Introduction
This paper entails an in-depth and critical review of two organizational theory perspectives and how they relate with the contemporary environment within the sphere of information technology. This review and analysis will be undertaken on the basis of the philosophical approaches of ontology and epistemology with the intention of evaluating how these perspectives have contributed to a different understanding and application of information technology within modern-day business organizations and entities.
The comparison of the theoretical characteristics of these perspectives with their subsequent practical application within the said organizations will be undertaken in this paper with the intention of determining the extent to which these perspectives paint a clearer picture of the situation on the ground in regards to the application of information technology. This paper will also draw heavily from other propositions that have been advanced by various other scholars and theorists in establishing a solid ground on which subtle conclusions will be made.
Article 1: “A critical analysis of media discourse on information technology: preliminary
results of a proposed method for critical discourse analysis”
According to Buchanan (2012, pg. 274), the critical theorist perspective is a philosophical view that is inclined towards initiating societal change through the systematic critiquing of the existing status quo with the aim of altering the societal existence into one that is ultimately better than the existing status quo. Consequently, the Critical Theorist perspective significantly departs from traditional philosophical perspectives that seek to understand why a given society exists in the manner and fashion in which it currently does (Buchanan, 2012, pg. 274).
According to Hammer (2011, pg. 65), the Critical Theory is espoused primarily on the need to initiate change within a society so as to enable it become a better environment for he individuals who inhabit it. In seeking to initiate this change, the Critical Theorist perspective begins by understanding the main components and characteristics that define the fabric on which a society exists. By critically understanding these components that form the common bond on which a society is built, it is then possible to initiate social change through an inside-out approach (Hammer, 2011, Pg. 65).
This inside out approach entails the evaluation and critiquing of the systems, components or elements that create a bond through which a society exits, and the subsequent advancement of propositions that are perceived to improve the overall existence and form of the said society on an on-going basis (Buchanan, 2012, pg. 274). This is the premise on which the Critical Theorist perspective is built on according to Hammer (201,, pg. 65).
Ontological View
According to Nannicelli (2013, pg. 87), the ontological approach entails a philosophical understanding of the nature within which an entity or individual existence becomes a reality. According to Cukier, Ngwenyama, Bauer and Middleton (2009), the Habermas, Theory which is the basis of their article, advanced the view that speech is the basis on which an effective communication framework is built upon. In this regard, speech as used in communication has on numerous instances formed the bond or the basis on which a given community has existed over a sustained period of time Cukier, Ngwenyama, Bauer and Middleton (2009).
Consequently, the process of initiating change within such a society from an ontological point of view would entail a critiquing of the idea that speech is the basis of communication within which an organization exists (Nannicelli, 2013, pg. 87). This critiquing process is founded on the realization that communication has significantly changed over the years due to the introduction and invention of new channels of communication that have ultimately altered the fashion through which speech is conveyed and subsequently used as a basis of communication (Nannicelli, 2013). Societies that have traditionally relied on speech and the corresponding communication derived from it have inherently been impacted by the various technological advancements that have taken place in relation to how communication is passed on within modern day organizations (Rasmussen, 2012, pg. 130).
Epistemological View
Stegmuller (2012, pg. 139) defines Epistemology as a critical understanding that seeks to distinguish opinions relating to a given subject from beliefs that are founded or justified on concrete evidence. In this regard, the epistemological approach can be used to advance the argument that concrete evidence indicates that societies have significantly been affected by technology to the extent that it has shaped their reliance on speech as the basis of communication (Henning, 2014, pg.445).
The advancement of technology from a communication sphere has revolutionized not only the way in which speech is conveyed, but also the content and intended implication of the speech as a basis of communication (Rasmussen, 2012, pg. 130). Within contemporary organizations, technology has created platforms through which speech can be conveyed either remotely or anonymously and this has resulted in a paradigm shift from the view that speech is the basis of communication to one that asserts the importance of the content of the speech as opposed to the person who delivers it (Rasmussen, 2012, pg. 130). This shift has resulted in the lowering of the significance of speech as the basis of communication under the Symbolic Interpretivist approach.
