THE ROLES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MODERN BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

 

THE ROLES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MODERN BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

Information technology (IT) has become a vital and integral part of every business organization. From multi-national corporations who maintain mainframe systems and databases to small businesses that own a single computer, IT plays a role. The reasons for the omnipresent use of computer technology in business can best be determined by looking at how it is being used across the business world.

The following are the roles of information technology in modern business organization:

a.     Communication BETWEEN Employees, Suppliers and Customers: For many companies, email is the principal means of communication between employees, suppliers and customers. Email was one of the early drivers of the Internet, providing a simple and inexpensive means to communicate. Over the years, a number of other communications tools have also evolved, allowing staff to communicate using live chat systems, online meeting tools and video-conferencing systems. Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephones and smart-phones offer even more high-tech ways for employees to communicate.

b.     Inventory Management Systems: When it comes to managing inventory, organizations need to maintain enough stock to meet demand without investing in more than they require. Inventory management systems track the quantity of each item a company maintains, triggering an order of additional stock when the quantities fall below a pre-determined amount. These systems are best used when the inventory management system is connected to the point-of-sale (POS) system. The POS system ensures that each time an item is sold, one of that item is removed from the inventory count, creating a closed information loop between all departments.

c.      Data Management Systems: The days of large file rooms, rows of filing cabinets and the mailing of documents is fading fast. Today, most companies store digital versions of documents on servers and storage devices. These documents become instantly available to everyone in the company, regardless of their geographical location. Companies are able to store and maintain a tremendous amount of historical data economically, and employees benefit from immediate access to the documents they need.

d.     Management Information Systems: Storing data is only a benefit if that data can be used effectively. Progressive companies use that data as part of their strategic planning process as well as the tactical execution of that strategy. Management Information Systems (MIS) enable companies to track sales data, expenses and productivity levels. The information can be used to track profitability over time, maximize return on investment and identify areas of improvement. Managers can track sales on a daily basis, allowing them to immediately react to lower-than-expected numbers by boosting employee productivity or reducing the cost of an item.

e.      Customer Relationship Management: Companies are using IT to improve the way they design and manage customer relationships. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems capture every interaction a company has with a customer, so that a more enriching experience is possible. If a customer calls a call center with an issue, the customer support representative will be able to see what the customer has purchased, view shipping information, call up the training manual for that item and effectively respond to the issue.

The entire interaction is stored in the CRM system, ready to be recalled if the customer calls again. The customer has a better, more focused experience and the company benefits from improved productivity.

 

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN BARBING SALON SKILLS

 

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN BARBING SALON SKILLS

Technology is a general-purpose technology and as such has a pervasive impact on the economy. It introduces a new paradigm for the configuration of economic activities radically changing the approach to technology for development (UNCTAD, 2007).

 

The term Information Technology (IT), as a component of ICT, refers to the gadgets with which information is generated and disseminated.  It includes such gadgets as the Telephone; analog, digital or GSM; the Television, Radio, Fax and all other emerging technologies that make it possible to communicate ever more conveniently across borders and cultures. The ICT revolution is an all-purpose revolution that has been described by Blinder (2006) as the third industrial revolution. And like the effects of the two previous industrial revolutions, it has stimulated growth in generally all facets of economic interactions, not least of which is the development of entrepreneurial skills and abilities. Its role has changed the notion of “entrepreneurship” from a time and space limited entity to a rather more pervasive concept involving the use and modification of intangibles such as ideas and experiences in the creation of equally virtual and intangible enterprises.

Technology has created a platform for ease of exchange of information and ideas between people. The internet for instance has provided a virtual environment where anybody can set up a business without the stress of seeking out a particular location and/or physical facilities.

The rapid growth and expansion of ICT has become a phenomenon that touches every aspect of human life. From the home front to the work place, ICT have had a tremendous effect on the way things are done. Mothers can now order groceries and sundry items from the comfort of their kitchens and at the same time monitor their children’s itinerant movement in school.

