations and knowledge exchanges between organizational members. This knowledge shared through information technology could positively contribute to knowledge management.

Furthermore, Knowledge sharing itself can develop more innovative climates and facilitate knowledge creation in organizations. Thus, communication technologies can play a crucial role in improving knowledge creation. Therefore, communication technology is an internal resource that develops and integrates organizational knowledge as the most strategic factor of competitiveness. To implement this technology, management consultants can help executives develop the most essential technological infrastructures to:

• Provide information technology support for collaborative work regardless of time and place.

• Provide information technology support for communication among organization employees.

Further, as executive use expert systems for decision-making, technology becomes a decision-aid. As mentioned earlier, decision-aid technology can be also considered as a facilitator of the knowledge creation process through providing the essential infrastructures to store and retrieve organizational knowledge. To implement this technology, management consultants can help executives develop the most essential technological infrastructures to:

• Provide information technology support for searching for accessing necessary information.

• Provide information technology support for systematic storing of knowledge.

Information technology enhances learning and sharing knowledge by providing access to knowledge, and stimulates new ideas and knowledge generation, transfers an individual’s knowledge to other members and departments, and improves knowledge capturing, storing, and accumulating, aiming at achieving organizational goals. Bringing us to the conclusion that communication and decision-aid technologies has a positive association with knowledge management performance in companies.

In Conclusion

Many organizations still implement knowledge management initiatives without sufficient consideration of their technological infrastructures. When executives ensure the effectiveness of knowledge management projects they increase control and lesson operational risk. I also suggest that a firm’s ability to enhance knowledge management can be highly affected when executives implement communication and decision-aid technologies. Furthermore, I suggest that scholars take these ideas and continue to conduct research using management consultants and executives as the focal point so that academic scholarship can meet the needs of managerial implications at the higher echelons of organizations worldwide.

Bio

Mostafa Sayyadi works with senior business leaders to effectively develop innovation in companies, and helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders. He is a business book author and a long-time contributor to business publications and his work has been featured in top-flight business publications.