NIBCO'S BIG BANG

Social Construction of Technology: NIBCO'S BIG BANG



Social Construction of Technology: NIBCO'S BIG BANG

Introduction

Today the organizations need to manage their data efficiency with the help of effective technology, mainly if they want to achieve success in highly competitive business environment. An information system named as Enterprise Resource System (ERP) is very helpful to organizations since it can enable cross functional business processes and can integrate information across various different departments by transforming an organization. However there are various risks attached to the implementation of ERP (Butler, 2009, 15). The adoption of a technology should be subject to a management process. The acquisition and use of a simple personal computer doesn't begin and not even end with the single step. The system of the simplest technology must be well managed despite the size of the organization; this task is enormous and requires significant human and financial resources. If the technology is new or complex, its management is most important. Since human society entered Post modernization, the technology is seen as an autonomous and independent undoing human system having economic, political, and cultural relations between individuals and between social groups. The technology is a machine but to understand the use of technology requires logic, social and intellectual function. Thus, in this paper I am going to analyze the accompanying case “NIBCO's BIG BANG by using the theory of social construction of technology.

Company Background

NIBCO is a leading manufacturer and supplier of pipes, valves, fittings and other products for water, heating and sanitation, consumer, industrial, irrigation and fire fighting purposes. The company decided to go live on Dec, 30 1997. NIBCO had more than 3000 employees in 1996 earning revenue of 461 million dollars. NIBOCO was advised by many consultants to switch to SAP R/3 rather than ratifying the big bang approach but after initial discussions with top management o f BCG (Boston consulting group) and many other consulting firms, NIBCO in 1995 developed a strategic information plan to meet new goals and objectives of the company (Brown, 2001, 7). One of the most important of these efforts is the organization can not work well with the current information system.

The theory of Social Construction of Technology

The social construction of technology (SCOT) is a theory developed and introduced by Pinch and Bijeker on 1984. It is a theory of technology and science studies; usually this theory is contrasted with technological determinism theory. The social constriction of technology has grown out of doctrine of sociology of scientific knowledge and social constructivism. According to this theory of SCOT technology development is seen as discourse or interactive process among engineers, technologies, or interested or relevant social groups. The social construction of technology is defined as a socio-technical interactive process which shapes all types of technology. Supports of this theory states that human action is not determined by human action but technology get shaped with the help of human actions (MacKenzie, Wajcman , 1985, 2). In social construction of technology theory, interested or relevant social groups plays important ...