MANAGEMENT

Information & Knowledge Management

Assignment

Information & Knowledge Management

Q1) What are the main business benefits of using an Intranet - from an employee perspective?

Answer1)

From an employee perspective there are various benefits of using an intranet. Some of the advantages or benefits of intranet are as follows:

An intranet helps the employees in sharing knowledge and information within the organizational setup effectively and on timely basis.

Intranet helps the managers and supervisors in making effective decision making promptly that supports an organization in enhancing its business processes.

With the support of intranet employees can get instant access to the data and can make effective decisions.

The document sharing feature of intranet enhances and facilitates the project management.

Intranet can be a best source for enhancing the customer service of the organization as it helps the customer support department in solving the issues and answering the queries of the customers.

Intranet helps an organization in controlling the number of copies for the documents as it facilitates all the employees with soft copy that can be seen on screens, intranet serves a single source of information for all the employees (Jeffery, 2010, p.177).

Example:

An example of intranet within an organization is ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software that forms a sound connection among various department of an organization such as warehouse with production department. Whenever there is a shortage of products the warehouse only has to send a message to the production department and the shortage will be accomplished.

Q2) Change management in virtual organizations can be based on an “explorer”, “exploiter”, or “innovator” strategy.

Answer 2)

Exploiter strategy, Explorer strategy, and innovator strategy can be very beneficial for change management within the setup of virtual organizations.

Exploiter Strategy

A change management strategy that enhances the effectiveness of business processes and adds value to the communicational channel with the help of Information Communications Technology (ICT) is known as Exploiter strategy. The organizations that use this strategy can identify and explore opportunities and new ways that can help in using ICT effectively. This strategy can enhance the effectiveness of the business processes that the organizations are currently using. Like for example in the context of operations management the use of feedback can help in improving the operations.

Explorer Strategy

Explorer strategy helps an organization in strengthening it inter-organizational partnerships, alliances and supply & demand chain. The organizations, which use this strategy can identify and improve the value chain and alliances with their business partners and other related organizations. Like for an example, with the help of extranet an organization can share corporate data with other organizations in an effective and more professional way.

Innovator Strategy

This strategy can help virtual organizations in change management as it supports these organizations in integrating all of its processes into a virtual value chain and it also helps these organizations in moving towards the new virtual markets. The organizations that use innovator strategy can enhance and develop new virtual markets and can improve their sales with an online capacity (Xiao, 2011, p.169).

Attempt to integrate all processes into a virtual value chain ...