The Role of Instructional Technology in Change Management Essay

The Role of Instructional Technology in Change Management Businesses change processes and personnel to remain competitive. Essentially their bottom line is profit and efficiency. Change management can be described as implementing new ideas and processes by maximizing the positive components and minimizing the negative to management, employees, and customers (Anonymous, 1999, p. 76). There are many variables to consider when implementing a new process to an organization. This paper will focus on successful change management strategies and its significance to instructional technology. A majority of all change management projects are systems driven. "Aggressive companies are accelerating deployment of strategic business applications to achieve market dominance" (Fournier, 1999, p. a10). For example, an organization develops a new computer interface in order to help serve customers more effectively and efficiently. With the new system, employees have access to more account information that, in turn, requires less follow up time, and the customers’ request is handled faster. Furthermore, this new system will support new business initiatives that are scheduled in the near future. Change and configuration management strategies are necessary "†¦to ensure system reliability" (Fournier, 1999, p. a10). Configuration management is defined as "†¦the IT process concerned with identifying, documenting, controlling, and tracking the configuration of interrelated IT components, at discrete points in time, throughout the development or maintenance life cycles" (F ournier, 1999, p. a10). Moreover IT components are also known as configuration items, comprise "†¦a variety of interdependent software, hardware, and networking components" (Fournier, ... ...way’(Laabs, 1999, p. 48). References Anonymous. (1999, February). Zambia seminar on change management. ManagementAccounting-London, 77 (2), 76. Buchanan, D., Claydon, T., & Doyle, M. (1999). Organisation development and change: The legacy of the nineties. Human Resource Management Journal, 9 (2), 20-36. Elam, D., & Meyland, S. (1998, November). You play like you practice. Inform, 12 (10), 42-43. Ettore, B. (1999, May). Change management. Management Review, 88 (5), 8. Fournier, R. (1999, March 22). Keep your apps in top shape. Informationweek, 726, a10-a22. Hibbard, J. (1998, March 9). The learning revolution. Informationweek, 672, 44-60. Laabs, J. (1998, November). Show them where you’re headed. Workforce, 77 (11), 45-48. Wilbur, R., A. (1999, March). Making changes the right way. Workforce, (Workforce Extra Supplement), 12-13.