Unit 9

We are going through a time of accelerating change; in some aspects the change is faster than some can fathom keep up with. The things that are changing the fastest are “technology, communications and computing technologies” (Smart, 2015). When we think accelerating change, the one area that comes to mind is technology. I think technology is the driver for accelerated change in all these other fields. I believe we are all witnessing this acceleration in our respective fields. In the filed of medicine the advances being made in research are sometimes mind boggling, from neuroscience to organ transplants, to laser and robotics in surgery, as well as disease research. In daily clinical practice, there have been changes in the way we deliver care, and how we maintain our records. Telemedicine is being employed to provide care to patients in remote areas. Our patients have the capability to communicate with us through the internet, they can also check their labs, visits etc through online patient portals. Conferences are streamed via skype or teleconference. Technology has also made easy for management to conduct their meetings; it is no longer necessary for people to be in the same room, they can hold meeting through virtual meeting rooms, or conference calls.

I am not sure this ties with the topic of our activity, but Jack Ma had some very wise words. He seems to be the kind of leader who follows the transformational-servant leadership- “Customers are number 1, employees number 2, shareholder number 3” (Ma, 2016).

As per Shadraconis (2013), “During a crisis, information, plans, and structures that were once relevant may no longer be applicable. Strictly transactional leadership is not sufficient to meet the new demands of a rapidly changing environment. In times of uncertainty, transformational leaders clarify roles and provide guidance to followers. Furthermore, transformational leaders guide followers through the sensemaking process during a crisis by developing a compelling vision that emphasizes transcending self-interest for the overall benefit of the collective that may ultimately mean the survival of the organization.”

Businesses big and small have had to integrate technology into their strategy to keep up with competition and maintain their standards. Lets take Walmart for example. As per Smoak (2016) Walmart were pioneers in bar code scanning and analyzing point of sale information; they launched their own satellite systems in the mid 1980s to manage their supply chain processes. From Smoaks article I also learned that Walmart has a ‘build rather than buy’ approach, and they apply this to their IT development as well. They are also investing in development of their online presence to keep up with changing customer preferences. When Wal-Mart is looking to develop new systems it dispatches its top engineers to perform “regular” operations jobs so they can gain working hand knowledge of the challenges that line employees face (Boyer, 2003)

I am not very technologically savvy to be able to comment on how big businesses or service organizations could have managed their technology use better or differently. What I can comment on is that there is a very big scope for technology in improving how health care is provided. This is a topic that requires a bigger platform, as there are many moving parts and ramifications, with a lot of players involved. One thing I feel very strongly about is how use technology can be used to make health care more affordable and more widely accessible.

 

References

Boyer, J. (February, 2003). Technology Helps Stores Order Only As Much As They’ll Sell. Albany Times Union. Retrieved from Factiva

Shadraconis, Sophon (2013) “Organizational Leadership in Times of Uncertainty: Is Transformational Leadership the Answer?,” LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 28. Retrieved from http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=lux

https://anthonysmoak.com/2016/07/21/more-than-you-want-to-know-about-wal-marts-technology-strategy-part-1/

Theory of change. John Smart- Leadership or Tech Change. (2015, April, 8). Retried from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhdWqLNUJns

“Keys to Success from Jack Ma”. (2016, June, 23). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WjHZ5wLe6w