 

With the proliferation of new technologies such as super computers, the Internet and Satellites, a communication revolution was unleashed on the world which gradually became a smaller village of a conglomerate of cultures and nationalities. This has been termed “globalization”, that is, a global village where borders and boundaries are continually being eroded by factors beyond the control of any singular government or cartel. With this trend also comes a new generation of risk takers, innovators and enterprise builders. These are the new generation of entrepreneurs whose calculated risk-taking is built upon the ICT revolution.

 

Mobile telephony has become the most important mode of communication in developing countries. While internet access has become a reality for many businesses and public institutions, and for individuals with higher levels of education and income, for the vast majority of low-income population mobile telephony is likely to be the sole tool connecting them to the information society in short to medium term. Nigeria was not left out of the ICT blitz with the launch of the Global System for Mobile (GSM) in the country in 2001. The rate of acceptance of the new technology in the country bewilders the analysts and other observers. GSM as a factor of ICT brought about marked improvement in the way many things are done in the country.

 

ICT manifests in all aspects of lives, be it health, education, etc, and it is a pathway to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which are consistent with Nigeria’s National Economic and Empowerment Development Strategies (NEEDS) instituted in 2004 (Alumanah, 2005).  Most public services in advanced countries are ICT-oriented.  Most offices, even homes are equipped with computers.  These are expensive in terms of cost of materials, installation and maintenance in low per capita income countries like Nigeria.  Irregular power supply and the relatively underdeveloped communication system, among other poorly developed infrastructures, are also sources of worry in a country like Nigeria to make efficient and effective use of ICT. In addition, the cost of basic ICT training has been overwhelming, considering the fact that computer literacy is at the core of most types of training and has continued to positively influence many forms of training at basic and advanced education levels. 

 

Entrepreneurship however, is the recognition of an opportunity to create value, and the process of acting on this opportunity, whether or not it involves the formation of a new entity. While concepts such as “innovation” and “risk taking” in particular are usually associated with entrepreneurship.

 

Particularly the technology adopted in the BARBING SALON are telephones (GSM) for communication, POS to facilitates payment for services, Cable TV for entertaining clients, Internet (blog, social media etc) for advertising and creating awareness about the establishment.

UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN COLLECTION MANAGEMENT IN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NORTH CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA

UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN COLLECTION MANAGEMENT IN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN NORTH CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study examines the utilization of information communication technologies in collection management in state university libraries in north central zone. The specifically seek to: Identify the Information Communication Technologies facilities that are available in state university libraries in North Central Zone, determine the perception of librarians on the benefits of utilizing Information Communication Technologies in collection management, determine the extent to which Information Communication Technologies are utilized in collection management and identify barriers to effective use of Information Communication Technologies in collection management in state universities libraries. The study will employ descriptive survey research design. Random sampling technique will be used in choosing the sample. The researcher adopted the use of questionnaire as the research instrument while the data obtained were analyzed using tables and descriptive statistics. The study revealed that lack of ICTs information management policies, poor funding in libraries, the lack of skilled human resources to install and manage computer networks which cause slow Internet connection, and shortage of technological literate manpower to manage the ICT facilities are among the numerous challenges limiting the effective use of ICT in library collection management. Finally the study recommended that the required information and communication technologies should be acquired and utilised and management of libraries must ensure that adequate training in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) be given to academic librarians.

Key words: utilization, information communication technologies, collection management, libraries

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Recent advances in science and technology in general and developments in the field of information technology in particular have vastly influenced the concept of collection management in libraries and have brought in sweeping changes in information collection, storage and dissemination of information. Factors like information explosion, budgetary constraints, complex requirements of users, rising cost of publications and other related factors as well as development of digital libraries, internet, e-mail, CD-ROM, electronic publishing etc., have forced the libraries and librarians to change the style and approach of their functioning. Libraries have slowly started giving importance to “accessing the other library’s collection” rather than mere possessing almost all documents on a given subject i.e., shifting from “owning” to “access” and “sharing” (Oyewusi & Oyeboade, 2019).

