Strategic Information Management Challenges

This assignment delves into the complexities of strategic information management. It examines key challenges faced by organizations in managing their information systems effectively. Topics covered include the impact of social media on internal and external communications, data quality management, and the role of customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The assignment also analyzes successful online communication strategies employed by local governments and public services during crisis situations.

Managing communications

Table of contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Task 1:.............................................................................................................................................4
Understanding to access information and knowledge needs...........................................................4
1.1. Discussion of the range of decisions....................................................................................4
1.2. Examining the information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking..........6
1.3. Assessing the internal and external sources of information and understanding.......................7
1.4. Justifying the recommendations for improvement...................................................................7
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................8
Creation of strategies to increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decision-
making process................................................................................................................................8
2.1. Identifying stakeholders for a decision-making process..........................................................8
2.2. Making contact with those identified and develops business relationships.............................9
2.3. Involve those identified in the decision making as appropriate...............................................9
2.4. Designing the strategies for improvement..............................................................................10
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................11
Developing of the communication processes................................................................................11
3.1. Report on existing processes of communication in an organization......................................11
3.2. Designing ways to improve appropriateness..........................................................................12
3.3. Implementing the improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of communication
in that organization........................................................................................................................12
3.4. Creating a personal plan to improve own communication skills............................................13
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................14
To improve systems relating to information and knowledge........................................................14
4.1. Report on existing approaches to the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of
information and knowledge...........................................................................................................14
4.2. Carrying out appropriate changes to improve the collection, formatting, storage and
dissemination of information and knowledge................................................................................14
4.3. Implement a strategy to improve access to systems of information and knowledge..............15
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................16
Reference list.................................................................................................................................17

Introduction
The following assignment is based on the management of communication in the organization
namely Woolworth. It is witnessed that Woolworth is regarded as the well-known super market
that is operating its business in Australia. Moreover, the business that is operated by Woolworths
is nearly accounted as contributing to eighty percent of the Australian market. The assignment
focuses on the appropriate decisions that are to be made by the organization such that it could
contribute a good amount if revenue for the economy. Furthermore, it is with appropriate
decisions being taken up by the organization would lead to the making of proper strategies that
would enable the business to make success in the market (Holsapple, 2013).
It further involves the information’s and knowledge that are taken up by the organization to
enable a good performance in the future, which would exhibit improvement in the business
activity of the respected organization. On the other hand, it is further witnessed that proper
communication processes are taken into consideration by the organization such that proper
understanding could be build between the employees and the management to carry out a
successful business venture. It is with the access of proper knowledge and information to the
employee’s proper direction could be provided to the employees and the stakeholders to build up
the status of the organization in the market. It is further seen that, in this discussion the usage of
software application is taken into consideration by the organization that would help the
organization in keeping the data and the information of the organization safe (Mishra, 2014).
Task 1:
Understanding to access information and knowledge needs
1.1. Discussion of the range of decisions
To certain the success of the organization, it is required to adopt appropriate decisions. It is due
to this reason several organizations uses consultants in the taking of proper decisions. Good
decisions make the organization gain its superiority to build up its status in the market. On the
other hand, bad decisions could cause the organization to fall apart (Holsapple, 2013). Therefore,

