GROWTH OF TECHNOLOGY AFFECTED SOCIETIES

Impact of Growth Of Technology on Society's Communication

Impact of Growth Of Technology on Society's Communication

Introduction

The significance of information systems extends far beyond the economic sphere; they are necessary at almost all levels of society. All organisations need a sufficient flow of information in order for decision makers to make many decisions that face them each day. Indeed, the entire decision-making structure depends on the free flow of information. The information system, in order to be useful to the decision makers, must be in a form so as to promote the dissemination of information in a useable form and in a timely fashion. In the context of the present information age, an information system will be considered successful or not according to its ability to condense the most significant information quickly to its users. Additionally, since decision making is usually an interdisciplinary process, the information used must suit the nature of this process and be, therefore, of use in this regard.

Impact of Technologies Growth on Societies

The relationship between the information structure and the decision-making structure must develop in such a way as to lead to continuous improvements in both structures. That is, information structures should provide the decision-making structure with the necessary information, whereas the decision-making structure should convey its demands on the information structure in a clear manner. Through this relationship, both structures should be able to focus on and sort out the information that is crucial for decision makers from the numerous information sets seemingly relevant for policy making.

Where and how else does information make its contribution? If a cost-benefit analysis is performed, it is clear that we can quantify some of the benefits but others are less tangible and difficult to quantify.

Even if we could quantify all of the benefits associated with improvements in information systems infrastructure, international comparisons would not be easy. Enhanced information systems and statistical infrastructure make their greatest contributions at all levels (international, country wide and institutional) indirectly. A partial list of these indirect benefits includes the following: • Open information on prices and markets

Access to new ideas and new theoretical and scientific models

Promotion and assurance of scientific integrity and independence

Government accountability to the world as well as to domestic public opinion

An informed public and/or electorate

Promotion of international harmony through a 'common language' or base of information that all nations share

Balancing of competing domestic interests and forces

A very low marginal cost of distribution—the value of information increases the more widely it is disseminated; and

Competition among ideas that refines and improves their effectiveness and applicability to new situations.

Any discussion of indirect benefits must consider how such benefits can be observed. We can only deal with observable reality, but what is dominant in an independent world is what we might call a 'targeted biased-reality' that finds its sources within the 'balance-of-power structure'. As long as we are able to eliminate this 'targeted biased-reality' and replace it with observable reality with a minimum margin of error, transparency and problem ...