Collection development in libraries is tilting towards electronic documents / information sources using network facilities. The trend of printed materials is decreasing and need for accessing electronic information resources is increasing slowly day by day and the concept of collection development which implies building, growing, dealing with selection and acquisition of library materials is changing towards collection management. Combination of both print and electronic information resources like CD-ROM, On-line, internet is the dilemma faced by the libraries and librarians in recent past (Oyewusi & Oyeboade, 2019).

The library acts as a medium of getting the latest scientific and technological information either in print or in electronic form, for accessibility and use of the library patrons, Library resources include not only traditional print-on-paper media like books, journals, newspapers, and maps, but also ‘audio-visual materials like cinematograph film records, audiocassettes, video cassettes, projectors, microfiches, Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), computer software, online databases, electronic books and c-journals and other media via the Internet. Halsey (2006) added that libraries maintain collections that include not only printed materials but also art reproductions, maps, photographs, etc. In addition to maintaining collections within library buildings, libraries often offer telecommunications links that provide users with access to information at remote sites. University libraries are often considered the most important resource centres of an academic institution. Hence, they should be sufficient in quality, depth, diversity and current to support the institutions curriculum (Oyewusi & Oyeboade, 2019).

1.1       Background of the study

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has made a significant impact in every human endeavour. The impact has been rather prominent in areas of service activities such as banking, health, transportation, education and libraries. (Chauhan, 2014) posited that the benefits of the utilization of ICT in library services especially collection management can be broadly explained in terms of economy, ease, extension (or expansion) and efficiency. (Devchoudhary, 2017) also observed that ICT has influenced the traditional library services; bringing out fundamental changes in the process of acquiring, processing, storing, retrieving and information delivery.

The term, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as it relates to library and as noted by (deWatteville and Gilbert, 2011), is the acquisition, analysis, manipulation, storage and distribution of information; and the design and provision of equipment and software for these purposes. (Oketunji, 2016) defines ICT as computers and other technologies that are used in the acquisition, organisation, storage, retrieval and disseminating of information in libraries. (Mayer, 2006) added that ICT in libraries is a term that covers the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of information in textual, numerical, pictorial and audio-visual formats. He further stated that the term is restricted to systems dependent on microelectronics; that is the technology and techniques involved in the design, development and construction of extremely small electronic circuits such as computer on a single silicon chip.

Collection management is the aspect of the library and information work that is responsible for selecting and acquiring information resources that will enable library and information practitioners to perform their myriad functions to their users effectively (Aina, 2014). Collection management practices are the activities performed by librarians in libraries. These practices involve selection and acquisition of library materials required by the library (Adomi, 2018). ICT application in library operations requires continuing education and acquisition of new skills by the staff in the area of knowledge update. ICT is responsible for the changing roles of handling traditional operation in services in a digital format (Adeleke & Olorunsola, 2010).

Librarians now use ICTs anytime and anywhere for information searching and retrieval. It is becoming impossible to have access to information without the help of ICT, hence, cost implications of use of ICT for processing and resource sharing. For instance, the use of e-mail services like Google mail, yahoo mail, voice mail, and window live mail on collection management practices seems to have reduced the burden on selection practices in libraries. Materials are now being sourced online through sending of e-mails. Publishers and vendors now send e-mails on the available materials they have in stock to be accessed by the university librarians and/or acquisition librarians and approval is given as to the needs of the university before supplies are made. This has improved the relationship between the university libraries, publishers and vendors.

(Singh, 2004) observes that collection development and collection management have been used almost synonymously, although there are differences in meaning. Collection development is the selection and acquisition of library materials, considering users’ current needs and future requirements. Collection management is much more than collection building. It is managing the use, storage, and organization of the collection, and making it accessible to users. (Branin, 1994) notes that the paradigm of librarianship is clearly changing and the librarian’s role is diversifying. Librarians at present are more concerned with collection management than collection development. It is on this note that this study tends to examine the utilization of information and communication technologies in collection management in state university libraries in North Central Zone.