it is necessary for the company to take appropriate decisions in order to make a success in the
business. Moreover, it is through proper decisions being taken by the company could enable the
company to make progress in its business activities along with its performances. It is for this
reason the organization tends to provide training to their management team so that the
management could take up the right decision that would cause the firm to reach its success.
Moreover, supportive environment is further being provided to the management team so that the
team could find it a soothing atmosphere for solving the issues that arise and proper
understanding could be builds in the firm (Holsapple, 2013).
It is witnessed that there are two types of decisions that are taken up by the organization namely
the strategic decisions regarding the business and the tactical business decision. In the strategic
business decision, the decision is taken regarding the overall performance of the business activity
that is carried out in the company. On the other hand, the tactical business decision is regarded as
the business decision that is taken up by the firm in order to solve the minor problems and issues
that occur in the everyday business (Mishra, 2014). Moreover, there are other operational
decisions that are taken up by the organization in order to make sure that all the work that are
functioned in the firm are done in a systematic manner. Therefore, the other decisions that are
taken up by the organization are as follows:
 Operational decision: the decisions that are taken up for a very short period of time such
as the product that the organization needs to manufacture at that period of time in order to
build up the sales percentage in the firm to gain the competitive advantage.
 Programmed decisions: the decisions that are taken up by the organization in order to
make a successful business in the near future. Several steps follow it and in following,
those steps would help the business to make the progress (Mishra, 2014).

Figure 1: ranges of decisions
Source: (Holsapple, 2013)
1.2. Examining the information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking
It is believed that information and knowledge is an important aspect that the organization needs
to acquire so that the possible business goal of attaining the success in the future could be gained
by the company. Moreover, it would further enable the organization in getting access to the
possible opportunity that would influence the growth of the company in the future. Hence, the
business would take a shape and incur the competitive advantage along with the incurring of
appropriate profit percentages and value outcome. The maximum profit of the organization
would further help the firm to build up its new business and make a stable position in the market.
This would further exhibit the firm in making a splendid status in the market (Galliers and
Leidner, 2014).
Due to the complex business that is carried on in the world of business, it is necessary to indulge
in the proper information seeking. It is due to this, skilled communication, proper knowledge and
creativity is required to be adopted by the organizations so that it could take up the possible
decision that could help the firm in making progress. Moreover, it is seen that if an organization
has appropriate knowledge about the other competitors that are operating its business in the
market would help the business organization to make modification in the performance. On the
other hand, it would further help the business firm to make improvement in the customer
satisfaction and building a loyalty and understanding with the customers. Having done this,

would cause the organization to build up an excellent business status in the market (Galliers and
Leidner, 2014).
It is with the gaining of the proper knowledge about the external and the internal environment
would further enable the business firm to take up appropriate decisions regarding the possibility
of gain percentage for the firm. It is for this reason; the organization tends to recruit creative
skilled people who could provide better decisions regarding the business. On the other hand,
when the employees are also given a chance to take decisions regarding the future of the business
it further gives a bright sight for the organization to build up its creativity in the business to gain
the status (Hughes, et al. 2014).
1.3. Assessing the internal and external sources of information and understanding
It is important to get an access to the information of internal and the external environment of the
respected organization. It is because; by getting the knowledge of the internal environment and
the external environment, the firm could take appropriate decisions regarding the business. The
decision would help the business enterprise to make a brilliant move in the world of opportunity
that would enable the firm to reach its goal in the future. Therefore, the internal information’s
refer to the information that the organization persist within the firm. The information involves
the financial information, the administration information and the information regarding the
marketing of the organization (Kwok, 2013).
It is to be assured that the organization has a good source of marketing that would help the
company to grow its business in the market. It is due to the fact that better the marketing of the
products and the services the more the organization would be benefitted with the competitive
advantage. Therefore, the organization needs to make emphasis on the internal strengths and
build up the weaknesses that it persists. It is through the knowledge of the internal environment
of the firm; the firm the firm could take up the possible decisions for the future of the business to
be successful in the market (Kwok, 2013).
On the other hand, the external information refers to the information that is exhibited by the
external environment of the business firm. The external information involves the cultural
information, the social information regarding the policies of the economy, the competitors that
are operating their business in the market and so on. Therefore, the organization needs to keep a

