Saturday, May 3, 2008

Impact Of Information Technology

Investment in IT is usually aimed at improving productivity, profitability and quality of operations but Devaraj and Kohli (2003) were unable to identify the impact of technology on the organizational performance. Kelly (1994) found out that the reason for the inability to properly explain the relationship between technology and productivity was due to the aggregated unit of analysis at the organizational level which adds to the complexity of isolating the effects of any individual technology. He noted that the chance of finding IT usage impacts depends on how detailed the analysis is. Devaraj and Kohli (2003) stated that examining the amount of money invested in IT may not yield accurate measure of IT effectiveness because levels of usage could be different across industries, firms and processes. In their own contribution to the fledging debate on IT usage impacts, Goodhue and Thompson (1995) explained that the fit between task and technology would have to be established before IT utilization can lead to individual performance impacts. In order to achieve task- technology fit, the technology and targeted application would have to be compatible as well as the availability of qualified users who will use the technology (Goodhue & Thompson, 1995). This proposition implies that IT infrastructure and the organization's business goal would have to be in alignment.

The IT usage literature has shown that there is difference between voluntary use of IT and mandatoriness. Subjective norm was found to affect mandatory IT use whereas it was absent in voluntary use. Also, it was noted that pay off in technology do not usually occur instantaneously but are realized over time (Devaraj and Kohli, 2003; Hartwick and Barki, 1994). Peffers and Dos Santos (1996) conducted a survey on the impact of IT in banks and observed that cross-sectional studies that are done soon after applications are installed may not yield desired results by not finding benefits even if their is potential for large benefits. Their study indicated that impact of IT on performance became apparent after certain time lag and that benefits from IT accrued more to early adopters than late adopters.

References:

Devaraj, S., & Kohli, R. (2003). Performance impacts of Information Technology:

Is actual usage the missing link. Management Science, 49(3), 273-289.

Goodhue, D.L, & Thompson, R. L. (1995). task technology fit and individual performance. MIS Quarterly, (19)2, 213-236.

Hartwick, J., & Barki, J. (1994). Explaining the role of user participation in information system use. Management Science. 40, 40-465.

Kelly, M. (1994). Productivity and Information Technology: The elusive connection. Management Science, 40(11), 1406-1425

Peffers, K., & Dos Santos, L. (1996). Performance effects of innovative IT applications over time. IEEE Trans Engrg. Management, 43(4), 381-392.

Dr. Austin Umezurike is an experienced Information Technology management consultant with more than 15 years experience in business technology consulting. He has unique experience in utilizing the mix of technology and business to achieve organizational and industry leadership in technology and to gain competitive advantage. His interests include Organizational IT strategy, Organizational assessment, Business IT alignment, Outsourcing/Sourcing, Supply Chain management, IT Audit/Compliance, training and new business development strategies.

Technology Certification Intelligence

Information technology news and technical information pertaining to certification intelligence for exam training is the main purpose of this article. Many people do not know the difference between computer training and certification exam training. I would like to inform everyone what the differences are. Computer training is classroom education with scheduled courses or online training about the career field pertaining to information technology. Let me explain! You may want to become a Server Administrator. To begin with you will need some education somewhere in order to be knowledgeable about the subject and maybe acquire a 2 or 4-year degree or receive some online training with a qualified instructor. You may just want to take a few courses and receive a certificate in this field. This would be considered computer training.

Information technology certification intelligence on exam training is what you need in order to be fully prepared to pass your certification exam. After computer training you may have a degree or a certificate but you still do not have a certification that is recognized by Microsoft, CIW and CompTia or any other. If you have computer training that qualifies you to be a Server Administrator then you will want to get certified in Microsoft, CIW or CISCO. Certification exam training concentrates on preparing you to pass your certification exam. An IT Certification exam is unlike any other exam that you have had in college or school. There are two very important things to consider when preparing for a certification exam. They are the proper study technique and having relevant material that pertains to the actual exam that is up to date with the current market.

There are only a handful of places online that offer Certification exam training. The reason I wrote this article is to provide news and information about the best resources on certification exam training. There are many students of information technology that want this information because they are serious about passing their certification exam on the very first try. This article is not about selling but about helping those who are not informed about Certification exam training.

Another purpose of this article is education concerning information technology certification. There are many colleges and online training about information technology that will prepare you for a particular subject or field but there are but a few places where you can find information technology certification intelligence on exam training.

Say you want to become a PC Technician and you study at a college or receive online training so that you are knowledgeable about that field and receive a diploma or certificate in that area but you still are not certified until you take a certification exam. Even after graduation you will need to schedule an IT certification exam with prometric or pearsonvue in order to be certified in the field that you desire.

How many places do you know where you can get training on how to pass your information technology certification exam. Exam training is not the same as computer training. You will need knowledge of how to study for your certification exam and to know the proper study techniques because an IT exam is not the same as the exams in school. You will also need to know where to get updated material about your certification exam because if you are studying material that is outdated then you will not pass your certification exam. Certification exam training is important if you plan on passing your certification exam the first time so you can avoid 2nd and 3rd exam fees.

Some people may already be working on the job in the profession that they desire, such as a Server Administrator, Desktop Support Technician or a PC Repair Technician. They may have had prior training before employment but have never acquired a certification. They probably know their job and are very knowledgeable about their work and field but need a certification because their employer requires it. They do not need any computer training. They only need Certification exam training so they can pass their certification exam. I hope you get the picture now.