Balancing and reinforcing feedback loops in Skype's system design

LOOP

Balancing loop and Reinforcing Loop

Understanding how systems works constitute one of the most challenging aspects of information technology irrespective of the significance of the phenomena. The aspects of structures and how they are associated with systems is essentially one decisive factor. The way in which various components influence one another depends on the way structures are instituted within a system. Thus, structures are the main determinants of relationships between components. The processes of looping clearly indicate these trends and serve generally to indicate the interaction between productivity with the view of adding to the finished goods inventory. As a matter of fact, this process indicates instances where resources are added or subtracted within certain tasks. The two kinds of looping systems in Information Technology are the balancing loop and the reinforcing loop, all of which are classified into a number of categories. These loops are found in various applications like Skype, a package which enables operators to communicate with one another through the use of VoIP capabilities. These feedback loops are vital for the functioning of Skype, in addition to facilitating its success. Further, they affect each other as they perform and helped Skype generate organizational learning among other things.

Balancing Loop

This feedback loop serves to move states from their current condition to the desired states through the application of some actions. A balancing loop is demonstrative of any condition where there is an objective, which is achieved by the use of some actions. The loop helps in facilitating increments of certain objects or generating new products, a process referred to as the creation of the balancing loop. This loop has a number of instances within it. In the process of creation of a new state, the balancing loop goes through a series of events. For instance, a gap is produced during the instance of interaction between the current state and the desired state (Bellinger, 2004). Balancing loop acts towards the movement of unique, current state or status quo, to the goal or target standard (desired state) through a selected medium or means. This sums the behavioral action of the balancing loop in the process of changing the condition to a better state. The reaction between the current and desired states results into generation of a gap. The objective or goal/desired state is fixed during the process. The gap is the main cause for action. It is, therefore, referred to as the motivational factor. The size of the gap determines the level of action to be implemented in consideration. The action supplements the current action in the process of execution. The size of the current state reduces because much subtraction occurs from the difference between the goal and the status quo.

During this moment of interaction, the desired state is seen as being in a fixed condition. In addition, the actions by which the changes of the state are achieved are motivated, and this is achieved through the difference, which is achieved between the current state and the desired state. Moreover, the degree of the gap determines the predisposition of the loop to generate some action. These two phenomena are directly proportional, and as such, the chances of an action being produced are increased with the increase in the size of the gap. The action is created during the interaction process hence augmenting the current state. At the same time, from the gap, something is subtracted by the current state and as a result, reducing from the gap. The gap is eventually abridged to null, and there occurs no motivation for an action to occur. This, however, happens only in instances where the action is successful in shifting the current state to a point where it is equivalent to zero. In facilitating successful completion of task in Skype, the balancing loop Guarantees the existence of a specific, easily comprehended and accepted characterization of the desired state. It also ensures that there exists an as impartial as possible description of the current state. The balancing loops furthermore facility the existence of a natural tendency for the extent of action to decline as the current state approaches the desired state. This is due to the fact that the actions within this loop are driven by the size of the gap (Bellinger, 2004).

Skype and Organizational Learning

With respect to organizational learning, Skype has been at the forefront of enhancing the activities that surrounding aspect considering the wide array of capabilities and features found within the service. Skype, by enhancing communication between different peers has helped promote the spread of knowledge within different organizational sphere, in addition to enhancing adaptability. It also facilitates the degree upon which ideas and information are exchanged among different society members who have access to the technology. As a matter of fact, applications like Skype and other technologies of the kind are opening up ways in places where barriers of communication initially existed. The digitization of close to all aspects of the work environment has enhanced learning is organization, therefore, easier than it was in the past. Today, people within organizations and departments are continuously emailing one another, chatting, conference calling and texting one another, thanks to the capabilities found in features like Skype. As such, information sharing among different parties within the organization and across organizational departments has become less tedious, more productive and highly advanced.

The efficiency that are produced by the technologies like Skype have brought to the fore tremendous advantages to organization, say in the way time is wasted less considering the limit to which Skype has put to physical movements from one place to another. In addition to enabling learning within the organization to occur at group and departmental levels, the individual aspect of learning has also been enhanced by Skype. Considering the high video conferencing capabilities that the feature contains, the individual within the organization are able to achieve career development of various natures while simultaneously carrying out their studies. Human resources within organizations have been able to accept learning capabilities and facilities like formal education, training, skill increment etc. through the use of these media. Considering the fact that the capacities of human resources determine organizational performances and development, the emergence of these technologies have helped facilitate the capacity of organizations to realize such goals owing to the access of accessing learning resourcing at different levels within the organization through technologies like Skype.

The fact that this facility promotes learning, more at individual levels does not so much quality for organizations. Of significant, to note is the fact that learning organizations do not bank on random processes in the expectation that organizational learning will occur as a consequence of conventional work. Such organizations actively encourage, rewards and facilitate collective learning. The use of Skype in encouraging collective learning is additional to individual learning is, therefore, of the essence within organizations. Just like the feature has facilitated the individual learning within the organization and enabled them advance their capacities, applying the capacities of Skype in collective nature and in facilitating organizational learning will enhance and all round productive human resource body. The results of this undertaking will increase enhanced capacities within the workforce of organization, improved performances of the human resources and thus improvement in the productivity of the entire organization.