Principles of Management and Technology

Management Technology

Principles of Management and Technology

Multiculturalism and Diversity

"Diversity is desirable for innovation, flexibility, and organizational success."

Diversity can be a valuable asset for any organization. Having people from different backgrounds and cultures offers a broader range of different perspectives and different opinions. Having this as an asset can spawn higher levels of innovation and flexibility because of the depth of perspective -- more people with different ideas can collaborate in a way that ultimately leads to organizational success. Today's most successful organizations embrace diversity however the results of diversity are not always successful. While many organizations have sought to increase the diversity of their workforces, researchers have found both positive and negative effects of demographic diversity on organizational outcomes (Olsen & Martins, 2012).

New Business Ventures

Discuss the reasons why small businesses are so important to the U.S. economy.

Small business accounts for the bulk of the U.S. economy and is critical to the overall economic success of the country as well as the world in general. Small businesses comprise what share of the U.S. economy (SBA, 2012)?

Small businesses make up:

99.7% of U.S. employer firms,

64% of net new private-sector jobs,

49.2% of private-sector employment,

42.9% of private-sector payroll,

46% of private-sector output,

43% of high-tech employment,

98% of firms exporting goods, and 33% of exporting value.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SUSB, CPS; International Trade Administration; Bureau of Labor Statistics, BED; Advocacy-funded research, Small Business GDP: Update 2002-2010, www.sba.gov/advocacy/7540/42371.

3. Technology and Modern Culture

Winner says, "It is clear that in decades to come a great many things like telephone answer machines and automatic bank tellers will become, in effect, members of our society." More recent technologies that could be included in Winner's list include the smart phone, online banking, and online shopping. Winner suggests that we surrogate our responsibility to these technologies.

a. Do you think Winner is right or wrong?

I think that Winner is largely right. For example, when an individual banks on their smart phone, maybe uses a picture of a check to make a deposit, then they are interacting with the technology in a way that previously required a human being. Thus the technology is taking the place of humans for many tasks. However, ultimately technology is simply a tool that simply helps people finish tasks faster.

4. Engineering Our Future

A kind of genetic engineering happens in nature, with naturally occurring mutations and the dominance of certain strains.

a.What is different about today's processes?

Today's processes can now be driven by man. Scientists have the ability to alter genetic codes in a range of fashions.