1.2       Statement of the study         

The role of the university library in any institution of higher learning in the area of acquisition, organization, dissemination, information storage, access and retrieval cannot be overemphasized. The present-day university library services are focusing more on deployment of ICT as a result of the changing pattern of information seeking behaviour of information users. Studies have shown that the university libraries in North Central Zone of Nigeria have been totally dependent on manual method of performing their routine functions with its attendant inadequacies such as low patronage of ICT services, lack of interest in utilizing ICT on collection management practices, shortage of skilled ICT manpower and good remunerations to retain the few skilled ones, capital investment on information and communication technology equipment, high cost of library software and database connectivity, maintenance and constant epileptic power supply amongst others. The Nigerian government has made tremendous efforts to ensure that ICTs are available and used in Nigerian universities. In spite of these developments, there appears to be problem of poor collection management practices among librarians in various institutions in North Central Zone. It would seem these lapses are likely to limit librarians in gaining access to and using information resources thereby limiting job effectiveness, efficiency and performance. Whether the utilization of ICT in library operations could remedy the manual system and bring about effectiveness, efficiency and performance in library operations is the concern for this study. The present study put in question is: what is the level of utilization of Information Communication Technology in collection management in state university libraries in North Central Zone, Nigeria?

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study is to examine the utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in collection management in state university libraries in North Central Zone.

The specific objectives of this study are to:

1. Identify the Information Communication Technologies facilities that are available in state university libraries in North Central Zone
2. Determine the perception of librarians on the benefits of utilizing Information Communication Technologies in State university libraries
3. Determine the extent to which Information Communication Technologies are utilized in collection management in state universities libraries
4. Identify barriers to effective use of Information Communication Technologies in collection management in state universities libraries.

1.4       Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1. What are the Information Communication Technologies facilities that are available in state university libraries in North Central Zone?
2. What are the perceptions of librarians on the benefits of utilizing Information Communication Technologies in State university libraries?
3. To what extent is Information Communication Technologies utilized in collection management in state universities libraries?
4. What are the barriers that hinder effective use of Information Communication Technologies in collection management in state universities libraries?

1.5       Significance of the Study

The findings of the study will be significant to the following: librarians in state universities libraries and other academic libraries, state governments, and researchers.

In specific terms the findings will be useful to librarians in state universities libraries in the sense that they can apply the recommendations in improving the collection management and services to library users. It will also enable them be up-to-date with current practices in academic librarianship, thus fully equipping them to render efficient services to library patrons.

The findings of this study will serve as a reference document or tool for the library managers in educating the state governments on the need to adequately fund state universities libraries in respect of providing Information Communication Technologies services and facilities to enhance collection management.

The findings of the study will be useful to researchers in the field of librarianship and information science by allowing them identify the gap (s) that need filling. It will also afford researchers the opportunity to see the link or relationship of this study with other studies that have been conducted in the area and enable them identify the areas that need further investigation.

1.6       Scope of the Study

The study covered the utilization of Information Communication Technologies in collection management in state university libraries in north central zone. The scope of the study is further limited to Nasarawa state University Library to enable the researcher have elaborate examination of the research topics as it will be impossible to cover all the state university in the North Central Zone of Nigeria.

1.7       Operational definition of the terms

1. Information: Information is a data that has been processed. It is also referred to data that have a particular meaning within a specific context, or data that have been processed in such a way to be useful to the recipients. (Ayatse, 2005).
2. Communication: This is the transfer of information from one point to another either electronically or non-electronically, with the information being understood by the receiver.

1. Technology: According to the oxford advanced learners dictionary (7th edition) “technology is a specific knowledge used in practical ways in industry”. For example, designing new machines which are made to meet up the demand of current and future situation/trend.
2. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): Stands for “Information and Communication Technologies.” ICT refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. … This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums
3. Library: A library is a social institution charge with the responsibilities of selection, acquisition, organization, interpretation, conservation, retrieval and dissemination of information by trained or professional librarians and para-professionals.
4. Academic Library: Any library attached to a post-secondary or tertiary institution or libraries attached to universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of educations, colleges of agriculture etc.        
5. Collection Management: Collection management is the term most commonly used to describe the area of librarianship that deals with collections. Collectionmanagement incorporates the variety of functions involved in selecting, acquiring, storing and maintaining collections in a cost-effective manner.