In This Period of Rapid Technological Change, Planning for Strategic Adaptation Is an Important Factor in Individual Success. Do You Agree?

Background
Internet technology is changing the way people work and communicate. Time-saving and convenience are two main advantages of using modern technology to conduct business, find information and connect with family, friends and colleagues. Technology is leading social change at a rapid pace, and those without technological skills or access to modern information technology risk being left behind.
Question
In this period of rapid technological change, planning for strategic adaptation is an important factor in individual success. Do you agree?

Abstract

The intent of this essay is to argue that in this period of rapid technology change, planning for strategic adaptation is not only an important factor in individual success but also for organizational success. In this research, the relationship between strategic adaptation and future success is presented to demonstrate the importance of planning for tactical adjustment to social change for organizational and individual achievements. Based on the secondary research, academic evidence and expert’s opinions is selected, evaluated and organized into two key areas: the individual success based on leading role of organization and the challenge of individual. As a result, the research showed the significant role of organization on planning strategic adaptation which leads to an individual success. Based on these findings, the argument is advanced that updating and implicating globalization and technological achievement will lead to the success of organizations and individuals in the future.

In the last decade, the remarkable progress of the technology revolution, particularly in a rapidly changing information technology environment has challenged local and international communication perceptions. Moreover, keeping abreast of the times is putting a significant pressure on both individuals and organizations. In this sense, the term, individual success is defined by each individual differently based on what they consider is important to themselves, which can be material success such as wealth or it can mean spiritual or even emotional success such as leading a happy and healthy life or having a lot of financial success. The term, planning for strategic adaptation, means road map or plan that if executed with focus, can lead to success. Adaptation is important in the survival of any species because being able to adapt is essential to the survival in this new millennium rapid change in technology. Nevertheless, it is hard for individuals to achieve their goals because of the governed by organizations’ goal in this era of global competition???Logical connection??? Therefore, it is argued that in this period of rapid technology change, planning for strategic adaptation is not only an important factor in individual success but also for organizational success. This will be analyzed with reference to two key areas: learning from employee communication and keeping up-to-date for IT professionals in periods of technological change.

Planning for strategic adaptation is an important factor in organizational success which leads to an individual success. Individual goals are governed by the leading role of an organization when the process of change happens. In particular, this is in the contemporary business context, competitive ability that leads to success come from organizations, thus individuals who have a participative role are controlled and oriented by organizations. According to Rong and Grover (2009, p376), this view of point can be seen clearly in communication’ field where technological change and planning for the adjustment are particularly important. For instance, in a rapidly changing technological environment, the renewal process is often an intractable challenge for an individual, so maintaining the competitiveness is a competence of the whole organization (Rong & Grover 2009, p376). In addition, individuals when isolate from their organizational environment will face a great challenge in engaging in too many rivalries at the highly global competition. Consequently, there is a necessity to participate an organization. For instant, research by Law (2009, p384) presented the transformational change of employees relation in information technology which start from the challenge of organizational change. Specifically, individuals are the considerable preventions to the modification, because change is the merging of both top-down and bottom-up in organizations (Law 2009, p385). Also, according to Rong and Grover (2009, p377), career orientation is partly formed based on one 's self-evaluation of ability but it is affected by organizational activities. Therefore, it is indicated that the organizational orientation is an significant premise for individual planning their strategic adaptation, which leads to personal success. According by these reasons, in spite of individuals are seems to be dependent in an organization, which also needs planning for self-adaptation in their successes, organizational development process controls individual renewal effectiveness. In conclusion, the individual success based on leading role of organization.

Planning for strategic adaptation is an important factor in organizational success, but it is a challenge in individual success. Due to live in an era of rapid economic and technological change marked by a high degree of uncertainty, not individual but only organization is well suited to the task of facing with the dramatic changes currently underway in the global economy. In particular, individuals by themself could not have enough knowledge and a technical skill to deal with the increasingly complex technological change, thus there is a necessity of organizational planning for strategic adaptation. According to Wolfe and Gertler (2002, p3), this view is supported with the reference to the role of organizations in maintaining and conducting knowledge to their members, which becomes more important. There is an increasing capacity of existing organizations to manage the transition of individual learning dynamics in response to new competitive conditions. Specifically, at the high level of management, organizations reduce uncertainty, provide knowledge, control conflicts and cooperation, and create incentives and confidence, thus precluding the necessity for individuals to structure knowledge and future orientation (Wolfe & Gertler 2002, p5-10). By the crucial role of organizations, individual success can come from the valuable contributions and the well accomplishment of their role in the process of organizational change. In addition, because the technological change leads to rise of complication in the adaptation, there is a growing concern about individual participation in teamwork, or at broader level, in organization. For instance, research by Krishnan (2010, p367) presented the technology change in India which affects behavioral intentions and skill needs of workers based on organizational change. As the manufacturing and service technologies continuously develop like in the case of just-in-time inventory, manufacturing cells, robotics and service quality concepts etc, there is an increasing pressure on the organizations to implement team based work designs (Krishnan 2010, p370-371). Hence, the technological changes almost always are followed by a corresponding change in the essential work structure of the organization. Organizations have become increasingly flatter and work unit in most organizations is no longer an individual but is a team. Hence there is an increasingly felt need to foster the skills and attitudes to function as an effective team player. These example clearly show planning for strategic adaptation is a complex issue for individual, but also an important factor in organizational success.
Based on the above, it can be reasonable concluded that organizations, which are ready for adapting technological innovations, usually get more benefits from social developments to improve competitive ability in global economy. In addition, updating and using internet and other technologies for changing the organizational current performance is a good tactic for improving staff’s behaviors, which is recognized as a significant factor for organizational success. Therefore, the argument is clear that in this period of rapid technological change planning for strategic adaptation is more important factor in organization rather than in individual success. In the latest stage of the complex global system process, it is recommended that organizational managers, who has responsibility in making companies’ policies, should update the status both of the human resources management systems and social change quickly in order to decide to adapt necessary information or skills to maintain and enhance the organizational performance.

References
Law, S 2009, ‘Learning from employee communication during technological change’, Journal of Workplace Learning, vol.21, no.5, pp384–397.

Krishnan, TN 2010, ‘Technological change & employment relations in India’, The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, vol.45, no.3, pp367-380.

Rong, G & Grover, V 2009, ‘Keeping up-to-date with information technology: Testing a model of technological knowledge renewal effectiveness for IT professionals’, Information & Management, vol.46, pp376–387.

Wolfe, DA & Gertler, MS 2002, ‘Innovation and social learning: an introduction’, in Gertler, MS & Wolfe, DA (ed.), Innovation and Social Learning: Institutional Adaptation in an Era of Technological Change, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp1-24.

References: Law, S 2009, ‘Learning from employee communication during technological change’, Journal of Workplace Learning, vol.21, no.5, pp384–397. Krishnan, TN 2010, ‘Technological change & employment relations in India’, The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, vol.45, no.3, pp367-380. Rong, G & Grover, V 2009, ‘Keeping up-to-date with information technology: Testing a model of technological knowledge renewal effectiveness for IT professionals’, Information & Management, vol.46, pp376–387. Wolfe, DA & Gertler, MS 2002, ‘Innovation and social learning: an introduction’, in Gertler, MS & Wolfe, DA (ed.), Innovation and Social Learning: Institutional Adaptation in an Era of Technological Change, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp1-24.