Derrick Chapman Jr.
ITM501- Module I Case
November 11, 2013

In review of my position on information overload, there would be no such overload if avenues such as the various social media outlets, informative readings with little or no credibility, and networking forums with no proven success records were not so heavily relied upon within organizations. The course background readings shed light on how social media is hindering the notions of the Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom. Data is defined as unprocessed information, while information is data that has had a chance to be processed, and finally knowledge and wisdom is something that can be reflected upon (Green, P. 2010). If you are constructively processing the data that you are receiving you will be come a learning organization, possessing the attributes of knowledge and wisdom. A learning organization will be taught through experience or simply stated trial and error. Learning will maximize innovation, effectiveness, and performance, and this knowledge should be spread throughout the organization creating a very reliable, proven, and stable structure. From a personal perspective if your organizations structure is designed to support and manage information there should be no overload.

There are endless consequences to information overload, especially when the overload is at the hands of social media technologies. Most of the technologies were designed with the expectations set on bringing exceptional improvements to productivity within organizations. The productivity that was expected to come from these technologies have developed my chaos than efficiency to the business realm. I can't speak for all but within my organization there is an enormous amount of time wasted in generating, distributing, processing, and storing paperwork, that holds no value to the core functions of the business and it detours employees attention away from productivity.

Even though the World Wide Web was innovated with the most gracious intentions, its vast amount of information from around the globe provided an overload of information that is not necessarily helpful all of the time. This would be due to the information being mutual, but not universal. Those people within an organizations who are labeled as the decision makers, i.e. CEO or other three letter roles are faced with large amounts of information through channels that were created for them to be more productive, which takes away from the efficiency that they should be providing. To add clarity to my position Phil Green stated well that, certain aspects of knowledge in hands-on professions cannot be captured by a knowledge repository, much less by social media. This is because the learning is very much "mind-body.' You must learn by doing. However, most professions are driven by other forms of knowledge that are disseminated in more traditional ways. For example, manuals, journals and/or continuing education courses. The point is that social media can speed the capture and dissemination of this type of knowledge. Therefore the lines between information and knowledge begin to blur (Green,P . 2010).

If I were to counter my position on social systems and how they bring information overload to organizations I would use the arguments developed by the scholars, Elton Mayo, Abraham Maslow, and David McGregor. These scholars came to the realization that workers are members of social groups and work organizations, both of which play important roles in shaping workers behaviors and actions (Sage Publications). These scholars researched and comprised a theory in human relations. The Human relations model was comprised of Individual differences, Motivation, Mutual Interest, and Human dignity. These four characteristics of an open system model (social system) could easily build a case against my position on social systems and how there is an issue with information overload. Even with these theories is still stand firm with the formalities of an organization being structured on Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom (Bellinger, Castro, Mills. 2004).

In light of the counter arguments, referencing back to my original position, the theories have all proven inadequate. Information overload is an issue that has grown out of control, and is creating chaos in business. Decision making has not been made easy it has only been blurred due to excessive amounts of information through an endless number old resources and channels. The proof of less productivity within organizations today is more than enough to show that social systems hinder efficiency.

References

Blair, A. (2010) Information Overload, Then and Now. The Chronicle of Higher Education Review. November 28. Retrieved November 11, 2013 from http://chronicle.com/article/Information-Overload-Then-and/125479/?sid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en

Bellinger, G., Castro, D., & Mills, A. (2004) Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom. The Way of Systems. Retrieved on November 11, 2013 from http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm

Green, P. (2010 ) Social Media Is Challenging Notions of the Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom (DIKW) Hierarchy. CMS Wire. August 16. Retrieved November 11, 2013 from http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-20/social-media-is-challenging-notions-of-the-data-information-knowledge-wisdom-dikw-hierarchy--008320.php

Liu, X. and Errey, C. (2006) Socio-technical systems - there's more to performance than new technology. PTG Global. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://www.ptg-global.com/PDFArticles/Socio%20technical%20systems%20-%20There's%20more%20to%20performance%20than%20new%20technology%20v1.0.pdf

Sage Publications, Administration and Management In Criminal Justice; Open Versus Closed Systems. Retrieved November 11, 2013 from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/33001_2.pdf