check on the external information too so that it could take up decisions considering the policies
and the norms that it requires to follow in order to operate its business in the market (Serenko
and Bontis, 2013).
1.4. Justifying the recommendations for improvement
The recommendations that the organizations might take up to bring about an improvement in the
decision making process are as follows:
 The organization could make consultation with the consultancies that would help the
organization to gain the perfect knowledge of the appropriate decision that would help
the organization in gaining the success in the business (Serenko and Bontis, 2013).
 The organization could further recruit skilled employees having the creative skills that
would help the organization in engaging the employees in taking the decisions for the
firm to bring up the performance of the firm. On the other hand, it would further enable
the firm in improving the firms working in the office thereby obtaining quality work.
Task 2
Creation of strategies to increase personal networking to widen involvement in the
decision-making process
2.1. Identifying stakeholders for a decision-making process
Two types of stakeholder play its role in the business of the firm including the internal
stakeholders and the external stakeholders. Considering the internal stakeholders, it involves the
employees of the organization and the managers of the organization. On the other hand,
considering the external stakeholders it involves the customers, clients, governments, Ngo,
communities, Medias and so on (Serenko and Bontis, 2013).
It is witnessed that the stakeholders play the major role in the taking decisions for the
organization. It is because, the decisions that are taken up by the internal stakeholders consists of
the decisions that further contributes to the opportunities for the company. The manager taking
the decisions for the firm would help the organization to improvements in the business. That

would further enable the business enterprises to make a god competitive advantage in the future.
The growth and the stability of the business fall under the decisions that are taken up by the
management and the employees of the organization. It is because if the organization provides the
employees a soothing environment to work on then it would facilitate the employees in working
there with their full potential. On the other hand, the goal of the organization could be reached
easily (Stadtler, 2015).
Further, by considering the external stakeholders that the company would persist such as the
customers, it makes a strong change in the status of the organization regarding the customer’s
decision. It is because; if the customers decide to purchase their commodes from the
organization, the organization would be benefited. Therefore, it is the duty of the company to
provide customer satisfaction by providing the customers with quality products
(Clegg ,Kornberger and Pitsis, 2015).
2.2. Making contact with those identified and develops business relationships
To make good contacts with the stakeholders it is important to follow the followings that are
discussed in the section below:
Prioritized: it is important to understand the priority of the organization that involves the goal of
the organization to be reached in less time. Therefore, the organization needs to keep up with the
knowledge and the information that it could receive from the internal and the external
environment (Clegg ,Kornberger and Pitsis, 2015).
Understanding the needs:
The organization also needs to make the emphasis on the needs that the customers persist. It is
with the fulfillment of the customer’s needs the organization would be able to bring up the status
of the organization. On the other hand, this would further help the organization in the building a
good relation with the customers (Huang, Baptista and Galliers, 2013).
Identifying the stakeholders:

The organization further needs to identify the needs of the stakeholders. However, by keeping
the employees of the organization satisfied with their desires and wants the company would be
benefitted with the quality work (Clegg ,Kornberger and Pitsis, 2015).
Monitoring:
Along with all the factors, the organization needs to monitor the problems and the issues that
come up in the organization. It is with the solving of the problems the organization could
encourage the quality work in the firm (Huang, Baptista and Galliers, 2013).
2.3. Involve those identified in the decision making as appropriate
It is witnessed that the stakeholders play the major role in the taking decisions for the
organization. It is because, the decisions that are taken up by the internal stakeholders consists of
the decisions that further contributes to the opportunities for the company. The manager taking
the decisions for the firm would help the organization to improvements in the business. That
would further enable the business enterprises to make a god competitive advantage in the future
(Clegg ,Kornberger and Pitsis, 2015).
On the other hand, by engaging the employees of the firm in the making of the decision further
because the quality decision being taken up by the organization that would help in the building
up of improvement in the performance of the business. This would further help the business
company to build up the status of the business in the market. The growth and the stability of the
business fall under the decisions that are taken up by the management and the employees of the
organization. It is because if the organization provides the employees a soothing environment to
work on then it would facilitate the employees in working there with their full potential. On the
other hand, the goal of the organization could be reached easily (Huang, Baptista and Galliers,
2013).
2.4. Designing the strategies for improvement
The strategies that would help the organization in gaining the benefit of improvement are as
follows:
Customers:

The firm should provide the customers with a good experience of shopping so that the customer
could be satisfied with the firm product. Therefore, the organization needs to provide quality
goods to the customers to meet their satisfaction (Huang, Baptista and Galliers, 2013).
Employees:
The organization needs to provide the basic requirements to the employee’s o that the employees
work with their full potential in the organization thereby producing satisfactory results (vom
Brocke, 2014).
Communities:
The organization needs to provide employment opportunity to the communities so that
relationship with the communities could be built in a good way (Hofmann, Beverungen, Räckers
and Becker, 2013).
Suppliers:
Following the viewpoints of the suppliers would help the organization to build a good relation
with the suppliers such that it could help the organization in building up the business in the
market (vom Brocke, 2014).
Government:
Following the rules and the norms that are postulated by the government so that the business
could run without any hindrance in the respected economy.
Task 3
Developing of the communication processes
3.1. Report on existing processes of communication in an organization
The existing process of communication that is there in the organization are as follows:
 Sender:

The individual who is responsible in starting the communication through the words spoken, or
written is referred to the sender. Moreover, it is seen that the message that is generated through
the spoken method helps in understanding more than the words that are written on paper
(Hofmann, Beverungen, Räckers and Becker, 2013).
 Encoding:
Encoding refers to the understanding of the words that are spoken, that refers to the meaningful
sentences being spoken such that it helps in building up of the understanding between the two
individuals while conversing.
 Transmission:
To transmit the message in simple language such that it is easy to understand and a deal could be
struck from the understanding of the conversation.
 Feedback:
The ,message that is received by the receiver when provided back to the sender that further
enables the sender in understanding that the message that is portrayed is understood by the
receiver (Hofmann, Beverungen, Räckers and Becker, 2013).
3.2. Designing ways to improve appropriateness
The several ways, through which the appropriateness of the messages could be, build is by
conversing in simple language. On the other hand, by keeping the sentences short would further
help in easy to understand. Moreover, by developing the listening skill further helps in keeping
the concentration power on such that the proper observation could be made on the message or the
conversation that is taking place in the organization. This further helps in making a focus on the
interaction and the conversation that is being made in the organization (Percy, 2014).
Further, by ensuring the conversation in written form and in audio video ways would further help
in the appropriateness of the conversation to be made in the firm. Together with this, it would
help in solving the issues that build up due to the conversation problem. It is because, proper
conversation helps in building up the understanding and the relationship is improved with the
passage of days. It is very necessary in the organization to obtain quality work from the

employees. Therefore, proper and appropriate conversation is required to be maintained within
the firm with the employees so that a proper understanding could be build to do work functions
properly (Majchrzak, 2014).
3.3. Implementing the improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of
communication in that organization
In order to improve the current situation it is required to understand the situation that is going on
in the organization. Accordingly, proper decision is needed to be considered by the organization
so that proper settlement of the issues and the conflicts that are occurring in the organization
could be done (Majchrzak, 2014).
Defining the goals and the objectives of the employees in the organization would help the
organization in gaining the benefit. It is because; this would help in making the employees to
work on that so that the organization could gain the competitive advantage easily in less time.
Communication strategy to be build in the organization so that a proper understanding could be
build between the management and the employees working in the organization. Along with that,
the evaluation of the message is also required to be done such that a successful delivery of the
message could be formulated by the organization in a proper manner (Khodakarami and Chan,
2014).
3.4. Creating a personal plan to improve own communication skills
The personal plan that would help in the improvement of the communication skills are as
follows:
 Improving the listening skills so that the focus could be made on the said words from the
massager so that proper understanding could be build in the organization.
 Concerning on the emotions of the others so that their wants and their desires could be
felt and understood to build a good relationship in the organization (Khodakarami and
Chan, 2014).
 Resolve the problems that arise in the work sector so that a clear understanding could be
build with the peers.