Article Two: “E-stablishing’ an Inclusive Society? Technology, Social, Exclusion and UK Government Policy Making”
Ontological View
In the second article Neil Selwyn (2002) explores the question of the use of technology, particularly by the UK government in the promotion of social inclusion among the population in its quest to bridge the existing digital divide and to create an environment in which business entities as well as individuals can thrive in their day-to-day existence.
According to Arp, Smith and Spear (2015, pg. 99), the successful existence of such policies from an ontological perspective would entail an evaluation of the underlying reasons why it was formulated in the first place. In this regard, it would require that the perceived digital divide be subsequently defined and the specific objectives which the policy intends to achieve is well articulated if the said approach is to achieve the goals and objectives that it has set out to accomplish. Such a process entails an evaluation of these policies from an ontological approach (Arp, Smith and Spear, 2015, pg. 99).
Epistemological View
Eddington (2012, pg. 150), further notes that epistemology entails an evaluation of the knowledge theory with regards to the specific methods and approaches that are used to distinguish what one perceives as being a belief from what another perceives as being an opinion. In this regard, the perception that technology can be used to further social inclusion and to bridge the social divide can be perceived as either a concrete fact or a mere subjective opinion from an epistemological perspective depending on the outcome of such a policy approach by the UK government.
Since the critical Theorist perspective is concerned with the changing of a society by critiquing the fundamental structures that define it, this perspective can be applied within the context of Selwyn (2012) article to evaluate the extent to which the policy approach by the UK government of deepening social inclusion through technology has been successful in meeting its mandate.
However, it's also important to evaluate the extent to which the investments that have been made towards this policy approach have been effective in achieving the underlined objectives. In this regard, the Critical Theorist philosophical perspective can also be applied in undertaking this policy audit since this perspective entails the systematic critiquing and evaluation of an existing system (Buchanan, 2010, pg. 374). In this regard, this policy will be evaluated upon its implementation by using its envisaged objectives as the checklist against which a determination of whether it will have achieved its objectives will be made based on the Critical Theorist approach (Henning, 2014, pg. 445).
Under the Symbolic Interpretivist approach, Pedro (2010, pg. 84) further adds that the use of symbols within a group setting such as a society can not only be used to determine the basis on which such groups are formed, but can also be used to evaluate the extent to which such groups are the product of the said underlying symbols.
Within the context of the article by Selwyn (2002), technology is correspondingly perceived as a symbol that can be used to bridge the digital divide between those who are empowered and those who are not within the society that is the United Kingdom (Selwyn, 2002). Technology can further be described as a symbol of social inclusion within these societies in line with the definition of the Symbolic Interpretivist approach that has been advanced by Pedro (2010, pg. 84).
Within this realm, it can consequently be concluded that the advancement of technology in the United Kingdom by extension implies that the underlying population has been included socially through the systematic investment in technologies that bridge the social divide. Therefore, advancement in technology within this sphere is tantamount to the success of the policy framework that was created to ensure that the social inclusion goals were achieved as envisioned. The symbolic interpretivist approach in this regard has been used as a symbol of both the social framework and underlying goals that it set out to achieve, as well as the overall success of the program in totality according to (Henning, 2014, pg. 450).
Conclusion
This paper has critically analyzed two theoretical perspectives that are applied in modern- day organizations with the intention of establishing how these perspectives have influenced and impacted the understanding of information technology within the said entities. The theoretical perspectives that were reviewed in the paper where the Critical Theorist and the Symbolic Interpretivist views. These theories were defined and evaluated in the paper on the basis of the ontological as well as the epistemological approaches with the objective being to draw relevant conclusions in relation to the application of technology within contemporary organizations. In closing, through the review and evaluation that has been undertaken in this paper, it can be concluded that both these theoretical perspectives have contributed significantly to the understanding of the application of information technology in modern-day business entities.
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