 Treating all the people equally in the firm such that without making any discrimination
between people (Khodakarami and Chan, 2014).
 Having a positive attitude in the organization would further help to bring up the potential
for work and work in a more effective manner such that the positive result could be
obtained.
Task 4
To improve systems relating to information and knowledge
4.1. Report on existing approaches to the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination
of information and knowledge
Moreover, it is further seen that proper communication has been taken into consideration so that
a good relation could be maintained with the customers as well as the stakeholders of the
company. Communication helps in building up the understanding and the trust, which further
enables the company to upgrade its status in the market. Therefore, to maintain this conversation
and communication intact it is required to store the data in the organizations’ system
(Khodakarami and Chan, 2014).
Therefore, computers are used in the organization to keep a stock of the information and the
decisions that are taken up by the organization. It is because; the stored information would help
to give further modification in the decesions, which would be taken in the later years. Therefore,
the storage of the information could be done through the software or through cloud computing. It
is because, with the passage of days, the information keeps on increasing and it becomes
impossible to store everything in the device. Therefore, proper adaptation of software is required
to be done to enable all the information being stored easily for future needs. Therefore, it is
witnessed that the online source is taken up by the organization in storing the information for
their future references (Khodakarami and Chan, 2014).

4.2. Carrying out appropriate changes to improve the collection, formatting, storage and
dissemination of information and knowledge
For this purpose, both the traditional and the recent techniques could be adopted by the
organization. The traditional approach refers to the information being stored in the files,
documents and other things. On the other hand, in recent times the storage of the information is
done in the storage systems such as computers. Therefore, the changes that could be taken up for
making an improvement in the storage of the data are by storing the data in the cloud computing
so that it could provide enough space to store a large amount of data (Schnackenberg and
Tomlinson, 2016).
It is further seen that, it is with appropriate storage of the data the company could later access the
data in the future for their references. Thus, in case any problems being faced by the organization
it could consult with the information that are stored to solve the issue that arise in the office
regarding work or administration.
4.3. Implement a strategy to improve access to systems of information and knowledge.
The strategy that could be adopted by the organization in the accessing of the information is that
the organization could use the software of SAP that could help to access the information in a safe
mode. It is because it provides a password and the license to access the information is in the
hands of the administration only. This would further help the organization in keeping their
confidential information safe. On the other hand, it would further help the organization in
keeping its documents and information in a safe place. This would further forbid the organization
from facing any problems in the future (Schnackenberg and Tomlinson, 2016).

Conclusion
Proper decisions making and interpreting of information appropriately helps the organization to
gain the absolute knowledge about the strengths and the weaknesses that are possessed by the
organization. Therefore, it is with the gaining of appropriate knowledge the organization could
exhibit proper decision such that the strategies could be taken up by the organization in order to
create brilliant result for the company. Along with that, high-level skills of communication
knowledge and information are needed to be accessed by the organization, which helps to
influence the decision taking possibility. Moreover, it is seen that the internal and the external
information that are obtained by the organization further helps to take proper decisions. It is
because; appropriate strategies could be taken up by the organization to influence the business of
the firm (Schnackenberg and Tomlinson, 2016).
It is based on the proper planning of the work structure, in an organization such as Woolworths
in this context would be able to frame its quality in the service that it provides to its customers.
Moreover, it is further seen that proper communication has been taken into consideration so that
a good relation could be maintained with the customers as well as the stakeholders of the
company. Communication helps in building up the understanding and the trust, which further
enables the company to upgrade its status in the market. Therefore, it is regarded as the two way
process that helps the organization to obtain the gain in attracting more customers and building
up the status in the market. That further enables the organization to incur maximum competitive
advantage and earn the desired profit percentage. Thus, effective communication should be taken
into consideration by the company to build up the relationship with the customers, employees
and the suppliers (Schnackenberg and Tomlinson, 2016).

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